NAI: A Leading Manufacturer of Overhead Cranes

We can design, produce, install, and service cranes suited to your application. As a true turnkey supplier, we provide application reviews, cranes, runways, installation, and we stand by our product with a strong commitment to customer service. Each year our production floor produces over 500 cranes.

• sales worldwide
• service and repair centers nationwide
• experience in a wide variety of industries
• capacities up to 150 tons, spans up to 150 feet

Both HOIST Magazine and U.S. Business Review Magazine recently featured articles about our company's ability to handle the design and installation of customized overhead cranes. The HOIST article focuses on several gantry cranes we built for resurfacing work on the Whitestone Bridge - view a PDF of the HOIST article.
The U.S. Business Review article highlights the main reasons why our company is successful - view a PDF of the US Business Review article. Each day our company and engineering staff provide customers with unique solutions.

Location

Our manufacturing and sales headquarters is located in Woburn, Massachusetts, just 20 minutes north of Boston.

Company History

Today, we are a turnkey provider of overhead cranes and related material handling equipment, offering a full range of services from standard industrial cranes to high-tech and custom-designed cranes. We also offer a full product line, which includes bridge cranes, runways, gantry cranes, jib cranes and monorails. NAI also does installations throughout the US and in many parts of the world. North American Industries maintains membership in the Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA) and the Crane Manufacturers Association of America (CMAA).

1969

Paul Levenson founded North American Industries, Inc. with his brother Norman Levenson. The company began as a small reseller of crane components. Paul and Norman expanded the operation by converting from components to integrated manufacturer of cranes. Paul remained as President until his retirement.

1986

Jay E. Levenson and his brother joined the company to work with their father and founder, Paul Levenson. They significantly grew the business and expanded the product line. Jay, who received his law school degree from Case-Western University and practiced law for two years before joining North American Industries, has worked in several areas of the company and currently helps to lead the Sales Team.

1980s - 1990s

By the mid-80’s the company began offering a more complete product line, including complete cranes and runway structures, at heavier capacities. To further grow the business, North American Industries added turnkey installation services and expanded from Everett to a new facility in Woburn, MA, where it is still located today.

1999

Paul Levenson retired and transferred the company to his two sons.

2003

Thomas J. Ullian joined North American Industries as the new CEO. Partnering with Jay, Thomas J. Ullian has helped the company grow, drawing on his business expertise from his former position of Managing Director at Lehman Brothers and his MBA from The Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania.

North American Industries expands the sales in South America.

The company also begins to win more projects with all branches of the military including several US military installations in Korea.

2005

North American Industries supplies gantry crane for handling materials needed to build new Chinese embassy.

North American Industries’ four customized 30 ton gantry cranes lend major support to NY’s Whitestone Bridge Resurfacing Project.

North American Industries helps the Army’s 7th Infantry Division enhance its motor-pool repair facilities with dozens of bridge and jib cranes.

2006

North American Industries joined the Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA). In September, North American Industries was elected into the Crane Manufacturers Association of America (CMAA).

North American Industries expanded their complimentary services (CRISP – Crane Repair, Inspection, & Safety Partners) as well as retrofit.

North American Industries’ cranes installed underground in a salt mine.

2007

North American Industries designs and builds a custom radial crane for the University of Michigan.

North American Industries is featured in HOIST MAGAZINE in an article entitled “Bridge Work for Bridge Cranes”.

U.S. Business Review Magazine features North American Industries in an article entitled “Above the Rest”.

North American Industries provides cranes used to lift 35 million dollar jet engines at NASA Stennis Space Center.

John Kelley was named Chief Operating Officer of North American Industries. He had joined the company in 2004 and continues to have a tremendous impact on the growth and success of the organization. John’s experience in finance, production and working with managers across all parts of the organization makes him highly qualified for his new position of COO.

2008

North American Industries wins more jobs that involve specialized gantry cranes for bridge repair work. One example involves moving materials needed to rebuild a section of the I-95 highway including a bridge over Turtle River in Georgia. With these applications, North American Industries needs to engineer the trolley to handle a cross slope and end trucks to handle a longitudinal slope. Other design factors involve bolted construction to facilitate easy disassembly for relocation and emergency breaks sufficient for a 50 MPH wind velocity.

North American Industries gains further notoriety in the industry evident in several new magazine articles about the company:

• “Miracle Workers” December/Jan 2008 by HOIST MAGAZINE
• “Precision Lifting” Jan/Feb 2008 by Overhead Crane & Hoist (OCH) Magazine
• “Safety and Structural Saviors” March/April 2008 by Industrial Lift and Hoist (ILH) Magazine
• “Overhead Crane Upkeep” Jan/Feb 2008 by Industrial Lift and Hoist (ILH) Magazine

A multimillion dollar contract was awarded to North American Industries by a South American company seeking 11 cranes to build barges at a new shipyard facility in Argentina. Despite being up against Chinese manufacturers in bidding the project, the U.S. based North American Industries has an excellent reputation and was able to reduce their own projected costs as a result of working with an affiliate in Colombia where the crane girders would be built. This project called for a combination of custom designed bridge and gantry cranes, some with under the hook magnets and others having a combination of one or more main hoists and auxiliary hoists. State of the art technology is used to synchronize hoist speeds for twin hook magnet applications.

The service sector of business, referred to as CRISP (Crane Repair, Inspection, and Safety Partners), grows exponentially. For example, a job of structural inspections of numerous cranes through the U.S. is completed for a $30-billion corporation in the waste and energy industry.

Mission Statement

The mission of North American Industries is to provide outstanding material handling products and services. Our team is defined by our unwavering commitment to our customers and to each other. Our goal is to build unrivaled partnerships with and provide value for our customers through the knowledge, creativity and dedication of our people, as well as through creative, helpful designs, a high quality product, turnkey service, and a customer-friendly process.

The hallmark of our success will be:

• A reputation for building long-term relationships with our customers to deliver total satisfaction;
• A Company that enables talented individuals who share a passion for individual excellence and a commitment to teamwork to build rewarding careers; and
• Profitable growth leading to superior results for the Company and its employees.

Questions?

If you ever have any questions about our company or the products and services we provide, don’t hesitate to call us at (781) 897-4100.