FOCUS | CANADA
Atlantic Crane & Material Handling engineered and fabricated this 45-tonne gantry crane at its Dartmouth, Nova Scotia location and then installed it in central Newfoundland. Photo courtesy of Atlantic Crane & Material Handling
Opportunities abound in Canadian overhead crane sector
Common challenges in the Canadian overhead crane sector include finding and training technicians. Keith Norbury reports.
C
anada, slightly larger than the U.S. but with an eighth of the population, has dozens of manufacturers, installers, and modifiers of overhead cranes.
Among them is Givens Engineering, based in London, Ontario. However, unlike most manufacturers, which build steel cranes, Givens focuses on lightweight aluminum cranes “that you can set up on a weekend,” said company founder and president Ray Givens. These enclosed-track cranes, with capacities of about two tons, are very popular in the automotive industry, Givens said. He estimated that in eastern Canada, such lightweight cranes account for about half of the overhead cranes sold today. For Givens, about 50% of its production is shipped to the U.S. The company, with about 80 employees, has a 50,000 square foot manufacturing plant in London, a second 26,000 square foot plant in London, and a 22,000 square foot fabricating facility in Perrysburg, Ohio. About 65% of Givens cranes work in the
automotive sector with the remainder in sectors like aerospace, defence industries, agriculture and construction. “The automotive industry is so huge in the United States that the demand is limitless,” Givens said.
Quebec hoist maker notes industry consolidation In Quebec, Alain Giasson, owner of Montreal- based Vulcan Hoist Company, said industry consolidation is resulting in fewer and fewer hoist manufacturers.
“Hoist manufacturers are either being
purchased by larger hoist companies, or as we are seeing more and more, private equity is wanting to get an important presence in the industrial market,” Giasson said.
Canada’s only chain-hoist manufacturer, Vulcan employs about 40 people and has a main manufacturing facility of 15,000 square feet. Among Vulcan’s recent innovations is its Vulcan
Ray Givens is the founder and president of London, Ontario-based Givens Engineering, which specializes in light-weight aluminum cranes for the automotive sector. Photo courtesy of Givens Engineering
ochmagazine.com | Fall 2024 7
VS1 hoist, which can run on three voltages: 115-volts, 230-volts one-phase, and 230-volts three-phase.
“So the distributor can decide to sell it to
customer A, B or C, because it’s more versatile” Giasson said. “It serves many needs.” Vulcan, which is marking 60 years in business, also has a partnership with a Swiss company, GIS, that supplies products such as explosion-proof and food-grade hoists.
“If we don’t do this, if we don’t fulfill every
customer order, then we’re not the right guy to go to,” Giasson said.
Manufacturing, mining, shipbuilding and forestry are among the major industries for Vulcan products.
Giasson admitted, though, that he doesn’t always know the hoist’s final user. For example, many are shipped to distributors in Edmonton, where he expects they are used to support the oil sands sector.
Alberta cranes in high demand “There’s a huge demand; cranes are everywhere,” said Lisa Demer-Olver, owner of Edmonton-based Kolo Training. For large operations like mines, big multinationals like Konecranes build complete overhead cranes. However, many smaller companies, such as WF Steel & Crane, build custom overhead cranes that incorporate hoists and trollies from other manufacturers. “What they’re manufacturing is the runways
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63
