Texas-based Groves Equipment Rental has ordered 14 new Grove Rough Terrain cranes from local distributor MGX Equipment Services, which has been working with Groves since the 1990s.
The new cranes will replace 10-year-old Grove Rough Terrains, ranging from the RT540 to RT890, with the 51 tonne GRT655, 100 tonnes GRT8100 and 120 tonnes GRT8120. The higher capacity cranes were selected in response to both changes in customer demand and the increase in market confidence ahead of the expected upturn in infrastructure projects and energy sector work in 2022.
President Steve McReynolds, whose grandfather founded the company in 1955, said: “The 90 to 100 ton Rough Terrains have become the backbone of our fleet – they’re a popular size with our customers, many of whom build or do maintenance work for petrochemical facilities. We’ve had at least 25 Grove RT890s in our fleet over the years, and the GRT8100 is a significant evolution of that model. Our customers especially like the new Crane Control System (CCS). It’s very user friendly and a lot easier for diagnostics.”
The GRT8100 boasts a 47-metre main boom with a maximum tip height of 73 metres, while the GRT8120 features a seven section, 60-metre full power Megaform main boom, which can be topped by an extension for the 180.8-metre maximum tip height.
“The GRTs’ boom lengths are a major selling point for us,” said McReynolds. “After we took delivery of our first GRT8120 in December, we introduced it to our customers, and the extra reach has been a huge benefit to them for core plant maintenance — so much so that we’ve secured long term contracts with them. At 197 ft tip height, it can execute high reach lifts but still give you a lot of versatility at a competitive rental rate.”
“The new cranes also have a sleeker look with a lower centre of gravity, making them easier to transport, and the swing away extensions are much simpler to use. And here in the Gulf, where high temperatures coupled with long hours in the cab can really take it out of operators, the upgraded AC system in the new full vision, the tilting cab is a game-changer. We supply the cranes our customers prefer.”
Fourth-generation family-owned Groves, which celebrated 65 years in business last year, is based in Groves, Texas, around 90 miles east of Houston, Jefferson County. It also operates from locations in Channelview, Houston and Sulphur, Louisiana with an extensive fleet of Rough Terrains, lattice and telescopic crawlers along with industrial carry deck cranes. The company has been a Grove RT customer since the 1970s when it purchased the RT52 and later RT58B cab down models.
