A GREAT Gransden crane hire company shaken off the effects of the recession to flourish over the past three years. JT Cranes, founded in 1981, has experienced rapid growth since the launch of its mini-crane hire sideline three years ago, but has also seen

A GREAT Gransden crane hire company shaken off the effects of the recession to flourish over the past three years.

JT Cranes, founded in 1981, has experienced rapid growth since the launch of its mini-crane hire sideline three years ago, but has also seen a surge in demand for its repair and recovery service in the past 18 months.

The company are currently looking to extend their premises to cope with the additional business.

With the increased steel prices over the past two to three years, many companies have opted to invest in extensive repairs than suffer the lengthy and expensive process of buying a new crane, said technical director Russell Taylor.

He added: "We have a lot of demand for repairs and rebuilds, because that is what the business has always been based around. We branched out into mini-crane hire three years ago, and that has been a success for us, but we now need more space to cope with all the repair jobs we are getting.

"Steel prices have shot up, because of the huge demand from China, which has meant a waiting list of up to four years for new cranes. As a result, it's often quicker and more efficient to repair than to replace."

The reputation built by the company during nearly 30 years of trading means that they are regularly called to jobs across the country, including a �1.2m refurbishment to a crane destroyed by fire in Inverness. Despite the national reputation the company has built up, Mr Taylor still attempts to keep a local feel to the business by working closely with suppliers from the St Neots area.

"We are a family-run business ourselves, and have been based in the area for many years, so we see it as an important thing to support other local companies," said Mr Taylor.

"Building the links over time means there is a loyalty when times get a bit tougher. They support us and we support them.