Columbus McKinnon will distribute products through its channel partners

Columbus McKinnon Corporation has announced that it will no longer distribute its hoists and rigging products, marketed under the CMCO family of brands, through W.W. Grainger Inc. in the United States. Instead, the company will focus its go-to-market strategy on its extensive network of channel partners.

"This decision reinforces a key imperative of Columbus McKinnon's selling strategy, which is to ensure all end-users have access to expert application optimisation, as well as the extensive product and safety training that our network of value-add channel partners provide," says Steve Vitello, executive director of sales and marketing, CMCO Hoist & Rigging - North America.

"All lifting applications are critical; the consequences of doing something wrong can be catastrophic. When it comes to hoist and rigging equipment, we are absolutely convinced that our customers are best served by the expertise and services our value?add distributors in North America offer."

For more than 140 years, Columbus McKinnon has provided the lifting, rigging and positioning products to the materials handling industry under a family of recognised brands that includes CM, Coffing, Chester, Yale, and Shaw-Box.

The company attributes its brand strength to "the dedication and support of our channel partner network that is committed to supporting end users with the highest quality products, professional services and training".

W.W. Grainger, Inc. traces its history back to a wholesale electric motor sales and distribution business in Chicago in 1927. It listed on the stock exchange in 1967, and now carries more than 1 million products and repair parts.