Crane business closes 30-year chapter with fleet sale
The sale gives buyers the chance to acquire cranes and transport equipment from a single owner with a proven operating history. Image: Ritchie Bros. Metcalf Crane Services is selling its entire fleet after 30. . .
The sale gives buyers the chance to acquire cranes and transport equipment from a single owner with a proven operating history. Image: Ritchie Bros. Metcalf Crane Services is selling its entire fleet after 30 years in business, with more than 100 lots now available through Ritchie Bros. ’ Marketplace-E platform. The complete dispersal includes cranes, transport equipment and support assets, with buyers able to purchase equipment through a Buy Now or Make an Offer process. The sale gives crane companies, contractors, transport operators and equipment dealers the chance to acquire equipment from a single owner with a long operating history. Managing Director Tim Metcalf said the decision marked the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. “After 30 years building this business, the decision to divest the fleet wasn’t one I took lightly — but the time felt right to focus on our other ventures, including Metcalf Heli Services. We’ve worked with Ritchie Bros. across multiple channels for more than 15 years, so I know the fleet is in good hands to find new owners,” Tim said. The fleet includes several high-capacity all terrain cranes, led by a 2023 Liebherr LTM 1750-9. 1 800-tonne crane with 464 operating hours. Other key machines include a 2012 Terex Demag TC2800-1 600-tonne all terrain crane, a 2019 Tadano Demag AC500-8 500-tonne all terrain crane and a 2023 Tadano AC 7. 450-1 450-tonne all terrain crane. Ritchie Bros. APAC Sales Director Dom McGlinchey said the fleet represented one of the largest crane sales to be offered on the Marketplace-E platform. “This is a significant fleet coming to market, headlined by some of the largest capacity cranes we’ve brought to Marketplace-E. The 2023 Liebherr LTM1750-9. 1, an 800 ton all terrain crane, is the flagship of the sale — a near-new unit with only 464 hours on the clock. It’s joined by a 2012 Terex Demag TC2800-1, a 600 ton all terrain crane with a 138 m main lattice boom and 192 m total system length, a 2019 Tadano Demag AC500-8, a 500 ton all terrain crane with a 90 m luffing jib, and a 2023 Tadano AC 7. 450-1, a 450 ton all terrain crane with just 10,055 km travelled. Together, they reflect the calibre of equipment needed to service rail, roads, wind and water infrastructure at scale. Buyers globally will have the chance to buy assets that have been well cared for and put to work on major projects. We’re proud to be trusted with managing this sale for Tim and his team,” Dom said. Ritchie Bros. said it had worked with Metcalf Crane Services for more than 15 years, handling the sale of cranes, prime movers, trailers, light vehicles and other fleet equipment through different sales channels. Senior Territory Manager Neil Mayhew said he had seen the company’s growth over that period. “Having done business with Tim Metcalf and Metcalf Crane Services over the past fifteen years through Ritchie Bros. , I’ve come to know Tim as a true captain of industry and a preeminent figure in the demanding and highly specialised lifting and crane sector across Australia’s Eastern Seaboard. A genuine self-made man, Tim takes immense pride in building the Metcalf brand into a powerhouse of authority, and the energy and drive he brings to growing the company are reflected in their outstanding results and benchmark service excellence,” Neil said. Metcalf Crane Services built its reputation delivering lifting services across rail, road, wind, water and telecommunications infrastructure projects, while also providing specialist helicopter lifting through Metcalf Heli Services. The company said complete fleet dispersals are uncommon, giving buyers the opportunity to purchase multiple assets from a single owner with known maintenance standards. With replacement costs and lead times for new equipment remaining high, the sale is expected to attract interest from buyers in Australia and overseas. You can see the listed assetshere. The equipment is available for inspection at Ritchie Bros. yards in Geelong and Yatala, as well as Metcalf Crane Services’ sites in Somerton and Dandenong South, Victoria. Buyers are encouraged to inspect the equipment before making an offer. For more information about the sale, buyers can contact the Ritchie Bros. Marketplace-E specialists on +61 7 3184 4355 or emailmpespecialistsapac@ritchiebros. com. They can also contact Regional Sales Manager Cody Irvine on +61 474 418 818 or Senior Territory Manager Neil Mayhew on +61 419 730 074.