STATE FOCUS | PENNSYLVANIA
Reliance Crane & Hoist believes a lot of the Pennsylvanian demand has been for smaller-capacity cranes.
increase the county’s prosperity. Meanwhile the Lawrence Mercer Manufacturers Coalition describes itself as an organisation determined to attract, retain and upskill the manufacturing workforce that its members collectively need to thrive and grow. Michael Kinsey, president of CTK Industrial Services Co, says that the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) regulation that overhead cranes need to be inspected at least once a year is also supporting their demand. That, he explained, is because it provides an opportunity for crane manufacturers to get into the door and potentially identifying things that need to be repaired or upgraded to meet the code.
But it is because of the number of thriving businesses in Pennsylvania that the state’s overhead crane and hoist business is also thriving, Kinsey adds – especially since in many cases overhead cranes are an essential piece of equipment for the functioning of a business. “There are a lot of needs that directly relay upon overhead cranes and the engineering that supports them,” he says. “That puts them in the front of the line,” Kinsey adds, not just because of business dynamics themselves, but also if something doesn’t work right. In addition to demand for new equipment, there is demand for repairs and inspections and sometimes used equipment.”
Factors impacting the market Some of the factors impacting the state’s overhead crane market could be more national in nature, particularly the business-friendly nature of the new US administration, John Barney,
CTK's president says inspection regulation is supporting demand.
president of J.B.S. Cranes and Accessories, says, noting that this year his business has really started to bust loose. Jim Douglass, a sales representative for
Wallace Cranes had a similar impression, observing that with the increased certainties now that the presidential election is over his company has been getting several requotes from companies nationwide that had previously been unsure whether they wanted to invest in new cranes – “But now they are willing to do so.” At least some companies are. Tim Bambrick, Spanco’s senior vice-president of sales and marketing, says to date companies are continuing to take a wait and see approach given uncertainty about the impact of recently announced policy changes. But he says that if there are more incentives and tax breaks for small manufacturers
and if the Federal Reserve lower interest rates further, more Pennsylvania companies could look to grow their footprint given that cranes are a big capital expenditure.
While Bambrick said the uncertainty about tariffs is also making companies cautious, he points out that the push for domestic production has been a positive factor. Not only are they looking to buy domestically produced cranes, but, given that they might be doing more in-house, they need to have more cranes in their facilities. He says that he started to see that shift in 2020 due to certain supply chain issues: “Companies started to realise that their factories were inadequate to produce materials domestically,” so they made moves to improve their material handling equipment, especially their cranes.
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