13.04.2026

Fassi acquires Fascan

Italian loader crane manufacturer Fassi, which also owns a significant stake in Jekko, has acquired Fascan, the Fassi and Jekko distributor in the USA, from the Faloney family.

The manufacturer says that the move will enable it to strengthen its presence in the US market, through a number of planned investments in sales, commercial functions and technical support. Fascan has been the Fassi distributor since the start, having been set up specifically to distribute Fassi cranes in the USA and Caribbean, it added the Jekko distribution in 2011, when it acquired C4 Cranes of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. Fascan now operates from a 5,000 square metres premises in Baltimore, and supports a working population of Fassi cranes in its territory exceeding 7,500 units.

Established in 1992, Fascan International is based near Baltimore, Maryland, but also works with a network of 150 service centres and local dealers across the United States. Last year it had revenues of around $50 million. The Faloney family, including president Bernie and general manager Michael Faloney, will remain involved in the management of the company.

Fassi chief executive Victor Gottardi said: “The acquisition of Fascan International allows us to consolidate our presence and offer in the American market. Through the investment plan, we will further expand Fascan’s network and sales force and will enhance our distribution our technical application capabilities in the United States.”

Fascan’s Bernie Faloney added: “I am very excited and proud to be part of the future of Fassi Group in the United States and am looking forward to the next phase of growth and the new opportunities that will arise.”

Vertikal Comment

This looks like it could be a very good move for both parties. Fascan has been a first class distributor for both Fassi and Jekko, and has an excellent reputation. Given the personalities involved, this should be one of those acquisitions that prove to be a win-win for both parties. It also gives Bernie, who started the business, a chance to cash out on his life's work, while providing an opportunity for Michael to step up at the same time as providing investment funds for further expansion in what is a growing market for articulated loader cranes/big articulated cranes and spider cranes.

A little bit of history

As a small aside - Bernie Faloney's history with Fassi goes back to 1982 when his father, legendary quarterback Bernie Faloney Sr. and owner of Contractor’s Machinery and Equipment, a highly successful Grove crane distributor based in Ontario, Canada, added Fassi cranes to the company's product range. Why is Fascan in Baltimore? Perhaps it is connected to the fact that Bernie senior was born in Pennsylvania and attended the University of Maryland in College Park, to the south of Baltimore?

Continuing with the little historical aside, it was there that his football career took off, helping take the University of Maryland team, the Terrapins, to the Sugar Bowl in 1952, become the NCAA Division I-A national football champions the following year and in 1954 the Orange Bowl. It was his professional football career that took him to Canada, when he chose the Edmonton Eskimos over the San Francisco 49ers. In 1955 he joined the US Air Force when his military service call-up came. When completed in 1957, he joined the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and became one of the major stars of the Canadian Football League, haning up his boots in 1967 and moving into the crane business.
Sadly, he passed away in 1999, after losing a battle with cancer, the day before his 67th birthday, and just six days after his Tiger-Cat number (10) was retired - the first of its players to receive this honour.