Irving Equipment
Corporate brand
UnclaimedIrving Equipment is a J.D. Irving division providing crane rental, heavy lifting, rigging, and related equipment services to industrial and construction projects in Canada and the United States.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Irving Equipment is a division of J.D. Irving, Limited focused on heavy lifting, crane rental, specialized transport, and related equipment services. Its roots are traced to 1958, and its principal operating base is in the Saint John area of New Brunswick, Canada. The division developed alongside the industrial expansion of the Irving business group and has supported projects associated with construction, shipbuilding, oil refining, and pulp and paper mill development. The company’s capabilities expanded substantially during the growth of the Saint John refinery. In the mid-1970s, Irving Equipment entered pile driving, broadening its activities beyond equipment support and into specialized industrial construction services. In 1984, its civil contracting activities were separated into a distinct business, Gulf Operators, allowing Irving Equipment to concentrate more specifically on lifting, crane, and equipment-related work. Irving Equipment has operated as both a Canadian service provider and a cross-border crane business. In 1999, it established a United States crane-rental office in Eliot, Maine, followed by additional locations in Hampton, New Hampshire; Burlington, Massachusetts; and Charleston, West Virginia. From 2009, the United States operation used the Irving Crane name. The North American footprint enabled the company to serve major industrial, infrastructure, energy, and construction projects requiring large cranes, engineered lifts, specialized transport, and project-specific rigging. Engineering and lift planning have been important elements of the division’s offering. In 1987, Irving Equipment developed CraneCAD, a lift-planning application built on the AutoCAD platform. The software allowed engineers to model work sites in three dimensions and evaluate crane selection and lift configurations before operations began. The project received partial funding from the National Research Council of Canada, and its development later received professional recognition in New Brunswick. The company has also participated in the organized crane and specialized-transport sector. Irving Equipment was among the companies involved in the formation of the Crane Rental Association of Canada. Roger Cyr served as the association’s chairman for 2008–2009, while Kyle Jardine served on its 2010–2011 board. Industry recognition included a 30-year longevity award from the Specialty Carriers and Rigging Association in 2008 and listings in major North American and international crane-owner rankings during the late 2000s and early 2010s. Irving Equipment’s positioning is that of an industrial lifting and equipment specialist rather than a consumer-facing brand. Its work is project-based and technically intensive, combining owned or managed lifting equipment with engineering, planning, site coordination, and specialized operating expertise. The available reference material emphasizes its role in supporting the wider J.D. Irving industrial portfolio and external construction and infrastructure customers, but does not provide current financial information, a complete equipment fleet, or a definitive modern corporate website.
History
Irving Equipment traces its roots to 1958 and developed within J.D. Irving, Limited's industrial operations in the Saint John area of New Brunswick. Its activities supported the construction and expansion needs of several industries associated with the Irving group, including shipbuilding, oil refining, and pulp and paper. A major turning point came during the expansion of the Saint John Irving Oil refinery in the mid-1970s. Irving Equipment broadened its capabilities into pile driving, adding a specialized construction function to its equipment and lifting activities. In 1984, the company's civil contracting operations were separated to create Gulf Operators. This restructuring left Irving Equipment more focused on cranes, heavy lifting, specialized equipment, and related technical services. In 1987, the division created CraneCAD, a lift-planning system built on AutoCAD. Developed by professional engineers Fred Dickinson and Jeff Dacey, the software enabled three-dimensional modeling of project sites and supported decisions about crane type and lift configuration. The National Research Council of Canada provided partial funding for the project. Dickinson and Dacey later received the New Brunswick Society of Professional Engineers' Award for Technical Excellence in 1994 for their work on CraneCAD. Irving Equipment expanded beyond Canada in 1999 by opening a crane-rental office in Eliot, Maine. Further United States offices were established in Hampton, New Hampshire, Burlington, Massachusetts, and Charleston, West Virginia. The American business adopted the Irving Crane name in 2009. This expansion gave the division a cross-border operating presence in the northeastern and eastern United States. The company participated in the development of Canada's organized crane-rental industry as one of the companies involved in forming the Crane Rental Association of Canada. Its representatives also held association roles: Roger Cyr was chairman during 2008–2009, and Kyle Jardine served on the 2010–2011 board of directors. During the late 2000s and early 2010s, Irving Equipment received sector recognition and appeared in crane-industry rankings. It received a 30-year longevity award from the Specialty Carriers and Rigging Association in 2008. It was also included in the ACT rankings of major crane-owning companies in North America and the IC50 ranking of large crane owners worldwide. The cited results placed it 31st in the ACT list in 2009 and 27th in 2010, while its IC50 position improved from 45th in 2008 to 44th in both 2009 and 2010. The available sources describe Irving Equipment as an industrial service division rather than an independently listed corporation. They do not establish a current executive roster, current locations, revenue, ownership structure beyond its relationship with J.D. Irving, Limited, or a current official website.
- 2010
Improved crane-industry rankings
[1]The cited rankings placed Irving Equipment 27th in the ACT100 assessment and 44th in the IC50 list.
- 2009
United States operations adopt Irving Crane name
[1]The company's United States activities began operating under the Irving Crane name.
- 2008
Industry recognition
[1]The company received a 30-year longevity award from the Specialty Carriers and Rigging Association and was listed in international crane-owner rankings.
- 1999
United States expansion
[1]Irving Equipment opened a crane-rental office in Eliot, Maine, beginning its United States expansion.
- 1994
CraneCAD technical excellence award
[1]Engineers Fred Dickinson and Jeff Dacey received the New Brunswick Society of Professional Engineers' Award for Technical Excellence for their CraneCAD work.
- 1987
CraneCAD developed
[1]The division developed CraneCAD, a three-dimensional lift-planning application built on AutoCAD.
- 1984
Civil contracting separated into Gulf Operators
[1]Irving Equipment's civil contracting activities were separated to form Gulf Operators.
- 1975
Expansion into pile driving
[1]During the expansion of the Saint John refinery, Irving Equipment broadened into pile driving and related industrial construction support.
- 1958
Roots of Irving Equipment
[1]The division can trace its origins to 1958 in the Saint John industrial region of New Brunswick.
Products and positioning
A technically oriented industrial lifting and equipment-services division serving complex construction, energy, shipbuilding, refining, pulp and paper, and infrastructure projects.
Industrial equipment services
Crane rental and heavy lifting
Irving Equipment provides crane rental and heavy-lift support for construction and industrial projects. The reference material associates the division with large crane ownership, engineered lifting, and work for shipbuilding, refining, pulp and paper, and other major facilities.
Crane rental · 2009
Irving Crane
Irving Crane was the name used for Irving Equipment's United States operations from 2009. Its network developed from the Eliot, Maine office and later included locations in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and West Virginia.
Engineering and lift-planning software · 1987
CraneCAD
CraneCAD is a lift-planning application developed by Irving Equipment on the AutoCAD platform. It supports three-dimensional modeling of project sites and helps engineers determine suitable crane types and precise lift configurations for individual operations.
Industrial construction services · 1975
Pile-driving services
Irving Equipment expanded into pile driving during the mid-1970s in connection with expansion of the Saint John refinery. The available source identifies this as a historical business activity but does not describe its current scope.
Brand decisions
2009
Rebrand United States operations as Irving CraneStrategyBackground
Irving Equipment had developed a multi-office crane-rental operation in the United States.
Action taken
The company began operating its United States business under the Irving Crane name.
Aftermath
The available reference does not provide further information about the commercial results or later status of the name.
1999
Enter the United States crane-rental marketStrategyBackground
The company sought to extend its crane-rental activities beyond its Canadian base.
Action taken
Irving Equipment opened a crane-rental office in Eliot, Maine, and subsequently added locations in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and West Virginia.
Aftermath
The division established a cross-border operating presence; its United States business later used the Irving Crane name.
1984
Separate civil contracting operationsStrategyBackground
Irving Equipment had developed civil contracting capabilities alongside its equipment and industrial work.
Action taken
The civil contracting activities were separated into a new business called Gulf Operators.
Aftermath
The restructuring enabled Irving Equipment to focus more narrowly on crane, lifting, and equipment-related activities.
Sources1 sources
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