Drivers traveling the 21st Street viaduct in Manitowoc frequently notice the progress on the two newest cranes being built at Broadwind Heavy Fabrications.
The blue cranes are destined for U.S. Navy shipyards to service the submarine fleet and both are nearing completion in the company yard at 101 South 16th Street.
Brett Hartman, Director of Business Development at Broadwind, says he’s hopeful that the larger of the two machines will be shipped sometime in an August time-frame.
“That one’s going all the way to the west coast to Washington state,” he explained. “It’s got a long trip through the St. Lawrence River and then down the east coast through the Gulf of Mexico through the Panama Canal. And I think that’s just over 8,000 nautical miles.”
Hartman also tells Seehafer News the smaller of the cranes that is not as far along in the construction process won’t leave the local port for Pearl Harbor Hawaii until late October or November.
He noted, “That one’s got about I think almost 8,700 miles and will take the exact same route, but instead of taking a right and up the west coast, it’ll just keep heading west there.”
The collaborative effort between Broadwind Heavy Fabrications and Konecranes in New Berlin, Wisconsin is scheduled to continue with the construction of additional cranes at the Manitowoc plant.
Hartman added, “We’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback about the cranes (built here) and it has helped bring new employees to Broadwind.”
