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Christmas Appeal
The CEA secretariat has contributed to the Heart of Mary Villa appeal fund in lieu of sending Christmas cards this year. The construction equipment industry has had a tough year but there are still others much less fortunate than ourselves. This charity is well known for the generous support it receives from our friends at Off-Highway Research.
Click here
for information about this charity.
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CECE Reports Some Increase in Business Optimism
When overall markets have been so bad in the last year or so, we have to welcome any sign of optimism. The latest Committee for European Construction Equipment (CECE) Business Barometer reports that most of the major European markets now seem to have bottomed out. In their latest monthly survey of construction equipment businesses across Europe, 37 per cent of respondents expected a sales improvement over the next half year (compared with 25 per cent a month earlier) – with "no change" predicted by 42 per cent (up from 34 per cent). 83 per cent felt that France had reached the bottom of the cycle, compared with 76 per cent for the UK and 73 per cent for Germany. Respondents were less confident about the Italian market. CEA members can receive full detailed monthly Business Barometer reports free of charge in return for contributing their input. E-mail
kim@admin.co.uk to sign up. |
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“Building Business Confidence” – Wednesday 17 March 2010
Our theme for the CEA’s annual conference at One Great George Street, London SW1 is “Building Business Confidence”. Speakers will include senior politicians, market experts and industry leaders. Look out for your invitations in the New Year. As in previous years, there will be an opportunity for members to showcase their products. To reserve a display area, please e-mail
cea@admin.co.uk. |
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Assistance Programme in the Slow Lane
HMG admitted this week that the Automotive Assistance programme for car and construction equipment manufacturers launched early this year has yet to approve its first loan deal. The CEA had warned that the tight rules for the scheme involving support for "green" technology projects was unlikely to yield the type of shorter term support needed by our members. At the launch of the programme, the Minister responsible made it clear he was looking for the first deals to be struck "within weeks" – that was back in March.
Click here for the full story.
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Construction in the UK Economy: The Benefits of Investment
The UK Contractors Group (UKCG), under the auspices of the CBI, gained widespread coverage of their report on the benefits to the economy of construction spending. The CEA is helping to spread the word to politicians and opinion formers that construction remains one of the best ways of stimulating economic growth and creating jobs. The report comes at a time when there has been widespread disappointment that the promised escalation of planned infrastructure projects does not seem to have occurred. For the key data from the UKCG commissioned report
click here. |
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Pre-Budget Statement – No Surprises
The CEA joined forces with the EEF and other manufacturers' associations to provide input to the Chancellor before his Pre-Budget Statement (PBS) last week. Steve
Radley, Director of Policy at the EEF, commented; “The job of (the) statement was to outline how the structural shortfall in the public finances was going to be tackled. Instead, it went for the easy targets and fudged the tough decisions necessary to achieve this. Whilst there are some helpful measures, such as deferring the increase in corporation tax for small firms, the failure to extend capital allowances for investment removes support at just the time in the cycle when firms could most benefit”. For the full EEF comment
click here |
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Government Funded Business Support
The new Solutions for Business booklet summarises the support available from government to help businesses succeed during the economic downturn and for securing future economic prosperity and growth.
Click here
for a copy of the booklet. |
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CEA Discussion Forums
Have you joined the CEA’s discussion forums on the website? Once registered, CEA members can use the forums to share and exchange information. There are three discussion areas for the exclusive use of CEA members – Technical, International and Business. Current topics include the Machinery Directive and Batteries Regulations in the Technical forum.
To register:
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Go to
www.coneq.org.uk |
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2. |
Click on any of the Members’ Discussion Boards. |
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3. |
The “public” Construction Equipment Industry Forum will appear. In order to use the three members’ only forums you have to register. |
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4. |
Click on “register” (right hand side under “user” and “psw” boxes) and follow the instructions. |
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5. |
You will then be sent an automatic e-mail from
robot@coneq.org.uk asking you to activate your membership (just click the link). |
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To avoid non-members registering, the CEA will verify that you are a member, and you will receive an e-mail from us notifying you that you have access. |
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Each subsequent time you wish to use the forums, just enter your user name and password. |
Using
the forums:
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Click
on the forum you wish to use – Technical,
Business or International. |
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You
have the choice to click on a thread already
posted – and add a reply – or you can start a
new thread. |
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Once
a message is added – click “home” to get
back into the forums. |
If
you run into any problems, please either email cea@admin.co.uk,
or call Kim Fitzpatrick on 020 8253 4502. |
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