EXHIBIT 31.1


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, Timothy T. Tevens, Chief Executive 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/ TIMOTHY T. TEVENS
------------------------
Timothy T. Tevens
Chief Executive Officer