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May 29, 2023 -- OTH Pioneer Rigging now has delivered 600 remote-controlled LudwigHooks that are now at work across North America.
The company has reached the milestone just two years after introducing the hooks to North America.
The time-saving and safety-boosting hooks have gone to 130 users in 40 states and are being used in a variety of industries, including steel erection, wood construction, metal building installation, ports, terminals, and manufacturing.
Designed by a German logger, LudwigHooks are compact, durable, and versatile, says OTH. Each hook weighs only six pounds and is built to withstand harsh outdoor environments without needing to be charged at the end of each work day.
“When I decided to bring the lifting solution to North America in 2021, my business partner and I went on a 10,000-mile tour across the country with a truck and trailer to demonstrate the benefits of using a quick-release hook,” said Oliver Gleize, president of OTH Pioneer Rigging. “We had the opportunity to meet business owners and field personnel that were looking for a new and efficient way of doing everyday tasks, and the response we got was incredible.”
Using a traditional method may take up to five minutes to release rigging from a load and make it available for the next lift.
Gleize estimates that time lost just on that step costs contractors $30,000 to $100,000 per year for each crew.
“On average, crews that have implemented LudwigHooks are eliminating 150 hours each year simply by cutting the time it takes to release the load,” said Gleize. “Based on customer feedback, that translates to $1,900 per week, and users typically see a return on the investment in 10 weeks.”
The versatile hooks can benefit more than 30 lifting applications, Gleize said.
The hooks currently come in two models.
One has a working load limit of 4,400 lbs., and the other (XL) is rated for 11,600 lbs.
The hooks can be used in a choker configuration with wire rope or nylon slings, any kind of basket hitch, and with spreader bars or lifting frames.
Using a basket configuration doubles the system’s lifting capacity.
Users can synchronize an unlimited number of hooks on the same remote control, in any combination, for scalable capacity.
A short video shows how an erector uses 10 LudwigHooks at the same time to release panelized joists with the company’s custom lifting frame.
“As two entrepreneurs, we are very proud to have our hooks being used on job sites across North America,” said Gleize. “We started from nothing just two years ago, but now our goal is to have 10,000 hooks in use by 2030.”
OTH Pioneer Rigging has customer service for North American users and provides 24-hour shipping on spare parts to any job site in the U.S. and Canada.
