HISTORY NEBRASKA MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID
RG5516.AM: National Crane Corporation (Waverly, Neb.)
Records: 1963-2003
Waverly, Lancaster County, Neb.:
Size: 0.75 cu.ft.; 2 boxes
BACKGROUND NOTE
National Crane was founded in 1947 by Marlo Burg and began to manufacture roadside weed sprayers. Five years later, in 1952, the company began making front-end loaders as well. In 1962 the company moved its production facilities to Waverly, Nebraska, and the next year it adopted the name National Crane Corporation. By this time, National Crane was producing truck mounted hydraulic cranes. In 1972 Apache Corporation purchased the company. Then in 1978, National Crane became part of Kidde, Inc., an affiliation that gave National Crane a strong support base as it emerged onto the national and international markets. In 1987 Kidde, Inc. merged with Hanson Trust PLC, a large industrial corporation based in Great Britain. Bass Group bought National Crane in 1998, and four years later Manitowoc, Inc. purchased the company. In 2003, Manitowoc announced that National Crane’s product manufacturing would be moved to their facilities in Shady Grove, Pennsylvania. This marked the end of National Crane in Waverly. Overall, some 32,000 cranes had been manufactured and the company had controlled nearly 70% of the market share before the end of production.
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE
This collection consists of records relating to National Crane Corporation, arranged in three series: 1) National Crane Corporation Company History notebook, 1963-2003; 2) National Crane Corporation Company News Line newsletters, 1973-1976, and 1978-2002; and 3) National Crane Corporation Sales Manual, ca. 1964-1973.
Series 1 contains National Crane Company history (1963-2003) materials removed from a 3 ring binder and filed in their original order. Some photographs were included and have been transferred to the photograph department. A photocopy of the complete notebook is filed in folder 1.
Series 2 consists of National Crane’s Company News Line newsletters from 1973-1976 and 1978-2002. There are no issues for 1977. The newsletters are filed chronologically in original order. Within each folder, the issues are arranged with the earlier issues at the back and the more recent in front, with the exception of folder 1, which begins with the earlier issues in front. Note: Some issues between 1973 and 1976 survived only as master copies and contained original photographs. These issues were transferred to the photograph department and replaced with photocopies in the manuscript collection. Please ask the Reference Staff for assistance with these materials.
Series 3 includes National Crane Sales Manual materials removed from a 3 ring binder. Each folder contains detailed descriptions of series and models of National Crane products from ca. 1964-1973 and has been filed in original order in two parts.
Note: See the photo component [RG5516.PH] for photographs relating to the National Crane Corporation.
INVENTORY
Series 1 – National Crane Corporation history notebook, 1963-2003
Box 1
Folder
- NCC Company History Notebook (photocopy)
- NCC Incorporation
- NCC Staff
- NCC History
- “The Closing of National Crane”
Series 2 – National Crane Corporation Company News Line newsletters, 1973-1976, and 1978-2002
Box 1
Folder
- NCC Company News Line, 1973-1976
- NCC Company News Line, 1978-1983
- NCC Company News Line, 1984-1986
- NCC Company News Line, 1987-1989
- NCC Company News Line, 1990-1995
Box 2
Folder
- NCC Company News Line, 1996-1998
- NCC Company News Line, 1999-2002
Series 3 – National Crane Corporation sales manual, ca. 1964-1973
Box 2
Folder
- NCC Sales Manual, part 1
- NCC Sales Manual, part 2
- 3 ring binder with NCC logo
Subject headings:
Cranes, derricks, etc.
Lancaster County (Neb.) — Businesses
National Crane Corporation (Waverly, Neb.)
Waverly (Neb.) — Businesses
Revised 10-17-2007 TMM
