Fifty Years and Going Strong

Winners of Condra’s competition to find the company’s oldest working crane have been announced. They are Shane Cox and Lizelle Baillie of Heavy Duty Lifting, who entered a 10‑ton, double-girder electric overhead travelling crane manufactured in Condra’s Elsburg factory 48 years ago. Technical staff verified the crane as still in use. 

Brakpan-based Heavy Duty Lifting carries out all service and maintenance on this particular machine. Baillie and Cox identified their veteran crane from a database of serviced installations. Verification by Condra confirmed the entry as factory Works Order 1935, the oldest of all submitted entries. Second place went to a crane commissioned shortly after: Works Order 1970. 

Diamond jubilee

Condra’s contest ran for eight months ahead of diamond jubilee celebrations held in July. The idea was to showcase product durability and lower lifetime cost, claimed by Condra to be the result of robust manufacture and crane design more carefully aligned to each application when compared with Far Eastern imports. 

The contest was open to hoists, new cranes and refurbished machines. 

Open day

Condra received the winners at an open day marking the company’s sixtieth birthday. One hundred and eighty-five guests attended. Several suppliers took the opportunity to display products to groups touring the Condra factory. 

A brief speech highlighted the viability of upgrading veteran cranes to modern, fit-for-purpose standard. One of the entries to the contest was a refurbished Condra machine manufactured and delivered more than 40 years ago. 

Eight entities

The speech emphasised the contribution made to machine efficiency by spare parts availability and regular servicing. Condra spares are manufactured locally, obviating the sometimes-lengthy lead times associated with imported parts. 

The company was founded in 1966, moving to its current 9 000m² Gosforth Park factory in 2008. The 22 000m² site allows for ample expansion. The group comprises eight entities across South Africa, Chile and Bulgaria, with a focus on the design and manufacture of cranes up to and including heavy duty Class 4.

Extensive network 

There is an emphasis on product quality and reliability as the foundation of ongoing growth. An extensive service network supports all installed machines.  

Cranes are designed and assembled to specification from hoists, drives, end-carriages, brakes, gearboxes and 250 other component parts manufactured in-house. Only motors, rope and bottom blocks (hooks) are imported.