Winona, Minnesota-based OZ Lifting Products LLC is celebrating 20 years in business.The manufacturer of davit cranes and industrial lifting equipment was inaugurated on December 4, 2004 with two staff; today, it has 25 full-time employees, a distributor network across North America, and is preparing to relocate for a fourth time.Even as the company celebrates the milestone, expansion into a state-of-the-art 40,000 square-foot facility is on the horizon. The new five-acre property, on Innovation Drive in its home town, is four times larger than the current building.Steve Napieralski, president at OZ Lifting, said: “The new space will provide us with ample room for growth, including increased storage, more advanced testing capabilities, and the potential to expand our manufacturing operations. Most importantly, it will allow us to continue offering the exceptional service and high-quality products customers have come to rely on; while ensuring we maintain the safety standards that are at the core of our mission.”The company is perhaps best known for its range of davit cranes, including the 1,200-lbs. capacity U.S. Patented CompOZite model that is made from advanced composite material and weighs only 83 lbs. The CompOZite Elite, meanwhile, is the world’s most innovative davit crane, offering the same capacity with a total crane weight of only 37 lbs.The recently relaunched Tele-Pro davit crane, also U.S. Patented, and available in 500 lbs., 1,200 lbs. and 2,500 lbs. capacities, allows users to leverage the benefits of the manufacturer’s other cranes, while telescoping the boom in and out under load. Among other davits and accessories are manual and electric hoists and winches, in addition to a range of beam trolleys, clamps, and wire rope products.Napieralski said: “We’ve come a long way. I started in the lifting industry in 1988, working for a manufacturer of equipment, before I opened my first business in 1995, which was a manufacturer representative company, specializing in the lifting and rigging business.“Prior to launching [OZ], I was nine years into my rep business, uneasy about the 30-day contracts. I knew I had strong relationships with all the distributors that I called on, so I thought, why not leverage them? I was fortunate to meet two Australians that were looking for a U.S. exclusive distributor of their hoist equipment.”The backbone of the company’s initial offering was a manual lever and chain hoist, equipped with overload protection; this has now grown into the Premium series. U.S.-made products were soon added to the catalog, but today’s 540 stock-keeping units (SKUs) represent a combination of both domestically manufactured and imported products.Napieralski added: “The two-decade milestone and expansion are testaments to the strength of our business, and we’re incredibly proud to be able to continue growing and innovating in ways that will directly benefit our valued customers. If we keep doing what we do, treat coworkers and customers right, continue to bring innovation to market, carry inventory, etc., we will be in very good shape for the future.”OZ Lifting is continuing a recruitment effort to hire for several key roles.ContactAshley BlumMarketing Manager, OZ Lifting Products LLCashley@ozliftingproducts.com+1 507-474-6250 Ext. 110www.ozliftingproducts.com

Winona, Minnesota (July 24, 2024)— The hoist clamp presents a quick, easy, and safe way to hang any of the company’s electric chain or manual hoists, under 0.5-ton capacity, to its pipe- and wall-mounted arms with the required hardware. The user is able to mount the hoist clamp anywhere along the mounting arm at full rated capacity of 1,000 lbs.   The clamps are sold separately if users already have a mounting arm, but they can be sourced with the pipe- (model OBH230) or wall-mounted (OBH230-WALL) arms. The OBH230 was originally developed for the construction industry, mainly on jobsites with scaffolding; it is sized for scaffolding pipe diameter. The OBH230-WALL, meanwhile, has wider application uses.   Richard Miller, sales manager at OZ Lifting, said: “Our mounting arm is very popular, and we have received feedback on options to mount a hoist with a traditional top hook. This led to the development of the hoist clamp, so once again it is an example of product innovation being driven by the point of use.   “It opens the door on a variety of applications,” he continued. “Most users prefer to use a complete solution from a manufacturer, versus trying to piece the equipment together with a sling, chain, rope, etc. They get the benefit of a solution that has been load tested and approved at source. We provide the customer the option to order as they choose; we often build to suit and can accommodate the different styles and configurations that are available.”   The mounting arm — tested to a minimum safety factor of 3:1 — is essentially a mini jib crane and can be installed in either ‘upright’ or ‘reversed’ orientation, depending on the needs of the customer and application. When the mounting arm is in the upright position, the hoist clamp may be attached to the outermost horizontal pipe; when the arm is in the reversed position, the clamp may be attached anywhere along the horizontal pipe.   End use applications will be varied and widespread; the mounting arm is already utilized in many industries and environments. Miller reiterated its suitability in the construction and manufacturing sectors but pointed to growing market share in many other vertical markets.   The OZ Lifting hoist clamp features steel construction and a long-lasting powder coat finish for added durability. It is in stock and ready for distribution to the manufacturer’s extensive dealer network.

OZ Lifting will show a variety of davit cranes, hoists, and lifting components at ProMat, which takes place March 20-23, 2023 at Chicago’s McCormick Place. The company will exhibit at Booth S122.   The Winona, Minnesota-based manufacturer, which will take a 10 ft. by 15 ft. booth, will show its new Aluma-Lite davit crane for the first time at ProMat. The ultra-portable davit crane is available in 500 lbs. and 1,000 lbs. capacities, each available with three bases: pedestal, socket (flush-mount), or wall-mount.   The Aluma-Lite 500 weighs in at 24 lbs. with a maximum capacity of 500lbs. Aluma-Lite 1,000, meanwhile, weighs in at 47 lbs. with a maximum capacity of 1,000lbs. Both fold flat for easy storage or transportation; are made of aerospace / military grade aluminum; and are available with manual winch (including drill drive adapter), AC or DC electric winches. Further, they boast a durable, powder coated finish; no tools are needed for assembly / disassembly.   The Tele-Pro davit crane will again be on the exhibit. The patented model allows users to leverage the benefits of other lifting technologies in its range, while telescoping the boom in and out under load. The CompOZite and CompOZite Elite carbon fiber models will also be on show, as will the recently launched Longreach davits. However, OZ Lifting is more than a davit crane manufacturer, and its showcase will also feature several stainless steel products, designed for use in corrosive environments, including hoists, beam clamps, trolleys, and a manual winch that boasts a drill-adaptor feature. Spark-resistant hoists and trolleys will be of interest to exhibitors too.   Steve Napieralski, president at OZ Lifting, said: “As with all products in our range, the new davit cranes fill voids in the material handling marketplace. As such, we expect the [Aluma-Lite and Longreach] davits to be especially popular, but our composite products always seem to attract attention. MHI-sponsored shows have become an integral part of our annual exhibition strategy. Business is still very good, and we have several new products that will launch next year.”   ProMat features over 900 exhibits from leading solution providers and a comprehensive educational conference of over 150 sessions focusing on best-in-class solutions for manufacturing and supply chain operations. Exhibits will represent all segments of the material handling, logistics and transportation industry, from traditional, manual equipment to computerized, automated systems and smart, connected supply chain technologies.   Napieralski added: “Having that many exhibitors should draw a lot of attendees and Chicago being a central location should help as well. The cons, however, are you can get lost in the maze of exhibitors. We plan on getting the word out that we will be exhibiting and will be inviting a lot of distributors. The educational sessions are good for the industry. Anytime you can offer learning, those attending are there for a reason. They will gain a new concept or learn something new that helps their business.”   Visit OZ Lifting at ProMat show Booth S122.   Contact Director: Mark Bridger mark@bridgerhowes.com +44 1403 264164 @liftandhoist