Caldwell

What Caldwell does

Caldwell (The Caldwell Group, Inc.) is a privately held US industrial manufacturer and distributor of lifting and material handling equipment, founded in 1954 and headquartered in Beloit, Wisconsin. The company operates through 13 brand groups — including Renfroe (Made-in-USA lifting clamps with lifetime warranty), Strong-BAC, Rig-Master, Dura-Lite, Posi-Turner, Krane-King, Lif-Truc, Mill-Duty, Univac, Rig-Release, Caldwell slings & tie-downs, and the RUD lifting points line — providing both standard and custom lifting solutions spanning beams, spreader beams, clamps, vacuum lifters, load rotators, fork truck attachments, jib and gantry cranes, and remote releasing hooks for industrial, construction, and wind energy applications.

Caldwell monetizes primarily through hardware sales of its lifting equipment portfolio, with account-gated pricing on its e-commerce platform, a manufacturing representative network (with a 'Find a Mfg Rep' locator), and rigging distributor resellers. The company holds the exclusive US and Canada distribution rights for RUD GmbH's German-engineered lifting points (WLL 0.6 to over 250 tons, 500+ international patents). Notable proprietary offerings include the ACP Turnado Smart Lifting Point and the ROV Hook for subsea rigging applications. Go-to-market is sales-led B2B with channel partner support, supplemented by content marketing (Caldwell Insider eNewsletter, blog, catalog library), social media presence across X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn, trade show participation, and in-person training programs at the Beloit facility covering inspection, maintenance, and lifting point selection. CMMC Level 2 compliance positions the company for US federal and defense-sector contracts.

Name

Caldwell

Legal name

The Caldwell Group, Inc.

Website

https://caldwellinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Caldwell is a privately held US industrial manufacturer and distributor of lifting and material handling equipment, founded in 1954 and serving industrial, construction, and wind energy end users through 13 brand groups including Renfroe, RUD, and Krane-King via direct sales, manufacturing representatives, and rigging distributors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Material Handling Equipment

NAICS

Overhead Traveling Crane, Hoist, and Monorail System Manufacturing (333923), Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery Manufacturing (3331), Industrial Truck, Tractor, Trailer, and Stacker Machinery Manufacturing (333924), All Other Miscellaneous General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (333998)

SIC

General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560), Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530), Construction Machinery & Equip (3531)

akta.pro primary industry

Lifting Accessories & Rigging (Slings, Shackles, Hooks, Spreaders) (IMAHAJAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cranes, Hoists & Overhead Material Handling (Industrial) (IMAHABAE), Hoists (Electric, Manual & Pneumatic) (IMAHAJAG), Lifting Attachments & Material Handling Accessories (Fork Attachments, Slings, Rigging) (IMAHABAJ)

Keywords

• Lifting beams
• Material handling equipment
• Lifting clamps
• Industrial crane systems
• Vacuum lifting solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Rockford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Lifting Equipment Sales: Sale of material handling equipment including lifting beams, clamps, vacuum lifters, cranes, and accessories. Products sold through direct sales and distribution partners with account-based pricing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Caldwell designs, manufactures, and distributes industrial lifting and material handling equipment for industrial, construction, and energy-sector end users. The catalog spans 13 brand groups covering lifting beams, spreader beams, lifting clamps, vacuum lifters, load rotators, fork truck attachments, jib and gantry cranes, lifting points, slings, and tie-downs, complemented by custom engineering, the SmartSpec online selection tool, and in-person training programs.

Product overview

Caldwell is a manufacturer and distributor of industrial lifting and material handling equipment, established in 1954. The company operates under 13 brand groups offering both standard and custom lifting solutions. The product portfolio spans multiple sub-brands including BTH Lifting Devices (Strong-Bac) for general lifting applications, Renfroe® Lifting Clamps for plate and structural lifting, Construction Lifters (Rig-Master) for job-site applications, RUD® Lifting Points for specialized lifting with German engineering, Composite Lifting Beams (Dura-Lite), Remote Releasing Hooks (Rig-Release), Fork Truck Attachments (Lif-Truc), Mill Duty Lifters for industrial environments, Load Rotators (Posi-Turner), Vacuum Lifters (Univac), Jib/Gantry Cranes (Krane-King), and Caldwell-branded Slings & Tie-Downs. The company also distributes RUD lifting points in the United States and Canada.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Renfroe: Lifting clamps for safe material handling, including plate clamps, specialty clamps, beam clamps, and drum clamps. Made in the USA with lifetime warranty.
• RUD Lifting Points
• Dura-Lite
• Posi-Turner
• Krane-King
• BTH Lifting Devices / Strong-BAC
• Rig-Master
• Lif-Truc
• Mill-Duty
• Univac
• Rig-Release

Products and services

• BTH Lifting Devices (Strong-Bac) Lifting devices including lifting beams, spreader beams, coil lifters, sheet lifters, roll lifters, pallet lifters, lifting tongs, and rotating crane hooks for safe material handling.
• Renfroe Lifting Clamps A comprehensive line of lifting clamps including horizontal, vertical, structural shapes, beam clamps, pull clamps, non-marring clamps, drum lifters, and clamp tools for safe lifting of various materials; covered by a lifetime warranty and free freight terms.
• Rig-Master Construction Lifters Construction-specific lifting equipment including beam clamps, lifting barrier grabs, drum grabs, pipe grabs, tongs, load leveling slings, wall clamps, lifting magnets, and special applications.
• RUD Lifting Points German-engineered lifting points with 140 years of experience and 500+ international patents, offering WLL 0.6-250t+, including boltable, weldable, ROV-Hook for subsea applications, and fall protection options.
• Dura-Lite Composite Lifting Beams Lightweight composite lifting beams designed for efficient material handling with reduced weight while maintaining strength and durability.
• Rig-Release Remote Releasing Hook Remote-controlled releasing hooks for safe disconnection of loads from a distance, enhancing operator safety during material handling operations.
• Lif-Truc Fork Truck Attachments Fork truck attachments including fork booms, fork beams, fork extensions, fork covers, battery lifting beams, and drum handling equipment.
• Mill Duty Lifters Heavy-duty lifting equipment designed for industrial mill environments, including coil handling, ingot slab handling, lifting beams, motorized rotating crane hooks, and sheet plate handling solutions.
• Posi-Turner Load Rotators Load rotation equipment including chassis master, independent drive, standard Posi-Turner models, and optional auto leveler for controlled material positioning.
• Univac Vacuum Lifters Vacuum-based lifting solutions including mechanical vacuum lifters, narrow applications, nominal surface area applications, specialty applications, Uniclamp, vacuum upenders, and wide applications.
• Krane-King Jib and Gantry Cranes Jib and gantry crane systems including gantry cranes, hoists, aluminum gantry cranes, free standing jib cranes, and tension braced models for various material handling applications.
• Caldwell Slings and Tie-Downs Caldwell-branded slings and tie-down equipment for secure load handling and transportation applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Lifetime warranty on Renfroe lifting clamps
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• RUDcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRUD (RUD GmbH) is strategically partnered with Caldwell for distribution of RUD lifting points in the United States and Canada. RUD brings 140 years of experience and 500+ international product patents to the partnership. Products include boltable and weldable lifting points, ROV hooks for subsea applications, and the ACP Turnado smart lifting point. Offering WLL 0.6-250t+.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Spanco: US manufacturer of jib cranes, gantry cranes, and workstation cranes. Smaller-scale peer competing directly with Caldwell's Krane-King line in the same industrial buyer segment.

Direct peers

• Columbus McKinnon: Public US manufacturer of hoists, cranes, rigging, and material handling equipment. Most direct comparable to Caldwell across hoists, jib/gantry cranes, lifting beams, and below-the-hook lifting devices.
• The Crosby Group: Global manufacturer of rigging hardware, lifting clamps, and below-the-hook devices. Direct overlap with Caldwell's Renfroe clamps and Strong-Bac lifter lines serving similar end users in construction and industrial markets.
• Gorbel: US manufacturer of jib cranes, gantry cranes, and ergonomic lifting systems. Directly comparable to Caldwell's Krane-King brand on overhead lifting solutions for industrial facilities.
• Harrington Hoists: US-based manufacturer of electric and manual hoists, cranes, and material handling equipment. Closely overlaps with Caldwell's hoist, jib crane, and gantry offerings for industrial buyers.
• Kito Group: Japanese manufacturer of hoists, cranes, and chain blocks distributed globally. Direct peer in the hoist and light crane categories where Caldwell competes via Krane-King.
• Mazzella Companies: US-based distributor and manufacturer of lifting and rigging products, including hoists, cranes, and below-the-hook devices. Comparable peer with overlapping product lines, distribution model, and customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Konecranes: Finland-based global leader in lifting equipment and services across ports, manufacturing, and heavy industry. Competes with Caldwell in overhead cranes and material handling but at much larger scale and global footprint.
• Terex Material Handling: Diversified industrial equipment manufacturer with a material handling portfolio including rough-terrain cranes, port equipment, and lifting solutions. Competes broadly with Caldwell across multiple lifting categories at global scale.
• Ingersoll Rand: Global industrial company with a material handling and lifting equipment portfolio (including hoist brands). Broad incumbent that overlaps with Caldwell on hoists and material handling but serves much wider applications.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/caldwellrenfroe
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CaldwellGroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/Caldwellinc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/caldwell-group-lifting-solutions
• Instagraminstagram.com/caldwellliftingsolutions

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 Caldwell