Our story as Chicago’s original crane rental service begins as most American success stories do; in America’s heartland after World War II. Our founder, John Mooncotch Sr., stormed the beaches at Iwo Jima and returned to the United States to start a family. For several years John Mooncotch traveled the country between various steel erection companies, building our cities’ infrastructure. He made c
ountless friends and gained key industry knowledge that would one day lead to La Grange Crane Service’s great success. After marrying in late 1963, wife Judi encouraged John Mooncotch to venture out on his own to start La Grange Steel Erection in 1964. Together, John and Judi would be renting out cranes at every opportunity to support their growing family, and the groundwork for La Grange Crane Service was laid. La Grange operated as a steel erection company through 1980. Thereafter, John and Judi’s focus would be solely on heavy hoisting. Over the last 50 years La Grange Crane has transformed from humble beginnings, to Chicagoland’s premier crane rental service. Our growing fleet now includes truck, rough terrain, and all-terrain cranes from 28 Ton Boom Trucks to 550 Ton Cranes. No job is too big or too small. Our WBE, DBE, and FBE certifications make La Grange the perfect partner for all projects private and public. Though our family business resembles little from what my Father and Mother started over five decades ago, our core values and belief in the customer has never wavered. We work daily with hundreds of local businesses and contractors who are driven toward the same goals that John and Judi Mooncotch sought when they started La Grange Crane, the American Dream.
