Ge Liping, founder of the Chinese crane rental company Nanjing Tengye, has spent the last 20 years building a successful business — and it all started with an investment in a Grove crane.
Back in 2004, Ge Liping was running a crane repair shop in Nanjing. But he had bigger dreams — he wanted to own his own crane rental company. So, he saved up and made a major investment in a Grove GMK6220L all-terrain crane.
At the time, cranes like this were rare in Nanjing. Most imported models had booms shorter than 60 metres, but the GMK6220L came with a 72-metre boom — giving Nanjing Tengye a clear advantage. The purchase was expensive (comparable to buying 20 luxury shops in Nanjing’s high-end Xinjiekou area), but it proved to be a smart move. Within two years, the company had paid off the crane by taking on high-demand jobs in the steel and petrochemical sectors.
“Companies requested our services specifically because we had the only crane capable of lifting 13 tonnes at a height of 60 metres,” Ge said.
That same GMK6220L crane is still in operation today — over 30,000 hours later. It continues to be a reliable moneymaker for the company, averaging around 130 shifts each year.
A big part of that long-term performance comes down to support from Manitowoc, Grove’s parent company. Manitowoc keeps a solid stock of spare parts in China and offers hands-on service through trained technicians. They also provide operator training, used crane sales, and detailed technical support.
Years after that first big purchase, Nanjing Tengye added another Grove crane — this time the GMK6300L. With an 80-metre boom and a 300-tonne capacity, it’s a big step up in capability. And it came with a personal touch: Ge bought the crane for his 70th birthday.
“I gave myself a birthday gift that generates returns,” he said. “It wasn’t cheap, but Grove’s strong reputation and reliability made it the right choice for our long-term strategy.”
Even as other crane brands have improved, Ge says Grove still stands out when it comes to heavy lifting and challenging conditions.
“The Grove cranes are dependable and rarely malfunction,” he said. “Customers often ask for Grove by name because they trust the performance. At the end of the day, clients care about results — and Grove delivers.”