All terrain crane helps tri-state win unique stadium job

Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based Tri-State Crane & Rigging Service began in 2004 as an offshoot company to support the steel fabrication and erection business of its sister company, Cedar Valley Steel,

Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based Tri-State Crane & Rigging Service began in 2004 as an offshoot company to support the steel fabrication and erection business of its sister company, Cedar Valley Steel, Inc. (CVS). Before forming Tri-State, CVS owned a few rough terrain cranes but mainly rented crane equipment for its steel erection services. However, business growth had CVS often renting the cranes it owned to its customers, so CVS decided to get into the crane equipment business. “We formed Tri-State as a differentiator when we purchased Anderson Crane Service in 2004,” comments Craig Breitbach, president of Tri-State and CVS, also of Cedar Rapids.

Starting with eight-cranes, Tri-State expanded its fleet over the years through company acquisition and systematic growth of its mobile crane equipment to meet the needs of a growing customer base. Wayne Kempft, sales representative for RTL Equipment, a Terex Cranes distributor, mentions, “Strategic purchases like the flexible 80-ton (72.5-tonne) class Terex Crossover 8000 boom truck and 240-ton (220-tonne) capacity class Terex AC200-1 all terrain crane helped to fuel Tri-State’s growth.”

Today, Tri-State supports CVS and provides crane rental and heavy haul services to external customers. With a fleet of more than 50 cranes, the crane company travels a market that includes Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Illinois, North and South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Missouri. When adding crane equipment, Breitbach only partners with manufacturers who share the same sense of urgency as he does on steel projects. “When a crane is down, it’s not just the five guys working with the crane who don’t have work. This also stops the trades like drywall workers, roofers and electricians,” he says. The support received from RTL and Terex is one reason why Tri-State’s fleet includes a sizeable number of Terex models.