10.02.2006

Liebherr confirm £8.5 million sale to Nationwide

Liebherr has confirmed that Nationwide Crane Hire Ltd, trading as Crane Services (See David Slack and family buy rest of Nationwide) has ordered 12 new cranes from Liebherr.

The deal includes a 40 tonne LTM 1040-2.1, two 70 tonne LTM 1070-4.1’s, two 80 tonne LTM 1080/1’s, a 90 tonne LTM 1090-4.1, two LTM 1200-5.1’s, 200 tonners, a 225 tonne LTM 1225-5.1, a 400 tonne LTM 1400-7.1. and another LTM 1500-9.1, 500 tonner, the third in its fleet. This latest LTM1500 offers improved lifting capacities and features detachable front outriggers.
Please register to see all images

David Slack (L) takes delivery of the first LTM1200-5.1 from John Mac-Gregor, sales manager at Liebherr

In addition to the mobiles, Nationwide has ordered its first Liebherr MK110 mobile self erecting tower crane. This is an MK100, equipped with 3.8 tonnes of additional counterweight to provide 110 tonne metre lift rating.

The LTM 1225-5.1, is an LTM1200 which the company has specified with the standard five axle carrier (rather than the five plus tag axle). However in order to maximise its potential it has ordered a supplemental four tonne counterweight section. Allowing it to carry 14 tonnes on board rather than the usual 10 tonnes (20 tonnes on tag axle version). The benefit is that the additional four tonnes can be added to all counterweight configurations, giving 14, 24, 34 tonnes etc..in place of 10, 20 and 30 tonnes up to a total of 76 tonnes in place of the usual 72.

Nationwide has decided to build its fleet around Liebherr, Grove and Kato cranes as part of a standardisation move in order to reduce costs and simplify maintenance.

David Slack, Crane Services’ Managing Director, said “We’ve chosen Liebherr because they offer the most advanced, compact and reliable cranes available to the crane hire market. We’ve worked very closely with Liebherr, both in the UK and at its factory in Ehingen, in developing designs for the specific needs of the UK crane hire industry and, particularly, our company’s own requirements. A good example of this is the first LTM 1225-5.1 delivered in the UK with increased ballast, which gives enhanced capacities across the whole duty range. This new configuration produces “carried ballast” duties which exceed any other five-axle mobile crane in this capacity range”.

In addition to the above order Nationwide is taking one of the Liebherr 55 tonne LTC 1055-3.1, hydrostatic city type compact AT crane. The unit is earmarked for a two-year contract in a highly confined working environment.