As an industry-leading coast-to-coast provider of crane rental and related turnkey lifting services, Maxim Crane Works LP has a rich regional and sub-regional crane company pedigree, which helps explain how Maxim Crane -- despite its national footprint and size -- has retained the ability to provide best-in-class services to its customers with a personal touch and a local, regional company feel.
Although the Maxim Crane legal entity was formed in the 1990s, the organization can trace its roots back to many regional, family-owned and family-operated crane companies located throughout the country dating back to 1937.
"Our No. 1 goal is to identify the best people in the crane and service industry."
-- Frank Bardonaro, Maxim Crane Works
Many of these family businesses had been in existence for over 50 years by the time they joined the Maxim Crane team. Companies like Carlisle Equipment, Poindexter Crane, Kings Crane Service and Capital Crane joined from the Midwest. Anthony Crane, AmQuip Crane Rental and Shaughnessy Crane came from the Northeast and mid-Atlantic. Dunn Equipment, Powell & Sons, Carolina Crane, Elliott Crane and Crane Rental Corp. were added in the South, and, finally, companies like Husky Crane, Coast Crane and Sacramento Valley Crane Service joined from the West. This is by no means an exhaustive list, and there are dozens of other notable crane companies that have become part of the Maxim Crane organization over the years.
Building the Maxim family
Maxim Crane's most recent acquisitions include Orlando-based Crane Rental Corp. (CRC), a provider of heavy hauling, specialized rigging and crane services in the Southeast U.S. According to Maxim Crane CEO Bryan Carlisle, the CRC acquisition was a strategic move designed to expand Maxim's footprint in the Southeast and facilitate continued growth in the region.
"Acquiring a high-quality crane rental outfit like CRC helps strengthen our team and add new equipment to our fleet," Carlisle said. "CRC is also a great fit for Maxim culturally, sharing our deeply held commitment to safety and service. Maxim has a long history of acquiring and successfully integrating regional crane rental operations, with our key platform business dating back to the 1930s."
According to Frank Bardonaro, chief operating officer, Maxim is constantly aiming for best-in-class companies with complementary fleets and team members who share Maxim's passion for the business.
"Anyone can purchase a crane or acquire a 'fleet' of equipment," stated Bardonaro. "Our No. 1 goal is to identify the best people in the crane and service industry to ensure that the leadership, sales and operational team members share our vision of safety, work ethic and competitive spirit. These are the traits that we look for in order to ensure the successful integration and profitable growth needed to guarantee our future success."
In July 2016, funds associated with Apollo Global Management acquired Maxim Crane Works. Soon after, Maxim acquired AmQuip Crane Rental.
"AmQuip and Maxim share similar cultures and values relating to people, safety and the desire to serve the industry," Carlisle said. "This combination represents an opportunity for us to continue improving our world-class organization with the best people in the crane industry. This partnership will add value to our team members as well as our customers by providing an enhanced level of service, expertise, equipment and geographic coverage.
Today, the newest member of the Maxim Crane family is Coast Crane Company. Founded in 1970 and based in Seattle, Coast is one of the largest providers of bare crane rental and related lift solutions servicing the West Coast of the U.S. Maxim's acquisition of Coast meaningfully enhances Maxim's full-service, nationwide crane rental and lifting solutions platform and expands its operations in the Northwest, one of the nation's fastest-growing crane rental markets .
"Coast Crane offers one of the most experienced teams of crane professionals in the region," Carlisle stated. "Its state-of-the-art fleet provides customers with a 'best-in-class' brand of products, parts, services and rental equipment. We are confident that the combination of Coast and Maxim will bring added value to our combined customer base, employees and the industry."
Maxim Crane is consistently working to meet the growing demands of its customers. The Maxim team is committed to recognizing regional and national needs to ensure it is providing the necessary coverage, safety, personnel and equipment to not only meet but also exceed its customers' expectations.
"Maxim Crane and our family of integrated businesses strive to be on the leading edge of safety, innovation and training," Carlisle said. "We look forward to meeting the future goals and challenges that are being presented to the industry as we all strive to improve our performance, ensure team member safety and ultimately grow our businesses."
"We are looking 5-15 years ahead right now," Bardonaro said. "We have the obligation to look at the markets today and work toward what our customers need now and in the future to ensure their success as well as ours. Our increased coast-to-coast presence will ensure that we have the equipment and resources needed for our customers. We are not just adding fleet and locations but also extremely talented people. Most importantly, we are a 'family' of crane families. Maxim has proven that great families can work together, and we are proud to have the largest and best family in the industry. Our people are our most important resource, and we look forward to welcoming new additions to the family in the future."
As Maxim Crane has grown into the national business it is today, with its fleet of over 2,500 cranes and related equipment, it is the collective experience and industry knowhow of its employees that give Maxim a small or regional company feel and the personal attention customers have come to expect.
For more information, visit www.maximcrane.com or call (877) 629-5438.
