By Jennifer ConwayCEG ASSOCIATE EDITOR
T.S. Elliot once wrote: “Onlythose who will risk going too far canpossibly find out how far one cango.” For Wally Jones, founder andcurrent president of Ashland, VA-based Atlantic Coast Cranes &Machinery Inc. (ACC), this philoso-phy could not resonate more true.
In 1991, Jones, along with long-time colleague DennisSamuel, rented a small officeand started the fledgling cranedealership with two lines ––American Crane products andJLG boom trucks.
The inherit risk in the busi-ness was not its initial under-taking but rather such a greencompany staying afloat inquestionable times. In theearly 1990s, after many yearsof rapid growth in the high-way, commercial and industri-al construction sectors, theindustry bottomed out, leav-ing many contractors strug-gling financially.
But with a solid dedicationto the customer, the companynot only survived but grewand is now a full service Terexdealer serving Pennsylvania,Delaware, Maryland,Washington D.C., Virginiaand the Carolinas with partsand service for American,P&H, Lorain, Northwest,Bucyrus-Erie, Koehring,Bantam, R.O. Stinger andDemag.
ACC also is an authorizeddealer for Shuttlelift andStraddlelift cranes, notedJones, and recently delivereda new 150-ton Straddlelift tothe I-95 Woodrow WilsonBridge project and a newIndustrial Shuttlelift to theWestinghouse SavannahRiver Nuclear Plant.
“If you would have told me13 years ago that we’d be inthe same position we’re intoday, I don’t know if I wouldhave believed it possible,”said Jones after celebratingthe company’s 13th anniver-sary. “The economic condi-tions at the time we startedwere very poor, especially inthe crane industry. You justdidn’t know what to expectbecause it was such an unset-tling time.
“ACC’s flexibility tochanging business conditionshas allowed the company tomaintain its unique marketposition in both good and badtimes,” he said.
Atlantic Coast Cranes isnow celebrating its 13th yearas an exclusive crane distribu-tor with sales, parts and serv-ice for Terex American, TerexDemag and the rest of theTerex crane family. The com-pany was recently honored ––three out of the past four years–– as the No. 1 dealer world-
wide for the American Terexcrawler cranes.
“We have delivered over100 new Terex cranes, 52 ofthem American Terexhydraulic cranes, in the past36 months,” said Jones.
Additionally, ACC buys,sells and trades used cranesfrom its facility. The compa-ny offers rent-to-purchaseoptions, and noted Jones,
“We anticipate more opportunitiesfor crane rental purchase this year,utilizing the Terex rental fleet andother crawler cranes either ownedor to be acquired by the company.”
In the mid-1990s, Jones joinedBill Grubb of W.O Grubb SteelErection Inc. in Richmond, VA, instarting a remanufacturing process,where 1,000-plus hour cranes weregiven a complete overhaul and putback into service. Soon after, ACCbegan attracting customers from allover the country who were inter-ested in extending their cranes’lives.
“We think it’s a great concept,”Jones said. “It gives the contractora piece of equipment that is fullywarranted and performs as if it
were new, yet he has it at a priceconsiderably less than the cost of abrand new crane.”
The company completed remanu-facturing a 165-ton 9299 crawlercrane last year, noted Jones, “earn-ing a new serial number and a fullfactory warranty for the customer-owned machine.
“An American 9270, 150-toncrawler and an American 7260, 100-ton crawler were just rebuilt by thesame experienced crew that com-pleted the reman project and placedinto service on the Woodrow WilsonBridge recently,” he continued.
Ten years ago, Jones also found
success in the import-exportbusiness, which the compa-ny still maintains “buyingand selling machines andparts oversees when curren-cy and business conditionsare favorable,” said Jones.
Key to the company’ssustained success over thepast decade or so has beenits commitment to service.ACC has a 5,000-sq.-ft.shop, which includes threeservice bays and two over-head cranes as well as fiveparts and service trucks andthree fully equipped road
trucks equipped with cranes.All of the service technicians
attend service schools regularly andsafety training on a monthly basis.With a parts inventory worthapproximately $3 million, the com-pany can turn around a request with-in 24 hours more than 90 percent ofthe time.
“Experienced personnel both insales, parts and the service depart-ment add to the strong customerrelationships maintained by ACC,”said Jones.
For more information, call804/798-4500 or visitwww.accranes.com. CEG
Atlantic Coast Cranes Prospers in Both Good,Bad Economies
The staff of ACC (L-R): Dennis Samuel, vice president; Paul Wilburn, partsmanager; Ricky Trainham, service technician; Debbie Samuel, office man-ager; Wade Stancil, service technician; Dee Carter, administrative assis-tant; Barry Katzin, service technician; Steve Bruce, service manager; andWally Jones, president/owner.
Atlantic Coast Cranes is located at 11351 Virginia Crane Dr. in Ashland, VA.
A Dedication to Service: ACC at Work
Bryan Clapp, equipment manager of Corman ConstructionInc., called Atlantic Coast Cranes on the afternoon of June 30,2004, to ask for special emergency delivery of a new 165-ton(149.7 t) American Terex Crawler Crane, one of two already onorder for Corman.
Corman was just awarded the Route 5 Chickahominy Bridgeemergency repair job. The swing-span bridge was not pass-able, forcing a 63-mi. detour. It needed to be repaired as soonas possible.
Atlantic Coast Cranes’ personnel immediately placed calls tothe American factory in Wilmington, NC, and to the HaulingDivision of Virginia Steel. Trucks were on site, and loadingbegan at 6 the following morning.
Special permits and permission were required because themain load was approximately 150,000 lbs. (68,039 kg) and itwas the July 4 holiday weekend, the busiest traffic period of theyear. All loads, including the permit loads, were on site July 2at 5:30 pm, just 48 hours later.
Bryan Clapp, equipment manager of Corman Construction Inc.,called Atlantic Coast Cranes on the afternoon of June 30, 2004, toask for special emergency delivery of a new 165-ton (149.7 t)American Terex Crawler Crane.
Wally Jones founded Atlantic CoastCranes (ACC) in 1991.
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August 42004
Vol. XVII • No. 16
Atlantic Coast Cranes is now a full-service Terex dealer servingPennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia and theCarolinas with parts and service for American, P&H, Lorain, Northwest,Bucyrus-Erie, Koehring, Bantam, R.O. Stinger and Demag. The companyalso is an authorized dealer for Shuttlelift and Straddlelift cranes