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October

• Liebherr’s New Five-Axle LTM 1150-5.3 AT Crane Lifts 165 USt, has 216’ Boom

  Oct. 20, 2020 – Liebherr has rolled out its LTM 1150-5.3, a new five-axle all-terrain crane designed to be the successor to its highly successful LTM 1130-5.1, of which some 1,500 have been sold.

  Christoph Kleiner, Liebherr sales director calls the new LTM 1150-5.3 “The jewel in your fleet, a flexible all-rounder that will enhance any crane fleet.”

  Kleiner says that the LTM 1150-5.3’s 216’ (66 m) boom is the longest in its class and that the 165-USt (150-tonne) crane can compete with models in the 220-USt (200-tonne) lifting capacity class.

  “It delivers outstanding lifting capacities when fully raised and at large radii,” said Kleiner. “And it is immediately ready for use once it reaches the site because it carries  9.9 tons (9 tonnes) of  ballast and has a gross weight of 66 tons (60 tonnes). That means it can complete lots of jobs without requiring additional transport vehicles.”




• Survey: Small-Business Confidence Rebounds, but is Below Pre-Pandemic Level

  Oct. 20, 2020 - Balboa Capital, a leading direct lender that specializes in equipment financing and small business loans, has announced the results of its latest survey, conducted to gain a better understanding of small business performance during the COVID-19 pandemic and to gauge small business owner confidence for the final months of 2020.

  The survey reveals that 53% of small business owners saw decreased revenues in the second and third quarters of 2020, compared to 18% in the previous two quarters.

  Conversely, 54% of small business owners are expecting increased revenues in Q4. That’s up 7% from Balboa Capital's previous survey results.




• SC&RA Offers Members Guidance About Tower Crane Signs

  Oct. 21, 2020 -  The SC&RA is offering members guidance about putting signs on tower cranes.

  The organization's Tower Crane Committee recently completed a document titled Tower Crane Signage Guidelines, which addresses best practices for placing signage on tower cranes.

  “As always, the manufacturer’s instructions must be followed, but the committee felt there were other areas that needed to be addressed to ensure signs mounted on tower cranes meet certain requirements and do not create a hazard for personnel working on or around the crane,” said Peter Juhren, chair of the committee and president and COO of Morrow Equipment.




• WestRock Paper Mill Adds New Broderson Carry-Deck Crane

  Oct. 20, 2020 - The WestRock Solvay Mill in Solvay, New York, has taken delivery of a  Broderson IC-100-3B from Empire Crane Co. to use in construction and maintenance operations, primarily repairing the paper mill’s rotating equipment and screens. 

  The new 2020 Broderson IC-100-3B replaces a 1999-vintage Broderson IC-80 that has long been working reliably at the mill.

  WestRock decided to upgrade because it now needs more lifting capacity than the IC-80 offers.




• Morrow to Reopen Training Center in January 2021

  Oct. 20, 2020 - Morrow Equipment will reopen its Morrow Training Center in Salem, Oregon, starting in January 2021. 

  Morrow follows the latest COVID-19 guidelines set forth by the State of Oregon and the CDC.  Classroom space at the training center is large enough to allow social distancing, and Morrow will be restricting the number of students in the classroom.

  Masks must be worn during training. Procedures for using hand sanitizer use, handwashing, and temperature checks are in effect.




• Best Heavy Equipment Simulators Give Operator the Feel of Real

  Oct. 22, 2020 - If you’re looking to optimize your operator training by investing in heavy equipment simulators, it’s important to remember that not all simulation is created equal, says Mala Dewan, product marketing manager for CM Labs, a simulator manufacturer in Montreal, Quebec.

  Dewan says that most experienced operators say that when they work a piece of equipment, it becomes an extension of themselves. That gives them the ability to identify which brand they’re sitting in simply from the sound of the engine or by the seat of their pants.

  Whether in lifting or earthmoving equipment, responding to machine feedback is important to maximizing its capabilities and, in many cases, saving time and money.




• The Pit Row Group Names Steven Todd as New President

  Oct. 13, 2020 - The Pit Row Group LLC, a leading provider of transportation and specialized transportation solutions, has named Steven A. Todd as president of Pit Row Transportation Solutions and partner of Pit Row Legal Solutions. Todd began his duties Oct. 1.

  Todd has more than 20 years of senior management experience, including serving as chief of permits for the Illinois Department of Transportation. He most recently was vice president of transportation for the Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association. 

  “Steven is the right leader for PRTS,” said Mike Morgan, Pit Row Group chairman.




• Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation Predicts Growth in Q4

  Oct. 13, 2020 – After severe declines in equipment and software investment in Q1 and Q2 due to the effects of COVID-19 and the impact of social distancing measures, investment in equipment and software bounced back in Q3 as the U.S. economy began to reopen.
  

  While there is a great deal of uncertainty given the pandemic, annualized growth appears likely to remain positive in Q4, bringing the annual equipment and software investment growth forecast to the -4.9% to -6.4% range.
  

  The forecast for the broader U.S. economy in Q4 is less certain, though annual U.S. GDP growth for 2020 is forecast between -3.8% and -4.8%, according to the Q4 update to the 2020 Equipment Leasing & Finance U.S. Economic Outlook released Oct. 7 by the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation.
  




• Tadano’s German Restructuring Won’t Affect North American Sales or Deliveries

  Oct. 13, 2020 - Tadano Ltd.’s recently announced plan to restructure its German manufacturing operations will not affect sales or deliveries of equipment to customers in North America, according to a Tadano America executive.

  Tadano’s corporate headquarters in Takamatsu, Japan, announced on Oct. 8 that the corporation had started the restructuring process, which is being done under a program of assistance offered by the German government.

  Tadano has been integrating Demag Mobile Cranes operations into the Tadano organization ever since it bought the company in 2019. However, worldwide economic challenges, worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, now make it necessary for Tadano to speed up the process, and to do it under the German government’s assistance program.




• Entegra Buys Bloom

  Oct. 13, 2020 - In July of this year, a new holding company, Entegra Attachments LLC, of Saint Charles, Illinois, bought Bloom Manufacturing Inc, a 110-year-old manufacturer of standard and custom designed hydraulic winches, speed reducers, parts, and accessories, located in Independence, Iowa.

  Entegra Attachments focuses its investments on manufacturers who offer highly unique product and service propositions across an array of industrial stationary and mobile attachment platforms.




• Wind Safety with Internet Connection

  Oct. 2, 2020 - Wind has always been dangerous where heavy equipment is operated.

  Not only are there life-and-death safety concerns, but wind speed and direction can also contribute to rendering machinery inefficient.

  That’s why Bigfoot Crane has been working closely with Navis Elektronika, a world leader in anemometers.

  Together, the two companies have developed the latest technology in wind monitoring for customers who depend on it to keep workers and workplaces safe and efficient.




• New National Crane NBT60XL Blends Boom-Truck and Truck-Crane Benefits

  Oct. 2, 2020- The line between boom trucks and truck cranes got a little more blurred on Oct. 2.

  That’s the day Manitowoc’s National Crane brand announced the new NBT60XL boom truck to dealers.

  The new model blends the best features from both kinds of crane to give users what they’ve asked for: a rig that rides like a boom truck and lifts like a truck crane.

  It combines the 151' boom length of a boom truck, better lifting capacity than any other 60-USt boom truck or 60-USt truck crane, the solid lifting feel of a truck crane, the highway speed and comfortable ride of a boom truck, the multiple counterweight configurations of a truck crane, and the chassis compatibility of a boom truck.




• Manitex International Names New Senior VP and CFO

  Oct. 5, 2020 - Manitex International Inc., Bridgeview, Illinois, has named Joseph Doolan as a senior vice president and the Chief Financial Officer of Manitex International, Inc., effective Oct. 20.

  Doolan, a CPA since 1986, brings 25 years of experience in senior financial executive roles at public industrial and financial services companies, following nine years at KPMG in its financial services practice.

  Having joined UCI-FRAM Inc., a $2 billion international manufacturer of aftermarket auto parts, in 2012, he was VP of finance there and with successor companies Fram Group Holdings and Trico, since then.




September

• Crane Industry Services Offers Virtual Training Courses

  Carrollton, Ga. (September 21, 2020) Crane Industry Services, LLC (CIS) is now offering custom virtual training courses in order to accommodate COVID-19 safety regulations. Converting OSHA and ANSI accredited courses from classroom instruction to a virtual environment ensures that training can continue. Virtual training courses include OSHA 10, Leading Safety Works™, Site Safety for Construction Supervisors and Utility Supervisors, Use Load Charts Like A Pro, and Crane Site Safety.




• Crosby|Straightpoint Launches Multi-Function INSIGHT Software

  Crosby|Straightpoint has launched its multifaceted INSIGHT software that allows users to monitor up to 126 load cells from up to 700m (2,300 ft.) away, before and during a lift.

  The INSIGHT system is a revolutionary centre of gravity tool, presented as an all-round load monitoring product offering state-of-the-art technology in four main areas: multi-channel display and data logging; load visualisation; proof load testing; and centre of gravity. Included is an SW-D USB wireless dongle; the product can be used with a laptop, tablet or other device using Windows. 




• New CTO for the WOLFF Pack – Thomas Heidrich to Focus on Digitalization

  Ilsfeld – September 2020. In September, WOLFFKRAN took Thomas Heidrich on board as its new Chief Technical Officer. The 54-year-old holds a university degree in Electrical Engineering and has spent a significant part of his professional life in the crane industry. He has extensive knowledge in the areas of automation and digitalization.

  WOLFFKRAN's new CTO Thomas Heidrich wants to make the WOLFF pack more digital. Privately he also enjoys analogous activities such as fishing, sailing, and endurance sports. 




• NCCER Names Worsham as President and CEO

  Worsham

  Sept. 25, 2020 – NCCER has named its current president, Boyd Worsham, as both president and chief executive officer. The appointment to CEO became effective Sept. 3.

  NCCER has been implementing a formal succession plan over the last two years to fill the leadership position Don Whyte has held since 2003.

  In 2018, Worsham, formerly of The Haskell Company, Jacksonville, Florida, was identified as the successor to lead NCCER into the future while Whyte remained on board as CEO to provide guidance and support during the transition.




• Manitex Adds Link-Belt Mid-Atlantic as a Distributor of Industrial Cranes

  Sept. 25, 2020 – Manitex International Inc., a leading international provider of cranes and specialized industrial equipment, has expanded its industrial-crane distribution network by adding Link-Belt Mid-Atlantic Construction Equipment.

  Headquartered in Ashland, Virginia, Link-Belt Mid-Atlantic now represents Manitex as a full-service dealer for industrial cranes in Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia.




• Jekko Delivers 2,000th Crane

  Sept. 23, 2020 - Jekko recently delivered the 2,000^th crane it has manufactured during 20 years in the mini-crane business.

  The delivery came during the JDL exhibition in France, where French dealer ATN Platforms accepted the milestone unit, an SPX650 crawler mounted model, which Jekko launched in July through a worldwide livestream presentation.

  In photo, from left, Alberto Franceschini, Roger Boutonnet, Gilles Cheval, and Frédéric Leclerc.




• CM Labs' Sept. 30 Webinar will Show How Simulation Helps Build Teamwork

  Sept. 23, 2020 – On Wednesday, Sept. 30, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time, CM Labs Simulations will hold a free 30-minute webinar of the way simulation technology can facilitate teamwork on the jobsite.

  CM Labs says the webinar is ideal for construction companies, crane and rigging rental companies, vocational schools, and anyone else who would benefit from knowing how to use simulation for safe and effective crew training.

  Register for the free webinar here.