American Crane Partners with Thomas to Drive Recruitment, E‑Commerce Success & Industry Innovation

Thomas has connected industrial buyers and suppliers for more than 125 years. The Industrial Icons blog series celebrates long‑standing customers who have grown alongside Thomas and the evolving marketing solutions that have supported them.

American Crane & Equipment Corporation has been manufacturing cranes, hoists and other specialty lifting equipment for over 50 years. The family‑owned company serves sectors where precision and safety are non‑negotiable, including aerospace, automotive, chemical and nuclear industries. Senior marketing leader Michele Downie explains how the partnership with Thomas has helped ACECO with recruiting, e‑commerce and beyond.

How and when did you start advertising with Thomas?

American Crane has advertised with Thomas since the 1990s. When I joined the company in June 2018 as the sole marketing officer, Thomas became my “marketing team.” They helped bring my ideas to life and sharpened our strategies, providing a learning platform that grew with me.

What have been the biggest wins in your journey with Thomas so far?

We’re building a new Shopify store and Thomas is providing extensive backend support. My team designed the user experience, and the Thomas team is turning that vision into a fully functional storefront.

We’re running paid ads for our products during the transition, and for HR recruitment. The result? A steady stream of qualified applicants, so we’ve halted costly billboard campaigns that cost thousands of dollars a month.

Thomas also performs foundational audits of our marketing stack—evaluating downloadable resources, traffic, and form performance—and keeps everything running smoothly. Their work is invisible but vital, allowing us to focus on growth.

“The Thomas team truly operates as an extension of our internal team.”

- Michele Downie, Senior Marketing Leader, American Crane

What’s something you’ve learned from working with Thomas?

I’ve learned that there are always gaps in knowledge, and Thomas provides the expertise to test ideas, weigh pros and cons, and navigate industry nuances. I focus on strategy; they handle the details.

What trend are you seeing in your industry, and how are you adapting your marketing strategy?

The shift is toward bite‑size visual content—short reels and micro‑videos—optimized for mobile, which is now the primary channel for our audience. We also integrate AI thoughtfully, drawing on best practices to add real strategic value. Our podcast “Always Lifting” recently featured Chad Harvey, who distinguished tech fads from lasting value.

Manufacturing’s resilience: what gives you hope for the future?

With growing emphasis on nuclear power and semiconductor advances, the manufacturing sector remains vital. ACECO supplies over 40 % of the nation’s nuclear facilities and is active in aerospace. Rapid change demands flexibility, and collaboration expands bandwidth and innovation.