What Sims Crane & Equipment does

Sims Crane & Equipment Co. is a third-generation, family-owned crane rental and equipment services company headquartered in Tampa, Florida, founded in 1959 by Thomas H. Sims. The company operates the largest mobile crane rental fleet in Florida, with 14-16 strategically located offices across Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee serving construction firms, government agencies, industrial/manufacturing operations, and marine/port customers. Its fleet spans all-terrain cranes (60-800 tons), crawler cranes (90-600 tons), truck cranes (20-120 tons), rough terrain cranes (55-160 tons), carry deck cranes (8-25 tons), and Potain tower cranes, sourced from leading OEMs including Tadano (dealer), Manitowoc/Potain/Grove/Shuttlelift, Link-Belt, Kobelco, Liebherr, and Krupp, with a fleet averaging less than six years old.

The company runs a horizontal, direct-sales go-to-market model through its regional offices, offering daily/weekly/monthly rentals on a quote-based pricing model (examples: rough terrain cranes from ~$1,200/day, truck cranes $500-$2,000/day, weekly packages ~$8,000) with bare lease or full-service options including fuel, service, and insurance. Over 250 NCCCO-certified crane operators, riggers, and flagmen are available for both equipment rentals and operator fill-in services — described as more than any other crane company in Florida. The company supplements rentals with used crane sales (one of the largest readily available inventories worldwide), new crane sales (Tadano dealer), factory-trained parts and service, 24/7 emergency dispatch, award-winning 3D lift planning, the Sims HD heavy machinery moving division, the proprietary Sims Safety Academy, and the Flex Time Rates / Sims Rental Protection Plan pricing programs.

The company is self-funded with no disclosed external investment or funding rounds and remains privately held. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. Notable operational metrics include a documented safety record of 500,000+ work hours without lost work days, top-20 ranking on the ACT Top 100 crane-owning companies list, inclusion in the RER Top 100 equipment providers, and a YouTube content library of 90+ videos (40+ safety/educational) used industry-wide for operator training.

Name

Sims Crane & Equipment

Legal name

Sims Crane & Equipment Co.

Website

https://simscrane.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Sims Crane & Equipment is a third-generation, family-owned crane rental and equipment services company founded in 1959, operating the largest mobile crane rental fleet in Florida across 14-16 offices in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee, serving construction, government, industrial, and marine customers with crane rentals, NCCCO-certified operators, 3D lift planning, and heavy machinery moving.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Crane Rental Services

NAICS

Construction, Transportation, Mining, and Forestry Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing (53241), Material Handling Equipment Manufacturing (33392), Construction Machinery Manufacturing (33312), Industrial Truck, Tractor, Trailer, and Stacker Machinery Manufacturing (333924)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Equipment Rental & Leasing (7350), Construction Machinery & Equip (3531), Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530)

akta.pro primary industry

Cranes & Heavy Lifting Equipment Rental/Leasing (TLABAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mobile & Crawler Cranes (IMAHAJAA), Lifting & Hoisting Rental & Leasing (IMAHAJAN), Cranes, Hoists & Rigging Equipment MRO (Mobile/Tower Cranes, Winches) (TLAKAHAE), Industrial Machinery & Rigging (Small-Scale) (HSAKAEAN)

Keywords

• Crane rental services
• Heavy equipment rental
• Mobile crane fleet
• Rigging services
• Construction equipment sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Tampa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices16 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Crane Equipment Rental: Daily, weekly, and monthly crane rentals with or without certified operators. Equipment types include all-terrain cranes (60-800 tons), crawler cranes (90-600 tons), truck cranes (20-120 tons), rough terrain cranes (55-160 tons), carry deck cranes (8-25 tons), and tower cranes (16-25 tons). Rentals can be bare lease (without operator) or full-service (with operator, fuel, service, and insurance options). Flex Time Rates available for flexible-schedule projects.
2. Used Crane and Equipment Sales: Sale of pre-owned cranes from manufacturers including Grove, Manitowoc, Tadano, Liebherr, and Link-Belt. One of the largest readily available used crane and equipment inventories worldwide. Also sells new cranes including Manitowoc Potain tower cranes. Sims Crane is a dealer for Tadano cranes.
3. Equipment Service and Maintenance: On-site equipment repair and preventative maintenance services, 24/7 emergency repair service, and genuine manufacturer replacement parts sales. Factory-trained technicians available at shops and on job sites across Florida.
4. Heavy Hauling and Rigging Services: Specialized rigging, machinery moving, heavy-duty hauling, and traffic movement services. Provided through Sims HD division with 25 years of experience.
5. Crane Operator Services: Supply of NCCCO-certified crane operators for client-owned or rental equipment, including operator fill-in services for absent in-house operators.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sims Crane & Equipment rents, sells, and services mobile cranes and related heavy lifting equipment to construction, industrial, and government customers across the Southeast US. Core offerings include daily, weekly, and monthly crane rentals (all-terrain, crawler, rough terrain, truck, carry deck, and tower cranes) supplied with or without NCCCO-certified operators, complemented by specialized rigging, heavy hauling and machinery moving (Sims HD), 3D lift planning, and 24/7 equipment service and parts. The company also sells new (Tadano, Manitowoc Potain) and pre-owned cranes from manufacturers including Grove, Manitowoc, Tadano, Liebherr, and Link-Belt.

Product overview

Sims Crane & Equipment is a crane rental and equipment services company operating since 1959, offering a comprehensive fleet of mobile crane rentals (all terrain, crawler, rough terrain, truck, tower, and carry deck cranes) alongside complementary equipment like forklifts and hoists. The company's rental fleet includes equipment from major manufacturers including Grove, Tadano, Manitowoc (Potain, Shuttlelift), Kobelco, Link-Belt, Liebherr, and Terex. Beyond equipment rentals, Sims provides turnkey services including NCCCO-certified crane operators (250+), specialized rigging, heavy machinery moving (Sims HD), award-winning 3D lift planning, 24/7 emergency repair, and optional rental protection and flexible rate programs. The company operates 14-15 locations across Florida and Georgia, serving construction, infrastructure, industrial, and government projects throughout the Southeast.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sims HD: Full-service heavy machinery moving solution providing point-to-point and on-site heavy duty rigging and equipment moving. Part of Sims Crane & Equipment, operating for 25 years with specialized equipment, multiple locations, and dedicated riggers and crane operators.

Products and services

• All Terrain Cranes

Quantifiable outcome

• 500,000+ work hours logged without any lost work days
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TadanocoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerSims Crane & Equipment is a dealer for Tadano cranes, which are leading crane manufacturers producing all-terrain, rough terrain, crawler, and loader cranes. This relationship gives Sims access to one of the most respected crane brands in the industry.
• Manitowoc (Potain, Grove, Shuttlelift)coreTechnology or IntegrationSims Crane & Equipment works with Manitowoc brands including Potain tower cranes, Grove mobile telescoping cranes, and Shuttlelift carry deck cranes. Potain is the world's leading tower crane manufacturer with over 100,000 units at work globally. The Manitowoc Crane Control System (CCS) is used across Manitowoc product lines.
• Link-BeltcoreTechnology or IntegrationSims Crane & Equipment supplies Link-Belt rough terrain cranes, crawler cranes, and truck cranes. Link-Belt is a respected manufacturer in the mobile crane and lattice boom crane categories.
• KobelcocoreTechnology or IntegrationSims Crane & Equipment offers Kobelco crawler cranes as part of their rental fleet. Kobelco is a recognized manufacturer of hydraulic boom crawler cranes.
• LiebherrcoreTechnology or IntegrationSims Crane & Equipment supplies Liebherr all-terrain cranes as part of their rental fleet. Liebherr is a leading global crane manufacturer known for quality and innovation.
• National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCCCO is the certification body for crane operators. All Sims Crane operators are NCCCO-certified. Sims Crane is actively involved with NCCCO regulatory and safety committees and organizations. The company's safety program aligns with NCCCO standards and ASME B30 substance abuse testing rules.
• Specialized Carriers and Riggers Association (SC&RA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSims Crane & Equipment is actively involved with safety related issues and committees within the Specialized Carriers and Riggers Association.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bigge Crane and Rigging Co. One of the largest privately held crane rental and rigging companies in the US, operating a fleet of crawler, hydraulic, and tower cranes nationwide. Direct competitor with a similar turnkey rental-plus-operators-plus-rigging model and comparable fleet composition.
• Barnhart Crane & Rigging: Nationwide crane rental and heavy rigging company offering bare rentals, operated rentals, and specialized heavy lifting. Comparable to Sims in combining crane rental with rigging and heavy machinery moving services.
• ALL Erection & Crane Rental: Family-founded, PE-backed crane rental company operating across the Midwest, Southeast, and Mid-Atlantic with a comparable mix of mobile, crawler, and tower cranes. Closely analogous to Sims in fleet type and operated-rental model.
• Bragg Companies: Long-running family/PE-backed crane rental and rigging company serving the West Coast and Gulf regions. Comparable fleet composition (mobile, crawler, tower) and operated-rental plus rigging service stack.
• Maxim Crane Works: National crane rental company (PE-backed by Apollo) operating one of the largest crane fleets in North America. Direct competitor across all-terrain, crawler, rough terrain, and tower cranes, with bare-rental and operated-rental offerings similar to Sims.
• TNT Crane & Rigging: Crane rental and rigging provider primarily serving Texas and the Gulf Coast with mobile and crawler crane fleets. Comparable to Sims in regional crane rental focus and turnkey operator-attached rental model.
• Buckner HeavyLift Cranes: Southeast US-based crane rental specialist operating large crawler and hydraulic cranes across the Carolinas and surrounding states. Comparable geographic focus and fleet profile.

Broad incumbents

• Sunbelt Rentals: Second-largest US equipment rental company with a growing crane and aerial fleet. Overlaps with Sims in serving Southeast construction and industrial accounts but operates a much broader equipment portfolio.
• United Rentals: Largest equipment rental company in the world with a sizable Aerial and Crane specialty division. Competes with Sims on larger fleet sizes and broader product breadth rather than as a pure-play crane operator.
• H&E Equipment Services: Publicly traded, large diversified equipment rental company with aerial, crane, and material handling offerings. Overlaps with Sims in crane rentals but also sells new/used equipment and rents broader construction machinery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCO-LXrHFXKniKOxGaJ0734g
• Xx.com/simscrane

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 Sims Crane & Equipment