They Like to Move It

Move a Northwest Airlines jet that’s skidded off a local airport runway? Check.

Erect dozens of 200-foot cell phone towers? Check.

Lift a 120,000-pound machine into an industrial plant? Check.

Rescue a horse that’s stuck deep in the mud? Check.

These are just a few of the giant, complex, or strange projects tackled by the Cranes Division of Team Elmer’s.

Whenever northern Michigan businesses need to lift or move something large, heavy, tall, or awkward, they turn to Team Elmer’s. The company not only has the experience of hundreds of projects from one side of the state to the other, they also boast four cranes, including the largest crane north of Grand Rapids.

Every morning, professionals are in the field, providing free estimates, devising the most efficient ways to solve client’s needs, and lifting heavy objects.

One recent, high-profile project included relocating a 20 foot by 30 foot LED sign for Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel up the road 100 yards. The task sounds simple enough, but as Bob Robertson of the Cranes Division reminds us, you have to consider weight, dimensions, traffic, weather, electronics, cost, and local ordinances – all before arriving.

Cranes have been in the company’s blood since its inception (Team Elmers began as ‘Elmer’s Crane & Dozer’). Today the company owns three 40-ton, one 70-ton, and two 170-ton cranes, all of which are on the move to jobsites that include manufacturing plants, building sites – and yes – even farms.

“The horse got so stuck so deep that even a tractor couldn’t get near it, so we came in from behind and over the trees and lifted it right out,” recalls Robertson.

Like all their services, Team Elmer’s Crane Division is also available for emergency work, such as the times when airplanes or trains have experienced troubles.