P&H Products

Alonzo Pawling and Henry Harnischfeger, in 1884, embarked on a business venture in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A machine and pattern shop for the knitting industry, P&H entered the crane industry in 1887. A big opportunity came in the early 1890’s when Westinghouse bought out the Gibbs Electric Company and closed the Gibbs manufacturing plant. Pawling & Harnischfeger required all of Gibbs production machinery, and soon after that, the complete line of vastly improved electric motors bearing the P&H trademark became available for many industrial applications. By this time, with the new P&H motors, P&H overhead bridge cranes became even more popular. In 1911, ill health forced Alonzo Pawling to dissolve the partnership that had started with a handshake. Shortly after Pawling retired and sold his investment to Henry Harnischfeger the name of the business was changed to Harnischfeger Corporation keeping the now famous P&H trademark emblem. The material and handling division of Harnischfeger was spun off in 1998 and the new name was Morris Material Handling. Then in 2006 Morris Material Handling was acquired by Kone. Over the century P&H was a pioneer in the electric hoist development. Numerous products are still in operation today and have endured the test of time. Many of these products have changed over this time but many are still in operation. Shannahan Crane & Hoist has been associated with the P&H brand since the early 60’s, with a vast inventory of P&H Parts and knowledge.