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Ainscough Crane Hire’s Bristol depot recently supported regular customer Wheeler & Son in supporting the move of a Somerset woodchip and animal bedding business to a new, improved location in Somerset.
Wheeler and Son is a Bridgwater based U.K and European heavy haulage and machinery installation business and was hired by Chipmunks South West to assist with the company’s move to new premises.
The woodchip firm is moving to an improved, bigger yard and so two woodchip dryers and boilers – that were initially lifted by Ainscough and installed by Wheelers back in 2016 – had to be moved to the company’s new location within Somerset.
A 90t all-terrain crane was hired by Wheeler and Son to lift the two 17t woodchip dryers onto one of its low loaders before unloading at the new Chipmunk South West site. The crane was operated by Ainscough’s Liam Blow.
As the lift took place above peatland in a woodchip yard, mats were used to ensure a stable platform for the lift.
Once the first machine was lifted onto Wheeler and Son’s trailer, Ainscough’s team derigged and followed the Wheeler & Son team to the delivery point before rigging up again and lifting the machine into place. This process was then repeated for the second machine, with the process taking approximately twelve hours.
Sean Howe of Wheeler & Son served as appointed person on the job and created the lift plan.
Sarah Roberts, assistant Bristol depot manager, said: “We’re proud to have a great, collaborative working relationship with the team at Wheeler & Son. It’s always brilliant to support regular customers, and it was a privilege to aid the great work Chipmunk South West does across Somerset by enabling them to get set up in their new premises.”
Sean Howe, transport manager, Wheeler & Son, said: “The Ainscough team had a few issues to contend with – there were access issues due to the Somerset levels and the woodchip yard was understandably uneven – but these were dealt with professionally and safely, as you’d expect. The care shown when the team rigged and derigged on multiple occasions demonstrates the excellent service, we’ve come to expect from Ainscough. From our dealings with the depot in ordering the crane to the final derigging, Ainscough demonstrated great service from start to finish.”
