Craig started work with his father Arthur at Sydney’s Everwilling Cranes in the early 1990’s. They bought a crane and subcontracted to Everwilling. They called the business A and C Cranes, for Arthur and Craig, but the signwriter got it wrong and the crane came back saying “ANC Cranes”. The name stuck. A couple of years later they bought a second crane. Craig takes up the story.
“Until the mid ‘90s we had been happy to travel along subcontracting to Everwilling Cranes, but we could see other opportunities. When we bought our third crane, we knew we were getting too big to subcontract out of Everwilling’s yard. My father Arthur retired, and I moved on. I kept two cranes and started out on my own working in steel erection. From there I started to build on the collection of cranes,” said Craig.
“On his retirement my father had some words of advice that went something along the lines of, “The worst you can do is go broke.” That was the challenge I needed, I rolled up my sleeves, found the yard in Marsden Park, Western Sydney, and managed to secure a few contracts and everything really started from there,” he said.
Craig has been hands on and dedicated to the business and still operates the cranes at all hours of the day.
He has relied on his trusted and ‘tight team’ to manage the other areas of the business. In turn, this has attracted like-minded people to the business. He explains how this approach has worked over the years and helped to develop the culture of the business.
“The business has grown as a result of everyone working hard, being reliable and honest. We do not take on work that I don’t think we can deliver on and we always give our customers 120 per cent,” he said.
“We started out securing a number of steel erection projects because I could see that if we’re putting steel up, our cranes had a good opportunity of staying onsite – and so we took on some big projects. We managed the lifts for Laing O’Rourke at the Army base at Holsworthy and it really started to grow from there.
“Customers saw our approach and our abilities, and we generated a lot of general crane hire from those projects. A key fact for our businesses is that we haven’t needed a lot of advertising, we have worked hard, and customers have taken us onto their next projects and our reputation has spread through word of mouth,” said Craig.
He goes on to highlight the experience he has in the ANC Cranes team.
“At the moment, we probably employ about 20, 25 people and a lot of them have come up through the ranks – having good people attracts good people. I find if I advertise, the quality of people isn’t always there. But when people come to town from different regional areas looking for work, they come our way.
“Most our people have come up through the ranks. They have started as Dogmen and served their time Dogging cranes and then we’ll slowly introduce them to operating a crane. I won’t send cranes out unless I’ve got the right crew. One thing I can say with ANC Cranes, we come second to none with the people we employ,” said Craig.
With his team, Craig looks for loyalty, respect and dedication to the work.
“Our yard is like a family. Everyone puts in 100 per cent, and if one person starts to fall behind, we all rally and help them step up. I think the team sees how hard I work, and I know they also take a lot of pride in their work and the contribution they make to the business and our customer’s projects.
“Jesse would be one of our longest serving employees and he’s been operating our City Crane for 15 years. There’s been a few others that have clocked up some time and have been here around the 10-year mark. Anyone that joins us agrees it’s a good place to work, the pay is right, and the opportunities are always there,” said Craig.
Image: ANC Cranes
The Sydney market is very competitive with two or three big players. Craig explains how ANC Cranes competes in this market and what his point of difference is.
“Competing against the major players makes it hard to get government work. Although we are Tier One accredited and we have all the right paperwork, and we’re good, honest and skilled people, it is difficult to compete for this work and it has been for the past 10 years.
“I have had to diversify and look at work that is viable for our business model. I sat down and worked out that we needed to change our market, and move into general crane hire, managing smaller building projects, tree removals, pool installations as well as the smaller tower crane market,” said Craig.
“We lift a lot of construction equipment out of holes, it’s interesting work and no two days are the same. That said, because of the service we provide, we are starting to get back into some of the major builders but it is competitive,” he said.
Craig goes on to highlight his approach to projects.
“Most of the time I’ve conducted a pre-site inspection, and I relay what’s required to the crane crew. Everyone has been inducted and trained in their position so when they get to site, they analyse and set the crane up in the right spot and get the job done.
“As we are working on smaller projects, our teams understand the concepts of time management and working in a productive way. If the builder’s not getting productivity and the crane crew’s standing around, it is costing the builder a lot of money. Our teams have been trained to be profitable and an asset for the builder.
“We also have excellent backroom staff, and I’m very lucky to have Alyce on board.
She works in an organisational role and helps get everything done. It’s not a 9 to 5 job and Alyce knows it and she goes above and beyond to ensure we deliver on what we promise. Alyce works with Mel and together they manage allocations, payroll and work health and safety. In a short amount of time each day they get through everything. We couldn’t do what we do without them,” said Craig.
He goes on to discuss ANC’s fleet.
“The smallest crane we operate is a two- tonne electric Galizia which we use for work in applications where there must be zero emissions. We then move into our fleet of 13 Maeda mini crawlers which ranges from the 285 up to the four tonner. That fleet
has grown on demand. The four tonner is diesel-electric so we can get that into food processing plants or inside buildings and run on zero emissions,” said Craig.
“We then move into the City Crane range. We’ve got a 13t capacity Tadano City Crane that’s only two metres wide which gets us into a lot of tight places that the 20 tonner can’t manage.
“We run two 20t capacity Tadano City Cranes and then move into our 40 tonner, two 65t all terrains and a 130 Tadano. All our cranes, from 13t upwards, are Tadanos. Operating one brand makes it a lot easier with familiarisation and the same computer systems, and Tadano has been good to us and we have shown loyalty in return,” said Craig.
Image: ANC Cranes
“We service all our cranes to comply with legislative requirements. Pace Cranes are great with the Maedas, we’ve had a long relationship with Anthony and his team. From the 13t upwards, everything goes back to OEM, back to Tadano. It’s easier that way to maintain the cranes and plan for future repairs.
“We operate prime movers and support counterweight trucks for the smaller cranes. Over the years I’ve bought five UD trucks. I find the reliability and fuel economy is great and the 24-hour service and support from UD doesn’t let us down,” he said.
Craig goes on to reflect on his 30 years in the industry.
“30 years ago the Sydney market was dominated by larger players with big yards for large crane fleets. Today, there are far more players in the market. The focus on safety is far more noticeable today and that is a good thing as we are operating in a high risk industry.
“The tower crane industry as changed as well. 30 years ago, you had Marrs putting big Favco Hammerheads up and now we are seeing much smaller cranes like Potains and now the Chinese brands. There are a lot more independent yards that have their seven-year hit and disappear,” he said.
“The cost of running cranes has increased dramatically. In the 1990s you could get your paperwork passed with by a diesel mechanic, now everything’s virtually managed by the crane OEM.
“With the complexities of the computer systems today, you need to the OEM to sort out any issues have got all the support. The last couple of years have seen a few crane companies close their gates, sell their assets and finish up. Last year was probably a good time to get out, but it wasn’t my time,” Craig said..
Craig looks to the future and talks about his plans for ANC Cranes.
“I’ve never really had a plan or a goal for the business, but that has changed. I was lucky enough to have my father teach me how to drive a crane and also help me start the business with one crane.
“I’ve got a young bloke and he’s just turned 14 and I plan to hang around for at least another 10 years and pass on the opportunity to him. Where are we headed? We don’t want to get majorly big, but we can see there is room in the yard for a few more cranes,” said Craig.
“Basically, this job, the business and the people I work with keep me busy. I’m inspired to get out there with the team each day and do the best we can. It’s about being a ‘family’ and what we’ve got is good. I’d be happy with another five cranes in the fleet and to move premises,” he said.
Craig takes an active role in The Crane Industry Council of Australia (CICA) and attends as many meetings and functions as he can throughout the year.
“It’s easy to sit on the fence and complain about the industry, but if you don’t attend the CICA meetings and you don’t put in, you only have yourself to blame when decisions are made that you don’t agree with.
“Being an independent company, I need to attend and understand the direction in which the industry is headed, mix with successful people and have my say. CICA is our industry body, it represents us at Federal and State Government levels and it is making decisions that are influencing how our businesses operate. In my opinion it is important that businesses like ANC Cranes have their say,’’ said Craig.
Craig attended the CICA NSW/ACT Regional Meeting in the Hunter Valley earlier in the year and generously donated to the chosen charity Touched by Olivia.
“The Regional Meeting was excellent and provided a great opportunity to meet colleagues in the industry and listen
to important presentations during the seminars. The evening charity auction was special, and I noticed the room was full of good people, all had big and generous hearts.
“When you can see somebody’s passion and understand how much they have put into the charity and what the charity has delivered for so many, over many years, it doesn’t take much to donate a few dollars and be of support, and I was very happy to do so,” said Craig.