Spring, 2023

The New York Power Authority's Robert Moses Plant is one of the largest hydro-electric generating facilities in the U.S. The facility moves 25 turbines with 748,000 gallons of water per second to produce a maximum voltage of 2.6 million kilowatts of electricity. This electricity supports communities across the North-East. Since its construction in 1961 Clark has always had a vital role in various projects around the plant. Being a 62 year old facility, general maintenance and capital projects are crucial to its longevity. In this specific project, a storm drainage outlet was eroding the shoreline that supports the entire base of the plant. It was critical that the drainage system be reconstructed and the shoreline re-stabilized.

Clark was involved with the facility's contracting team right from the beginning of the project to establish feasibility and the best approach. Ultimately it was determined the drainage line would be re-routed to a different discharge point. With a new path in place, there was still the need to remove an existing 24,000lb concrete head-wall as it was barely being supported on the eroded shoreline. Clark designed a special rigging configuration using custom single eye wire rope slings & wedge sockets to connect to the piece of concrete. Clark's well prepared rigging and operating crews used the custom rigging arrangement with a Liebherr LTM1200-5.1 (240T) crane to successfully remove the head wall. The crews additionally provided crane & rigging services to set erosion netting and 140 tons of large rock over the bluff in efforts to stabilize the shoreline. A specialized self-releasing rock grapple was procured to set the rock. Clark is committed to providing solution-based services to our customers.

A sincere thank you to NYPA, Mark Cerrone Inc, and the Clark Rigging crew members that safely completed this project given the special conditions.

Winter, 2023

An urgent situation recently unfolded at Nucor Steel when an electrical transformer suddenly failed sending most of the facility into darkness. The operation of this 150,000 lb. transformer is critically important in keeping the Auburn, NY facility's furnaces functional 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Clark Rigging's General Foreman Gunter Minges received the urgent call from Nucor and was immediately sent to meet with the plant's officials and access the situation. Upon evaluation, a plan was devised that required around-the-clock coverage of teams of riggers, crane operators, oilers, and truck drivers.

Clark Rigging's new 500 ton Tadano AC 7.450-1 and 60 ton Liebherr LTM 1055-3.2 cranes were also required to safely hoist out the failed 75 ton transformer and replace it with an operational unit. Within hours, Clark's crews and equipment began arriving at Nucor's facility as Clark Rigging's Regional Manager, Paul Goodman coordinated the dispatching and mobilization of cranes from across New York State.

Once all cranes were setup and in place, crews immediately began work to swap out the failed transformer. Working through the night, Clark's team successfully replaced the large unit and power was quickly restored to the steel plant by the next day.

Fall, 2022

Clark Rigging was recently contracted to assist with the ship offloading, handling, and staging of large wind tower components at the Port of Oswego.

After much consideration, Clark Rigging's experienced Project Manager, Mike Dombroski determined the use of crawler cranes to be most efficient for the majority of this project.

Clark dispatched a total of five crawler cranes - (2) 440 ton Manitowoc 16000 cranes, (2) 250 ton Link-Belt 298 cranes, and (1) Sany SCC 1000 crane.

This project also occasionally required the use of several mobile cranes like the 400 ton Terex AC 350-6, 240 ton Terex AC 200-1, 110 ton Liebherr LTM 1090-4.2, and 60 ton Liebherr LTM 1055-3.2 cranes.

Having the right equipment made the job of handling large, bulky wind tower components extremely safe and efficient. Clark Rigging specializes in providing the right solutions to unusual lifting projects.

Contact us today to discuss your next project and see what we can do for you.

Summer, 2022

HARBEC, a well known sustainable manufacturing company located along the NY-104 corridor in Ontario, NY, is widely recognized in their efforts to minimize negative environmental impacts, and conserve energy and earth's natural resources.

HARBEC recently called on Clark Rigging to assist in the repair and rebuilding of one of their two onsite wind turbines. These turbines are mounted on vertical towers hundreds of feet in the air, and generate power when wind rotates the propeller-like blades of a turbine around a rotor, which spins a generator, which then creates electricity.

To work on such large wind turbines requires highly skilled personnel and the use of several cranes to dismantle and lower the blades, hub, rotor, and generator to the ground. Clark Rigging dispatched their 245 ton Demag AC 220-5 and Terex-Demag AC 40-1 cranes to assist in the project. After extensive preparation and planning, crane operators Jay Davis and Joe Wheaton successfully dismantled and lowered all tower components safely to the ground.

After the tower's generator is rebuilt, Clark will return to hoist and reassemble the tower to then make it fully operational.

A special Thank You to Harbec and Boulter Industrial Contractors for their cooperation in this project.

Winter, 2022

Clark Companies Annual Safety Meeting 2022
Each year Clark Companies puts on a mandatory safety meeting for its employees. The meeting consists of a presentation/discussion done by a guest speaker or speakers on a certain safety topic chosen by Clark Companies management.

Following the presentation Clark Companies' Safety Manager presents the company safety statistics from the previous year and discusses any areas to improve upon for the upcoming year. This year's guest speakers were Ryan and Jim from The New York State Department of Transportation. Ryan and Jim are commercial motor vehicle inspectors/safety specialists.

At this year's meeting, Clark Companies wanted to focus on what to expect when a driver goes thru a DOT stop as well as the importance of on the road safety. Ryan and Jim's presentation touched on topics such as documentation (medical certificates, licenses, etc.), pre-trip inspections, hours of service and tie-downs/load securement.

At Clark Companies, safety is our #1 priority and we use these meetings to refresh and reinforce our commitment to safety to our employees and customers. Clark Rigging's other Link-Belt cranes have also been working on this expansion project, namely the 100-ton Link-Belt HTC-86100, and 110-ton Link-Belt HTC-86110 truck cranes to name a few.

Fall, 2021

Western New York Energy is one of the largest biofuel producers in the Northeast, and is currently undergoing a multi-million dollar expansion at it's production plant in Medina, NY.

One of Clark Rigging's newest cranes to enter the fleet, a Link-Belt 298 HSL Series-2 Lattice Boom Crawler Crane was recently dispatched to the processing plant to perform a series of critical lifts over the next few months. The 298's long boom length and compact size make it an ideal crane for the congested work site.

Clark Rigging's other Link-Belt cranes have also been working on this expansion project, namely the 100-ton Link-Belt HTC-86100, and 110-ton Link-Belt HTC-86110 truck cranes to name a few.

Summer, 2021

One of Clark Rigging's newest pieces of equipment was recently utilized to perform a series of transformer replacements at several electrical substations throughout Western New York.

These electrical substations had failed transformers located inside a roofed bay enclosure, or directly under live overhead power lines which limited the use of a crane to move them out.  As an alternative solution, a 150 ton capacity Hydra-Slide XLP150 slider beam system was used as a safe, cost-effective method of moving heavy loads along the ground in areas where overhead space is limited and clearance counts.  

The XLP150 system consists of a hydraulic power pack, a push/pull mechanism, and a modular slide surface.  It is completely hand-portable, simple to assemble, requires limited jacking, and can push or pull up to 150 tons.  With the use of the Hydra-Slide XLP150, Clark Rigging was able to perform a series of these transformer replacements at multiple locations with only a one-day turnaround for each.

Fall, 2018

A tense situation recently occurred at the Salamanca Allegany Casino when a suspended outdoor window washing scaffold malfunctioned, stranding two workers 120 feet in the air.

Luckily, no one was injured in the mishap as firefighters quickly responded and rescued the window washers within the hour.

However, the window washing scaffold remained suspended as it hung precariously from the side of the Seneca Allegany Resort and Casino. Clark Rigging's Project Manager Jordan Kydd received the call for assistance in retrieving the stranded scaffold.

Access to the dangling scaffold was limited, so Jordan developed a plan using two cranes to retrieve the unit. The proposal utilized a 150 ton Terex mobile crane to safely hoist a crew up alongside the scaffold. The riggers would attach rigging from the scaffold to the hook of a second larger crane - a 300 ton Terex machine, which would safety hoist the scaffold away from the side of the building.

To visualize this plan and identify any potential problems, Jordan utilized 3D Lift Plan (Critical Lift Planning Software) to create detailed three-dimensional simulations and renderings of all the lifts, from start to finish. With 3D Lift Plan, potential issues can be identified and addressed in the earliest stages of a project.

Clark Rigging customers can "see" a successful lift before a crane ever arrives on site, resulting in increased efficiency on the job-site and on the bottom line. Most importantly, thorough lift planning improves lift safety by improving foresight and real-time lift accuracy.

Clark Rigging understands that customers are looking for more than just equipment. They need the confidence that comes from an experienced and technologically advanced partner that will get the job done efficiently and safely. Contact us today to discuss your next project.

February, 2018

Clark Rigging kicked 2018 off with a large coordinated project at the SUNY Upstate Cancer Center in Syracuse, NY.  Erie Mechanical Contractors, Inc. was contracted to replace almost two dozen over-sized HVAC units located near the center of the busy Cancer Center complex.  Because of their immense size, these units presented a logistics challenge to not only get them to the hospital in a coordinated manner, but also not disrupt the daily flow of people and emergency traffic at the facility.

For a solution, Erie Mechanical called upon Clark Rigging & Rental. Clark's experienced project management team in Syracuse, NY devised a five step plan to safely accomplish the task at hand:

Step 1 - Ship all new HVAC units from factory directly to Clark's Syracuse facility and store.

Step 2 - Erect a 400 ton crane at the Cancer Center one day prior to setting units.

Step 3 - Reload all new units onto twelve of Clark's trucks and dispatch each to Cancer Center in a coordinated fashion.

Step 4 - Use the crane at the Cancer Center to offload and set new rooftop units in place.

Step 5 - Dismantle the crane and demobilize all equipment from SUNY Upstate Cancer Center.

Because of the large volume of traffic typically found at the SUNY Upstate Cancer Center during daytime business hours, Clark Rigging opted to minimize their impact on the medical facility by beginning work on a Friday night and working straight through the weekend during off-peak hospital hours.

After months of meticulous planning, the date was set to put the plan into action.  All Clark Rigging crews and equipment were dispatched, and within 36 hours, all were back safely to the Syracuse yard with job completed as planned.  This is just another example of how Clark Rigging & Rental can help you accomplish most any difficult challenge.

April 2017

Most of us take for granted the utilities we rely on that enrich our lives daily. We may not understand the huge utility system that’s in place to give us uninterrupted electrical service each and every day. And, when our infrastructure ages, it becomes unreliable and eventually obsolete. Therefore, utility companies must continuously invest in new critical components to assure uninterrupted service for us all. The Clark Companies are also investing in the tools and equipment needed to assist the utility companies in the installation of these valuable components.

In a recent example of this, Clark Rigging was contracted to remove and replace a 200,000 lb. transformer for National Grid in a live powered, fully-functioning switch yard. The task of moving giant transformers in a facility surrounded by live electricity can be daunting and dangerous without proper planning, the right equipment, and experienced personnel. The key equipment used in this project was a brand new 500 ton capacity Hydra Slide jack-and-slide system. This system enables the smooth, seamless, and safe movement of large, heavy equipment that utilities demand. After weeks of detailed planning, the project began and was completed without a hitch.

By continuously investing in such specialized equipment, this illustrates the commitment and respect for this important market that the Clark Companies have become proficient at. As with all equipment that Clark acquires, careful study precedes any purchase to make sure it is industry leading and appropriate for the high expectations for utility companies. Public and private utilities need professional expertise to complete these critical maneuvers, and Clark is continually making the necessary investments to help maintain the services that we all use every day.