Imperial celebrates 40 years

In celebration of its 40th anniversary, Imperial Crane Services will host an open house on September 11 in Bridgeview, Illinois, USA. At the event the company will host a Sany crawler crane demonstration.

Imperial was started in 1969 with a single crane, owned and operated by the late John Bohne. Today his sons, B.J., Lance and Jonathan Bohne, run their father's company that has become the largest locally owned full service crane company in the Midwest, according to B.J. Bohne, who is CEO.

Purchasing and hiring more cranes and operators, the company quickly outgrew its first office, moving to its current headquarters in Bridgeview. Sticking to its roots, Imperial continued to cater to daily construction while expanding into refinery work in 1979. Long term partnerships with CITGO Petroleum and BP Products North America have helped Imperial build and diversify its fleet of more than 220 cranes.

"Our reliable relationships with the international corporations have kept us profitable during hard economic times," said a company spokesman.

In 1995 Imperial Crane Sales, a division of Imperial Crane Services, was started. Also in the 1990s, growth resulted in the expansion to Northwest Indiana. Today the company's Griffith, Indiana location allows customers accessibility to the local market, saving both time and money.

The one-time single crane business has more than doubled in size since 2005. Imperial Crane Sales is a dealer for Tadano, Stros, and Barko, as well as Sany crawler cranes, in capacities from 55 to 1,100 tons (50 to 1,000 tonnes). The company has a large selection of Grove, Lieberr, Manitowoc, Link-Belt and Terex cranes available for both rental and sale.

"Our commitment to safety and service has been the key to Imperial's success," said B.J. Bohne. "On behalf of Imperial Crane and the Bohne family I would like to thank the industry for your years of loyal support."