Abilene High Lift Aerial, a new rental company in Abilene, Texas, will soon offer customers the highest reaching aerial equipment in North America.

The newly formed company has purchased a Steiger TTS 1000 aerial work platform with a working height of 328 ft. The machine will be powered by a Mack Granite Series truck purchased from TransEdge Truck Centers and manufactured by Mack Trucks of Allentown, Pa. The aerial work platform was manufactured by Ruthmann Gmbh & Co. KG Co. in Germany. Delivery of the new unit is expected early this summer.

“We started the company to meet the requirements of wind turbine service companies as well as construction companies, utilities and others needing high overhead access with outstanding safety,” said Steve Roth, president, who co-founded Abilene High Lift Aerial with Darrell Shortes, vice president. Both are industry veterans with more than 50 years of combined experience. Roth has participated in both corporate and public construction administration. Shortes is president of Raydon Construction, a multi-faceted construction company that he founded. Raydon will be providing operators that are both factory and IPAF trained on the Steiger TTS 1000 for companies wanting them.

"Before purchasing an aerial work platform, we thoroughly researched alternatives and decided on the Steiger TTS 1000 because of its safety, height and reach capabilities. Not only does it have a 328-ft. working height, it also has a 131-ft. horizontal reach and 1,102-lb. platform capacity," Roth said. “A significant feature is the Steiger TTS 1000’s capability of working in wind speeds up to 35.8 mph, the highest wind rating available for high-reach aerials. Another factor is its configuration for swift road transportation and the tight turning radius that enables it to negotiate sharp corners.”