44 | If they can lift it, they can haul it Chris and Tash Johns own and operate 360 Cranes & Haulage based in Timaru. 360 Cranes & Haulage Ltd T T Sue Russell CONTRACTING A company in Timaru has secured itself a bright future built on hard work, taking calculated investment risks and delivering great service to customers. Beginning small, and with a clear desire to become leaders in their sector, their hard work is paying off. Chris and Tash Johns own and operate 360 Cranes & Haulage based in Timaru. They established their business in 2020, just weeks before the first Covid lockdown, by purchasing some of the fleet from an existing business. “You can imagine, we had no idea that Covid was going to become such a big issue, but everyone was in the same boat and it was a complete unknown, so we just got on and did the best we could,” Tash explains. Following lock-down ending, a significant backlog of work had built up, so Chris and Tash found themselves very busy, juggling catching up on jobs with a young family of three boys – all future crane drivers!. However, following that bubble of frenzied activity, things then settled down and Tash says that this year has been extremely challenging at times. “The first half of this year was very slow, with growth generally in Timaru slowing down. It’s been really unsteady getting traction and very testing. When we started out the business we only bought two cranes and a truck off the existing business, so it was important that we invest in new equipment as soon as we could manage. We had to really prove ourselves to get to the next level, which is where we are today.” In 2022, 360 Cranes & Haulage was named as runners-up in the South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce’s Emerging Business category, something Tash says was very gratifying given all the hard work the couple and their employees had put into establishing the business well, building strong work relationships and setting it up for further success in the future. With a view to supporting Timaru and their wider community’s needs, the couple purchased a brand-new crane, straight from the factory in Germany, the first of its kind in New Zealand and only the 10th off the assembly line. “We had a 20-ton Franna, a 55-ton, and we bought a 130-ton crane from New Zealand, and the new crane from Germany, at 80 ton, filled a gap we had. We knew it was critical to have a variety of equipment, able to work in a wide array of situations and lifting capacities.” The new crane can be remotely operated and is proving a very valuable addition to the suite of cranes on offer. The fleet currently stands at a GROVE GMK5130-2, TADANO AC80, an DEMAG AC55 City and a FRANNA AT20. “One of the first jobs we did with the new crane under the remote control was for St Mary’s church. We had to lift new masonry 30 metres high, and it performed exceptionally well. It’s coming up two years since we purchased the new crane and it has certainly helped fillful the diverse range of lifts. 360 Cranes & Haulage has the haulage side, which accommodates the work we do.” Purchasing a quad semi-low-loader extendable trailer, a trombone trailer which can extend to 20m in length, along with an eight-wheeler capable of carrying up to 13-ton loads, added further capacity.“If we can lift it, we can haul it, so as a crane and haulage operation we’re self-sufficient.”Work the company takes on extends over a wide geography, down to Oamaru and inland through to the Mackenzie high country and up through to Canterbury. In all, the team extends to six and Tash says if demand justifies it they can call on a couple of others. “We have an organised part-time administrator in the office taking care of the day-today running and enquiries, as well as planning alongside Chris, and I take care of finances, compliance, insurance and all the background administration functions to keep the business ticking over. There are significant costs involved in operating a crane company and a lot of background planning by all involved in delivering our services.”As the only crane-hire company in Timaru, 360 Cranes & Haulage get involved in a large number of sectors, working for the fishing industries at the port, primary industries, construction, infrastructure, transformers, turbines to power stations, to name a handful. One project in particular stands out for Tash when she recalls transporting and lifting 11 metres-wide sections of a new chemical tank at Timaru’s port to be welded together.“The assembly process took four early mornings and various days to complete. There was a huge amount of communication between us, the engineers, transport and the port staff. A very demanding project that demonstrated what Chris and the team are capable of.”Chris and the boys are exceptional at problem solving, always thinking out of the box, finding new and efficient ways to tackle each project, as no two project or days are the same, Tash says. “Our team work hard to deliver great service and build positive and lasting working relationships.” Helping build businesses from the ground up. Foundry56 — we dedicate ourselves to crafting innovative solutions for our clients. Proud to support 360 Cranes & Haulage Ltd +64 3 688 6644 office@foundry56.nz foundry56.nz Level 1, 56 Bank Street, Timaru
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