EXHIBIT 31.2


CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER PURSUANT TO RULE 13A-14(A)/15D-14(A) OF
   THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934, AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF
                         THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002


I, Robert L. Montgomery, Chief Financial Officer, certify that:

          1.   I have  reviewed this  quarterly  report on Form 10-Q of Columbus
               McKinnon Corporation;

          2.   Based on my knowledge, this quarterly report does not contain any
               untrue  statement of a material  fact or omit to state a material
               fact  necessary  to make  the  statements  made,  in light of the
               circumstances   under  which  such   statements  were  made,  not
               misleading  with respect to the period  covered by this quarterly
               report;

          3.   Based  on  my  knowledge,  the  financial  statements  and  other
               financial  information included in this quarterly report,  fairly
               present in all material respects the financial condition, results
               of  operations  and cash flows of the  registrant as of, and for,
               the periods presented in this quarterly report;

          4.   The registrant's other certifying  officers and I are responsible
               for   establishing  and  maintaining   disclosure   controls  and
               procedures  (as defined in Exchange  Act Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14)
               for the registrant and have:

               a.   designed such disclosure controls and procedures,  or caused
                    such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under
                    our  supervision,   to  ensure  that  material   information
                    relating  to  the  registrant,  including  its  consolidated
                    subsidiaries,  is made  known to us by others  within  those
                    entities,  particularly  during  the  period  in which  this
                    quarterly report is being prepared;

               b.   evaluated the  effectiveness of the registrant's  disclosure
                    controls  and  procedures  and  presented in this report our
                    conclusions   about  the  effectiveness  of  the  disclosure
                    controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered
                    by this report based on such evaluation; and

               c.   disclosed  in this  report  any  change in the  registrant's
                    internal  control over  financial  reporting  that  occurred
                    during the registrant's  most recent fiscal quarter that has
                    materially  affected,  or is reasonably likely to materially
                    affect,  the  registrant's  internal  control over financial
                    reporting; and

     5.   The  registrant's  other  certifying  officer(s) and I have disclosed,
          based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial
          reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the
          registrant's  board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent
          functions):

          a.   all  significant  deficiencies  in the  design  or  operation  of
               internal  control over financial  reporting  which are reasonably
               likely to adversely  affect the  registrant's  ability to record,
               process, summarize and report financial information; and

          b.   any fraud,  whether or not material,  that involves management or
               other employees who have a significant  role in the  registrant's
               internal control over financial reporting.



Date:  February 11, 2004
/S/ ROBERT L. MONTGOMERY
-------------------------
Robert L. Montgomery
Chief Financial Officer