Crane Hot Line May 2026 | Page 8

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Southwest Industrial Rigging Announces Acquisition, CEO Transition

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WPPE Named Hiab Dealer Across Midwest Region

Walter Payton Power Equipment( WPPE) has been named an authorized dealer for Hiab equipment, expanding its lifting and material handling offerings across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Kentucky.

WPPE has been selected as a Midwest partner for Hiab as part of the company’ s new dealer network rollout. The agreement adds Hiab equipment to WPPE’ s existing lineup of crane and lifting solutions.

Among the models now available are the Hiab Hi-Pro 425 Drywall Crane and the Hiab 352E. 8 loader crane. The Hi-Pro 425 is designed for handling drywall materials, while the 352E. 8 is a heavy-segment loader crane with a remote-controlled system and an outreach of 74 feet, 5 inches.

Hiab cranes included in the offering feature systems such as the Semi Automatic Folding( SAF) system, which allows operators to fold and unfold the crane using a single control lever, and an Automatic Greasing System designed to maintain lubrication of moving components.

Tadano Expands US Distributor Network to Strengthen Regional Support

Tadano America Corporation announced an expansion of its distributor network across several U. S. markets, adding or strengthening local sales, parts and service coverage.

The expansion includes updates to Tadano’ s distribution network in Maryland, Delaware, Nebraska and Texas, to improve equipment availability, parts access and service support for crane owners and contractors.

In Maryland and Delaware, Select Crane Sales has been named a full-service Tadano distributor responsible for equipment sales, parts and service support.

The company has previously worked with Tadano and will now provide

Southwest Industrial Rigging, the Southwest’ s long-standing crane, heavy rigging, machinery moving and heavy haul specialist, has been acquired by Woody Weld, who will serve as chairman of the board. The transition also introduces Cody Ward as chief executive officer, leading a new leadership team to guide the company’ s next phase.

The company’ s updated leadership team includes Yuko Nagura as chief financial officer, JB Buksa as vice president of operations, Jason Kelley as vice president of sales, Joe McDermott as vice president of business intelligence, Manny Zamora as vice president of product support and Tyler Dewey as director of safety.

Southwest Industrial Rigging emphasized that the transition will maintain the dependable service customers have relied on while investing in team growth and resources to meet evolving demands.

expanded local coverage across the two states. Customers in the region will have access to Tadano’ s full crane lineup along with factory-trained technicians and parts support.

RTL Equipment has expanded its Tadano distribution territory to include Nebraska.

The company has opened a facility near Omaha to support the expansion. The added location is expected to improve proximity for customers and provide faster access to parts and service support.

RTL Equipment currently serves customers across Iowa, Minnesota and the Dakotas in addition to the newly added Nebraska territory.

Tadano is also expanding its distributor network in Texas, which the company described as the largest crane market in the U. S.

CraneWorks in Houston has joined Scott-Macon Equipment as a full-line Tadano distributor in the state. Both companies will provide equipment sales along with parts and service support.

The addition of CraneWorks Houston expands Tadano’ s service reach across Texas and increases parts availability and equipment access for customers operating in the state.

According to Tadano, the distributor expansions are intended to improve response times and provide stronger local support as crane fleets grow and project activity increases across multiple industries.

Select Crane Sales

RTL Equipment

CraneWorks

May 2026 • www. cranehotline. com