26 CRANE HOT LINE NOVEMBER 2007 • cranehotline.com

K oenig Cranes North America™ has taken on a new line of cranes, and with it comes a new identity. Now also the sole North American dis-

tributor for Italian-made San Marco™ Inter-national S.L.R. hydraulic self-erecting tower cranes, city cranes and tower cranes, the Abbotsford, British Columbia, company has evolved into Eagle West™ Equipment Inc. “We needed to respect each brand we now sell,” says Gerry Wiebe, vice president, of the name change. Along with HMT and BOSCARO crane accessories, and Nip-pon and MASE generators, the company has grown from offering one product line to seven. “When we realized we’d have a major market under San Marco, we legally changed the name to Eagle West Equip-ment Inc.” With the addition to its current lines – the company already distributes Koenig and Wilbert Cranes – Eagle West rounds out its crane offerings. The Canadian com-pany will now supply a complete product range of hydraulic and mechanical self-erecting tower cranes as well as city and tower cranes from the smallest of applica-tions up to the new 650 tonne/meter tower cranes. [Editor’s note: In San Marco’s stan-dard nomenclature, city and tower crane

capacities are referred to in tonne/meters, the equivalent of lifting capacity multiplied by jib length.] “If you call me today and say you need a small self-erecting crane to build a house, I’ll say, ‘I’ve got it.’ If you call tomorrow and say, ‘I need a 650 tonne/meter tower crane to work on a refinery plant,’ I’ll say, ‘I’ve got it,’ too,” says Wiebe.

A variety of shapes and sizes San Marco offers 16 models of hydraulic self-erecting cranes. Under-hook heights range from 54 to 95 feet and jib lengths run from 59 to 138 feet. Maximum lifting capac-ities range from 2,645 pounds up to 8,820 pounds and jib

tip capacities range from 1,325 pounds to 2,425 pounds. This line of cranes is engineered to offer multiple luff settings, mul-tiple jib fold-back options, and 2- to 4-part block rigging systems. All electrical has been converted to U.S. standards and is UL cer-tified. The cranes feature high-speed leveling systems and high-speed computer-assisted setup. Two models in particular that Wiebe is convinced will be popu-

lar in North America are the SMH 400 and the 420. With 40- and 42-meter (131- and 138-foot) jibs respectively, the cranes fea-ture automatic roll-out. Where traditional self-erectors go up via radio remote control, San Marco has developed these two larger crane models to be totally and fully comput-er-controlled. “The more user-friendly the crane is, the more comfortable people will be with it,” says Wiebe of the developments. “Erection time keeps people away from these cranes, but by overcoming those issues, San Marco has come far in terms of mobilization and

Spotlight: Cranes

New Name, New Line of Cranes for Eagle West™ Equipment

Eagle West™ Equipment has taken on the San Marco™ International SLR line of tower and city cranes, bringing 31 models to the North American market this year.

Before the ink had dried on the exclusive North American

supply agreement with San Marco, Eagle West had seven

cranes on order for deliveries to Ohio, Texas, Georgia and British Columbia. Shown here are Brian

Homeyer, Eagle West Cranes CFO, Antonio Cerutti, San Marco

president and CEO, and Gerry Wiebe, Eagle West Equipment

vice president.

Continued on page 40 >

40 CRANE HOT LINE NOVEMBER 2007 • cranehotline.com

de-mobilization time requirements.” Another feature unique to the San Marco line as a purchase option is a black box on the crane. A benefit especially for the rental industry, this computer telemetry system, equal to an airplane black box, will record every electrical function and measurement on a rolling basis for six months. So, for in-stance, it will track where on the jib the crane was overloaded, or where the weight kick-out took place. “It puts the rental house in control of the crane,” says Wiebe. San Marco’s 10 city crane models in the SMT series have capacities up to 105 tonne/meters and feature free-standing under-hook heights up to 157 feet. Jib lengths run from 59 feet to 216.5 feet; maximum lifting capacities run from 4,410 pounds up to 17,637 pounds; jib tip lifting capacities range from 4,410 pounds to 8,820 pounds; hoisting speeds go from 33 fpm to 262 fpm; and slewing speeds are clocked at up to 0.8 rpm. These cranes are equipped with radio re-mote control or an optional cab system, and 2- to 4-part block rigging systems. All electri-cal has been converted to U.S. standards and is UL certified. Equipped with free-standing bases with counterweights or ground anchor systems, the units also come with a wide range of options and accessories.

Five models make up the company’s SMTTH tower crane series and range up to 150 tonne/meters. They feature service heights with building tie-backs up to 395 feet; jib lengths from 98.5 to 216.5 feet; maximum lifting capacities from 11,025 pounds to 17,637 pounds; and jib tip lifting capacities from 2,865 pounds at 170 feet up to 3,307 pounds

at 216.5 feet; hoisting speeds range from 33 fpm to 262 fpm.; and slewing speeds run up to 0.8 rpm. The tower cranes feature a full cab with optional environmen-tal control system; optional radio remote control; and 2- to 4-part block rigging systems. All electrical has been converted to U.S. standards and is UL certified. They are mounted on ground anchor systems, and feature a range of options and accessories.

Complementary product lines The San Marco hydraulic self-erecting tower cranes cover a market area not cur-rently served by Eagle West’s Koenig crane line. In fact, it covers the distributor’s city and tower crane market right up to where the Wilbert™ tower crane product line starts. “These cranes will be the perfect complement to our existing crane lines as there is no product crossover,” says Wiebe. “It’s a very good evolution in terms of busi-ness and application of the cranes.” In comparison, mechanical cranes go higher and live longer but have longer mo-bilization times, while hydraulic cranes are faster to put up and take down but have a shorter life expectancy. According to Wiebe, one of Koenig’s strengths has been its design as a mechanical self-erecting crane. “We had a strong line with Koenig in the mechanical self-erectors, but we didn’t have a hydraulic crane at a competitive price point. We realized we needed to have a comple-ment of hydraulic self-erectors,” says Wiebe of the company’s decision to enter into a dis-tribution agreement with San Marco. “When we did an analysis of their product lines, their hydraulic cranes did not inter-sect with Koenig’s mechanical cranes. And, their city crane and tower crane product lines only went from 50 tonne/meter to 150 tonne/meter.” Wilbert’s cranes, on the other hand, start at 150 tonne/meter “and go up dramatically,” he adds.

Growing and growing Eagle West Equipment is one of the three primary divisions of Eagle West Cranes Inc.

Eagle West Tower Cranes Inc. makes up the company’s Pacific Northwest self-erector and tower crane rental and re-sale arm. Eagle West Tower Cranes also services a growing number of customer-owned cranes; Eagle West Truck and Crane Inc. is its mobile crane service company covering western Canada. Combined, Eagle West now rents 125 cranes with 15 more on order ranging from self-erectors to a 270-ton mobile crane. At press time, Eagle West Equipment had just signed its agreement with San Marco, and the game plan was to bring 31 new crane models to North America via its ex-isting network of dealers. Before the ink had dried, however, the company already had seven cranes on order, and the first two were shipping out of Italy for Ohio. In addition, deliveries were scheduled for Texas, Geor-gia and British Columbia. “At this point, we’re going to focus on further building our brand identity, making sure the market understands these cranes, and signing dealers,” says Wiebe. Currently, seven dealers are exclusively licensed to cover 11 states for Eagle West Equipment. Cherokee Erecting, in the Atlanta, Ga., metro area, recently signed on as a dealer, placing an initial order in excess of $1 mil-lion for generators, under-hook accessories, and Koenig and San Marco cranes. The dealer was awarded the territory of Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Tennessee. “We have a very attractive product range for a dealer looking to take on a new line,” Wiebe continues. “They are all quality prod-ucts with good value to performance price points. Plus, we have provisions for full technical support to offer the care and ser-vice any customer might need.” z

www.eaglewestcranes.com

Spotlight: Cranes

Eagle West Cranes Inc. offers full technical support capabilities through two branches: Eagle West Tower Cranes Inc. services customer-owned cranes, while Eagle West Truck and Crane Inc. offers mobile crane services throughout western Canada.

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Complementing Eagle West’s Koenig and Wilbert crane lines, the San Marco hydraulic cranes feature automatic computer-controlled setup.