SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                      Washington D.C. 20549



                            FORM 8-K



                         CURRENT REPORT

             PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

                 SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934



                 Commission file Number 0-27618



Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) January 9, 1997 

                  COLUMBUS McKINNON CORPORATION               
     (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)



         NEW YORK                                 16-0547600     
(State or other jurisdiction of              (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)               Identification No.)




      140 JOHN JAMES AUDUBON PKWY., AMHERST, NY  14228-1197
      (Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)



                (Registrant's telephone number, 
               including area code) (716) 689-5400



                        NOT APPLICABLE                            
      (Former name, former address and former fiscal year, 
                  if changed since last report)












Item 5.   Other

     (a)  L Acquisition Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the
"Purchaser"), and a wholly owned subsidiary of Columbus McKinnon
Corporation, a New York corporation (the "Company"), has
completed its acquisition of Spreckels Industries, Inc.
("Spreckels") (known as Yale International, Inc.) by merging
Columbus McKinnon's wholly-owned subsidiary with and into
Spreckels pursuant to the terms of its merger agreement with
Spreckels.  Each outstanding share of Spreckels Class A common
stock ("Shares") which was not tendered and purchased in the
tender offer for the Shares which closed on October 17, 1996 was,
pursuant to the terms of the merger, cancelled, extinguished and
converted into the right to receive $24.00 per Share in cash,
without interest, as a result of the merger.

 Item 7.  Exhibits

     (a)  Exhibits.

          (99) Text of press release dated January 9, 1997
announcing the completion of the acquisition of Spreckels by the
Company.





































                           SIGNATURES


          Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be
signed on behalf of the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                              COLUMBUS McKINNON CORPORATION


Date:     January 9, 1997     By/s/ Robert L. Montgomery, Jr.     
                                    Robert L. Montgomery, Jr.
                                    Executive Vice President and
                                    Chief Financial Officer














































                                                     Exhibit (99)

                  COLUMBUS MCKINNON CORPORATION
                    COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF
                    YALE INTERNATIONAL, INC.


                                            FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
                                                  January 9, 1997


AMHERST, NY -- Columbus McKinnon Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCO) today
announced that it had completed its acquisition of Spreckels
Industries, Inc. (doing business as Yale International, Inc.) by
merging its wholly-owned subsidiary with and into Spreckels
pursuant to the terms of its merger agreement with Spreckels.  

          Each outstanding share of Spreckels Class A Common
Stock ("Shares") which were not tendered and purchased pursuant
to the tender offer were, pursuant to the terms of the merger,
cancelled, extinguished and converted into the right to receive
$24.00 in cash, without interest, as a result of the merger.

          Columbus McKinnon Corporation designs, manufactures and
sells a broad range of material handling, lifting and positioning
products which are sold in the domestic and international
markets.  Its products are sold through distributors to end-users
for numerous applications in the general manufacturing, crane
building, mining, construction, transportation, entertainment,
power generation, waste management, agriculture, marine, medical
and other markets, and to hardware and farm equipment
distributors, mass merchandisers and rental outlets for consumer
use.  

          Columbus McKinnon Stock trades on the Nasdaq National
Market System under the symbol,"CMCO."

          CONTACT:  Robert L. Montgomery, Jr. Executive Vice
President and Chief Financial Officer of Columbus McKinnon
Corporation, (716) 689-5400.


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