DEALER PROFILE: HITE SERVICES LTD.

HITE has been servicing HIAB truck-mounted cranes almost as long as they’ve been in business. Founders Ritchie Castonguay and Luc Bidal brought years of experience as equipment inspectors when they launched HITE Service Ltd. in 1997. Since they retired several years ago, HITE employees have carried on their legacy of knowledge, experience and outstanding customer service.

Northern Ontario conditions are notoriously hard on cranes, making durability and reliability more important than ever. HITE sees a lot of them come through their bays, particularly Hi-Rail cranes, as CN has a strong presence in the Sudbury-Timmins region where they’re located.

“We service all kinds of cranes and heavy equipment,” says Marc Lafantaisie, HITE’s long-running Service Manager, “but we’d absolutely rather work with HIAB; our customers definitely prefer them too. They just make it easier.”

Marc credits HITE’s preference with many things, from Atlas Polar’s deep knowledge base and responsiveness to the fact that “they have all the parts—everything is readily available.” HIAB and Moffett parts are in-hand within one to two weeks at most, while parts for other cranes take anywhere from two to four months to get into the shop.

Many of the HIABs coming through HITE for service are up to 15 years old and still going strong. That’s not surprising to us, as we’ve seen HIAB truck-mounted crane models on the job that are 50 years old! It’s no surprise to Marc either. He owns a 24-year-old HIAB 070!

HITE’s capabilities are impressive. Their NDT technicians and crane Inspectors are certified to CGSB/ASNT and follow OSHA, CSA, and ANSI Standards. They have an independent Structural/Welding Engineer capable of full engineering services. And they’re mobile in Sudbury 24/7!

HITE hopes to double its shop size by adding 10,000 sf and four more bays, but for a business always in demand, that might take a year or two.