2025 Media Kit available now!

Crane Hot Line

Bigge Buys American Heavy Rigging & Hauling

October 10, 2005 — Bigge Crane and Rigging Company, San Leandro, Calif., recently announced that it has purchased American Heavy Rigging & Hauling Co., located in Richmond, Va.  Offering heavy rigging, lifting, transportation, and crane rental services since 1916, already Bigge has a nationwide clientele. According to the company, this buyout will continue Bigge solidify its position as a premier provider of non-crane heavy rigging and transportation solutions in the eastern United States under turnkey performance contracts and O&M rentals.

"Bigge has been successfully serving clients in the eastern U.S for over 50 years,” said Bigge President and CEO Weston Settlemier. “However, the chance to purchase a well-established, respected operation like American Heavy Rigging & Hauling Company was great opportunity for us. By adding their talented group of people into our team and having the Richmond office as a key base of operations for us, Bigge can continue to improve service to its long-time customers in that region."

Although the American name has been retired, Bigge has retained the services of General Manager Jim Price and George "Jigger" Tanner as the management for the Bigge Major Projects Group-East Division. "Like us, American has had a loyal customer base and we look forward to serving those clients as Bigge for many more years to come,” said Pete Ashton, Bigge vice president of major projects. “We will add the support of our large engineering staff, additional experienced project managers and seasoned field personnel along to the people already based in
Richmond. They will also get some new specialized assets to their current fleet. The net effect of our efforts will be to improve on an already quality organization there."

Bigge Crane and Rigging Co. owns and operates one of the largest, most diversified inventories of heavy rigging and hoisting equipment in the United States. This includes a fleet of heavy lift cranes, hydraulic gantries, and non-crane heavy lifting systems. These include tower lift and elevated gantry systems incorporating strand jacks, center hole rod jacks, chain jacks, or heavy-lift hoists. Bigge has won numerous "Job of the Year" Awards from the Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association, including the SC&RA's "Safety Award" and "Zero Accidents Award." It is the exclusive operator and sales dealer of the computer-controlled Hydrospex Equipment for North, South and
Central America and the Caribbean region.




Catalyst

Crane Hot Line is part of the Catalyst Communications Network publication family.