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

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.

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.