IPS Cranes acquires American & Ohio Locomotive Crane NEWSWIRE

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota-based IPS Cranes has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire American & Ohio Locomotive Crane Co. of Bucyrus, Ohio.

IPS will provide customers with a greater range of services that will give them the ability to sustain and maintain their fleet of American Hoist and Ohio Locomotive Cranes and American Hoist Crawler Cranes. It will also include manufacturing of excavator bodies and line boring services related to locomotive crane repairs and rebuilds.

The Bucyrus plant is not included in the transaction, and operations will be consolidated at IPS’ Duluth, Minn., facility.

“We are extremely excited for this acquisition as it allows us to create the industry’s broadest and deepest range of crane manufacturing, services, and resources,” says IPS President and CEO Jackie O’Connell.

IPS, which has about 45 employees, will take on two salespeople from the American & Ohio staff.

American Hoist & Derrick Co.’s Locomotive Crane Division, coincidentally based in St. Paul, and the Ohio Locomotive Crane Co. of Bucyrus merged in 1987 to form American & Ohio. In 2001, ERS Industries Inc. purchased the company.