Heftee lift inventor and company founder dies
On March 4, Heftee Industries LLC announced with great sadness the passing of J. Edson (Ed) McCanse, the company’s founder and inventor of the Heftee service lift.
In 1988, Ed McCanse founded McCanse Engineering, Inc. together with his wife, Lillian, and one of his sons, Rick McCanse. The company initially provided contract design services, safety training and other engineering consulting services. By 1991, however, the company was manufacturing and selling the Heftee service lift, as well as agricultural products for the Christmas tree industry.
Ed designed the Heftee 2000, a single-post lift for lawnmower and utility vehicle service, as well as the Heftee 250 and Heftee 4000 lifts. Ed obtained various patents on these and other products. He successfully led the company through its early growth and was responsible for establishing the Heftee lift as the premier OPE service lift across North America. In 1999, Ed retired and sold McCanse Engineering to Scott Fore, who subsequently renamed the company after its core product brand — Heftee.
Ed was well known throughout the outdoor power equipment industry, working first for John Deere and Company in Moline, Ill., and then for Woods Equipment Company in Oregon, Ill. He served as Chief Engineer, as well as Quality Assurance and Safety Manager for Woods. In his role at Woods, he was responsible for the design of the Bat Wing mower.
Ed passed away at age 83 on Friday, March 1. He and Lillian were married 65 years, resided in Oregon for more than 50 years, and were actively involved in various community organizations and events. Ed is survived by Lillian; his son Rick and four other children; and numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.
