The AEM Manufacturing Express pulled up to Link-Belt Cranes in Lexington on a cool October morning. As the morning dew sat upon the Kentucky bluegrass, workers gathered to celebrate their many accomplishments and enjoy the day’s festivities that came along with the bus.
The event marked the Manufacturing Express’s second time in Lexington. Last summer, the bus visited LBX, a sister company of Link-Belt Cranes that manufactures excavators. 2024 also marked the 150th anniversary of Link-Belt, and Friday’s event was a continuation of that sesquicentennial celebration.
Link-Belt workers donned custom gray t-shirts celebrating 150 years of Link-Belt Cranes and their involvement in the I Make America campaign as they played basketball, ate a delicious barbecue lunch, and enjoyed the day’s festivities.
For the past 50 years, Link-Belt Cranes has been manufacturing its product line at this facility in Lexington. In that time, the company has become a staple of the community, both locally in Lexington, but also statewide. Link-Belt Cranes can proudly claim that its 750 employees in Lexington reside across 45 different counties across the Bluegrass State.
These hardworking Kentuckians come to Link-Belt Cranes every day to manufacture equipment that plays a pivotal role in building and maintaining the country’s infrastructure.
“You see our cranes being used in major infrastructure, like airport expansions, wastewater treatment plants, data centers, road construction,” said Link-Belt Cranes President and CEO Melvin Porter. “This is where we get into the uniqueness of our design. You want to design a crane that can work on that job site to provide that contractor the best solution for the work he’s doing.”
A large part of what makes Link-Belt Cranes different from its competitors is the variety and versatility of its product line. Whether it be the telescopic crawler cranes that can rise up and down to help with bridge construction, or the all-terrain crawlers that are well renowned for their efficiency and mobility, Link-Belt Cranes make something for every kind of customer. Link-Belt also prides themselves on its vertical integration, making every part of the crane in-house. This ensures that every crane that leaves its facility is made to the highest standards.
The cranes made at Link-Belt help build communities across the nation, but the company is also involved in building the local community in Kentucky. Link-Belt Cranes is focused deeply on developing the next generation of manufacturing workers in the Bluegrass state. The company regularly donates its welding equipment to the local vocational schools to help students train and learn the skills they need to know to join either a company like Link-Belt Cranes or one of Kentucky’s many other equipment manufacturers.
From its 150-year legacy to its investment in tomorrow’s workforce, Link-Belt Cranes continues to prove that equipment manufacturing is about more than equipment; it’s about people. The company’s impact stretches far beyond its facility walls, reaching classrooms, communities, and infrastructure projects nationwide. It’s a proud reminder that when manufacturers thrive, so do the communities they call home.
