HOLT Aerial
16 September, 2024
Based in Lakeway, Texas, HOLT Aerial (Formerly TGM Wind and Kardie Equipment) is the largest Bronto Skylift access dealer in the Americas. Established as Kardie Equipment/TGM Wind Services in 2010 (a wind turbine service and cleaning company), the business soon expanded to aerial rental. Following an acquisition by HOLT Group in 2022, and the rebrand to HOLT Aerial in 2024, the company is led by Kardie veteran Clayton Ripley, together with Keith Darby as Director of Operations.
Today, HOLT Aerial has one of the largest fleet of MEWPs (mobile elevating work platforms) in North America with over 50 units. In addition to servicing the world’s largest wind companies, HOLT Aerial expanded to industries including Transmission & Distribution, Petrochemical & Refining, Aerospace, Construction and Telecommunications.
The Path to the Bronto Family
HOLT Aerial, then Kardie Equipment, initially linked up with Bronto Skylift in 2009 through the North American sales manager for Bronto Skylift. The two companies hit it off and HOLT Aerial quickly put in an order for two 90-metre (295 feet) S295HLAs. This cemented HOLT Aerial as the first to take aerial platforms above 250ft in the United States.
HOLT Aerial is a now a full-service Bronto Skylift dealer, with an array of services including the rental, lease, and sale of aerial platforms ranging from 46 metres (150 ft.) to 104 metres (341 ft.) in reach.
The company also offers spare parts, maintenance, inspections, and Bronto-certified training courses. HOLT Aerial’s roving team of Bronto Skylift mechanics—recently changing its name from the “Kares Team” to the “Cares Team”—offers service throughout their operational area as well as a fully-featured maintenance package.
“The Cares Team has years of experience operating Brontos out in the field, so they understand first-hand the challenges that our current operators and customers might face out there,” says Darby. “This helps them diagnose issues with minimal downtime. They take pride in what they do, and their response time is quick!”
For General Manager Clayton Ripley, it’s the combination of HOLT Aerial’s strong service orientation and the sheer effectiveness of the Bronto units that drives the partnership.
“More than anything, people are waking up to the safety and efficiency of Brontos compared to older access methods. It’s been up to us, at HOLT Aerial, to educate the end users that there’s a tool out there that can do it better and safer. It’s certainly the preferred method for employees and for safety professionals.”
Clayton Ripley, General Manager, HOLT Aerial
Lift-off for HOLT Aerial
Between the growth of the wind industry, aerospace, and other access applications, the growth of HOLT Aerial shows no signs of slowing. At the beginning of 2022, the company gained even more growth leverage with an acquisition by HOLT Group, that led to a big order with Bronto Skylift to expand the fleet significantly.
“The acquisition by HOLT and rebrand to HOLT Aerial has been exciting because of the focus on growing the fleet and optimizing customer service. The addition of the Bronto S341 HLA is the tallest unit in our fleet. Up until now, our tallest unit was 90 metres (295 feet), so the 104 metre (341 ft.) unit far surpasses that,” says Darby.
“We’re already the largest aerial provider in North America and we want to further our lead,” stated Ripley. “I’m very positive about the future of HOLT Aerial, especially with the backing of the HOLT Group.”
With the acquisition and HOLT Aerial rapid expansion, Ripley believes they’re only at the beginning of something big. The new aerials began arriving in May 2023, with scheduled deliveries every month for the next two years, which will more than double the size of HOLT Aerial’s current fleet.
Ripley added, “We have a very strong foothold and Brontos are really starting to gain ground. Wind is going to do great things for us, and I do think adoption in other industries is going to grow. Our market will eventually wake up to their safety and efficiency, and we could easily have 2,000 of them in the US, just like in Europe.”
The delivery of the first 104-metre (341 ft.) aerial in the United States allows HOLT Aerial to access to ever-taller wind turbines and higher aerospace applications. Often, all a potential customer has to do is get their hands on one.
“Customers love them, once they rent or buy a Bronto from us, they want another. And they just keep coming back. They use self-propelled aerials every day up to 150 feet and a Bronto is just the safest, most efficient way to lift a human more than 300 feet in the air.”
Clayton Ripley, General Manager, HOLT Aerial
Contact:
HOLT Aerial
3503 Wild Cherry Drive, Building 1
Lakeway, TX 78738
Tel: +1 (888) 958-0499
HoltAerial.com