Barnhart Agrees to Purchase Powell Crane Rental Division

Tue June 08, 2010
Crane Equipment Guide

Barnhart Crane & Rigging and Powell Companies have reached a definitive agreement under which Barnhart will purchase Powell’s crane rental division, which has locations in Knoxville and Johnson City, Tenn.

Powell’s crane rental division has served the Tri-Cities and surrounding areas for 40 years. Powell’s other companies consist of Coal and Minerals Processing engineering/construction, Steel Erectors services, Decanter Machines Inc., and Powell Technologies. This transaction was completed with little or no job disruption or displacement and will allow Powell to give greater focus and commitment to its core businesses, according to the company.

With this agreement, Powell’s former crane rental division customers will now be working with one of the nation’s leading crane, heavy rigging and heavy transportation companies.

Currently, Barnhart has 23 branches nationwide, including offices in Knoxville and Kingsport, and has one of the nation’s largest equipment inventories including electronic steer Goldhofer trailers, cranes to 1,760 tons (1,597 t), sliding systems, strand jacks, and the Modular Lift Tower system.

“We feel like this is a win/win for everyone involved,” said Alan Barnhart, CEO of Barnhart. “This agreement will give our current customers access to a larger equipment inventory. As for the former customers of Powell’s Crane Division, we are going to work hard to build a relationship with them and earn their business. In the end we think they will be very pleased with multitude of new services and equipment we can provide.”

Barnhart Crane & Rigging, established in 1969, is a leading national supplier of heavy lifting and transportation solutions. The company has locations across the United State and provides logistics, machinery moving and plant relocations. Barnhart’s quality management system is certified to the ISO 9001:2008 international standard and has been registered since 2000.

For more information, visit www.barnhartcrane.com.