17.02.2022

Another acquisition for Bay

US-based Bay Crane has completed another acquisition with the purchase of Columbus, Ohio based Capital City Group from major shareholder and chief executive Brian Gibson and the Gibson family.

Capital City was established by Chet Gibson in 1993 and is now a leading crane and rigging company in the Midwest running around 140 cranes including crawlers, All Terrains, truck cranes, spider cranes, carry deck cranes and tower cranes, ranging from two to 750 tonnes operating from seven locations - Columbus, Lima, Toledo and Coshocton in Ohio, Detroit and Lansing in Michigan and Morgantown in West Virginia.

The transaction follows the acquisition of Gatwood Crane a few weeks ago (See: Bay acquires Gatwood) and puts Bay Crane firmly into the top 10 largest crane rental companies in North America with 15 full service locations.
Chief executive Kenneth Bernardo said: “We have had an outstanding relationship with Brian and his very talented team for many years. Capital City has clearly demonstrated a track record of growth and best in class service they have sustained throughout the business cycles. Brian is a strong leader with a proven track record, and we are honoured he has chosen to become part of Bay Crane and continue in his role as president of Capital City.”

“With Capital City and the recent acquisition of Gatwood Crane in Chicago, we have made a substantial commitment to our expansion into the Midwest. Our fleet in this region will include 600, 400, 300, 250 and 200 tonne Liebherr crawler cranes, plus the new 200 ton Tadano GTC 1200, as well as Tadano Rough Terrains. We have further enhanced the fleet with several recently added 700 tonne Liebherr LTM 1650-8.1s and will soon be taking delivery of a 750 tonne Liebherr LTM 1750-9.1. Our large, diversified fleet and experience ensures our customers have access to the best state of the art, one-stop-shop for all their crane, rigging, and specialised transportation services.”

Gibson added: “We are excited to become part of Bay Crane, one of the most successful crane rental companies in the country. Bay Crane is a premier crane service provider with one of the most modern fleets in the industry. Joining with Bay Crane will enable our company to better service our customers with an increased geographic footprint and broader product offering.”