Friday round up: The biggest American crane companies; award-winning transport project; Italian conference success

Photo: Barnhart Crane and Rigging

On Monday, we brought you the latest data from the American Cranes and Transport’s ACT 100 toplist of North America’s largest crane companies. Published in the June 2025 issue of ACT, this is the 20th anniversary of the ACT 100. The results this year show solid growth in the North American crane sector, posting the highest ever ACT Index. Every category surveyed grew this year, including number of crawlers, mobile cranes, employees and depots.

Then on Wednesday, we presented details of the award-winning project to remove and transport four Wartsila engines, each weighing around 104 tonnes. With no road or rail options available, Barnhart Crane and Rigging used a floating crane and SPMT to navigate the first leg of the journey. The engines were moved by water to the Port of Olympia, transferred again to SPMT and ultimately hauled 72 kilometres (45 miles) to a site in Washington, USA. The company fabricated a custom shipping frame and 113.4 metre trailer configuration for the final part of the journey.

Finally we brought you a review of the eighth International Tower Cranes conference which was held earlier this month on 3 and 4 June in Rome, Italy. More than 160 delegates from 22 countries took part in this well-established global gathering. The comprehensive programme encompassed a broad range of themes, including engineering challenges, legislative changes, new technology, the market outlook, recruitment and retention of workers. Trends discussed included the shift in demand towards larger cranes, the pros and cons of different ways to power cranes, and approaches to attracting and retaining staff, especially women and young people.