45 Years of JT Cranes

From one man, one van and a determination to do things differently, to a family business with more than four decades of experience in the crane industry.

JT Cranes has traded since January 1981. John Taylor founded it, and his children Russell and Julie run it today from Great Gransden, covering crane repair, mini crane hire, contract lifting and test weight hire across the UK.

This year, JT Cranes is celebrating 45 years in business. What started in 1980 with John Taylor making a bold decision to leave his job has grown into a well-established family business, built around specialist crane repair, hire, contract lifting and technical expertise.

Here’s how it all began…

1980: Where it all started

In December 1980, John Taylor asked his employer, Liebherr UK, for a 10p-an-hour pay rise. When his request was refused, John decided there and then that it was time to go it alone.

Ironically, the company later offered him a £1-an-hour increase to stay. John turned it down.

He had made his decision.

That Christmas, John and his wife Penny bought a van, marking the beginning of what would become JT Cranes.

1981: John Taylor Crane & Plant Field Services

In January 1981, John officially started working for himself as John Taylor Crane and Plant Field Services, operating from the family home in Stotfold.

The early years involved plenty of hard work and time away from home. John spent weeks at a time in Scotland working on and supporting the oil rigs, while Penny stayed at home, looking after the family and keeping everything else going.

Closer to home, John was also regularly called out to crane and plant breakdowns.

1982–1983: Finding a home for the business

In 1982, John rented his first yard in Graveley. It soon became clear that, if the business was going to grow, he needed somewhere with more space.

In January 1983, the family moved to a property in Shingay cum Wendy, with enough land to build a workshop and establish a more permanent base for the business.

Even with a workshop on the doorstep, much of John’s work was still out on the road. He continued attending breakdowns and working away from home, including supporting the ground teams involved in rig installation.

1987–1988: The next generation joins

In May 1987, John’s son Russell Taylor finished school and spent the summer working on a local farm during harvest.

He then joined his father in the business, initially going out on breakdowns and learning the trade first-hand.

In 1988, Russell passed his driving test, was given his own van and began attending jobs independently.

The family business was becoming just that, a family business.

1994: Expanding into crane testing and major repairs

As the business grew, it became clear that it was time to change direction slightly. Rather than focusing primarily on field-based work and attending breakdowns, we wanted to develop our ability to carry out major crane repairs at our own premises, alongside expanding into crane testing.

That led us to start renting land at Bourn Airfield, which provided the ideal space to safely carry out mobile crane testing. We also began taking on some larger repair jobs there, we operated like this for a few years, allowing us to grow the major repair part of the business, but with the site being open storage, it wasn’t really suited to the scale of repair work we wanted to undertake.

So, we started looking for somewhere with a proper workshop and land.

1999: A new workshop and bigger repairs

We found exactly what we were looking for at Great Gransden, a yard with a workshop and offices that gave us the space and facilities to take the business to the next stage.

The business relocated to Great Gransden, while the family home in Shingay cum Wendy could finally go back to being just that, the family home!

For the next few years, we operated from both sites, using Bourn Airfield for crane testing and Great Gransden for repairs and the day-to-day running of the business.

2001–2004: A changing family business

In 2001, John’s daughter Julie joined the business, working alongside her mum, Penny, and supporting the growing administrative side of the company.

By this point, two generations of the business were playing their part. John and Russell were focused on the technical and operational side, while Penny and Julie kept the office and administration running behind the scenes.

Penny had been at the heart of the business since the very beginning. From helping John take those first steps into self-employment and keeping the home and family going while he spent weeks away working, to becoming an integral part of the day-to-day running of the company, her contribution was fundamental to its development.

Sadly, Penny passed away in 2003. Her loss marked a significant turning point for the family and the business, and the following year, in 2004, JT Cranes became a limited company, with John, Russell and Julie becoming directors.

It was a new chapter for the business, but one built firmly on the foundations that John and Penny had created together more than 20 years earlier.

2006: Entering the mini crane hire market

In 2006, Russell identified an opportunity to expand into mini crane hire.

JT Cranes purchased its first two mini cranes, both UNICs, and gradually built up the fleet.

This marked the beginning of another important chapter for the business, adding crane hire to its established repair and engineering services.

2013: The birth of our Contract Lifting division

In 2013, JT Cranes took a significant step in the development of the business when Peterborough Crane Hire closed its doors.

Rather than simply seeing an opportunity in the market, we brought members of the Peterborough Crane Hire team into JT Cranes and, in doing so, created our Contract Lifting division.

Among those who joined us was Stuart Smith, the founder of Peterborough Crane Hire. Stuart was highly respected and well known throughout the industry, with decades of experience and an extensive network of contacts.

His knowledge, experience and relationships were central to establishing and growing the new division, and his leadership played a significant part in its early success.

Following Stuart’s passing in 2015, Darren Lee stepped up to take on the role, continuing to develop the Contract Lifting side of the business and building on the foundations Stuart had established.

The arrival of the Peterborough Crane Hire team marked an important new chapter for JT Cranes, bringing new expertise into the business and establishing Contract Lifting as an integral part of what we do today.

2023: A return to our core services

From 2016 to 2023, JT Cranes was the main UK dealer for Jekko, representing the manufacturer and supplying its range of specialist mini cranes.

In 2023, the dealership came to an end when the UK distribution arrangements changed, and the Jekko dealership was transferred elsewhere.

This brought a renewed focus on the areas JT Cranes was built on: crane repair, crane hire, contract lifting and test weights.

2026: 45 years and counting

From a single van bought at Christmas in 1980 to a two-generation family business with decades of specialist experience, JT Cranes has come a long way.

45 years on, the values remain much the same: technical expertise, hard work, reliability and a willingness to get the job done.

And while the cranes, equipment and technology have changed considerably since 1980, one thing hasn’t:

JT Cranes is still a family business, built on experience and people.

45 years. One family. One business. Still lifting.

If you have a crane that needs repairing, testing or lifting, call us on 01767 677155 or get in touch. The same family, 45 years on.