15.03.2023

Bigge Acquires Empire

Bigge Crane and Rigging has confirmed the acquisition of a majority stake in crane and sales service company Empire Crane Company from owners Luke and Paul Lonergan.

Empire is based in Syracuse New York and runs a small rental fleet of around 200 machines, but the company’s main activity is new and used crane sales and service, offering a wide range of products, including Tadano cranes, Kobelco crawler cranes, Broderson carry decks, Magni telehandlers, Manitex boom trucks and Jekko spider cranes. It operates from three locations with additional branches in Hollbrook, on the south side of Boston, Massachusetts and Bridgewater New Jersey south west of New York City.

A statement from Bigge said: “Crane buyers will now access dealer pricing and priority ordering for leading crane manufacturers, including Tadano, This strategic relationship will give customers access to more inventory and reduce freight costs associated with shipping equipment nationwide.”
Please register to see all images

Paul Lonergan of Empire with Weston Settlemier of Bigge and Luke Lonergan

Chief executive Weston Settlemier added: “I have known Paul and Luke for over 20 years. They’re the two most trusted principals in the crane and equipment sales business. “Furthermore, the Lonergans are the two best partners Bigge has ever had. I personally have been promoting the benefits of principled partnerships for over 12 years and the Bigge/Empire collaboration will be the standard by which all future partnerships are judged.”

Empire’s president Paul Lonergan said: “We are thrilled to join forces with Bigge – the pillar of excellence in the crane business for over a century, and, like us, to be in business with a family owned company with common business values. This strategic alliance provides our customers access to Bigge’s extensive sales inventory and over a century’s experience building and maintaining the Perfect Fleet of cranes.”