In a major industry move, Tutt Bryant Equipment recently confirmed it had acquired 600 Cranes. General manager of Tutt Bryant Equipment, Simon Davies, and national manager for 600 Cranes, Tony Henson, discuss the development in more detail.
600 Cranes is the National Distributor for brands including Fassi truck mounted cranes, Jekko mini cranes and Marrel hooklifts. Henson provides some background on 600 Cranes.
“We started 600 Cranes in November 1999. I had been working for a company called 600 Machinery and they were the previous HIAB and FASSI dealer. 600 Machinery Group had been the HIAB distributor but decided to change and take on the FASSI product in 1995.
Management then decided it didn’t want to operate the crane division any longer so we started our own business calling it 600 Cranes Australasia.
“We started the business in Melbourne with five people which included the more experienced ‘crane staff’ from the 600 Machinery Group. As the business grew, we expanded into the different states opening various branches. We now have close to 50 staff members in the team.
“Predominantly, we have been the FASSI importer and distributor but more recently we have taken on additional products including Marrel Hooklifts and Jekko mini cranes. These would be our three main products,” said Henson.
Henson goes on to discuss the national foot-print for 600 Cranes, where the business has branches and the capabilities of these branches in terms of product support.
“Our head office is in Melbourne and we have branches in Brisbane, Sydney and Perth. The branches manage the sales and service and spare parts requirements. We also have a number of agents in other areas around the country. We would have over 7000 units operating around the country mainly on the east coast where the FASSI brand has been really popular but we are also having improved success in Western Australia,” he said.
Simon Davies explains how Tutt Bryant Equipment came to acquire 600 Cranes.
“Two years ago, we were approached about this opportunity. Obviously, the pandemic impacted the process but we re-engaged late last year and pushed the transaction through and this was completed on April 1st. From a Tutt Bryant perspective we thought 600 Cranes would be a good addition to our existing business with the industry sectors 600 Cranes is servicing and the strength of the brands it represents.
“FASSI, Marrel and Jekko are well recognised brands in sectors that we don’t have a presence in. Obviously, there is the sales aspect to the business and there is the crane business, so there were a number of synergies we could identify,” said Davies.
Simon Davies then explains how 600 Cranes will integrate into the Tutt Bryant Equipment business.
“When we initially looked at 600 Cranes it was obvious it was a strong family owned business well managed by Tony and his wife Mary. It was apparent the business has similar and aligned values to Tutt Bryant which we believe is important when it comes to any acquisition like this. A similar culture helps with the fit and the synergies as we look to the future. This has already been proven with the two businesses working well together.
“In terms of 600 Cranes and how its operations fit within Tutt Bryant Equipment we can see that primarily both companies operate in the same way. We import quality products from overseas manufacturers, prepare them for the Australian market and then sell this product into various markets. The basics of both companies are very similar, we have very strong and long-term relationships with the manufacturers and we both have a strong culture around the support of these products once they are operating in the various markets,” he said.
“As the market knows, Tutt Bryant Equipment has been very successful in selling cranes for many years with the Kato, HSC and now SANY brands. 600 Cranes is a crane business, obviously and we see great opportunities with the brands it represents. Take the FASSI brand firstly; it provides us with access to the transport industry which is a sector we have not been exposed to until now. We see the Jekko mini crawler crane as a very exciting opportunity. There is a strong alignment between the two organisations with this brand and we can see the role of mini crawlers increasing throughout many industries, particularly construction.
“The Marrel hooklift brand fits well because Tutt Bryant Equipment has a strong presence in the demolition, recycling and waste industries in Australia and we can see opportunities to introduce these hooklifts to existing customers who might not have been aware of the product previously. We can also see 600 Cranes has customers that may not be fully aware of the Tutt Bryant Equipment offering so there are a number of synergies to explore,” said Davies.
Davies explains that Tony and his wife Mary have agreed to stay and work in the business for the next 12 months to assist with the transition over this time. He then confirms what the market can expect from the combined entities.
“Tony and his wife Mary have agreed to stay on for the next 12 months. They will continue to manage the business during this transitional period and within 15 months we expect the business will be fully integrated into the Tutt Bryant Equipment business.
“For now, we will continue to run 600 Cranes as a separate brand, our research highlights that it is a strong brand with excellent recognition in the key markets it services. Customers can expect management processes across both businesses will be one and the same. We are an enviable position of being able to take the best from both businesses. There are no doubt areas of the 600 Cranes business processes which they’d like to improve on as there are in Tutt Bryant Equipment. Customers can expect a seamless experience across the integrated businesses.
“At Tutt Bryant Equipment we pride ourselves in dealing with manufacturers of quality equipment and it’s no different with 600 Cranes. Locally, our role is to support these products with high levels of part holdings, back up support and servicing through our nationwide network of facilities which feature factory trained technicians. Customers have come to expect this from Tutt Bryant Equipment and it will be the same with customers of 600 Cranes,” he said.