Street CraneXpress, the Sheffield-based national crane service provider, is lifting its performance to new heights. It is reflecting on the best results in its 40-year history, with rising turnover and staff numbers, and looking forward to further growth.
The company – part of the award-winning specialist engineering SCX group – is driving forward thanks to its expertise in the inspection, maintenance, repair and upgrade of cranes and its know-how in advising customers on compliance with recent legislation on the safe and efficient use of older cranes.
Among its latest contracts is a three-year deal with Arconic Forgings at its three sites in Sheffield and one in Darley Dale, plus a renewed two-year deal with longstanding client JCB.
Other existing prestigious customers of the firm based in Tyler Street, Wincobank, include Siemens, Perkins Engines, Hitachi, Toyota Manufacturing, Urenco, BAE Systems and Bombardier Transportation.
Street CraneXpress’s recently renovated workshop and office facilities in Tyler Street, Sheffield.
“It’s been a very buoyant and successful year – our best ever – with lots of high profile wins,” said Street CraneXpress Sales Manager Duncan Randall.
“And new contracts with Arconic Forgings, JCB and others mean we are on track for further growth in the future.
“In addition, we have spent a lot of time over the past year on a consultancy service to help customers understand how recent legislation affects health and safety procedures and the safe use of older cranes and other lifting equipment.”
Street CraneXpress increased its turnover in the last financial year, contributing to £40m sales – up from £30m – for the SCX group, described by managing director Simon Eastwood as a “great achievement”.
The SCX group’s name is spreading around the world thanks largely to the SCX Special Projects division. It is designing and installing two retractable roofs at the All England Lawn Tennis Club at Wimbledon and the pioneering dividing retractable grass pitch for the new Tottenham Hotspur football stadium.
In April, the group won Medium Business of the Year in the Yorkshire Business Masters Awards and two honours in the Made in Sheffield Awards.
Street CraneXpress has made its name as the only fully UK-owned national crane service provider. It specialises in ensuring the efficiency and safety of lifting systems, including overhead travelling cranes, jib cranes, light cranes, and hoists.
It places an emphasis on preventative work, helping to avoid loss of production, but also offers a round-the clock breakdown service. It works with a spectrum of different sized businesses, with most of its 800 service contracts being renewed year-on-year.
Street CraneXpress’s expansion has seen it employ an extra seven field engineers and three office-based staff, taking the respective totals to 40 and 20 over the past 12 months. It also has ten apprentices going through its in-house training school – the SCX Academy – based at Tyler Street.
The recent contract with Arconic Forgings, won through a competitive tender on the basis of merit, is to inspect and maintain over 250 cranes, jibs and other lifting equipment and to carry out wire rope non-destructive testing. The renewal of the JCB contract involves close to 400 cranes and four full-time Street CraneXpress engineers.
Other work ranges from Siemens in Hull, where Street CraneXpress is responsible for part of a production line of wind turbine blades, to a one-off deal with Sohar Aluminium in Oman to spread the expertise developed in Sheffield and to ensure pieces of lifting equipment are up to standard.