Qatari contractors are recognising the benefits of rental fleets for smaller equipment such as Atlas Copco compressors as the rental option eliminates the need for maintenance and workshop facilities, according to Oriental Trading Company (OTC) Plant Hire, one of Qatar’s leading plant rental companies.

“An increasing number of contractors are electing to hire as an alternative to buying, which can represent an unrealistic option for many, on account of the major investment and outlay,” says P Rajagopalan, rental manager for OTC Plant Hire.
“There has been a growing tendency towards rental, particularly by foreign contractors, not wishing to invest in costly workshops for maintenance and repairs,” he adds.
Renting plant on a ‘job-by-job’ basis offers the major advantage of not having to finance idle plant which is always depreciating in value – plus it allows access to the latest models ‘as and when’ required.
OTC Plant Hire was set up in 2002, with a view to catering to the anticipated demands of the new construction projects that would be launched in Qatar for the Asian Games and gas-related projects. Having started with just two Atlas Copco air compressors – an XA 146 and XA 186 – the company has expanded to becoming a frontrunner in its field with a fleet of almost 100 units, including more than 70 Atlas Copco compressors.
The XA 186 continues to be its most popular model, with its rating and size making it ideal for sandblasting duties by steel fabricators and jack hammer and breaker applications by contractors, says Rajagopalan.
The trend towards rental in Qatar is continuing to grow, particularly for items of plant such as compressors and generator sets. “Both types of equipment, particularly the compressors, can remain idle on-site for fairly long periods, which of course, is not cost effective for a contractor owning the equipment,” he says.
Whilst rental can put added demands on work scheduling for the contractor to ensure that the right plant is available at the right time and in the right place, more Qatari companies recognising the benefits.
Generally, rental becomes the preferred option for shorter term projects by the large and smaller contractors alike with rental periods varying from just ‘day lets’ to as much as 12 months and possibly longer, with the majority being between three and four months,” says Rajagopalan.
“With such a diverse range of rental periods and with operators’ skills – at times – very poor, it is essential that the equipment has a proven reliability and must be able to withstand robust use – all proven attributes of our Atlas Copco fleet of compressors and generating sets,” he adds.
With more than 50 rental customers, the OTC fleet is in continuous demand with back-up provided by a team of technicians undertaking all maintenance and repairs on-site. OTC recognises that contractors cannot afford to have plant ‘down’ on their fast-track contracts and hence has a round-the-clock on-call system.
“On completion of the Asian Games stadiums and associated projects, we have had a chance to catch our breath, before the next imminent phase of major highways contracts and continued gas-related projects,” Rajagopalan says.
OTC leads in providing customers with an attractive and essential product range and services with complete technical support and represents a broad spectrum of international organisations with offices both in Doha and Salwa, Qatar. The company has various divisions including the hire/rental division, which offers construction equipment, compressors, generators, pumps, road rollers, concrete mixers, hydraulic equipment and tools.