Rigging-Busters is an industrial rigging company in St. Catharines serving plants across the Niagara Region. Our riggers and machinery movers plan and carry out heavy lifts, rig and skid machinery, load and unload trailers, and set equipment in place, from a single press or CNC machine to a complete production line.
We provide industrial rigging services and industrial moving for manufacturers, food and beverage processors, greenhouse operations, machine shops and equipment dealers that need heavy equipment lifted and moved safely, on schedule and with minimal downtime.
- Industrial only: machinery and plant equipment, no household or office moves.
- Rigging only or the full move: lifts, skidding and loading on their own, or one crew for rigging, transport, set-in-place, levelling and millwright installation.
- Fast quotes: replies within 2–4 business hours.
- Service area: St. Catharines, the Niagara Region and southern Ontario.
Need a ballpark first? Try our Heavy Lifting & Moving Calculator for a rough price range.
or give a call +1-647-846-5179
Rigging heavy machinery is planned work, not guesswork. Before anything leaves the floor, our riggers confirm the weight, the centre of gravity, the lifting points, the floor capacity and the route out. Then we pick the method: machinery skates, a hydraulic gantry, jack-and-roll, or a lift by a licensed crane partner.
Good planning protects the equipment, the building and the people around the lift, and it keeps your shutdown as short as possible.
Estimates are free. Tell us what needs to be rigged and we will plan the safest method for it.
or give a call +1-647-846-5179
How We Rig and Lift Machinery in St. Catharines
Every rigging job we take on follows the same seven steps, from a single lift to a full plant move:
- Job details and photos: make, model, weight, dimensions, where the machine sits now, where it is going, and your dates.
- Site check when needed: doors, aisles, floor capacity, overhead clearance, pits and anchor bolts, and the route out.
- Rigging plan: centre of gravity, lifting points, rated slings, shackles and spreader beams, and the method (skates, gantry, jack-and-roll or a partner crane).
- Disconnect and lockout: your licensed electricians or maintenance team disconnect power, air and water before we start.
- Lift and skid: the machine is raised with a gantry, jacks or a lift truck, set on skates or dollies and rolled out.
- Load or haul: we load your carrier’s trailer, or transport the machine ourselves with the permits it needs.
- Set in place and level: on the new footprint, aligned and ready for reconnection; millwright installation is available.
Rigging Equipment Our Crew Uses
Our mobile rigging crew brings the gear to your plant or site:
- Rated slings, shackles and spreader beams sized to each lift
- Machinery skates and dollies to roll machines across the plant floor
- Hydraulic gantries to lift machines where there is no overhead crane
- Jack-and-roll systems to raise heavy loads in stages and roll them into position
- Heavy-capacity lift trucks to load, unload and place machines
- Crane lifts through licensed crane partners when a load has to go overhead
Rigging Only or a Full Move
You decide how much of the job we take on:
- Rigging only: our machinery riggers lift the machine, skid it out and load it onto your carrier’s trailer, or unload it and set it in place when it arrives. This suits in-plant moves, line changes and new machine deliveries.
- Full move: machine moving and rigging in one job. The same crew rigs, hauls, sets in place, levels and installs, with permits arranged. See our machinery movers in St. Catharines.
Machinery Transport and Permits in Niagara
When the job includes transport, we haul each machine on a trailer matched to the load and arrange a permit from every road authority on the route. The City of St. Catharines issues oversize and overweight permits for City roads and asks for a sketch of the load dimensions and travel route with each application. Niagara Region issues its own permit for Regional roads, and provincial highways such as the QEW and Highway 406 need an MTO permit, which Ontario asks carriers to request at least 5 business days before the trip. Routes that cross the Welland Canal are planned around its bridges and tunnels, and we arrange cross-border transport to the United States.
Millwright Installation and Levelling
A move is only finished when the machine is ready to run. Our millwrights place each machine on its new footprint, shim, level and align it, and hand it over ready for your licensed electricians to reconnect. Large machines that ship in sections are taken apart at the old site and rebuilt and aligned at the new one.
Moving a whole line or building? See factory and plant relocation in St. Catharines, or browse all our services in St. Catharines.
or give a call +1-647-846-5179
Machines and Heavy Equipment We Rig
Our St. Catharines equipment riggers handle heavy and sensitive industrial equipment, including:
- Stamping and forming presses, press brakes and shears
- CNC machines, machining centres and lathes
- Plastic injection moulding and extrusion machines
- Tanks, fillers, conveyors and bottling lines for food, beverage and wine production
- Boilers, generators and compressors for plants and greenhouses
- Transformers, switchgear and electrical cabinets
- Printing presses, packaging and converting machines
Industries We Serve in Niagara
Automotive and propulsion parts plants, metal fabricators and machine shops, food and beverage processors and wineries, greenhouse and agri-food operations, marine and shipyard suppliers along the Welland Canal, and packaging and printing plants, plus equipment dealers and auction buyers across the Niagara Region.
Rigging Presses and CNC Machines
Presses are top-heavy and often sit in pits or on anchor bolts, so we confirm the weight and centre of gravity, lift with a gantry or jack-and-roll, and skid them out low. For CNC machines we lock the axes and secure the spindle, while your team or the OEM backs up the parameters and drains the coolant. We then set the machine in place and level it, ready for the OEM technician to recommission.
Food, Beverage and Greenhouse Equipment
Tanks, fillers and conveyors are moved with their stainless surfaces protected and set on the new floor or pads to your layout. Your team handles cleaning and sanitation, and your licensed electricians and other trades disconnect and reconnect utilities. In greenhouses and processing plants we also rig boilers, generators and other heavy plant equipment through tight doors and service openings.
Buying or selling used machinery? We rig out and load auction purchases and dealer pickups across Niagara; send us the lot list for a quote.
or give a call +1-647-846-5179
Industrial Rigging Cost in St. Catharines: What Affects the Price
Rigging is quoted per job, after we see the details or visit the site. The main cost drivers are:
- Weight, size and centre of gravity of the load
- Access and floor: door width, overhead clearance, pits, stairs, docks and floor load limits
- Method: skates, gantry, jack-and-roll or a partner crane (crane time is included in your quote)
- Rigging only or a full move: transport distance, permits and escorts add to the price
- Extra work: disassembly, crating, levelling, anchoring and millwright installation
- Timing: shutdown windows, nights and weekends
Ask for one quote that covers every part of the job so you can compare like with like. For a rough range first, use the Heavy Lifting & Moving Calculator.
Areas We Cover in St. Catharines and the Niagara Region
Our riggers cover St. Catharines from Port Weller and the north end to Merritton, Grantham and the business parks near the QEW, and the rest of the Niagara Region: Thorold, Welland, Niagara Falls, Port Colborne and Fort Erie, with their industrial and employment lands, plus Niagara-on-the-Lake, Lincoln, Pelham and Grimsby. Further west, see industrial rigging in Hamilton and industrial rigging in Brantford.
Key Cities We Serve Around St. Catharines
| City | Province | Country |
|---|---|---|
| St. Catharines | Ontario | Canada |
| Niagara Falls | Ontario | Canada |
| Grimsby | Ontario | Canada |
| Fort Erie | Ontario | Canada |
| Lincoln | Ontario | Canada |
| Niagara-on-the-Lake | Ontario | Canada |
| Port Colborne | Ontario | Canada |
| Pelham | Ontario | Canada |
| Thorold | Ontario | Canada |
| Welland | Ontario | Canada |
or give a call +1-647-846-5179
Why Niagara Plants Hire Our Riggers
- Industrial specialists: we rig and move machinery and plant equipment only.
- One crew from rigging to set-in-place: lifts, skidding, transport, levelling and millwright installation.
- The right lift method: skates, gantries and jack-and-roll, with crane lifts arranged through licensed partners.
- Planned around your production: we schedule the rigging inside your shutdown window to keep downtime short.
- Permits handled: City of St. Catharines, Niagara Region and MTO permits for oversize loads.
- Fast answers: quote replies within 2–4 business hours.
- Insured: liability and workers’ compensation insurance (WSIB in Ontario), with a certificate of insurance on request.
A good fit: machine lifts and in-plant moves, rigging only for your own carrier, new machine deliveries and installs, production line and plant moves, and auction or dealer pickups.
Not a fit: rigging supply or sling sales, equipment or crane rental, structural steel erection, towing, household or office moves, and stage or event rigging.
Have These Ready for an Exact Quote
A complete request gets a faster, firmer price. Please include these with your quote request:
- What needs rigging: one machine, several machines, a line or a whole plant
- Make, model, weight and size (a nameplate photo helps)
- Rigging only or a full move: if transport is needed, both addresses
- Access: doors, docks, overhead clearance, stairs or pits, and floor conditions
- Dates or your shutdown window
- Photos of the machine, its lifting points and the route out
Other Services in St. Catharines
Related services from our St. Catharines crew (or see all our services in St. Catharines):
- Heavy Equipment & Machinery Movers in St. Catharines, ON
- Lab & Medical Equipment Movers in St. Catharines, ON
- Forklift Moving Service in St. Catharines, ON
- CNC Machine Movers in St. Catharines, ON
Location of our sales office:
264 Welland Ave, St. Catharines, ON L2R 2P8, Canada 👇
Industrial Rigging in St. Catharines: FAQ
Industrial rigging is the planning and work of lifting, moving and placing heavy machinery and plant equipment. Riggers work out the weight and centre of gravity, choose rated slings, beams, a gantry or jacks, then lift, skid or roll the load and set it in place. In St. Catharines and Niagara we rig presses, CNC machines, tanks, generators and production lines.
Yes. Many plants in St. Catharines and across Niagara hire us for rigging only: lifting a machine, skidding it across the floor, loading it onto your carrier’s trailer, or unloading it and setting it in place when it arrives. If you need the whole job, the same crew also handles transport, levelling and millwright installation. Just tell us which parts you need.
Rigging is priced per job. The cost depends on the weight and size of the load, access and floor conditions, the lifting method, whether you need transport and permits, and timing such as shutdown or weekend work. Use our Heavy Lifting and Moving Calculator for a rough range, or send the job details for an exact quote.
Usually not. Most machinery rigging inside a plant uses skates, hydraulic gantries, jack-and-roll systems and heavy-capacity lift trucks. When a load has to go over a wall, onto a roof or out of a pit, a licensed crane partner performs the lift as part of our rigging plan, and the crane time is included in your quote. We do not rent out cranes.
Yes. We haul machinery on trailers matched to each load and arrange the permits. City of St. Catharines roads need a City oversize or overweight permit, Regional roads need a Niagara Region permit, and provincial highways such as the QEW need an MTO permit, which Ontario asks carriers to request at least 5 business days ahead. Routes across the Welland Canal are planned in advance.
Heavy rigging covers loads too heavy or awkward for a forklift or a simple lift, such as large presses, transformers, tanks and long machine frames. It uses hydraulic gantries, jack-and-roll systems and machinery skates, with crane lifts through licensed crane partners when a load must go overhead. Every heavy industrial rigging job starts with a plan for weight, balance and route.
Rigging is the preparation: choosing and attaching rated slings, shackles, spreader beams or a gantry so the load is balanced and secure. Lifting is the controlled raise itself, by gantry, jacks, lift truck or crane. On a machinery job our riggers do both, then skid or roll the machine to its new spot and set it in place.
All of St. Catharines, including Port Weller, Merritton and Grantham, and the rest of the Niagara Region: Thorold, Welland, Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Port Colborne, Fort Erie, Pelham, Lincoln and Grimsby. We also take rigging jobs in Hamilton, Brantford and across southern Ontario, and we arrange cross-border transport to the United States.
No. We are an industrial rigging contractor: our riggers do the lifting and moving with our own skates, gantries and rigging gear. We do not sell slings or hardware, rent out equipment or cranes, or erect structural steel. For rigging supplies, contact a rigging supply store; for a machinery lift, move or installation in Niagara, send us the job details.
