UK CRANE MAKER BUILDS ON NORTH AMERICAN DEALER BASE
Street Crane Company, the UK's largest manufacturer of electric overhead travelling cranes, is expanding rapidly in the North American market.  Three years from launch, the company has achieved record sales of US $1.8 million for the final quarter of 2000.  Street have now established a permanent presence.
	"The move into North America had been planned from the mid 90's when we started development of our ZX hoist range," explained managing director Andrew Pimblett.  "The hoists were developed with export in mind.  Modularity enables us to build a customised hoist from a range of pre-engineered elements.  This approach gives flexibility without sacrificing quality.  Dealers can also more closely specify their requirements - from a basic workhorse to a highly specified multi-function hoist."
	Unlike other multinational crane makers Street made it clear to Canadian and American manufacturers that it had no intention of entering their market as a supplier of whole cranes.  On this basis the company as been able to form strategic alliances with regional crane builders to whom it supplies hoists, travelling equipment and other components.  Canadian crane makers were the first to realise the potential and trade partnerships were established in Ontario, Quebec and Alberta.			
	In spring Street exhibited at the trade show NA 2000 in Detroit, sponsored by the Materials Handling Industry of America.  Visitors to the stand saw for themselves the quality of engineering and design.  Subsequently partnership agreements were made with crane makers in New England, Indiana, Wisconsin, Virginia and Texas.  Street will be exhibiting again at Promat in Chicago next February.
	Component sales manager Steve Wooley has established a base in Charlotte, North Carolina, from where he travels extensively.  "My presence shows Street's commitment to the market.  Having been here for three years now, with more and more equipment out in the field, users and prospects alike are growing in confidence and recognising that we are here to stay.  An interesting observation is that while volume sales are still in the five to ten (US) ton category we have recently received a growing number of orders for hoists of 50 to 100 (US) tons," Steve explained
	Street see this as just the start.  "There are many territories where we are still seeking trade partners.  Recognition and respect for the Street brand are growing all the time and so we are into a virtuous cycle that has the potential to increase North American sales considerably," concluded Andrew Pimblett.


More information: Andrew Pimblett, Managing Director, Street Crane Co Ltd, Tel. +44 (0)1298 812456, Fax. + 44 (0)1298 814945, E-mail: admin@streetcrane.co.uk  Web: www.streetcrane.co.uk