Canadian crane group NCSG – previously Northern Crane – has acquired the assets of Doug’s Crane of Prince Rupert, British Columbia, from Broadwater Industries.

Doug’s Crane was founded in 1984 by Doug Mackereth and provides a full service crane operation in the Prince Rupert region which is growing rapidly in preparation for a number of LNG facilities that are planned. It runs a small and fairly dated fleet of cranes topped out by an 82 ton Link Belt 218 truck crane.

As a part of the deal Mackereth and the other owners of Broadwater have taken an equity stake in NCSG, and will work with the new owners to expand the crane and heavy transport business in the Doug’s Crane territory.

NCSG began as Northern Crane Services in 1987 and was purchased in 2006 by Northwest Capital Appreciation. Since that time, it has done seven follow-on acquisitions – including A-1, Mullen and Parkland- and grown at a compound annual rate of over 30 percent.

NCSG president Ted Redmond said: “Doug’s Crane has a 29 year history of providing crane and lifting solutions to its many customers in the Prince Rupert region and we are thrilled to be partnering with Doug Mackereth and the rest of the Broadwater management team. We will continue to provide crane services to the Prince Rupert market and plan to grow our crane and heavy haul fleet in this market to meet the needs of current customers and the proposed LNG and other projects in the region.”

Mackereth added: “NCSG/Doug’s Crane will continue to provide our long term customers with fully operated and maintained crane and lifting services and we will enhance these services with additional equipment from NCSG’s crane and heavy haul operations. With access to the NCSG safety and engineering team and a combined fleet of over 295 cranes, 200 lines of hydraulic platform trailers, 190 conventional trailers and 65 tractors, NCSG/Doug’s Crane will be able to meet all of our customers’ construction and maintenance crane rental, and heavy haul needs.”