The Baden Davis Crane Connection continue endeavour to deliver quality used cranes.

Nick and his number one Dogman, Reece Meredith.

Franna range with a maximum lifting capacity of 15 tonne.

“The Franna was in Western Australia and I bought it from an online auction. It was a 2009 model with very low hours and low kilometers, it seems the previous business had just left it in the yard it seems, it was hardly used,” he said.

After purchasing the Franna, Slaviero headed straight to Ben Baden and The Crane Connection for an examination of the crane and a major service.

“They conducted a major service on the Franna and completely repainted it for me in colours we have since adopted for the business. By the time they had finished with the crane it looked brand new and it was in A1 condition. They are excellent at what they do,” he said.

Slaviero had made plenty of contacts during his career in carpentry and once he had launched Endeavour Cranes much of his business network looked for his services.

“After purchasing the Franna, I was using it for my business as well as my father’s carpentry business. As I developed my operating skills, I gained more confidence and experience as an operator. I then began helping mates on weekends with their jobs, developing my skills even further on different types of sites.

“Over the years, I had trained numerous apprentices in carpentry and I had done all the right things by them. By the time I launched Endeavour Cranes, many of them had their own business and repaid my faith in them by contracting me for their construction work. This made a big difference to my fledgling business,” he said.

Although Slaviero was busy with the Franna, he never lost sight of the prospect of owning a slew crane.

“The business grew in terms of demand and the decision expand

“I had always wanted a slew crane because we had been hiring them for the construction work. I looked at several cranes and then the option of a Franna came up. I could see the benefits of its versatility and lifting capacities and decided this would be a good crane to start out with. It was the right crane at the right price, and it suited my requirements to a tee, so I took it.”

was a no brainer. The slew crane only increases the scope of works for the business and enables me to support my customers even more.

“I could see there were a number of options when it came to all terrains, but I decided a 40t capacity all terrain would be an ideal size for my business. I concluded a 60t would be a bit too big and the city cranes were too small and slow on the road. When I looked at the truck cranes, they felt a little dated. I’d seen 40t capacity slew cranes in action, and I had set my heart and sights on one,” he said.

Slaviero explains how he then worked closely with Davis and The Crane Connection team to find the LTM 1040-2.1.

“Anthony and I had been talking about purchasing a crane for some time. He knew it would have to be a late model, low hour crane because I was financing the crane, and I obviously needed it to be reliable. I ended up hiring a crane from him to see what would suit my requirements best. It was a Liebherr LTM1055-3.2 all terrain. Anthony was quite happy for me to drive this around for a week, which I did, and I got a good feel for its controls, driveability and lifting capacities.

“After the week I took it back and told Anthony I thought it was a great machine but that we needed to scale back on the size. We originally discussed the options around a 50t capacity crane but there weren’t many available through his network and following further conversations, I decided a 40t machine would fit the bill. I left it for a month or two and then called Anthony to order the 40. Coincidentally, he confirmed he already had a machine on a boat which he was bringing over for stock. I ordered there and then.

“Through the process, the service from Anthony Davis, Ben Baden and The Crane Connection team has been outstanding. They are a professional with everything they do, and I can’t thank them enough. They also employ serious professionals in their workshop. I’ve been impressed with their spraypainting team and the way they have been able to interpret my ideas for colours on the cranes. There probably aren’t too many cranes out there painted with a metallic finish,” he said.

The 40t Liebherr is a big step for a small business explains Slaviero.

“For a larger company the addition of a new crane is not such a big deal, but for me it is a 100 percent increase in size and then some, when you factor in the extra capacity of the crane and everything that goes with it. It’s a big step, but I can see there is work for it straight away and when my customers hear I’ve got larger capacity, the news will travel fast. I’ve already got a dogman/operator with me, and we work well together, we are more than best mates, more like brothers,” he said.

“For the first six months, we’ll determine which crane we’ll need for each day. It is a big step up from a 15t Franna to a 40t slew crane, but we will gradually get used to operating the new crane and by the new year we will be ready to run both on a day-to-day basis bringing in the required extra crew then. It will be small and deliberate steps for me, ‘slow and steady wins the race’ as the saying goes.

The LTM 1040-2.1. delivers outstanding lifting capacities over its entire operating range. Its 35m, 4-section telescopic boom can be extended with infinite adjustment and quickly to any length using a timetested hydro-mechanical telescoping system. The telescoping process can also be completed whilst there is a load on the boom. A folding jib can be used to achieve a radius of up to 39 metres. In comparison to the slightly smaller LTM 1030-2.1, this mobile crane can handle five tonnes more on its hook.

Slaviero is confident there will be plenty of business for the LTM 1040-2.1 and Endeavour Cranes. “There is a lot of work in Sydney with project homes being built in the new estates,” he said.

“As I’ve said, a number of my customers were my apprentices and trades that I used in my carpentry business, and we know each other on a personal level. When I arrive on site, they know what I’m thinking, and I know what they are thinking and the understanding on the job site is immediate, and the communication is amazing.

“I think this is the major point of difference between Endeavour Cranes and other businesses; I have been in the same shoes as my customers, and I understand the challenges they face. I am so grateful for faith my customers showed from day and I thank them for the ongoing support they have given me.

“Obviously, we are a young business and at 30, I am a young crane owner. With this I bring a fresh ‘can do’ approach with new and reliable cranes. Safety is a major priority in construction today and this Liebherr LTM 1040-2.1 comes with a high level of safety features. That’s my style and the new Liebherr will suit our business perfectly,” said Slaviero.

“For a larger company the addition of a new crane is not such a big deal, but for me it is a 100 per cent increase in size and then some, when you factor in the extra capacity of the crane and everything that goes with it. It’s a big step, but I can see there is work for it straight away and when my customers hear I’ve got larger capacity, the news travels fast. I’ve already got a dogman/operator with me, and we work well together, we are more than best mates – more like brothers.”