Newham based crane hire company are now home to 36 cranes
Wednesday 23rd November, 2022
Meet the fleet – this hard-to-miss machinery has been the
mechanical muscle behind the construction of some of Cornwall’s most iconic
buildings and landmarks over the past 55 years.
And Macsalvors Crane Hire in Newham - home to one of the largest collections of cranes in the South West – is still going strong.
The firm has been involved with countless major projects in
Cornwall over the decades, including the Earth Satellite Station at
Goonhilly, the Power Station at Indian Queens, the Eden Project and the scheme
to widen the Tamar Bridge. High-profile road improvements and building projects
throughout Cornwall are also on the list.
Macsalvors, established in 1967, has a built up
a fleet of 36 cranes, which range in size
from 2.9 tonnes to 180 tonnes.
Director Cameron MacQuarrie, part of his family’s firm since
he was a teenager, is proud to have been involved in so many key projects over
the years.
“I’ve been fortunate to have been able to enjoy a varied,
interesting and challenging working life,” he said. “The whole world is
changing rapidly but we are going with it and there will always be a need to
build,” he added. “The technology in the cranes is phenomenal now and
compared to 50 years ago it’s changed beyond belief. I’ve just grown with
it. I’m still very interested in it all and I think that’s the key.
Masalvors, based in Newham Road, has an extraordinary
backstory. It started out as a marine salvage company when its two
Scottish founders (including Cameron’s father Neil) used machinery to help
re-float the Queen Elizabeth Class Warship H.M.S. Warspite when it sank
off the coast of Cornwall in 1947.
It remains the largest salvage operation ever carried out in
British waters. A piece of the Warspite can be seen at
Macsalvors’ Superstore at Redruth.
The Scotsmen (both “macs” and both called Neil) incorporated
their trade (Salvors) into a new venture in 1957 and created Macsalvors.
The company's early work was buying and selling Ministry of
Defence surplus, dismantling and demolition. In 1962, Macsalvors launched a
plant hire business, bringing a new crane hire service to the South
West.
Today, Macsalvors has a team of 65 employees across sites in
Newham and Bodmin, including specialist engineers who can repair a wide
range of plant machinery and heavy vehicles.
“Nothing is off limits,” said Cameron, describing the scale
of work the fleet of all terrain, spider and compact cranes can take on. The
firm also has a series of low-loaders and other heavy haulage vehicles. “We
work across every industry, shipyards, roads, mining,
engineering and construction – you name it.”
Their customer base is wide, including local authorities and
commercial shipping lines, as well as local companies and individuals.
In addition, the firm offers a tow bar fitting service for
all makes and models of vehicle together with a fully mobile tyre fitting
supply and repair service covering commercial, agricultural, construction and industrial
“Every day is busy and every day is different,” said Cameron, who is still very much hands-on. “I still really enjoy it. A lot of the customers we’ve known for many years and are good friends.”
Do you want to work for Macsalvors? There are vacancies for Crane Operators, Supervisors, Lorry Loader Operators, Lorry Drivers and experienced tow bar fitters to join their workforce.