05.08.2009

Emsley gives Milne last orders

As David Milne, the outgoing managing director of Liebherr Great Britain, completed his final days with the company last week, before starting his retirement, he concluded what he hopes will be the last crane deal of his career with Emsley Crane Hire of Harrogate.

The final deal was for a 55 tonne Liebherr LTM 1055-3.2 All Terrain crane, which will be the fifth such model in the company’s fleet.
It is the 50th Liebherr purchased by the Yorkshire company, a fitting end to a 30-year relationship between Milne and the Emsley family.

The late Joe Emsley, founder of Emsley Crane Hire, concluded his first crane deal with David Milne when he was the sales manager with Grove Cranes Ltd in Oxford - long before he joined Liebherr. Milne’s relationship with Emsley continued from father to sons, Peter and John and has remained strong to this day.
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David Milne waves goodbye from the cab of an Emsley Liebherr

Emsley runs a fleet of 52 mobile cranes according to the 2008 Cranes & Access top 30 UK crane rental fleets, of which 29 are Liebherr, ranging from a 30 tonne LTM 1030-2.1 up to a 200 tonne LTM 1200-5.1, which was purchased on 1st March this year.

In the last eight months, Emsley has also purchased two 160 tonne LTM 1160-5.1’s, two 100 tonne LTM 1100-5.2’s, two 40 tonne LTM 1040-2.1’s, one 55 tonne LTM1055-3.2 and an MK 110 mobile self erecting tower crane.

After placing the order for the company’s 50th Liebherr John Emsley said: “As well as producing some of the best mobile cranes on the market, we are very pleased with the after sales support from Liebherr. Also, it was a fitting end to a long and mutually enjoyable relationship with David Milne that we should place the last order with him before he retires.”

David Milne left Liebherr last Friday handing over to his replacement Richard Everist See new MD Liebherr GB He came to the UK crane market in 1977 when he joined Grove Cranes, having moved back to the UK from Iran, where he was a manager with the Grove distributor. He joined Liebherr in 1994.

Vertikal Comment

Like him or loath him, David Milne has been a stalwart of the UK mobile crane market for 32 years, few if any can claim not to know him and most will have done business with him at sometime.

Throughout his career he has been loyal, consistent, persistent and unlike some of his long standing adversaries, rarely flustered, he has quietly steered Liebherr to a strong market leadership position in the UK mobile crane market.

His presence will most certainly be missed. All of us at the Vertikal Press wish him a long and happy retirement.