Announcing Virginia Crane

Foley Material Handling Co. Inc. has aligned its public-facing corporate identity under its premier, long-standing registered brand name: Virginia Crane. While the underlying corporate structure and ownership remain unchanged, adopting Virginia Crane as the unified primary brand simplifies market recognition, unifies field services and equipment manufacturing under one flagship identity, and reflects how the company’s products have been known across major industrial sectors for decades.

History & Brand Evolution

1. Founding as Foley Material Handling (1975)

Founded in 1975 by Dale Foley in Ashland, Virginia, the company began as a specialized regional installer of monorails, patented track systems, and single-girder overhead cranes. As manufacturing expanded to include heavy-duty box girder cranes and specialized custom hoists, the company built a strong reputation across severe-duty industries like steel, paper mills, power generation, and shipbuilding.

2. The Introduction of Virginia Crane® (1980s)

In the early 1980s, Foley Material Handling established and registered Virginia Crane® as the official brand name for its primary line of overhead bridge and gantry crane systems. Over four decades, equipment bearing the Virginia Crane® name became the dominant touchpoint for clients, government agencies, and industrial plants across North America.

3. Consolidation into Virginia Crane

Over time, external recognition of the Virginia Crane brand surpassed the broader corporate name of Foley Material Handling Co. Inc. The strategic shift to operate fully as Virginia Crane leverages immediate brand awareness, eliminates dual-naming confusion, and unifies all equipment lines and field services under a single, trusted name.