L to R: Steve Barnett of Manitowoc Cranes delivers a new Grove GMK4100L to Neil Berry of Berry Cranes.
UK-based crane rental specialist, Berry Cranes, has taken delivery of a Grove GMK4100L. The 100 t capacity crane is now the largest in the company’s growing fleet, which serves projects across the UK from its base in Northamptonshire.
Grove’s GMK4100L offers a 60 m main boom, which can be extended to 77 m with a jib. This impressive reach on a four-axle carrier, combined with the UK’s recovering construction market, gave Berry the confidence to invest in its largest ever crane, as Neil Berry, company owner, explains:
“We are seeing positive signs of market recovery as demand for our equipment increases,” he says. “The GMK4100L is just exactly the crane we need to meet these growing demands, which mostly involve construction and telecom projects. For telecom work in particular, we need a compact crane with excellent reach – and the GMK4100L is perfect for this.”
The UK is gradually upgrading its telecom network from 3G to 4G. This requires replacing antennas, which are often located on inner-city rooftops and other hard to reach places. Compact cranes offering precise maneuverability and long reaches, like the Grove GMK4100L, are ideal for such work.
Berry Cranes operates a fleet of nine cranes. With signs of market recovery in the UK, smaller crane companies such as Berry, are poised to take advantage of the lack of large crane fleet owners, as Steve Barnett, Manitowoc’s commercial director for the region, adds:
“During the economic crisis, many larger fleet owners sent their cranes abroad,” he says. “This has allowed smaller crane rental companies to win larger projects that might normally be contested by larger companies. It’s an exciting time and means our operations are busy.”
Built at Grove’s manufacturing plant in Wilhelmshaven, Germany, the Grove GMK4100L is the long boom version of the company’s popular GMK4100 all-terrain crane.