A trainee wizard like Harry Potter may be able to wave a magic wand, but only Nationwide's Skylift truck-mounted booms could cast the right spell for Vertigo Rigging Limited last December.

Nationwide, the country's leading supplier of powered access equipment, brought a magic touch to the prestigious Leicester Square Odeon when a 50-metre Skylift was used to install rigging for the lighting and special effects for the launch of the blockbuster movie Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

As the cinema lies at the heart of London's crowded West End, both speed and ease of installation were of the utmost importance. The decision to use the Skylift meant that precise work on the exterior of the building could begin the moment the unit arrived in Leicester Square, plus the Skylift could be moved quickly and efficiently - vital in the pedestrianised heart of one of the world's busiest cities.

Careful precision was required when erecting the rigging, meaning that the Skylift's outreach capabilities - enabling it to reach over obstacles and gain access to areas not easily achieved by equipment limited to vertical elevation - were invaluable. It is little wonder that the Skylift has therefore become so popular with film and broadcasting companies in all areas of movie production.

The Skylift fleet currently consists of 166 truck mounted telescopic and articulating access booms and there are nearly two-dozen models from which to choose. While any one of Nationwide's countrywide powered access depots can arrange the hire of Skylift equipment and a driver/operator, specialist help is also readily available from the Master Skylift depots in Glasgow, Coventry, Manchester, London, Leeds and Cardiff.

Nationwide is part of the publicly-quoted Lavendon Group plc and is headquartered in Lutterworth, Leicestershire. It commands a hire fleet of around 6,000 units - more than twice the size of its nearest competitor. The Group is also a major player in the European powered access market, trading under the name Zooom in Germany, France, Spain and Austria. Full details on the company's entire line-up of booms, scissor lifts and truck mounts, depot locations, machine sales, training and Power Guard can be found at Nationwide.

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February 2002 Nat2.022a