The Portuguese tower crane business Soima, acquired in 2021 by the Stafford family of Phoenix, Arizona-based Stafford Crane Group, is to be rebranded as Stafford Tower Cranes and as of this week the Soima name will no longer be used. The crane model nomenclature is also set to change. Derek Stafford will lead the business as managing director.
Soima was established in 1977 as a manufacturer of construction and lifting equipment. However, since 1980 it has been exclusively producing tower cranes including hammerhead, flat tops and self-erectors. In the years since then it has managed to carve a respectable market share in southern Europe, with sales throughout Portugal, Spain, France and several other Mediterranean countries.
The current range extends from two to 42 tonnes, which will continue, although Stafford has been investing heavily in new products and says that it has extensive modernisation and innovation programmes in place to introduce new crane designs and models over the next 12 months or so. One of the new developments is the SC-Link platform, a software/telematics system providing real time monitoring of the crane, with daily reports, alarm alerts and or malfunctions alerts.
In order to make that happen the company has established a new design office in Milan, Italy, dubbed the Milano Tower Crane Hub. The first fruits of the team’s labours will hopefully be on display at Vertikal Days in September in the form of a 20 tonne luffing jib crane and new cab design. The new family of hydraulic luffing cranes will have the ability to operate in ‘Flat mode’ like a regular flattop crane, while also being able to luff.
A new 8t Stafford SGT 5030, installed recently in Bray, Ireland with a 3t jib tip capacity on the 40m jib, with a 36m hook height
Company president Patrick Stafford said: “Our motto ‘safer and better’ stems from our DNA, as does our service care to all our customers. All materials used in the construction of our cranes, components, production procedures and rigorous testing, place Stafford Tower Cranes amongst the very best in the market. We pride ourselves on our safety record and attention to the service of our clients.”
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