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Acquisition Expands Safway’s Reach

Monday, January 28, 2013

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Access services giant Safway Group has once again extended its specialties and geographical reach with the purchase of Swing Staging Inc. and four related companies.

The acquisition of New York-based Swing Staging, Twin & Swing Scaffolding Inc., Specialty Access Systems LLC, Long Island City Trucking Corp., and Scaffold King Inc. will strengthen Safway's position in the New York City area and "expand its expertise and offerings in motorized access solutions," Safway announced in a statement Jan. 16.

Safway Group

The Safway Group provided staging equipment and services for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

The acquisition transfers the equipment, inventory and brand name of Swing Staging to a new Safway Group entity called Swing Staging LLC.

Nearly 50 years old, Swing Staging provides masonry and suspended scaffolding, permanent installations and window-washing rigs, material and elevator hoists and mastclimbers, and other equipment and services for the commercial and industrial markets. Before this acquisition, it was the largest independently owned suspended scaffolding company in the world.

The Swing Staging deal is the second major expansion in three months for Safway. In October, the access company announced the acquisition of North American Coatings, one of the United States' largest industrial painting contractors, and its family of companies.

That acquisition was aimed at strengthening Safway's position as a full-service provider for industrial coating projects.

Big and Getting Bigger

With more than 90 locations in the U.S. and Canada and distributors across South America, Safway provides access, scaffolding, insulation, fireproofing, surface preparation and coatings products and services to the petrochemical, oil and gas, power, refining, marine, manufacturing, transportation and commercial construction industries worldwide.

Swing Staging

The Swing Staging deal will expand Safway's presence in New York City and increase its motorized access business.

Founded in 1936, the Safway Group's companies include Redi Insulation; CL Coatings; Industrial Coatings & Fireproofing; Safway Atlantic; Safway Services; and Safway Services Canada.

The Swing Staging companies are "a strong addition to the Safway Group and will help grow our motorized access business," said Bill Hayes, Safway Group president and CEO.

"Swing Staging has built a strong reputation in the area as the ‘go-to’ provider for a wide range of suspended access solutions," said Hayes.

"For more than 50 years, they have been known for offering the most extensive, high-quality rental fleet, and delivering the right equipment in pristine condition—whenever and wherever customers need it."

Swing Staging

Swing Staging provided equipment and services for a contractor to replace ceiling panels on the dome of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Swing Staging owner John Pantanelli, who had taken over the business from his father who founded it, will join Safway as vice president of sales for Swing Staging LLC.

"Being a part of a larger company that is a major national player, like the Safway Group, is an opportunity for us to move Swing Staging to the next level of development," said Pantanelli.

"We are looking forward to leveraging our operational and management expertise in the suspended-access business to a much broader market."