News Release

November 15, 2005

Grove Cranes Support Stones Concert

Three truck-mounted Grove cranes help erect a stage for the Rolling Stones at the University of Virginia - Charlottesville

Three truck-mounted Grove cranes had a brush with stardom when they were called in to help erect a stage set for the Rolling Stones on the rock group’s latest world tour.

The TMS760E cranes, sold by local Grove dealer J.W. Burress and owned by Richmond, Virginia, US-based rental company, W O Grubb, were supplied to the University of Virginia’s Charlottesville campus and show organizer and main contractor, Cellar Door Productions. The company put the cranes to work setting up and dismantling the stage before and after the show and also used them to erect the sound mixing booths and lighting towers for the concert.

Although the concert lasted just one night, the job itself took eight days – five setting up and three dismantling. The stage measured 30 m (85 ft) tall x 45.7 m (150 ft) long x 18.3 m (60 ft) wide, while the heaviest load the cranes lifted was a 4.5 t (5 USt) platform, an integral part of the stage.

Michelle Grubb, crane sales manager at W O Grubb, explained why the TMS760E units were perfect for the task.

“The main advantage of using the TMS760E truck cranes was their size. All three cranes needed to be big enough to lift some very large loads, yet had to be compact enough to work comfortably together, on the football field at University of Virginia,” she said.

“The entrance to the field posed some logistical problems for us, as the cranes had to travel through a tunnel to reach the job site. Where larger models failed to meet the size configurations for this, the TMS760E units were the perfect fit. The fact that these cranes are truck-mounted made the job a lot easier, in terms of reaching the job site and maneuvering around the football field too.”

The TMS760E has a maximum capacity of 60 t (60 USt), a four-section 33.5 m (110 ft) MEGAFORM boom, and a maximum tip height of 64.6 m (212 ft) with the aid of extensions.

The model is powered by a 336 kW (450 hp) Cummins ISM 450 diesel carrier engine that delivers enough torque to negotiate tough jobsites and provides the power necessary to achieve highway travel speeds. Standard front and rear air ride suspension provides comfortable travel at a maximum speed of 105 km per hour (65 miles per hour).