July 26, 2016 Uplifting Results

Volume 10 | Issue 4

A full-service manufacturer, designer and distributor of overhead cranes and hoists, EMH, Inc. is one of the industry’s best-kept secrets.

You may not recognize the name, but you’ve undoubtedly run into the product. Companies like Boeing, General Electric Power Systems, Northrop Grumman and Sonoco depend on EMH cranes to do the work they do every day. So why isn’t EMH a household name? Company founder Edis Hazne and partner Dave Comiono sometimes wonder the same thing. Still, they are happy to be running with the bigs guys.

EMH designs, sells and manufactures a complete line of overhead material handling equipment for loads from 35 pounds to 300 tons. EMH offers complete turnkey systems, standard cranes, crane kits, workstation crane systems and related components. The company not only provides high quality products but the technical expertise to ensure reliable and effective solutions to its end-users’ overhead material handling needs.

Award-Winning Start
Edis, a native of Turkey schooled in Germany came to the U.S. as a young man with a master’s degree in mechanical engineering. “After 25 years in the crane business he wanted to start his own company and give it a go, so he called me,” says Dave Comiono, now vice president and general sales manager for EMH, Inc. “We leased a 10,000-square-foot space and started out by distributing crane components.”

By 1989 EMH was manufacturing crane controls and started producing endtrucks by 1992. Business was steady and less than 10 years later it was able to move into its current headquarters in Valley City, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. The new 42,000-square-foot space allowed the company to begin manufacturing complete cranes and a hoist product line soon followed.

An award from Case Western Reserve University School of Business, the Weatherhead 100, assured Edis and Dave they were on the right track. “The award recognizes business with the fastest sales growth in the last five years, so we knew we were making significant strides,” says Comiono. “It’s been rewarding from the standpoint that we were starting up in a mature, and somewhat stodgy business and we have been able to carve out a few niches for ourselves. It’s very unusual for a company like ours to grow like this. We’re essentially a mom and pop shop. But every once in a while, a mom and pop breaks out and the big guys start getting an inkling of who you are.”

Cranes, Hoists & More
Due to increasing demand for its overhead cranes and components, EMH recently completed construction on a 24,000-square-foot addition to its crane manufacturing plant. The additional space has increased floor space by over 60 percent. “This will allow us to offer more efficient production and will definitely improve delivery times,” says Comiono. The current square footage is now at 62,000, he adds, and the company has plans to add more space in a year or two.

Industries like aviation, automotive, concrete product manufacturers, heavy equipment repair, metal service, plastic injection, power plants, wastewater treatment and general industry are clamoring for EMH’s diverse product line. “We’ve done cranes for Lockheed, General Dynamics, Siemens, Bethlehem Steel, NASA and most recently, military bases like Camp Pendleton,”
says Comiono.

Seems there aren’t many industries that can’t make use of some type of lifting device. EMH specializes in several types. Its overhead cranes come in single and double girder, top and under running, plus gantry cranes for capacities up to 300 tons. EMH’s NOMAD is a complete freestanding bridge crane with a capacity up to 10 tons. It is ideal for buildings not specifically designed for overhead cranes. “The NOMAD’s freestanding structure supports loads your building’s steel might not handle,” explains Comiono. “And the low overhead design allows it to fit into sites where headroom might otherwise be a problem.”

EMH has chosen to use Power Electronics International, Inc., crane controls for the NOMAD free-standing crane. In the crane and hoist electronics business for more than 35 years, Power Electronics offers a robust product with proven reliability and higher temperature ratings.

EMH’s AL Systems Aluminum Rail Workstation Systems and Lifting Devices can safely, efficiently and economically transport loads as light as 35 pounds and up to 1,000 pounds. Its lightweight and unique profile allow systems with a wide variety of lifters and end effectors. Precise rail tolerances and smooth running trolleys often allow manual operation where costly motorized operation would otherwise be needed. Loads always move smoothly, even at the ends of the bridge.

EMH has chosen to use Power Electronics International, Inc., crane controls for AL Systems.
For Class D and E applications that require continuous, dependable operations, companies choose EMH engineered hoists. “Any operation requiring a high number of cycles and large capacity can benefit from the EMH hoist’s reliability,” says Comiono. “Its modular open winch design facilitates maintenance and repair and can be easily adapted for special lifts and speeds. Standard capacities range from 10 to 150 tons.”

EMH end trucks transport overhead cranes maximizing life and minimizing cost of operation and maintenance. The EMH line includes a full complement of single girder, double girder and bogie styles and sizes. The steel structure of the EMH endtruck is a torsion resistant box that can be connected to the crane girder.

The company backs up its product line with a national service network with representatives in 50 cities and 30 states. “It’s important to us to ensure safe, reliable and economical operation of our product line for all of our customers,” says Comiono. EMH also offers product liability up to $2 million, maintains a complete inventory of all standard parts ready for shipment, and provides a comprehensive one-year warranty.

Growing Quality
EMH has quickly distinguished itself as an innovator in the overhead crane industry. In 2007 it will introduce a line of “baby cranes” with capacities of 100, 200, 500 and 1000 pounds. The company is also manufacturing its own standard package hoist line up to 40 tons. “For us to have our own complete in-house hoist line will allow us to really compete with the multinational companies,”
says Comiono.

The company has some other big plans on tap. “We are considering a couple of acquisitions. We have also been traveling and looking into a possible facility overseas and we’ve been in talks with some international crane manufacturers overseas looking into a possible joint venture with us. We’re always exploring a number of ways in which can make a bigger pop in the marketplace,”
says Comiono.

Besides growth, EMH is also deeply committed to quality. Since receiving its ISO 9001:2000 certification in 2004 it has been keenly focused on quality control. “We have made tremendous improvements in overall quality. We are always striving for competitive pricing, but a quality product is our first priority. We use manufacturing processes that ensure the highest standards and never cut corners when we build cranes & hoists,” says Comiono.

Although EMH is not a household name just yet, according to Comiono, this viable, growing entity with its “best-kept secret” product line, is nipping at the heels of the major industries. “ We just want companies to know that when they’re looking for our type of crane or hoist and they’re getting three quotes, to make sure one of them is from EMH.”

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