Our Story
Every business has a beginning. Ours started in 1982, when Bill and Irene Ellis founded Ellis Crane Hire from a home office with one desk, a small team and a single 15-ton Kato NK140 crane.
From the outset, we built our reputation on reliability, hard work and personal service — values that continue to define us today and have underpinned our growth into a trusted name in crane hire across Gloucestershire.
Over the years, our reputation grew and so did our business. The home office gave way to larger premises, our fleet expanded and the projects we undertook became increasingly ambitious. As the lifting industry evolved, we evolved with it, introducing Contract Lifting services and investing in advanced equipment, including all-terrain cranes, mini cranes and truck-mounted cranes, to meet the changing and increasingly complex requirements of our customers.
Our growth has been driven not only by investment in equipment, but also by investment in our people, standards and infrastructure. Behind every lift is a team with the knowledge and experience to plan, manage and deliver it safely. Today, our skilled workforce includes operators, appointed persons, lifting supervisors and support staff, all trained to recognised industry standards. Health and safety remains central to our operations, supported by robust procedures and the regular inspection of our cranes and lifting equipment by independent third-party engineers.
More than four decades after Bill and Irene purchased that first crane, October 2025 marked a significant new chapter in our story. We joined Tiaki Holdings Group, becoming a sister company to the well-established Midlands-based Dewsbury & Proud Crane Hire Ltd. The partnership brought together decades of industry experience and gave us access to greater resources, an enhanced fleet and increased lifting capability, strengthening the service we can provide across Gloucestershire, the Midlands and beyond.
A great deal has changed since 1982. One desk became larger premises. One crane became an extensive fleet. A small Gloucestershire business grew into the established lifting specialist we are today. More than four decades of industry experience, a highly skilled team and the strength and resources of a wider group now enable us to deliver an even broader range of lifting solutions with greater capability and expertise. Yet as we continue to grow, we remain firmly connected to our Gloucestershire roots and the values that built our reputation — delivering the professional, reliable and trusted service our customers have come to expect.
