Our History
Morgan Engineering has been part of America since 1868. 150 years later, we’re still a proud domestic overhead crane manufacturer. Manufacturing material handling equipment right here in the U.S.A.
Founded in 1868 by Thomas Rees Morgan, Morgan Engineering has a rich history of becoming the industry-leading overhead crane manufacturer. With more than 30,000 cranes designed and manufactured, we hold thousands of patents and designs using edge-cutting innovations and technologies. Our team engineers, designs, and manufactures; leading to our philosophy that if you can dream it, we can make it.
Going Strong After 150 Years
Company History
Thomas Rees Morgan Sr. founds Morgan Engineering in Pittsburgh, PA.
Morgan moves its headquarters to its present location in Alliance, OH.
Morgan patents the first steam-powered overhead traveling crane.
Morgan builds a gantry crane with a lifting capacity of 25 tons. “An engineering feat” for this time.
Morgan invents the first electric overhead traveling crane.
Morgan incorporates the first polyphase AC motor into its cranes, in cooperation with Westinghouse and Nikola Tesla.
Morgan builds and exhibits a 25-ton capacity electric overhead traveling crane for the Chicago World’s Fair which fair attendees enjoy taking rides on.
Morgan designs and builds Gordon 10-inch Disappearing Gun Carriages, which will later see action during the Spanish-American War.
The company enters this float—Our Part in the World War—in a parade. The float features a 6-inch improvised field mount type A cannon.
Stripper cranes start to dominate steel making. Morgan builds the first 400-ton capacity Stripper Crane in the world.
Morgan builds the press that General Motors will use to build the 1927 Chevrolet Superior Touring Sedan.
Morgan is awarded the Navy “E” Flag. Employees gather for its presentation.
Morgan builds the propulsion drive system to transport massive NASA rockets from the assembly facility to the launch pad in Cape Canaveral, FL.
Morgan builds a 600-ton capacity stripper crane, nicknamed “Big Mo,” for Bethlehem Steel’s facility in Sparrows Point, MD. It is the world’s largest stripper crane thus far and was designed by Morgan employees Terry Fedor, P.E. and late Nelson Baker, P.E.
The company designs and builds the first fully automated rail-mounted gantry container handling system at Matson Terminals on the West Coast.
Morgan helps pioneer retractable stadium roofs with its work on the Toronto Sky Dome in Toronto, Ontario, now known as the Rogers Centre.
Morgan builds the world’s first fully autonomous hot metal charging crane for Iron Dynamics in Butler, IN.
Morgan purchases The Alliance Machine Company.
Morgan acquires Heppenstall and Blaw-Knox, both companies with origins dating back to the late 1800s, to further Morgan’s position as a full solution for overhead cranes.
Morgan introduces the first autonomous hot-mill, coil-handling crane featuring its Cephas work-in-process (WIP) inventory-managing software.
Morgan completes work on another retractable stadium roof, this time for the United States Tennis Association’s Arthur Ashe Stadium. The site of the US Open in Queens, NY.
Morgan commemorates its 150th anniversary by building a new corporate office and publishing a book on the company’s rich history, titled, “From Pit Ponies to Retractable Roofs: Pioneering Innovation for 150 Years.”
