NEWS/PRESS

January 01, 2005
REACHING HIGHER - The Sky's The Limit With AmQuip's Tower Crane Fleet

The sky’s the limit at AmQuip Corporation. Literally and figuratively, this is the approach that has made AmQuip a world leader in crane rentals. From humble beginnings with a single crane, the company was built on a vision and continues to thrive by exceeding client expectations and anticipating the needs of the market in advance. In 1967, Joseph L. Wesley saw a void in the local construction market - a lack of crane rental options. He sought to fill that void by providing a necessary service, while also developing the relationships and trust with his clients that have made AmQuip the preferred choice in the business.

Local Focus, National Growth

From the early days of the Vet to today’s Lincoln Financial Field and Citizens Bank Park, AmQuip maintains strong ties to the Philadelphia region. AmQuip cranes are constantly present on major jobs throughout the area, and can currently be seen as part of the city skyline on 5 different downtown jobsites. AmQuip continues to focus on Philadelphia as its home base, but as the fifth largest crane rental company in the United States, they are well-equipped to service clients nationwide. AmQuip cranes have serviced jobsites in as many as 39 states at one time. With 9 offices throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Washington DC, Ohio, Kentucky, and their newest location in Tampa, Florida, AmQuip is a national provider with a hometown tradition.

First Responders

Speaking of tradition, AmQuip has a long standing tradition of commitment to the community and first response in emergency situations. During the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks, AmQuip was the first to arrive onsite with a 300 ton Liebherr™ crawler crane that was specially engineered with a unique matting system that would displace the crane’s weight appropriately for placement on ground with subways below. More recently, they have been involved in emergency rescue efforts at the Tropicana in Atlantic City, during the floods in New Jersey in 2004, and currently have 3 cranes helping in the oil spill cleanup effort along the Delaware River. AmQuip also regularly donates cranes for school displays and community parades, and has drop-off barrels at their facilities for donations to Toys For Tots. “We are an integral part of our community,” states Jack Good, Sales Representative at the Bensalem headquarters. “We want people to know who we are and that we are here to serve them.”

At AmQuip, “first response” does not only apply to emergencies; it also describes the company’s proactive nature and ability to identify the market’s needs faster than their competitors. As the largest employer of Operating Engineers in the Northeast, AmQuip has both the manpower and the equipment to respond to a client request at any given time. When the construction market demanded crawler and all-terrain cranes, AmQuip was the first to meet both needs with crawlers ranging from 50 to 900 tons and all terrains from 20 to 500 tons. Today, with a large number of projects in downtown locations, space restrictions on jobsites have resulted in a high demand for tower cranes. Once again, AmQuip anticipated this need and in November 2004 expanded their tower crane fleet with the acquisition of nearly 20 cranes. The company now has over 30 Potain and Peiner tower cranes, ranging in size from the MDT302 to the SK575. “With the space that a tower crane saves and the added height they provide, we can help build taller buildings and place cranes in areas where they couldn’t go before,” Good explains.

Client Confidence

AmQuip’s reputation as a reliable, safe, and accommodating company has helped fuel the company’s growth throughout the years. The company’s service department, led by Operations Manager Mike Good, teams with 15- and 20-year veterans of the industry. They keep the fleet state-of-the-art and maintain higher insurance coverage levels than most of their competitors. Through their full-time safety department, AmQuip meets the strictest of safety restrictions and is widely recognized as a leader in highly regulated sectors such as government facilities, chemical processing facilities, and other energy and industrial plants. In addition, crane manufacturing companies trust their judgment well enough that they are often called upon to consult on production. “Our relationship with the manufacturers is so strong that we have input on design,” states General Manager Frank Bardonaro. “We have aided manufacturers in developing prototypes and lift charts for new equipment.”

“Our goal is to be a one-stop shop,” Bardonaro states. “We are successful because of our ability to meet customer demand and respond instantaneously. Anything that the customer wants, we either have it or can obtain it immediately. There’s nothing we can’t do.”

AmQuip “The Crane People” is a full-service crane rental operation and safety training, and sales company headquartered in Bensalem, PA. For more information call 1-800-355-9200 or visit www.AmQuip.com.

Originally Printed In Construction Today - Winter 2005

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