24.06.2004

Ace up trumps with Tadano

Recently established UK crane hire firm Ace Crane Hire has taken delivery of a new 80 tonne Tadano ATF 80-4, taking the company’s fleet up to seven mobile cranes. Shipped straight from Japan to the UK last month, the crane was presented at a recent open day held by Ace at Brands Hatch racetrack

Gravesend-based Ace is a company with a rich background history and knowledge of the industry owing to its staff and their collective managerial experience. Back in 1982, Alan Stowell and his brother founded Diamond Crane and Plant, which, at the time of its sale to Ainscough 13 years later due to his brother’s ill health, operated a fleet of 16 mobile cranes up to 90 tonnes capacity. Please register to see all images

Ace Crane Hire owner, Alan Stowell, with the company's new 80 tonne capacity Tadano ATF 80-4.

Having sold the company, Ace Crane Hire was founded in 1996 and in its first year exceeded £0.5 million revenue without purchasing a single crane.

“Various crane hire companies, notably Baldwins, supplied us with numerous heavy cranes up to 1000 tonnes capacity for large lifting and engineering projects such as the Kimera development in Chester, which really got the ball rolling,” Mr Stowell said. “Since purchasing our first crane, a 20 tonne Kato back in ‘97, the company has continued to grow through investment, and last year was our first £1 million turnover year which we achieved with just four cranes.”

Mr Stowell told Vertikal.net that himself and his management team, all of which were former employee’s of Diamond’s, plan to consolidate the business and keep operations tight in preparation for a future acquisition.

“We may soon be looking to raise our lifting portfolio possibly up to 110 and 160 tonnes capacity,” continued Mr Stowell.”

In response Mr Stowell’s comments, UK sales manager for Tadano at Cranes UK, Brian Crisp, who also attended the open day commented that Tadano’s 160 tonne capacity ATF 160-5 and 110 tonnes capacity ATF 110G-5 units were yet to make their mark on the UK market.”

Also on show during the open day was a brand-new 45 tonne capacity ATF 45-3 recently acquired by Bob Francis Crane Hire of North Wales lifting.