Cianbro expands fleet with Manitowoc 16000

US-based contractor Cianbro has expanded its service offering following the purchase of a Manitowoc 16000 with wind attachment from Manitowoc dealer, Shawmut Equipment.

The 16000 is the first addition to Cianbro's fleet as it seeks to expand its work base to include wind turbine erection. At present its commercial construction activities include pulp and paper production facilities, heavy industrial, semiconductor facilities, nuclear power plants, transportation development and off-shore oil rigs.

Commenting on the purchase, Andi Vigue, Cianbro's president and CEO, said, "Our company can focus better if we concentrate on individual industries. One of the newest markets Cianbro is active in is wind power. While wind farms are relatively common in the western US, they are rare in the northeast."

Cianbro purchased the Manitowoc 16000 with a wind attachment, luffing jib and a MAX-ER capacity-enhancing attachment, so when the 16000 is not erecting wind turbines, it can work on other high capacity jobs.

The Manitowoc 16000's wind attachment fits to any standard Manitowoc 16000 and improves lifting capabilities at shorter radii the most. At 18 m (60 ft) the 16000 has a capacity advantage of 49% versus the "standard" Manitowoc 16000.

This allows it to install most 2.5 MW wind turbines (and several larger ones) on towers between 80 and 85 m (262 to 279 ft) high.

This is the first time Cianbro has purchased a brand new Manitowoc crane, and it has the highest capacity in the company's crane fleet.

About Cianbro

Headquartered in Pittsfield, Maine, US, the company is a diversified commercial construction company established in 1946 by first-generation Americans and brothers - Carl, Ken, Bud and Chuck Cianchette.

Using Ken and Bud's post-World War II army savings for seed money and Chuck's 1934 pickup truck as the company vehicle, Carl launched the family business.

The four evolved Cianbro from a small local contractor, to a state-wide and then a regional one. Today, Cianbro is one of the most diversified construction companies in the US, with gross annual sales in excess of US$ 450 million and over 2300 employees throughout the eastern United States.

It also has an extensive equipment fleet, including almost 100 cranes, which are mostly Grove mobile cranes or Manitowoc crawlers.