IN FOCUS / TIDD PICK AND CARRY AND CRANES COMBINED
CRANES COMBINED TIDD; ANOTHER FIRST FOR APPLE ISLE CRANE HIRE Cranes Combined recently took delivery of its first 28t TIDD pick and carry crane. Chris Kolodziej, managing director of Cranes Combined, talks about the growth of his business, the reasons for the purchase of a new TIDD PC28, and how it has been performing. “OVER THE PAST 18 MONTHS, WE HAVE been adding cranes which have filled niches in our fleet, and we have also replaced a couple of cranes we have been operating for a while,” explained Kolodziej of recent developments. “We purchased two new city cranes last year and these have enabled us to get onto sites with limited access. They also have great lifting charts, so we are now able to tender for jobs we weren’t able to compete for in the past. They are still reasonably-sized machines but, with the limited tail swing, they are proving to be very versatile cranes for us. “It is the same with the new TIDD PC 28 pick and carry, which is proving to be an excellent all-rounder for us. We were in a position where we needed an articulated pick and carry quickly, and when I called the Brisbane branch of TRT, I was glad to learn they had a unit being assembled in New Zealand and it was ready to be painted. The timing couldn’t have been better for us. After a few weeks of operating the TIDD, I am delighted to say it has surprised us with its safety features and overall performance,” he said. Kolodziej confirmed this is the first TIDD to be delivered in Tasmania. “We have always taken an innovative approach to our crane hire business, and we’ve been the first to introduce a number of new cranes. This is the first TIDD to be delivered in Tasmania. Over the past decade, we have grown substantially, from nine personnel to 42, and purchased around 20 cranes, of which over a dozen have been purchased new. Some of them have been upgrades 36 / CAL March/April 2022
Chris Kolodziej and his wife, Cathy, take delivery of the new TIDD from TRT’s Philip White.
www.cranesandlifting.com.au
