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