Standard Crane & Hoist LLC

Standard Crane & Hoist LLC is an overhead crane manufacturer based in Louisiana. With seven locations throughout the state, the business has an expansive reach, serving diverse industries. The company employs more than 90 people and boasts experienced, in-house manufacturing, inspection and service capabilities for overhead bridge cranes with varying capacities and applications.

Throughout the state, Standard Crane is a well-known name. The company has been around since 1909, when it started out as Standard Supply and Hardware. Over the years, the business evolved into crane distribution, at one point serving as one of the largest distributors in the country of Yale Hoist machinery.

Under the direction of the company’s partner-owners, the staff now has a reputation for high quality crane fabrication and assembly. While Standard Crane offers a selection of standardized products, the team easily adjusts to the needs of customers.

“We have the capabilities and the know how to handle any job when it comes to  overhead cranes and hoists,” says Rodney Torres, vice president and co-owner of Standard Crane. “What sets our operation apart is the quality of products we provide, the high level of local service we offer and our reputation. We have longevity in our brand name and people recognize that.”

A one-stop shop

Torres and his colleagues strive to serve as a one-stop shop for customers, which include commercial and industrial contractors and business owners. “We have a very broad target market,” he explains. “There is a lot of diversity in our client base. We do quite a bit in the oil and gas sector, though that has pulled back a bit with the drop in the price of oil. Fortunately there is a market for us in just about any location. In northern Louisiana, we work with the paper industry, power plants – every metal building in the area has an overhead crane.”

The construction industry has grown significantly throughout the economic recovery and has Standard Crane involved in a variety of projects across the board. Applications include port material handling jobs, which Torres says comprise a large portion of the company’s work currently.

 Other work includes projects for machine shops, manufacturers and various materials handling operations. “We build a wide variety, from 1-ton machines up to 100-ton cranes – that’s the usual around here,” Torres elaborates. “Of course there are several features we can add, such as radio controls for remote-operated equipment. We have done work for NASA in the past, where we enabled capacity restrictions, using PLC’s, weight indicators and other features.”

Maintaining strong relationships

Clients count on Standard Crane for quality, safe and efficient work. “We self-perform all aspects of the job,” says Torres. “We do not subcontract anything. A lot of that is to maintain control over quality and safety. You have limited control with subcontractors so we try to avoid it.”

This means that in-house, skilled labor is the company’s greatest expense, though Torres says it’s worth it. “Manpower is our biggest cost, but it is our biggest asset as well,” he explains. “We have a team in-house doing production and we also have a large crew of service technicians who go out and service what we sell as well as other manufacturers’ equipment.”

The team operates almost as one big family. “We are a small company in a sense,” Torres explains. “My business partner and I work on a day-to-day basis with everybody else. We have a really good group of people and while it took years to get here, we are comfortable with our employees. Many of them have been here for more than 20 years.”

Standard Crane is selling more than equipment – customers buy into the company’s reliability and the decades of experience on staff. The business also has strong partnerships with suppliers, many of which the company has worked with for several years. This solid supply chain ensures that Standard Crane has consistent access to parts, equipment and training that helps the business provide leading service to customers.

Over the coming years, Torres predicts Standard Crane will see steady growth. With the oil market struggling through low pricing, the business is focusing its energy elsewhere. “There is always a need for what we do,” explains Torres. “In today’s market, business owners deal with a lot of safety issues – nobody wants their employees lifting too much weight. These larger companies are willing to spend money to buy these products to avoid liability.”

After more than 105 years in business, Torres and his colleagues are proud to work as a team as Standard Crane & Hoist brings high-quality, heavy-duty overhead cranes to customers throughout Louisiana.