PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
The Pacific Lifter
PPM introduces the biggest crane in Seattle since Frasier
By Jim Chliboyko
To paraphrase a line from Jaws, there comes a time
when any growing construction company says to
themselves, “We’re going to need a bigger crane.”
This was the thought that occurred to those at the
Seattle-based company Pacific Pile & Marine (PPM). The tenyear
old company saw the industry shifting towards more
modularized construction and heavier materials to achieve
the design criteria of today’s evolving infrastructure. To be
better positioned for work demanding a larger class of crane,
they had added several Demag CC 2500 crawler cranes and,
most recently, the floating crane known as the Pacific Lifter.
With a 1,000-ton lifting capacity, it is the largest floating
crane on the west coast.
“The largest class we had previously over water was a
Manitowoc 4600 Series 4 Ringer crane at 600 tons,” said
Kustaa Mansfield, business development manager at Pacific
Pile & Marine. “In discussing upcoming opportunities with
clients, we recognized there was a need in the market to
upsize our capacity, so we started down that path.”
The Pacific Lifter has a long-standing history in the heavy
lift industry; 2019 marks 50 years since it was commissioned
in 1969 and equipped with an American Hoist & Derrick 509
Revolver for constructing offshore platforms. At the time, it
was the largest floating crane in North America. For years,
it operated in Mexican waters, conducting offshore marine
construction and pipeline activities, until the mid-1980s
when the offshore market slowed. In early 2000s, the floating
crane was upgraded and outfitted with pipe lay gear. Prior
to coming to PPM, the crane was used on a limited basis
for minor platform support, repair and maintenance work.
Modern platforms require even larger equipment. These days
the American Model 509 Revolver is more commonly used for
servicing and decommissioning existing platforms.
Perhaps because of its size or perhaps because of the highprofile
assignment it has drawn, the Pacific Lifter is getting
some notable attention (more than cranes barges usually do).
The barge itself measures 400 feet by 106 feet. Whether or not
it’s explicitly identified, it’s often seen in photos of the Seattle
PHOTOS COURTESY OF PACIFIC PILE & MARINE
PILING CANADA 63