Rope and Marine Services

What Rope and Marine Services does

Rope and Marine Services (trading as RAMS / RAMS Lifting Gear) is a London-based, family-run specialist in lifting, rigging, and material-handling equipment, founded in 1948 and operating as a private limited company with between 11 and 50 employees. The business designs, manufactures, hires, and sells a catalogue of more than 858 SKUs spanning chain hoists, electric wire rope winches, mobile gantries, lifting stillages, slings, shackles, beam clamps, hydraulic tools, material lifts, fall-protection harnesses, and load-weighing equipment. Core technology includes in-house engineering facilities (welding bays, plasma cutting, lathes, milling machines) used to produce proprietary RAMS-branded products — most notably the MSGC1T/MSG2T/MSG3T mobile steel gantries, MS1T/MS300 stillages, and the BTW20/BTW20H 100 kg test weight baskets — alongside a deep distribution portfolio of 25+ premium partner brands (Crosby, Green Pin, RUD, Yale/CMCO, Tractel, REID, Eichinger, Genie, William Hackett, Stahl, Hi-Force, Britlift, Straightpoint, Globestock, Abtech, Pfaff, Yoke, Camlok, FELCO, Force Logic, Invicta, Steerman, P&P Safety, Superclamp).

RAMS monetises through four complementary revenue streams: (1) one-time equipment sales priced from under £10 to over £10,000 per unit via a Shopify e-commerce storefront; (2) short- and long-term equipment hire with daily rates ranging from a few pounds to £570 for portable gantries; (3) on-site LOLER examinations, load testing, repairs and certification services delivered by mobile qualified engineers; and (4) bespoke design and fabrication of custom lifting beams, frames, and assemblies for unique load or site requirements. Pricing is unit-based with volume discounting, a trade-account tier for repeat commercial buyers, and a 10% newsletter-acquisition incentive. Geographic reach is concentrated in England, with next-day delivery available across London and the South East; LOLER inspection coverage extends across the UK via mobile engineer dispatch.

The customer base spans at least 12 verticals — construction and civil engineering, facilities maintenance, abseiling/rope-access contractors, media/film production, utilities and infrastructure (e.g. Thames Water), logistics and warehousing, marine and offshore, event production, agriculture, tunnelling/mining/quarrying, renewables/wind, and rail — with documented multi-decade relationships at named enterprise accounts such as T A Ronan (20+ years), Polar Lifts & Escalators (~10 years), Thames Water, Alimak Group UK, and Taylor Pearce. The company is a LEEA full member since 1959 and Achilles UVDB verified for utilities/infrastructure procurement, providing the regulatory gating credentials that anchor its competitive position in this safety-critical niche.

Name

Rope and Marine Services

Legal name

Rope and Marine Services Ltd

Website

https://ropemarine.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rope and Marine Services is a London-based, family-run specialist that designs, manufactures, hires and sells lifting, rigging and material-handling equipment — including proprietary mobile gantries, stillages and test weight baskets — serving construction, utilities, lift services and over ten other industrial verticals across the UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Lifting Equipment and Material Handling

NAICS

Overhead Traveling Crane, Hoist, and Monorail System Manufacturing (333923)

SIC

Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530)

akta.pro primary industry

Cranes, Hoists & Overhead Material Handling (Industrial) (IMAHABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Lifting Accessories & Rigging (Slings, Shackles, Hooks, Spreaders) (IMAHAJAI), Hoists (Electric, Manual & Pneumatic) (IMAHAJAG)

Keywords

• Lifting equipment supply
• Material handling equipment
• Rigging gear rental
• LOLER inspection services
• Bespoke fabrication

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Equipment Sales: One-time purchase of lifting equipment including chain hoists, gantries, slings, shackles, and bespoke manufactured products. Products range from under £10 to over £10,000.
2. Equipment Hire: Flexible short-term and long-term hire of lifting equipment. Hire prices range from £2.00 per item to £570.00 for larger equipment like gantries. Thousands of products available for hire.
3. LOLER Testing & Inspection Services: On-site testing and examination services including LOLER inspections, load testing, repairs and equipment servicing. Mobile engineers conduct examinations at customer sites.
4. Bespoke Design & Manufacture: Custom lifting beams, frames and assemblies engineered for unique load and site requirements. Full design, fabrication, and certification service.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

RAMS designs, manufactures, supplies, and hires lifting and material handling equipment including chain hoists, electric winches, gantries, slings, shackles, and load-weighing devices. The company also provides on-site LOLER inspections, load testing, repairs, and bespoke design-and-build services for custom lifting solutions. Own-brand products (Mobile Steel Gantries, Stillages, Test Weight Baskets) complement third-party brands such as Yale, Crosby, Green Pin, Tractel, and RUD.

Product overview

Rope and Marine Services (RAMS) operates as a lifting equipment supplier and hirer offering a comprehensive portfolio of branded and own-brand products. The core offering centers on lifting and hoisting equipment including chain hoists (manual and electric from Yale, CM, William Hackett, Stahl), wire rope winches (Tractel Minifor, Yale), and material lifts (Genie SLA, Wienold SLK). RAMS complements external brands with proprietary products such as mobile steel gantries (MSGC/MSG series), lifting stillages (MS1T, MS300), and test weight baskets (BTW20, BTW20H). The business extends into height safety (harnesses, lanyards), material handling (pallet trucks, stackers), rigging equipment (slings, shackles), and offers associated services including LOLER inspections, load testing, repairs, and bespoke design/manufacturing. The portfolio spans over 858 products across 858 products across major brand partners including Crosby, Green Pin, RUD, Eichinger, Tractel, and Superclamp.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RAMS: The company's house brand for lifting equipment products including gantries, stillages, and test weight baskets.

Products and services

• Chain Hoists (Manual and Electric) Manual and electric chain hoists for lifting applications including Yale, CM Lifting, William Hackett, and Stahl brands with capacities ranging from 250kg to 50 tonnes, available for trade customers and industrial users.
• Electric Wire Rope Winches and Hoists Electric wire rope hoists and winches including Tractel Minifor TR/SY Series, Yale Mtrac, Yale RPE, and Tractel Tirak man-riding hoists for various lifting applications.
• Genie SLA Superlift Advantage Material Lifts Manually operated material lifts including SLA-10, SLA-15, SLA-20, and SLA-25 models with lifting heights from 2.97m to 7.94m and load capacities up to 454kg.
• RAMS Mobile Steel Gantry (MSGC1T, MSG2T, MSG3T) RAMS-designed mobile steel gantries with capacities from 1,000kg to 3,000kg, adjustable heights, collapsible designs for transport and storage, and 360-degree swivel castors with brakes.
• RAMS Lifting Stillages (MS1T, MS300) Galvanised and painted stillages including 1 Tonne MS1T, 300kg MS300 models with central lift points and stackable designs for goods handling and load testing.
• RAMS BTW20 Hand Weight Basket 100kg hand weight basket designed for safe lifting, transport and storage of four 20kg test weights, with central lifting eye for 3.25t shackle, for load testing applications.
• Eichinger Forklift Access Platforms Forklift access platforms and cages including 1073.3 foldable platform, 2-person and 4-person cages conforming to BSEN 14502 with capacities up to 660kg.
• Yoke Chain Slings Grade 8 and Grade 10 chain slings in various leg configurations (single, double, three, four leg) with safe working loads from 1.4 tonnes to 40 tonnes.
• Green Pin Bow Shackles Green Pin SC bow shackles with screw collar pins, capacities from 0.33t to 55t, galvanised for long-term durability.
• RUD VLBG-PLUS Load Rings Metric thread load rings with 360-degree swivel and 180-degree pivot, capacities up to 6,700kg, grade 12 with 4:1 safety factor, DGUV approved.
• Crane Scales and Load Cells Load weighing equipment including crane scales, load cells, load link indicators, and test weights for measuring and verifying loads during lifting operations.
• Fall Arrest Harnesses and Lanyards Height safety equipment including P&P fall arrest harnesses, full body harnesses, restraint lanyards, and work positioning equipment conforming to EN361 and EN358 standards.
• Beam Clamps and Trolleys Beam clamps and trolleys including Yale YC, Yale CTP integral travel trolleys, William Hackett universal beam clamps, and Superclamp adjustable girder clamps.
• Lifting Slings (Roundslings, Flat Webbing, Wire Rope) Polyester endless roundslings, flat webbing slings, and wire rope slings with capacities from 100kg to 10,000kg, conforming to BS EN 1492-1:2000+A1 and BSEN 13414-1.
• LOLER Examinations and Testing Services On-site LOLER examinations, load testing, repairs, and certification services conducted by qualified engineers across the UK.
• Bespoke Design and Manufacturing Service Custom lifting equipment design and fabrication including bespoke lifting beams, frames, and specialist handling attachments engineered to customer specifications.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4.8★ Trustpilot rating demonstrates high customer satisfaction
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments12 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• CMCO (Columbus McKinnon)coreTechnology or IntegrationCMCO is a key brand supplier for electric chain hoists including CM Lodestar and CM BatteryStar products.
• Yale (Columbus McKinnon)coreTechnology or IntegrationYale is a major brand for hand chain hoists, ratchet lever hoists, and electric chain hoists.
• CrosbycoreTechnology or IntegrationCrosby is a premier brand for lifting shackles and rigging hardware.
• Green PincoreTechnology or IntegrationGreen Pin is a key supplier of bow shackles and other rigging hardware.
• Globestock SafetycoreTechnology or IntegrationGlobestock provides fall arrest and height safety equipment.
• Tractel UKcoreTechnology or IntegrationTractel supplies wire rope hoists, tirfors, and safety equipment including Minifor and Tirak products.
• REID LiftingcoreTechnology or IntegrationREID supplies portable gantry systems including the PORTAGANTRY range.
• RUDcoreTechnology or IntegrationRUD provides load rings and lifting points including the VLBG-PLUS range.
• EichingercoreTechnology or IntegrationEichinger supplies forklift attachments, access cages, concrete skips and material handling equipment.
• GeniecoreTechnology or IntegrationGenie provides material lifts and winch stackers including the SLA Superlift Advantage range.
• YokecoreTechnology or IntegrationYoke supplies Grade 8 and Grade 10 chain slings for heavy-duty lifting applications.
• William HackettcoreTechnology or IntegrationWilliam Hackett provides chain hoists, lever hoists, and beam clamps.
• Pfaff SilberblaucoreTechnology or IntegrationPfaff Silberblau supplies electric winches including THETA series products.
• StahlcoreTechnology or IntegrationStahl provides electric chain hoists and wire rope hoists for industrial applications.
• SuperclampcoreTechnology or IntegrationSuperclamp supplies girder clamps and lifting clamps for beam applications.
• P&P SafetycoreTechnology or IntegrationP&P Safety provides harnesses, lanyards, and height safety equipment.
• Abtech SafetycoreTechnology or IntegrationAbtech Safety provides abseiling equipment including deadweight anchors.
• StraightpointcoreTechnology or IntegrationStraightpoint provides load cells and weighing equipment for lifting applications.
• Hi-ForcecoreTechnology or IntegrationHi-Force supplies hydraulic tools, cylinders, and jacks.
• CamlokcoreTechnology or IntegrationCamlok provides lifting clamps for various applications.
• BritliftcoreTechnology or IntegrationBritlift provides specialist lifting beams and spreader beams.
• FELCOcoreTechnology or IntegrationFELCO provides wire rope cutters and hand tools.
• Force LogiccoreTechnology or IntegrationForce Logic provides hydraulic tools and bolt tensioning equipment.
• SteermancoreTechnology or IntegrationSteerman provides materials handling equipment.
• InvictacoreTechnology or IntegrationInvicta supplies forklift truck attachments.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tractel UK: Global manufacturer of lifting, load-measurement, and access equipment including Minifor and Tirak hoists. Overlaps with RAMS on hoists, tirfors, and height-safety product categories and supplies through a UK distribution footprint similar to RAMS' model.
• William Hackett: UK lifting equipment brand offering chain hoists, lever hoists, and beam clamps. Comparable to RAMS as a UK-based lifting brand serving the same trade customer base; RAMS distributes William Hackett products, indicating direct head-to-head commercial overlap.
• Penny Hydraulics: UK-based designer and manufacturer of lifting equipment, including cranes, hoists, and bespoke handling solutions serving construction, utilities, and industrial customers. Closely comparable to RAMS as a UK specialist combining own-brand manufacture with a multi-sector customer base.
• Britlift: UK specialist manufacturer of lifting beams, spreader beams, and bespoke lifting equipment, with hire and engineered solutions across construction, marine, and renewables. Directly comparable as a UK lifting-equipment specialist overlapping on beams, frames, and custom fabrication.
• REID Lifting: UK-based designer/manufacturer of the PORTAGANTRY aluminium gantry range, serving industrial lifting, construction, and utilities globally. Directly comparable to RAMS' own-brand MSG/MSGC mobile steel gantries in product category and customer overlap.

Broad incumbents

• Columbus McKinnon: Global owner of Yale, CM, and other lifting brands with a broad portfolio of hoists, cranes, and rigging. Comparable as both a critical supplier (Yale/CM brand partner) and a competitive incumbent whose direct presence pressures regional distributors like RAMS.
• Harrington Hoists: Established manufacturer of manual and electric hoists plus cranes and below-the-hook lifting devices. Broad incumbent with overlapping hoists and rigging product categories against RAMS' distribution and own-brand portfolio.
• The Crosby Group: Global manufacturer of rigging hardware including the Green Pin shackle brand. Comparable as a key brand supplier to RAMS and a broad incumbent in the lifting/rigging category whose distribution and pricing decisions directly affect RAMS' catalog economics.
• Kito Group: Japanese-headquartered global manufacturer of chain hoists, electric hoists, and cranes. Broad incumbent with overlapping product categories to RAMS' hoisting portfolio and global scale advantages versus regional specialists.

Others

• Abtech Safety: UK height-safety and rope-access equipment manufacturer and supplier, including deadweight anchors. Ecosystem partner and partial product overlap with RAMS' abseiling/rope-access segment; complementary rather than directly competitive.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ropemarine
• Facebookfacebook.com/ropeandmarine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rope and Marine Services