Barnhart Boosts Footprint in American Southwest

By Simon West

Barnhart Crane & Rigging has acquired the assets and operations of two Crane Service branches in El Paso, Texas and Albuquerque, New Mexico, expanding the heavy-lift firm’s footprint in the U.S. Southwest.

The assets were purchased from Crane Service’s Denver-based parent company, ML Holdings. Around 45 employees will transition to Barnhart as part of the deal, which covers crane services, industrial machine moving, transportation and rigging capabilities.

Crane Service, founded in 1960, will continue to operate offices in Amarillo and Sweetwater, Texas, as well as in Denver.

“Since its founding in 1960, Crane Service Inc. has built a solid reputation in the crane, rigging and transportation industry by prioritizing safety and exceeding customers’ expectations,” said Chase Reynolds, regional director at Barnhart.

“They are recognized throughout the industry for having skilled and experienced operators and riggers, along with a well-maintained and comprehensive fleet of equipment. The addition of these two branches allows us to further expand our services throughout the Southwest and complements our existing branches.”

The El Paso operation becomes Barnhart’s second Texas branch alongside Houston. The Albuquerque location will be merged with an existing Barnhart branch in the city, established following the acquisition of Mountain States Crane last August.

Dave Matz, president of ML Holdings, said the decision to transfer the branches to Barnhart was based on the company’s strong industry standing. “We knew there was only one call to make,” he said, adding that the move supports ML Holdings’ strategic pivot toward larger and more mobile assets in the energy sector.

Barnhart Crane & Rigging will be exhibiting at Breakbulk Americas 2025.