Belgian rental company and crane manufacturer Arcomet and Washington, D.C.-based tower crane company P&J Crane Systems recently joined forced to open P&J Arcomet, a crane rental company in Manassas, Va.

The new company will begin with 30 top-slewing cranes and six Arcomet self-erectors. Also, P&J Arcomet has ordered five new Comedil CTT331s and eight Peiner SK415s for delivery this year, and plans to acquire six additional Arcomet-built self-erectors. All of the 2005 deliveries have already been assigned rental contracts, and the company has begun working on its acquisition plans for 2006.

“P&J Arcomet provides us a greater platform in which to move into the North American market,” said Frans Wouter, managing director of Arcomet. “We foresee this growth as being quite considerable over the long term.”

“We will now be able to meet customer demand for our products and services as well as having access to the world’s largest fleet, so that we may participate even further in what is currently a very active market,” said Peter Jehle, president of P&J Crane Systems.

In late 2004, both companies announced the formation of a joint venture focusing on the self-erecting market, but have since agreed to expand the scope to cover all crane types. “We have been working with each other for several years and as we concluded the self-erecting venture together, it became apparent that both parties would greatly benefit from taking it one step further and totally combining operations,” said P&J Arcomet senior vice president Stephen Jehle. “The whole thing came together relatively quickly.”

To complement officers Peter and Stephen Jehle, Arcomet managing directors Dirk Theyskens and Frans Wouters will serve as board members.

Arcoment was founded in 1956 and is believed to be the largest tower crane company in the world, headquartered in Paal, Belgium. P&J Crane Systems was formed in 2000 by Peter and Stephen Jehle.