Columbus McKinnon Corporation celebrates its 140th anniversary

Columbus McKinnon Corporation is celebrating its 140th anniversary as a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of material handling products, systems and services.

Headquartered in Amherst, N.Y., Columbus McKinnon has approximately 3,000 employees in more than 70 sales, manufacturing and warehousing facilities worldwide. Key products include hoists, cranes, actuators, rigging tools and digital power and motion control systems that are used everywhere from offshore oil platforms to international sporting events.

“Service, innovation, quality products and engineered solutions have been the foundation of Columbus McKinnon for the past 140 years and will propel us into the future,” said Tim Tevens, president and chief executive officer. “We will not deviate from our mission to provide safe and productive solutions for our customers. As we celebrate our 140th anniversary, we look toward the future and the next 140 years of invention and growth.”

With origins dating back to 1875, Columbus McKinnon’s long history of innovation includes many significant advances in the material handling industry. Some of these include: the invention of the revolutionary Weston Screw Load Brake; the world’s first alloy chain; the world’s first mechanical chain coupling link; the first worm gear actuator business; and the early development of the rack and pinion mechanical jack. The company’s electric chain hoist, first introduced in 1955, has become a legend
in the industry. Columbus McKinnon was also the first to develop turnkey systems specifically designed for the reduction of scrap tires into valuable, tire‐derived materials.

Most recently, Columbus McKinnon acquired Magnetek, a designer and manufacturer of digital power and motion control solutions for material handling, elevators and mining applications.