The Evolution of a Specialist Crane Builder
For more than five decades, OMi Crane Systems has been one of the behind‑the‑scenes forces keeping America’s manufacturing floors in motion. The company’s cranes, hoists, and trolleys are responsible for moving some of the heaviest and most unwieldy loads on the factory floor, from sheet steel coils destined for stamping lines to cast iron forgings requiring meticulous machining. This work demands an unusual combination of engineering finesse and hard‑wearing reliability, a balance OMi has refined since opening its doors in 1969.
OMi began life in Dallas, Texas, before relocating to Royse City, where it operates from a 76,000‑square‑foot facility staffed by more than 100 specialists. Its reach extends far beyond Texas thanks to full‑service branches in Houston, Dallas, and Alabama, supported by satellite teams in Florida and Ohio. Vice President of Operations Brandon Rue notes the company’s national footprint with pride: “We ship all over the country.”
From the outset, OMi focused on engineered‑to‑order overhead lifting systems rather than catalogue products. The result is a portfolio of cranes that match their intended buildings with remarkable accuracy. These are installations built around the fabric of a facility, its production cycles, and its day‑to‑day needs. Rue explains the rationale simply: “Everything we make is engineered to order. That’s because every facility is different, and every customer calls for different lifting capacities, travel speeds, duty cycles, and so on.”
Why Indoor Overhead Cranes Demand More
The type of work OMi handles is distinct from port cranes or marine lifting equipment. Most of its cranes operate indoors at steel warehouses, coil handling plants, and metal fabrication operations. These industries rely on machinery that runs around the clock and often at maximum load. Steel coils, for instance, can weigh tens of thousands of pounds, and any downtime can disrupt production for hours and sometimes days.
This constant strain places considerable emphasis on the performance of drive systems, hoists, and trolleys. Cranes in these environments must complete a high number of cycles without overheating or degrading prematurely. That level of reliability doesn’t happen without a clear focus on engineering discipline, streamlined integration, and dependable component suppliers.
One of OMi’s most popular crane configurations is the built‑up hoist and trolley system. These assemblies carry the brunt of the effort and require heavy‑duty power transmission components. Rue highlights the scale of these units: “The hoist does all the work, which is why we’ll often use one of the bigger NORD units, such as the SK 10 with a hundred horsepower motor.”
Building A Partnership That Keeps Manufacturing Moving
OMi’s relationship with NORD DRIVESYSTEMS stretches back more than 25 years. What began as a selective collaboration expanded dramatically around 2011 when OMi started manufacturing its own hoists. The company needed larger gearboxes, more horsepower, and complete drive assemblies that could integrate seamlessly with in‑house production. NORD’s preassembled, ready‑to‑install gearmotors provided exactly that.
Rue recalls the turning point: “We didn’t start using NORD almost exclusively until we started offering a complete hoist that we build in‑house. A lot of suppliers in this industry will make a gearbox and then put a motor on it, and sometimes vice‑versa, but not only does that slow everything down, it also makes it harder to get parts.”
Standardising on NORD gearmotors—motor, brake, and gearbox included—allowed OMi to streamline production while maintaining the flexibility its engineered‑to‑order customers expect. Pre‑engineered catalogue units aligned perfectly with OMi’s modular design philosophy and helped eliminate unnecessary assembly steps on the shop floor.
Engineering Precision Through Standardisation
Using standardised drive units has also influenced OMi’s design workflow. Engineers can size components, select configurations, and visualise assemblies using NORD’s online tools without waiting for technical assistance. myNORD, the company’s customer platform, provides instant access to 3D models, drawings, and configuration data directly compatible with OMi’s CAD systems.
Rue summarises the impact on design efficiency: “We size it, we pull the drawings, and we drop it into our models. It’s simple and it saves a lot of back and forth.”
The result is faster engineering cycles and reduced risk during crane assembly. Every matched set arrives from NORD ready for integration, allowing production teams to focus on system‑level construction rather than component‑level troubleshooting.
Customisation Where It Counts
Heavy industry rarely tolerates a one‑size‑fits‑all approach, and OMi’s customers frequently push the boundaries of throughput, cycle time, and load capacity. Tailoring cranes to meet these demands often hinges on fine control of lifting speeds. A slight increase in hoist velocity can translate to measurable gains in output, particularly in coil warehouses where movements occur continuously.
Rue offers a straightforward example: “For instance, a couple of feet a minute on a hoist, when spread out over several days or a week, makes a big difference in the number of picks they can make. So, if they want the hoist to go 21 feet per minute instead of 19 feet per minute, we make it go 21.”
NORD’s broad horsepower range lets OMi fine‑tune cranes from light‑duty travel motors to high‑horsepower hoist drives. This flexibility strengthens OMi’s ability to provide tailored cranes without sacrificing manufacturing efficiency.
Proof Across America’s Manufacturing Belt
Recent projects demonstrate how tightly integrated the OMi‑NORD partnership has become. In Bowling Green, Kentucky, eight cranes incorporating 56 NORD units supported a fully automated coil handling system that ties directly into the customer’s ERP software. The cranes manage inventory movements with minimal human intervention, a reflection of both mechanical reliability and precise motion control.
A project in Brandenburg required 16 cranes equipped with 110 NORD gearmotors across six bays, designed to handle high‑speed coil stacking and continuous operation. Another installation, supporting an aluminium processor, relied on five cranes and 50 NORD units engineered for delicate material handling.
Across these sites, OMi’s engineering teams designed cranes around the customer’s plant layout, uptime expectations, and production flow. Support from NORD has been equally reliable. Rue notes: “If a customer loses a motor or gearbox, NORD can usually get us a replacement very quickly, sometimes within a day or two.”
He also points to the strength of NORD’s service: “With some vendors, we might have to call several times before we can get somebody on the line. With NORD, we don’t have that problem.”
A Partnership Built On Reliability
Although NORD offers a 911 breakdown hotline, OMi has never had to rely on it, despite running large fleets of the company’s components for many years. Engineers handle most sizing and configuration tasks internally, using myNORD to place orders without constant back‑and‑forth communication.
The ability to maintain independence while benefiting from fast, dependable support has been a consistent advantage. Rue views this reliability as a key contributor to the company’s long‑term stability: “We’ve enjoyed very steady growth over the years. I attribute most of this to our employees. That said, NORD deserves at least some of the credit. They’ve been great to work with and have an equally solid product line.”
Lifting With Confidence
The partnership between OMi Crane Systems and NORD DRIVESYSTEMS showcases how thoughtful engineering, reliable components, and efficient manufacturing processes can transform heavy industry performance. OMi’s tailored cranes, powered by NORD’s drive solutions, help keep critical production lines running smoothly across the United States.
As manufacturers push toward higher throughput and increased automation, the demand for dependable lifting systems will only grow. OMi and NORD remain well positioned to support that future through a blend of precision engineering, responsive service, and a shared commitment to keeping industry moving.
