JD Crane Group, the new name in the UK crane hire scene, has taken delivery at the beginning of this month of a Demag AC 800, an 800t capacity version uprated from the standard AC 700. Also on order are a new AC 100 and two AC 50-1s from Demag.
JD Crane, owned by managing director Maurice Johnson and finance director Richard Dean, was formally established on 1 March this year. It is based on the businesses of the Taylor group that Johnson and Dean bought from Roger Taylor in November 2002. The deal included Taylor Crane in Scotland, Quigley Crane Hire in northwest England and Duncan Crane in the northeast.
The acquisition makes JD Crane the UK’s third largest mobile crane hire company, with a fleet of 115 machines, behind only Ainscough and Hewden Crane Hire.
Though owned by Taylor, Quigley Crane Hire was managed by brothers Shaun and Gary Quigley, who had aspired to buy their operations from Taylor themselves. Instead the Quigley brothers have now set up a new company, Quigley UK, with 12 crane operatives and ambitious growth plans. TMG Corporate Finance provided the Quigleys with strategic advice on the structure and fund raising for their new company.
