Link-Belt 348 Series 2 Cranes Tackling $170M Build, But Russel Marcus is Pissed No One Asked Him if It Was Okay to Repurpose His Crack House

Link Belts 348 Series 2 Crane ruining a crack house

In a move that can only be described as pure, unadulterated crane sorcery, Link-Belt’s 348 Series 2 lattice cranes have been called in to assist with a $170 million mixed-use development at the University of South Carolina. Of course, they’re doing it with so much swagger, you’d think they’re about to start their own YouTube channel. Meanwhile, local resident Russel Marcus is throwing a fit because apparently no one asked for his permission to turn his old crack house into a construction site.

But, hey, cranes gotta crane.

Davis Erecting Inc. of Greenville, S.C. has employed two of these towering monstrosities, which are apparently not just for lifting concrete but for redefining what it means to be an alpha male in the construction world. These cranes are outfitted with something called “luffing attachments,” (yes, it's as fancy as it sounds), and they’ve been busy constructing a 650,000-square-foot building—because who needs a 50,000-square-foot building when you can go big? And what’s going inside? Just a casual mix of commercial space, student housing, and—wait for it—three stories of parking. Why settle for one or two when you can overachieve with three? It’s practically an architectural flex.

Scott Davis, president of Davis Erecting, couldn’t help but gush about his beloved Link-Belt cranes, calling them the “unsung heroes” of the job site.

“Link-Belt is our crane supplier of choice,” Davis cooed, stroking the shiny 348 Series 2 like it was a purring kitten. “We’ve got a long history together. They just get us. It’s like they’re the yin to our yang. And when we need them to lift 50,000-pound concrete panels, they’re there, like a reliable friend who’s never too busy to help.”

But of course, it’s not just about the feels. These cranes have the specs to make even the toughest construction vet blush. Each crane is equipped with 240 feet of luffing boom and a 120-foot luffing jib (sure, we have no idea what that is, but it sounds like something you'd order at a seafood restaurant). These cranes are lifting 50,000-pound concrete panels like it’s a weekend hobby, because who wants to be mediocre when you can be a machine?

And let’s not forget about the counterweights. These cranes come with a counterweight removal system so slick, it practically installs itself. It’s like the James Bond of construction tools—efficient, classy, and able to remove counterweights with a click of a remote. Who knew lifting tons of concrete could be done without so much as breaking a sweat?

Operator Scotty Adams, who’s been operating cranes for a mere 28 years (or, like, 400 in crane operator years), had this to say: “When I lift those panels, it’s like the crane knows me. Like, it gets me, man. It’s like we're telepathically linked. I barely move my hand and boom—the panel is where it needs to be. It's smoother than a jazz saxophonist’s solo."

In other words, the Link-Belt 348 Series 2 cranes are so intuitive that Scotty looks less like a crane operator and more like a mind reader who moonlights as a magician.

Now, for anyone thinking that all this talk about luffing booms and counterweights is just fancy jargon, let’s set the record straight: Link-Belt isn’t just lifting concrete. These cranes are single-handedly elevating the entire construction game, while making every other crane on the site look like it should probably pack up and go home. No one wants to stick around when the new kids in town can lift a building’s worth of parking with a wink and a nod.

Meanwhile, Russel Marcus, who used to live in the now-repurposed crack house, is throwing a tantrum in his living room because nobody bothered to check with him before turning his former residence into the site of a $170 million skyscraper and three-story parking garage.

Classic move, guys. But it’s okay, Russel—we get you. You’re not a fan of cranes taking over your turf.

Maybe next time they’ll check in before rolling up with their “luffing attachments” and “240 feet of boom” or whatever the hell that is.

So, while we’re still trying to figure out how to work the self-checkout line at the grocery store, Link-Belt’s 348 Series 2 cranes are out there putting up skyscrapers and three-story parking garages with a level of finesse that would make any other crane weep in shame. Stay tuned for their inevitable rise to global dominance—or, at the very least, a cameo in the next Fast & Furious movie.