About Crane Equipment & Service, Inc.

The consolidation of Abell-Howe Company and Washington Equipment Company (WECO), created a combined diversity of application expertise and markets to make Crane Equipment & Service, Inc. uniquely qualified to provide best-in-class crane and hoist equipment and services.

Important dates in our history include:

1917 – Abell-Howe Company is formed in Chicago, IL by Oliver Abell & Glenn Howe.

1935 – Abell-Howe Co. is purchased by M. O. Haeger.

1950’s – Abell-Howe Co. moves manufacturing for Cranes, Runways and Jib Cranes to Forest Park, IL with a 90,000 Sq Ft Manufacturing Facility.

1960’s – Jib Crane Products are originally designed and produced.

1970’s – Abell-Howe Spider-Jib System is introduced – linking up several jib cranes into one system.

1980’s – Abell-Howe Introduces our Marine STAK-MASTER for Boat Handling and Storage systems.

1982 – Washington Equipment Company is formed in the Peoria, IL area.  This company is also known as WECO.

1985 – Washington Equipment Company moves to former A. O. Smith facility in Eureka, IL – which is now our home.

1995 – Our Service Office in the Quad Cities is Established giving us a Peoria Service Branch and a Quad Cities Service Branch which is now located in Davenport, IA.

1998 – Abell-Howe Company is purchased by Columbus McKinnon Corporation.

1999 –  Washington Equipment Company is purchased by Columbus McKinnon Corporation.

2002 – Abell-Howe and Washington Equipment are combined into one entity known as Crane Equipment & Service, Inc.

2004 – Abell-Howe production at our Forest Park, IL plant is discontinued and production of all products including Jib Cranes moves to our Eureka, IL facility.

2019 – Crane Equipment & Service, Inc. is purchased from Columbus McKinnon Corporation and becomes it’s own entity.  Crane Equipment & Service, Inc. is the manufacturer of Abell-Howe Cranes.

2021 – VM Hoist & Crane from Cedar Rapids, IA merges with Crane Equipment & Service, Inc. – strengthening our position in the Iowa area.  The VM service capabilities expand our footprint.  Our In-House Engineering and Manufacturing strengthens VM Hoists ability to service their customers.

2021 – Pabian Enterprises merged with Crane Equipment & Service, Inc.  We opened a new Service Branch in LaSalle, IL to better serve the Pabian Customers.

2022 – Expanding our Service capabilities to the West with a new Omaha Service Branch opened in Nebraska.

Overall, we have built tens of thousands of crane systems, thousands of runway systems, millions of dollars of crane/hoist parts and components and have the experience and Engineering Know-How to keep our customers running.

Locations:

Main Plant, Engineering & Peoria Service
Crane Equipment & Service, Inc. 801 W. Center Street Eureka, IL 61530

Quad Cities / Davenport Service:  Crane Equipment & Service, Inc.  5115 Tremont Avenue  Davenport, IA 52807

Cedar Rapids Office:  Crane Equipment & Service, Inc. – (Formerly VM Hoist & Crane) 450 Hwy 151 Walford, IA 52351

Omaha Service Office:  Crane Equipment & Service, Inc. – 1018 Wright Road #24 Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501  – Branch Phone: (402)-819-1970