This Moncton Company Plans To Buy More Cranes To Keep Up With Demand
MONCTON – Demand ratcheting up in New Brunswick for crane rentals has compelled one Moncton company to bolster its fleet.
Josh Lirette, manager of operations with Dieppe-based Craneco Atlantic Crane Rentals, told Huddle that the company plans to buy at least two or three tower cranes and several smaller ones, as demand ramps up for tower cranes.
Lirette, director of operations for Craneco, said that demand for smaller cranes, of which the company currently has five, has always been brisk.
He said Craneco’s larger tower cranes – of which the company has two – are renting faster than he’s seen before. That need is unprecedented, leading to a spike in demand over the previous year.
It comes at a time when all three of New Brunswick’s largest cities’ skylines are sporting the silhouettes of tower cranes.
It’s been a hectic year for construction in the Hub City region with Moncton issuing $296.5-million in building permits in 2021 and Dieppe issuing 639 building permits, worth almost $102-million, breaking 2019’s record $97-million. New apartment developments in Moncton are more than halfway rented out before they’re finished being built.
Lirette said smaller cranes – which see more or less constant demand – are rented for smaller wood-frame buildings, while now, with larger and concrete-frame buildings under construction, demand for tower cranes, which have traditionally been slower, is keeping apace of that construction growth. This is putting some pressure on the Dieppe-based crane company.
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“It may become an issue if more high-rise concrete buildings get started,” said Lirette. “It’s a bit challenging. There are a lot more people reaching out for rentals, so that’s why we’re increasing our fleet.”
Much of that demand is concentrated in the Moncton area, on account of taller, and concrete structures under construction.
“It’s mostly higher rise buildings driving it. We used to see a lot of mid-rise, which were about six storeys, but not we’re seeing more nine and 10-storey buildings that need larger tower cranes,” said Lirette. “We had some calls in Fredericton and Saint John but with the demand in Moncton, we’ve been staying in our backyard a lot.”
Lirette said he expects construction season 2022 to be even busier than 2021.
“This rate of development is strong – even with the rising pricing, nothing has really stopped. It’s been crazy,” he said.
Not every crane company has plans to bolster their fleet to keep up with demand – or even agrees that demand is growing that much.
An employee with the Moncton branch of an Atlantic Canadian crane rental company said wait times for crane rentals in New Brunswick are not any worse than usual.
“It’s not the busy season, and your typical busy season, like any construction business, is from July to December,” said the manager, who wished to remain anonymous. “Especially right now, since there are road restrictions, so our larger cranes can’t even be mobilized. There are definitely cranes available, you just have to pick up the phone.”
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An employee of another Moncton-area crane company – who also asked to remain anonymous – said his company is keeping up with demand with planning.
“Customer demand is steady, but we’re keeping up with it,” he said. “The demand has more to do with the tower cranes and the planning and placement of them. Once you get to larger projects like the ones going on downtown, it’s just a matter of strategic planning,” he said.
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Duane Brown, the owner of Nedalift Boom Truck Services, based in Grand Bay-Westfield, said demand has been quiet for him since early 2022.
He expects that demand is higher for companies renting out larger cranes.
Brown, the sole operator of a single 22-ton capacity boom truck, said he focuses on smaller jobs like truss work, moving sheds and lifting boats in Southern New Brunswick.
Sam Macdonald is a Huddle reporter in Moncton. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].