NEWS RELEASE

                                                                        CONTACT:
                                                                 Karen L. Howard
                              Vice President-Finance and Chief Financial Officer
                                                   Columbus McKinnon Corporation
                                                            Phone:  716-689-5550
                                                        karen.howard@cmworks.com


               COLUMBUS MCKINNON NAMES NICHOLAS PINCHUK A DIRECTOR
  PRESIDENT OF WORLDWIDE COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL GROUP, SNAP-ON INCORPORATED
                         JOINS CMCO BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Amherst,  New York,  January 31, 2007 - Columbus McKinnon  Corporation  (NASDAQ:
CMCO),  a leading  designer,  manufacturer  and  marketer of  material  handling
products,  today  announced  that its Board of Directors  appointed  Nicholas T.
Pinchuk,  President of the Worldwide  Commercial and Industrial Group of Snap-On
Incorporated (NYSE: SNA), a Director of Columbus McKinnon.  Mr. Pinchuk,  who is
also a Senior Vice  President  of Snap-On  Incorporated,  an S&P 500 company and
leading global  innovator,  manufacturer and marketer of tools,  diagnostics and
equipment  solutions for  professional  users,  joined Snap-On in 2002. Prior to
that,  Mr.  Pinchuk  served  in  several  executive  operational  and  financial
management  positions at United Technologies  Corporation,  including President,
Global Refrigeration Operations of its Carrier Corporation unit and President of
Carrier's Asia-Pacific  Operations.  He also served in financial and engineering
managerial  staff  positions at the Ford Motor  Company  from 1972 to 1983.  Mr.
Pinchuk also held the rank of First  Lieutenant  in the United  States Army from
1970 to 1971.  He holds  Masters and Bachelor of Science  degrees in  Electrical
Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and also received a Masters of
Business Administration degree from the Harvard Business School.
     Columbus  McKinnon  President and Chief Executive Officer Timothy T. Tevens
commented,  "Nick is an outstanding addition to our Board bringing over 30 years
of executive level  financial,  strategic,  sales and operational  experience at
leading  multinational  manufacturing  companies.  The Commercial and Industrial
Group he leads at Snap-On sells into markets similar to Columbus McKinnon, where
his  perspective  will be valuable as we increase our  investments in marketing,
product development and channel expansion."
     Ernest R.  Verebelyi,  Chairman  of the Board of Columbus  McKinnon  added,
"Nick's  experience and successful track record in Asia-Pacific  markets at both
Snap-On and United  Technologies  will be especially  helpful as we continue our
expansion into international markets, particularly the Far East. We look forward
to the many contributions he will make as a Director of Columbus McKinnon."
     This  appointment  follows an extensive  search and increases the number of
directors  currently serving on Columbus McKinnon's Board of Directors to eight.
Mr. Pinchuk will stand for election by shareholders at the Company's next annual
meeting to be held in the summer of 2007.




ABOUT COLUMBUS MCKINNON
-----------------------

Columbus McKinnon is a leading worldwide designer,  manufacturer and marketer of
material  handling  products,   systems  and  services,  which  efficiently  and
ergonomically  move,  lift,  position or secure  material.  Key products include
hoists,  cranes,  chain and  forged  attachments.  The  Company  is  focused  on
commercial  and  industrial  applications  that  require  the safety and quality
provided  by  its  superior  design  and  engineering  know-how.   Comprehensive
information   on   Columbus   McKinnon   is   available   on  its  web  site  at
http://www.cmworks.com.
----------------------


SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT

This news release contains  "forward-looking  statements"  within the meaning of
the Private Securities  Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements  include,
but are not limited to, statements  concerning future revenue and earnings,  and
involve  known and unknown  risks,  uncertainties  and other  factors that could
cause the actual  results of the Company to differ  materially  from the results
expressed  or  implied  by such  statements,  including  changes  in  accounting
regulations and other factors disclosed in the Company's  periodic reports filed
with the Securities and Exchange  Commission.  The Company assumes no obligation
to update the forward-looking information contained in this release.



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