Elevate and Celebrate with John Sutch Cranes — your partner in reaching new heights. Precision, safety, and excellence set the stage for our soaring success.

Welcome to the latest edition of Elevate & Celebrate, John Sutch Crane's newsletter. We're thrilled to share exciting updates, industry insights, and a glimpse into our business.

Looking Back on a Milestone Year at John Sutch Cranes

As we close the chapter on another incredible year, our 35th in business, I want to take a moment to reflect on everything we’ve achieved together at John Sutch Cranes. It’s been a year of progress, teamwork, and making a difference—not just for our clients, but for the communities we serve.

This year, we’ve continued to push boundaries, delivering exceptional results on projects that leave a lasting impact. From skyline-changing lifts to critical infrastructure works, our cranes and, more importantly, our people, have been at the heart of it all.

One of our proudest achievements has been the continued investment in our fleet and logistics, strengthening our capabilities with cutting-edge technology to meet the growing demands of our industry. This commitment reflects our vision: to always innovate and deliver the highest standards to our customers.

None of this would have been possible without the dedication, expertise, and professionalism of our team. Every lift, every project, and every success is a testament to the outstanding people that make up the John Sutch Cranes family. Together, we’ve built something special, and it shows in the trust and loyalty of our clients across the UK.

Another highlight, and as you will no doubt have seen in the media and our social channels, we had the privilege of welcoming Deputy Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP to our Dukinfield depot (Read the full story below). She had a tour of our yard but was also here to meet with our team and listen to some of the challenges we face on a daily basis to get to sites across the UK. We’re leading the way but working closely with the CPA and other operators to bring about change in regards to restrictions on our fleet, and we’re hopeful that with Angela’s support in her role as MP, we can get there.

Finally, as we enter the Christmas season, I want to personally thank each of you—our team, our clients, and our partners—for your continued support. In our business, we’re only as good as our last job, and your commitment ensures that we deliver excellence, time and again.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a bright, successful start to the new year. Let’s make 2025 another year to remember.

Warm regards,
John Sutch
Owner and Founder

Our Christmas Opening Times

Please be informed that John Sutch Cranes will be closed for the Christmas holidays from close of play on Friday, December 20th, and will reopen on Monday January 6th.

However, rest assured that we are still available for emergency operations during this period. We have a dedicated skeleton staff on hand to address any urgent requests.

Please get in touch if you need to.

Mission Impossible delivered in the Lakes

There’ some jobs that some crane hire operators won’t touch, but at John Sutch Cranes there’s not a job we won’t walk away from . . . If it can be done, we’ll do it.

They say the crane game can be a game of millimeters, and this job was a perfect example of why.

There are not many jobs across the nation we serve that we won’t tackle. That’s been one of the founding values of our owner, John Sutch – if it can be done ‘we’ll lift it’.

However, our skill set and expertise was really put to the test in the darkness of the Lakes.

One of the biggest challenges we’ve tackled recently saw us lifting our Grove GMK6300L onto a specialised trailer (4 axle 250T tractor unit, with a 9 axle modular Schuler trailer on full hydraulics) to transport it to the Lake District for a crucial bridge installation.

This wasn’t just a lift; it was a story of precision, preparation, and pinpoint accuracy and a testament to the skills and determination of the John Sutch Cranes team.

Lifting the bridge was the easy bit. Transporting a 300T crane to the site was the true ‘Challenge Anneka’ test.

Here comes Santa Claus

John Sutch Cranes ushered in the Christmas spirit in Manchester with a spectacular display, skilfully positioning Giant Santa at St Peter’s Square.

Crowds gathered outside Central Library for the grand reveal, turning our crane operations into the centre of attention. While the lift was routine for our experts, the festive cheer was abundant as our Liebherr LTF1045-4.1 delicately hoisted the 12-metre-tall, 2.3-tonne Giant Santa into a prominent spot, captivating thousands of onlookers.

The story has been covered by some of the big digital publications in Manchester, as well as Manchester City Council, The Manc and the Manchester Evening News.

Employee Spotlight . . .

Mick Turner: A lifelong commitment to excellence in crane operations and sales

Mick Turner, Technical Sales Representative at John Sutch Cranes, has carved out an extraordinary career in the crane hire industry.

With over 35 years of experience, Mick’s journey is one of hard graft, technical mastery, and a true dedication to his craft. He’s delivered results, from the operator’s seat to the sales office, and back again.

Starting on a humble 25-tonne Krupp crane, Mick quickly made his mark as a skilled operator, working his way up to helm some of the most formidable machines in the industry.

Among his achievements was operating the iconic 500T Demag AC 1600, affectionately nicknamed the "Black Pig" at his depot in Wigan. Thinking behind it was that the crane was always ‘out on the job’, covered in grime, mud, and oil.

His career took him to all corners of the UK and beyond, whether lifting at the remote Shetland Islands Sullom Voe Oil Terminal or managing projects in bustling Southampton. Installing modular buildings in Guernsey or dismantling a chemical plant in Mersin Turkey, Mick truly has been there and got the T-Shirt,

“I spent years on the road, living out of a suitcase,” Mick says. “It was demanding, but I loved every minute of it. Some days you didn’t stop, others you could kick back but one thing stayed the same – the cranes were there to lift and when you needed to lift you did it – whatever the hour. If it wasn’t me, it was my colleague who I shared the crane with.”

Hayley Sutch meets Angela Rayner MP regarding our restrictions campaign

Deputy Prime Minister and local Dukinfield MP, Angela Rayner, has pledged to support John Sutch Cranes in its ongoing efforts to address restrictive legislation impacting its fleet operations across the UK.

John Sutch Cranes, a national leader in crane hire and contract lifting, welcomed the Deputy Prime Minister to our Manchester depot in her role as constituency MP to hear at first handsome of the challenges that the industry is facing in mobilising our crane fleet to get Britain building.

The inconsistencies in how local councils and police forces enforce regulations on mobile cranes have caused significant operational challenges for the company.

Despite full compliance with legal requirements, these restrictions have led to delays and financial strain, affecting both John Sutch Cranes and the wider crane and construction industry.

As part of this long-running campaign, John Sutch Cranes team led by Managing Director Hayley Sutch and, Sales Director, Paul Parry, presented the issues, which included embargoes and movement orders to Ms Rayner, who has vowed to help.