Munck Cranes
www.munckcranes.com
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MANUFACTURING Munck Cranes
Munck Cranes
Flexibility in inno 02
s
ovation
MAY 2010 The Canadian Business Journal
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Stoney Creek, Ontario, is not the immediate place that comes to mind when thoughts turn to cranes and handling equipment, but Munck Cranes Inc. is changing that. The Canadian-owned and operated company has been proudly manufacturing Canadian-built material handling equipment and exclusively licensing Munck Cranes international out of its Stoney Creek facility since the early 1980s, now serving all of North America, parts of South America, Mexico and the Middle East.
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MANUFACTURING Munck Cranes
With four decades of experience under their
manufacturing plant was built in Norway in the
tool belts, Munck’s in-house engineering depart-
1940s, as business was spurred by the need for
ment, proven equipment designs, holistic cus-
18 units of trolly buses for the local bus com-
tomer service programs and support network are
pany. The company came to also manufacture
things customers have come to depend on. And
industrial cranes and hoists for construction
as the needs of customers have grown, so has
work on and off shore. Within two decades,
the innovation of Munck’s innovation material
subsidiary companies were created in the U.S.,
handling solutions.
Great Britain, Sweden, Belgium, and, of course,
Munck Cranes has a history of adapting
Canada. Today, independent managers work
and growing with the times. The first Munck
closely with Munck international as dealers.
MAY 2010 The Canadian Business Journal
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Steve Marczi, Director of Marketing and
teresting equipment that stands out because of
Sales, attributes Munck’s outstanding success
its design,” says Marczi, who offers tailor made
in an industry not void of competition to “the
and special cranes designed specifically for the
quality of the product.” The company’s ability to
client and his or her needs.
adapt and make products according to precise
Add to this that Munck equipment has
specifications allow the client flexibility to do their
earned its reputation for long life, maximum
job correctly. “Our products are very robust. Our
safety and economic price, and it is apparent
in-house factoring capabilities allow us to make
why Munck clients keep the Stoney Creek oper-
customizations to the equipment with a very
ation thriving. Their downtime is minimized and
short turnaround period,” says Marczi.
spare parts are always in their own backyard,
It is ‘flexibility in innovation’ that the Munck team strives for everyday. “Custom-built equipment is absolutely one of the areas that we gravitate to. Over the years, we’ve built some in-
as are in-house engineers with know-how in the operation of all the products. Within the specialty fields, which includes, but is not limited to, cranes, hoists, overhead
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MANUFACTURING Munck Cranes
bridge cranes, monorails and custom designs,
Weather the storm
the team will provide a complete installation
No doubt most of Canada felt the economic
and commissioning of cranes, and will also
pinch of the past months, and the construction
oversee the service and maintenance of exist-
industry was certainly no expectation. Just as in
ing ones. The projects Munck gets speak for the
the early days, Munck has adapted and changed
quality and reliability of the products. “Our fully
to best navigate the economy. “Right now, cer-
automated crane system for Exxon-Mobil was
tainly in southern Ontario, we’re seeing quite a
very interesting. We’ve produced high-capacity,
slump in capital expenditures,” says Marczi, add-
specialty equipment for iron ore companies in
ing, “Fortunately, we’ve spread out our business
Canada and we’ve manufactured some custom-
throughout North America. We have two other
ized-made equipment for the aerospace indus-
companies—one in New York called Total Crane
try in Canada—Bombardier and MDS Aerospace
Systems and another in Monterey, Mexico called
are examples,” says Marczi.
Munck Cranes Mexico. By having diversified into those regions, it helps us stay viable in this mar-
MAY 2010 The Canadian Business Journal
ket having resources and revenue streams from
than a catalogue crane and hoist company,”
other economies have certainly helped.”
and it is succeeding in doing so. Munck Cranes
Munck’s Canadian business has also been
Inc. has a proven ability to handle material
expanded and strengthened. “We have a differ-
needs from standard cranes to the most speci-
ent distribution network that we utilize in Cana-
fied and one-off crane on the market, and han-
da. We have distributors throughout the east to
dle the entire process from design to installa-
the west coast,” says Marczi.
tion. Not limited by geography or ability, Munck
“Right now, our goal is to expand our operations in the U.S. and look for additional distribu-
Cranes is bringing quality, Canadian goods to the world. CB
tors there. We also want to improve our level of support and product offerings probably through additional marketing resources to our distribution network in Canada.” It is the company’s philosophy to be “more
www.munckcranes.com
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AS SEEN IN THE MAY 2010 ISSUE OF THE CANADIAN BUSINESS JOURNAL