 Matthew Kraner, left, and his father, Peter Kraner, with their Skyjack SJ-006-10 serial number 00E |
Kraner Electrical Ltd has won the contest to find the oldest working Skyjack scissor lift, the equipment manufacturer announced at The Rental Show in Orlando.
The father-and-son team of Peter and Matthew Kraner co-own the Guelph, Ontario, Canada-based provider of electrical maintenance and installation for heavy industries, and routinely use their Skyjack SJ-006-10 with serial number 00E.
Skyjack manufactured the scissor lift in 1985 as a prototype for the product line. Kraner Electric purchased the lift through a Bolton, Ontario auction house in May 1996.
"When we launched Quest2013, we expected to hear some good old tales," says Brad Boehler, president of Skyjack Inc. "Not only did we find those stories, we also heard the pervading theme of dependability and pride of ownership that reinforces Skyjack's tagline: Simply Reliable."
Skyjack received entries from as far away as Latvia, India, Argentina and Germany.
"After a year of searching, it turned out we had come full circle and we didn't have to venture far to find the oldest working unit," Boehler says. "It turned up just down the road at Kraner Electrical."
Skyjack calculates that the Kraners' unit was the third scissor lift that the firm manufactured.
During the presentation, Matthew Kraner accepted vintage jackets featuring the serial number of the winning machine. Skyjack also presented Kraner Electric with a new SJIII3219.
"We love our good old SJ006," Kraner says. "It has always been reliable, easy to use and maintain. The machine has paid itself off 20 to 30 times during its 15 years at Kraner Electrical. We look forward to working with both the SJ006 and the SJIII3219."
As a prototype, the old scissor lift is "slower than the newer Skyjack machines we have", Kraner reports. "Everyone laughs at how slow it is because you can walk faster than it, but it's a very effective tool, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. After all, slow and steady wins the race."
During 2013, Skyjack manufactured its 100,000th SJIII3219, which full-service aerial lift firm Metrolift Inc of Sugar Grove, Illinois ordered. Boehler presented Metrolift's Rick Dahl with a plaque recognising the transaction.
At The Rental Show, Skyjack displayed machines that boast the latest emissions-compliant engines. Boehler says that the company's dedication to the future of aerial work platforms worldwide is stronger than ever. The American Rental Association of Moline, Illinois organises The Rental Show.
Skyjack's full line of self-propelled scissor lifts with elevated work heights range from 21 ft. (6.4 m) up to 56 ft. (17.1 m) with capacities of up to 2,000 lb. (900 kg). Models of Skyjack's telescopic and articulating boom products have work heights ranging from 40-66 ft. (12.1-20.1 m). Skyjack also produces telescopic material handlers with its VR and Zoom Boom product lines.
Skyjack began manufacturing scissor lifts in 1985 and through the 1990s grew to become a world leader in the aerial lift industry.
Guelph-based Skyjack is a division of publicly traded Linamar Corp, a diversified global manufacturer of highly engineered products.