Lift-off for The Rothen Group

Specialist UK waterways contractor, The Rothen Group, has has invested  more than £500,000 to upgrade the cranes used on its boats.

Working with Danish truck crane manufacturers HMF, The Rothen Group has transformed 17 of its boats to include new crane technology. The investment sees eight different weight classifications added to the fleet – starting from 6t/m and rising to 50t/m. This surpasses the company’s previous maximum weight of 40t/m, allowing its team to comfortably support the most challenging projects, such as lock gate replacement, which can often weigh 5t.

The Rothen Group uses its cranes for jobs involving bank protection, piling, laying new towpaths, dredging and changing of lock gates. Having worked on more than 50 projects over the past 12 months requiring its crane boats, this investment will ensure a smoother and more efficient experience for its operators.

The new cranes are equipped with third services, allowing use of a clamshell off the crane as well as remote control access of the machinery. This will be particularly useful when lock gates require changing, as it will allow the crane operator to work from the most convenient vantage point rather than on the boat itself.

HMF’s cranes are usually installed onto HGVs; however, they have been successfully initiated into The Rothen Group’s fleet thanks to close collaboration between both companies. Members of The Rothen Group have also completed extensive training, provided by HMF, with further software courses to be explored later in the year to enhance the equipment further.

Ian Rothen, managing director of The Rothen Group, said, “We have been working with the new cranes for a few months now and have already seen the impact they have on our efficiency to complete our work.

“We are always looking to find ways to improve our fleet and this latest investment is a testament to that philosophy. The team has already felt the benefits of working with the new equipment, and we don’t intend to stop the investment at £500k. This is just the beginning of our plans to continue our growth and ensure we are able to maintain the UK’s waterways in the most efficient way possible.”

Lee Francis, managing director of HMF, said: “We are proud to partner with The Rothen Group for the work they are carrying out to preserve the historic canals and waterways of the UK. We are pleased to be able to provide equipment that can improve safety and efficiency of the unique work that is undertaken by The Rothen Group, and we support this with our aftermarket service support for spare parts and reactive repairs. We wish Ian Rothen and his team continued success.”