US Hoists: Making the Big Haul, Italian Style

The process of efficiently lifting and moving boats on land is an age-old conundrum. While ‘US Hoists’ is a relatively new name in the boat lift sector, in reality it blends more than four decades of boat lift experience with some of the most modern, automated boat lift technology on the planet. Thomas A. Tebbens II, president of US Hoists Corporation, explains. US Hoists Corp. of Calverton, NY recently teamed with Boat Lift SRL of Italy to deliver the Italian company’s innovative marine hoists and shuttle machines to North America, providing parts and service domestically for Boat Lift customers.   Thomas A. Tebbens II, president of U.S. Hoists Corporation sees the partnership as the perfect conduit and the first step in his plan to expand the company’s boat lift business, starting with parts and service supply, extending to refurbishments and rebuilds and culminating in new unit sales and manufacturing.

The “New Old” Company
“The company US Hoist was started in 2009 when we took over a company called Acme Marine Hoist,” said Tebbens. At the time of the acquisition, Acme Marine Hoist was 42-year-old company headquartered in Bayport, NY. “Acme Marine Hoist was one of the first manufacturers of boat hoists and boat lifts in the northeast (US).”
While Tebbens and his crew are relatively new to the boat lift business, Tebbens is a third generation owner of Tebbens Steel based in Calverton, a family company started in 1944 by his grandfather Alfred Tebbens, a company that has evolved with the times and today stands as a supplier in the high-end residential construction business on the East end of Long Island. “The boat hoist business is similar, but at the same time it is very different,” said Tebbens.
Tebbens initial attempt to buy Acme Marine Hoist in 2005 was rebuffed by the owner. But subsequently, after the owner passed away and the owner’s grandson took on the business, the wheels for sale were set into motion.
While he inherited some new build contracts with the company acquisition, the tactic from the outset was to focus on spares, repairs and refurbishments, positioning the company for new build business when the time was right.

Italian Style (& Substance)
While ACME Boat Hoist was his entrance into the boat lift market, Tebbens cannot hide his enthusiasm for the line of products offered via his new partnership with Italy’s Boat Lift SRL, a company which custom designs its boat lifts and carts, offer a palate of standard design features that includes a 90-degree steering system with electronically synchronized winches; sliding lifting points and remote control equipped with display and remote assistance service.
“When I took over (ACME Boat Hoist) in 2009, I set a goal of the type of equipment I would like to build, looking at our competition and saying ‘Whatever they can do, we’re going to do it better,’” said Tebbens.   “And when I went to Italy, they were already doing it!”
So US Hoists entered an agreement as the sales agent and as the sole provider of parts and services for Boat Lift’s hoists in North America.
Tebbens is hopeful that the relationship, built on a solid base of service and support, will eventually lead to a deal for a license to build their hoists and carts in the U.S. For the moment though, the focus is on repairs, spares and service, and to that end US Hoists invested to ensure that it maintains an adequate stock of parts in the U.S., ready for installation should the need arise. Boat Lift mobile boat haulers come standard with a number of features designed to enhance efficiency and safety, including:
•    90-degree steering system
•    Radio controlled
•    4 steering wheels, 2 steering wheels or sideways movement
•    Electronically synchronized
    winches


(*The maneuverability and ease of driving the motorized cart lift and transport system was confirmed, as Maritime Reporter was given the opportunity to take a unit for a ‘test drive’ across US Hoist’s parking lot in Calverton. While we didn’t lift a boat, the driving and overall handling was intuitive and simple to master. •  G. Trauthwein)