April 20, 2005 • The first time I remember seeing a self-erecting mobile tower crane was in the summer of 1986 as I drove through the German countryside approaching the Swiss Alps. There were numerous self-erecting cranes on jobsites, including every home I saw that was under construction.
I marveled at the way these cranes were being used to pour foundations, unload trucks, distribute material, and erect the structure from floor to ceiling. At the time, I didn't have a clue about the tremendous impact self-erectors were having on building construction all over Europe. As popular as self-erectors were in Europe, however, the case in North America was entirely different.
Thirty-six months ago, you would have been hard pressed to find more than a handful of self-erecting cranes on this side of the Atlantic. The concept here was as distant as the market where the equipment was finding the most success. Today, the equipment landscape in North America is changing. Although I am not sure which manufacturer made the first inroads in North America, Terex Peiner and Manitowoc Potain seem to be leading the market. In addition to these two, other manufacturers making advances include Liebherr and Koenig.
Since Manitowoc Crane Group (MCG), Manitowoc, Wis., began marketing in earnest the concept of small mobile self erectors, the dividends are paying off big for everyone. In a recent interview with Lift and Access, John Wheeler, MCG's Executive Vice President of the Americas stated, "Self-erecting cranes represent the strongest area of growth in the crane market in the next few years, but the challenge is marketing the uses for self-erectors • the uses are so varied."
Although the market's initial response was somewhat tempered, momentum is gaining quickly. During the Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association annual conference earlier this month I overhead comments about this product from new self-erector owners and individuals looking to buy. Mike Connelly, owner of Connelly Crane Rental Corp., Detroit, Mich., shared that he had just purchased a Potain HDT80. Excited about the concept, Connelly is pleased with the quick acceptance of self-erectors in the United States.
Considering their popularity and success in other parts of the world, why have self-erectors been absent in North America? Could it be the well-established practice of using forklifts or telehandlers for job-site material handling needs? Certainly, pick-and-carry telehanders, so prominently used in North America, have had limited success in Europe where perhaps similar tasks are accomplished with self-erecting cranes. Wheeler's comments should be noted on this subject. He suggests that self-erectors can be used in place of telehandlers, boom trucks, and even small rough-terrain cranes for material handling needs on many job sites. This makes me wonder whether self-erecting cranes will erode the market share for those products. However, since MCG is a leading supplier of two of these products, I am more inclined to think that the way these traditional material handling products are used will be reshaped.
What excites me the most is the potential this product has for labor savings. The U.S. Department of Labor projects a growing labor shortage. In some regions, the lack of qualified workers has already had a negative impact on job starts and completions. In response, other methods, tools, and equipment must be introduced to cope with the dilemma. Perhaps self-erecting cranes, which have the potential to do the work of several people, will be one of solutions to the labor shortage.
