Hiab founder Eric Sundin (left) next to his right-hand man Einar Frisk, demonstrating Hiab 19, the world's first loader crane.

Hiab is marking its 70th anniversary this year with a unique crane collection that it says represents the latest technology in the market.

The HIAB X-HiPro 192 and HIAB X-HiDuo 188 come with a unique combination of features. Each crane is numbered and comes with a unique crane passport.

"We are proud of our cranes and our legacy. And we are grateful for all our customers who appreciate the fine qualities of our products and the value added they bring to their business. This is worth celebrating," says Hiab president Roland Sundén.

Seven decades ago, Swedish ski manufacturer Eric Sundin was struggling to get the heavy timber he needed from the woods into his ski factory. The Hiab method he developed not only solved his challenge, but also sparked a revolution in load handling that continues to this day.

Sundin, who co-founded Hiab in 1944, found a way to transfer the hydraulic momentum from a truck engine into a lifting motion, to be known as the Hiab Method. The method has been applied in over a half-million loader cranes and is used daily by crane operators in more than 100 countries worldwide.

Today, the Hiab Method can be seen in the eight brands that comprise Hiab and share the elephant symbol: Hiab loader cranes, Jonsered recycling and forestry cranes, Loglift forestry cranes, Moffett truck-mounted forklifts and Multilift demountables, as well as Del, Waltco and Zepro tail lifts.