History

2009 marks the Cadman family celebrating fifty years of trading in the plant hire industry. Inspired by an idea from his father, Brian Cadman, the elder of two brothers at the age of sixteen commenced trading in 1959 providing operated earth-moving machinery to local authorities and the private sector. Until then, plant hire in the Colchester area was unheard of but the idea soon caught on and proved a huge relief to contractors otherwise faced with the back-breaking task of hand-digging trenches and house footings etc. Operating initially from his fathers farm five miles south-west of Colchester, the company gradually built up its fleet of machinery adding tipper lorries and lowloaders before outgrowing the premises. During the early sixties the company moved to commercial premises located in St. Helena Road, Colchester when his younger brother Geoff and cousin Anthony Kendon joined him where they continued to trade into the late seventies. It was from this location during 1976 the company took the giant step into the crane market purchasing a new 16.00 ton capacity telescopic machine from the British manufacturer Cole Cranes based in Sunderland. Within a year a 7.00 tonner was added then swiftly followed by two new 25.00 ton machines from the same stable.

Colchester was rapidly growing and with the expansion of both residual and commercial retail developments into the suburbs, it became increasingly difficult for these large items of equipment to negotiate the congested streets onto the A12 trunk road. A new home was sought and the vacated premises of Colchester Concrete in Stanway, Colchester proved the perfect solution. On this three acre site a custom built workshop covering 14,000 square metres was constructed for the purposes of servicing, repairs and general maintenance together with underground fuel storage facilities.

The slow change over to metric was now being seen in machinery market and our first new metric calibrated crane rolled through the gate. The Coles 90 tonne machine represented a huge jump from the smaller 25 ton units but this was soon filled by intermediate capacity equipment as the company continued to expand. The mid-eighties saw the company diversify further into all-terrain machines, a move resisted by the majority of local competition. With some sites becoming increasingly restricted, the company built upon their success in this field and were to soon update the fleet introducing Grove, Kato, Tadano and Krupp machines across the range and to capacities of 100 tonnes.

The turn of the century into year 2000 hailed the period of consideration to the future direction of the company. It was agreed the time was right to carry out a reconstruction of the company in order to develop the crane operation and on 1st January 2005 Cadman Cranes Ltd was born. With directors Geoff and Brian Cadman, Dave Dye and Chris Flower the company was to concentrate on all aspects surrounding lifting activities including servicing, repairs and testing to equipment outside of the fleet. Sadly after a long bravely endured illness Brian Cadman passed away during early June 2007. His position on the board of directors was in due course proudly replaced by his son Neil.

The long awaited orders placed with suppliers for new cranes saw deliveries start to trickle through as 60.00 tonne Faun all-terrain machines were added to the fleet. The decision to include Mini-crawler cranes was also materialising as the Maeda LC785, 5.00 tonne machines began to arrive together with associated transport vehicles for their movements.

A programme of continual replacements and additions to the fleet are scheduled to progress the company and service our customers as we approach the second decade of the century.