UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D. C. 20549
                                    FORM 11-K

/X/ ANNUAL REPORT  PURSUANT TO SECTION 15(d) OF THE  SECURITIES  EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934 [NO FEE REQUIRED]

                    For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2000

/ / TRANSITION  REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES  EXCHANGE ACT
OF 1934 [NO FEE REQUIRED]

                  For the transition period from        to

                    Commission file number


A. Full title of the plan and the address of the plan, if different from that of
the issuer named below:

                          Columbus McKinnon Corporation
                          Employee Stock Ownership Plan
                       Restatement Effective April 1, 1989

B. Name of issuer of the securities held pursuant to the plan and the address of
its principal executive office:

                          COLUMBUS McKINNON CORPORATION
                         140 John James Audubon Parkway
                             Amherst, NY 14228-1197

<PAGE>


                       Financial Statements and Schedules

                          Columbus McKinnon Corporation
                          Employee Stock Ownership Plan

                       Years ended March 31, 2000 and 1999
                       with Report of Independent Auditors


<PAGE>



                          Columbus McKinnon Corporation
                          Employee Stock Ownership Plan

                       Financial Statements and Schedules

                       Years ended March 31, 2000 and 1999

                                    CONTENTS

Report of Independent Auditors ..............................................1

Financial Statements

Statements of Net Assets Available for Benefits..............................2
Statements of Changes in Net Assets Available for Benefits...................3
Notes to Financial Statements................................................4

Schedules

Schedule H, Line 4(i) - Schedule of Assets Held for Investment Purposes
   at End of Year...........................................................10
Schedule H, Line 4(j) - Schedule of Reportable Transactions.................11





















<PAGE>


                         Report of Independent Auditors

The Pension Committee
Columbus McKinnon Corporation
 Employee Stock Ownership Plan

We have audited the accompanying statements of net assets available for benefits
of the Columbus McKinnon  Corporation  Employee Stock Ownership Plan as of March
31, 2000 and 1999, and the related statements of changes in net assets available
for  benefits  for the years then  ended.  These  financial  statements  are the
responsibility  of the ESOP's  management.  Our  responsibility is to express an
opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted
in the United States. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit
to obtain reasonable  assurance about whether the financial  statements are free
of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence
supporting  the amounts and  disclosures in the financial  statements.  An audit
also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates
made by  management,  as well as  evaluating  the  overall  financial  statement
presentation.  We believe  that our audits  provide a  reasonable  basis for our
opinion.

In our opinion,  the financial  statements  referred to above present fairly, in
all material  respects,  the net assets  available  for benefits of the Columbus
McKinnon  Corporation  Employee Stock Ownership Plan at March 31, 2000 and 1999,
and the  changes in its net assets  available  for  benefits  for the years then
ended in conformity with accounting  principles generally accepted in the United
States.

Our audits were performed for the purpose of forming an opinion on the financial
statements taken as a whole. The accompanying  supplemental  schedules of assets
held for investment purposes at end of year as of March 31, 2000, and reportable
transactions  for the year then ended,  are presented for purposes of additional
analysis  and  are  not a  required  part of the  financial  statements  but are
supplementary  information  required  by the  Department  of  Labor's  Rules and
Regulations for Reporting and Disclosure  under the Employee  Retirement  Income
Security Act of 1974. These supplemental schedules are the responsibility of the
Plan's  management.  The  supplemental  schedules  have  been  subjected  to the
auditing  procedures  applied in our audits of the financial  statements and, in
our  opinion,  are fairly  stated in all  material  respects  in relation to the
financial statements taken as a whole.


                                                     /s/ ENRST & YOUNG LLP


Buffalo, New York
June 9, 2000

                                                                              1

<PAGE>

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                                               Columbus McKinnon Corporation
                                                               Employee Stock Ownership Plan

                                                      Statements of Net Assets Available for Benefits



                                                                                 MARCH 31
                                                           2000                            1999
                                       ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         ALLOCATED      UNALLOCATED        TOTAL         ALLOCATED      UNALLOCATED        TOTAL

ASSETS
<S>                                     <C>             <C>             <C>             <C>             <C>             <C>

Investment in sponsor company
 common stock, at fair value ......     $11,675,409     $ 7,961,087     $19,636,496     $17,844,495     $14,256,148     $32,100,643
Investment in stable asset fund,
  at fair value ...................         110,966               -         110,966         100,166               -         100,166
Receivables:
 Employer contributions ...........               -          10,573          10,573               -          29,975          29,975
 Interest .........................           2,631               -           2,631           2,137               -           2,137
Cash ..............................           4,544               -           4,544           4,544               -           4,544
                                        --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total assets ......................     $11,793,550     $ 7,971,660     $19,765,210     $17,951,342     $14,286,123     $32,237,465
                                        --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


LIABILITIES

Interest payable ..................               -          10,573          10,573               -          29,975          29,975
Loans payable .....................               -       9,516,651       9,516,651               -      10,523,255      10,523,255
                                        --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total liabilities .................               -       9,527,224       9,527,224               -      10,553,230      10,553,230
                                        --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net assets available (deficit)
 for plan benefits ................     $11,793,550     $(1,555,564)    $10,237,986     $17,951,342     $ 3,732,893     $21,684,235
                                        ============================================================================================


See accompanying notes.
</TABLE>

                                                                              2
<PAGE>

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                                                        Columbus McKinnon Corporation
                                                                        Employee Stock Ownership Plan

                                                         Statements of Changes in Net Assets Available for Benefits


                                                                                 MARCH 31
                                                           2000                                            1999
                                        --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        ALLOCATED       UNALLOCATED        TOTAL         ALLOCATED      UNALLOCATED        TOTAL
<S>                                     <C>             <C>            <C>              <C>             <C>             <C>

Investment (loss) income:
 Net unrealized depreciation
  in fair market value
  of investments ..................     $(4,493,413)    $(6,086,506)   $(10,579,919)    $(4,397,730)    $(2,163,162)    $(6,560,892)
 Dividends ........................         229,970         206,049         436,019         226,694         128,814         355,508
 Interest .........................           4,346               -           4,346           3,219               -           3,219
Employer contributions ............               -       1,444,861       1,444,861               -       1,186,271       1,186,271
                                        --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total investment loss .............      (4,259,097)     (4,435,596)     (8,694,693)     (4,167,817)       (848,077)     (5,015,894)
                                        --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Interest expense ..................               -         852,861         852,861               -         594,271         594,271
Distributions to participants .....       1,825,572               -       1,825,572       1,383,517               -       1,383,517
Transfer to other qualified plan ..          65,958               -          65,958         101,600               -         101,600
Administrative expense ............           7,165               -           7,165           5,273               -           5,273
                                        --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total deductions ..................       1,898,695         852,861       2,751,556       1,490,390         594,271       2,084,661
                                        --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net decrease ......................      (6,157,792)     (5,288,457)    (11,446,249)     (5,658,207)     (1,442,348)     (7,100,555)
                                        --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net assets (deficit) available
 for benefits:
Beginning of year .................      17,951,342       3,732,893      21,684,235      23,609,549       5,175,241      28,784,790
                                        --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

End of year .......................     $11,793,550     $(1,555,564)   $ 10,237,986     $17,951,342     $ 3,732,893     $21,684,235
                                        ============================================================================================



See accompanying notes.
</TABLE>







                                                                              3
<PAGE>

                          Columbus McKinnon Corporation
                          Employee Stock Ownership Plan

                          Notes to Financial Statements

                             March 31, 2000 and 1999


1. DESCRIPTION OF THE PLAN

The Columbus  McKinnon  Corporation  Employee Stock  Ownership Plan (ESOP or the
Plan), is a defined contribution employee stock ownership plan and a stock bonus
plan within the meanings of the applicable sections of the Internal Revenue Code
of 1986, as amended.  It is also an eligible  individual account plan as defined
in the applicable section of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974
(ERISA).  Refer to the Plan  Document  or the  Summary  Plan  Description  for a
complete description of the ESOP's provisions.

The Plan was amended effective April 1, 1998, to extend coverage to all domestic
non-union employees of Columbus McKinnon Corporation (the Company/CMC),  and all
domestic non-union employees of Yale Industrial Products,  Inc., a subsidiary of
the  Company.  The Plan was also  amended  to extend  coverage  to all  domestic
non-union  employees of Automatic  Systems,  Inc., a subsidiary  of the Company,
effective April 1, 1999;  Abell-Howe  Crane,  Inc., a subsidiary of the Company,
effective September 1, 1999;  Washington  Equipment Company, a subsidiary of the
Company,  effective  January 1, 2000; and Gaffey,  Inc. and Handling Systems and
Conveyors, Inc., subsidiaries of GL International, which in turn is a subsidiary
of the Company, effective January 1, 2000.

In accordance  with the Plan  document,  employees who have attained 55 years of
age and ten years of  participation in the Plan have the option to diversify the
investments in their stock  accounts by selling a specified  percentage of their
shares at the current market value and transferring the sale proceeds to another
defined  contribution plan maintained by the Company.  In 2000, $65,958 has been
transferred to the Company's Thrift 401(k) plan ($101,600 in 1999).

A summary of the ESOP's provisions is as follows:

PARTICIPATION

Substantially all of the Company's domestic non-union  employees are eligible to
participate in the ESOP.

                                                                              4
<PAGE>

                          Columbus McKinnon Corporation
                          Employee Stock Ownership Plan

                    Notes to Financial Statements (continued)


1. DESCRIPTION OF THE PLAN (CONTINUED)

ELIGIBILITY

Eligible  employees  must have attained age 21 and completed one year of service
(minimum of 1,000 hours) to be a participant.

CONTRIBUTIONS

The Company  contributes to the ESOP on the allocation  date (March 31) for each
participant  (a) who is actively  employed as an employee on December 31 and who
has earned at least 1,000 hours of service as an employee in the  calendar  year
ending  December  31, or (b) who  terminates  employment  on or after  January 1
during a plan year after  attaining age 55 and completing at least five years of
eligibility  service,  or (c) who dies on or after January 1 during a plan year,
after  attaining  age 60 and  completing  at least  five  years  of  eligibility
service. Contributions shall be made in cash or in shares of stock as determined
by the Company,  and need not be made out of current or accumulated earnings and
profits.

VESTING

A participant's account balance shall become fully vested and non-forfeitable on
the date the participant  completes five years of vesting service (excluding any
service  rendered prior to the calendar year in which the  participant  attained
age 18), or if sooner, on the date the participant attains normal retirement age
while in the employ of the Company or any affiliated company.

DISTRIBUTIONS

Upon a vested  participant's  termination,  the value of his/her account will be
distributed  if the  value  of the  account  is  less  than  $5,000  or,  at the
participant's  option,  either  immediately  or  at  any  valuation  date  until
retirement,  as provided in the ESOP. A retiree may elect to defer  distribution
up to 70 1/2 years of age. Valuation dates for distributions are September 30 or
March 31.

During  2000,   $1,825,572  or  95,108  shares,   were   distributed  to  vested
participants in the form of stock  certificates  ($1,383,517,  or 58,739 shares,
distributed  in 1999).  This  resulted in the sale of 37 shares held by the ESOP
back to the Company for $688 in 2000 as a result of fractional shares (27 shares
for $637 in 1999).  As of March 31, 2000,  $238,763  ($1,249,077 as of March 31,
1999) is  included  in the ESOP  assets  for  terminated  participants  who have
requested distributions.


                                                                              5
<PAGE>

                          Columbus McKinnon Corporation
                          Employee Stock Ownership Plan

                    Notes to Financial Statements (continued)


1. DESCRIPTION OF THE PLAN (CONTINUED)

Forfeiture  of a  non-vested  interest  shall  occur  in the  fifth  consecutive
calendar  year  following a break in service.  The  forfeited  accounts  will be
allocated among the accounts of active participants. At March 31, 2000, the ESOP
assets include $169,782 ($218,335 at March 31, 1999) of undistributed  forfeited
accounts.

ALLOCATION TO PARTICIPANT ACCOUNTS

As of each valuation date (March 31), each participant  account is appropriately
adjusted to reflect any  contributions or stock to be allocated as of such date,
the income of the trust fund  during the period and the  increase or decrease in
the fair market  value of the trust fund during the period.  The  allocation  is
based on the  fraction,  the  numerator  of which  is the  participant's  annual
earnings for the  preceding  calendar year and the  denominator  of which is the
aggregate annual earnings for such calendar year of all participants entitled to
an allocation.

DIVIDENDS

Dividends  paid on stock  allocated  to a  participant's  stock  account will be
allocated to the  participant's  nonstock  account.  The pension  committee  may
direct that such dividends shall be either (a) paid directly to the participant,
former  participant,  or beneficiary  within 90 days after the close of the plan
year in which such  dividend  was paid,  or (b) applied as payment on the exempt
loans. Dividends paid on unallocated stock held by the trustee and acquired with
the proceeds of an exempt loan shall be held by the trustee until the end of the
plan year in which it was paid,  and then,  along with any interest or earnings,
be applied as payment on the exempt loans which shall trigger a release of stock
from the suspense account.

2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

USE OF ESTIMATES

The preparation of financial  statements in conformity  with generally  accepted
accounting  principles  requires  management to make  estimates  that affect the
amounts  reported in the financial  statements and  accompanying  notes.  Actual
results could differ from those estimates.

RECLASSIFICATION

Prior  year  amounts  have  been  reclassified  to  conform  with  current  year
presentation.


                                                                              6
<PAGE>

                          Columbus McKinnon Corporation
                          Employee Stock Ownership Plan

                    Notes to Financial Statements (continued)


3. PLAN TERMINATION

The Company intends to continue the ESOP indefinitely, but reserves the right to
terminate  the Plan at any time.  If the ESOP is  terminated,  each  participant
shall be fully and nonforfeitably vested in his interest in the ESOP trust fund.

4. INVESTMENTS

At March 31,  2000 and 1999,  the assets of the ESOP Plan  consist of CMC common
stock and a stable  asset fund with Fleet  Bank.  The ESOP's  investment  in CMC
common  stock is  reported  at fair  market  value as of March 31, 2000 and 1999
based on quoted market  prices.  The investment in the stable asset fund is also
reported at fair market value as determined by open trading.

5. LOANS PAYABLE AND SHARE RELEASE

On October 27, 1994, the ESOP obtained  $6,000,000 of new debt  ($2,000,000 from
Marine Midland Bank and $4,000,000  from Fleet Bank).  The Fleet loan is payable
in quarterly  installments  of $103,000  through  January 2002,  and $770,627 in
April 2002,  plus  interest at a Eurodollar  rate based upon LIBOR plus a spread
determined  by the Company's  leverage  ratio (8.18% and 6.62% at March 31, 2000
and 1999, respectively). The Marine loan is payable in quarterly installments of
$45,000  through  January 2002,  and $328,257 in April 2002,  plus interest at a
Eurodollar  rate  based upon LIBOR  plus a spread  determined  by the  Company's
leverage ratio (8.18% and 6.62% at March 31, 2000 and 1999, respectively).

On October 13, 1998, the ESOP obtained  $7,682,281 of new debt from the Company.
The CMC loan is payable in quarterly installments of interest only through April
2002, and thereafter  quarterly  installments of $150,000 through July 2014, and
$298,371  in October  2014,  plus  interest at the prime rate (9.0% and 7.75% at
March 31, 2000 and 1999, respectively).

In October 1994 and October 1998, the ESOP purchased 609,144 and 479,900 shares,
respectively,  of common stock of the Company with the debt proceeds, which were
recorded  by the  trustee  in the  suspense  account.  Such  stock  ceases to be
collateral and is released from the suspense account as the loans are repaid. In
each year  prior to full  payment  of the  loans,  the number of shares of stock
released will equal the number of shares of stock held as collateral immediately
before the release for such plan year multiplied by the release fraction.


                                                                              7
<PAGE>

                          Columbus McKinnon Corporation
                          Employee Stock Ownership Plan

                    Notes to Financial Statements (continued)


5. LOANS PAYABLE AND SHARE RELEASE (CONTINUED)

The  loans,  which are  guaranteed  by the  Company,  are  collateralized  by an
equivalent  number of  shares of common  stock  recorded  by the  trustees  in a
suspense account.

Maturities of loans payable are as follows:

         2001                                             $    592,000
         2002                                                  592,000
         2003                                                1,273,576
         2004                                                  600,000
         2005                                                  600,000

The  numerator of the release  fraction is the amount of principal  and interest
payments  made toward the loan during the plan year and the  denominator  is the
sum of the numerator plus the principal and interest  payments to be made on the
loan in the future,  using the interest  rate  applicable at the end of the plan
year.  Shares of stock released from the suspense  account for a plan year shall
be held in the trust on an  unallocated  basis  until  allocated  by the pension
committee  as of the  last  day of that  plan  year.  That  allocation  shall be
consistent  with  the  method  for  allocating  contributions  to  participants'
accounts,  which is based on a fraction of each  participant's  annual  earnings
during the preceding  calendar year to the total earnings of those  participants
during such calendar  year.  The  allocation of shares  released  resulting from
dividends  on  participants'  allocated  shares,  however,  was  based  upon the
fraction of each participant's allocated shares to the total number of allocated
shares.

As of March  31,  2000,  606,559  shares  were held as  collateral  for the loan
(708,382  shares held as of March 31, 1999);  101,821  shares were released from
the suspense account in 2000 (96,610 shares released in 1999). These shares were
allocated to participant accounts as of March 31, 2000.















                                                                              8

<PAGE>

                          Columbus McKinnon Corporation
                          Employee Stock Ownership Plan

                    Notes to Financial Statements (continued)


6. TAX STATUS

The Plan has received a determination  letter from the Internal  Revenue Service
dated July 28, 1997,  stating that the Plan is qualified under Section 401(a) of
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the "Code") and, therefore, the related trust
is exempt  from  taxation.  Once  qualified,  the Plan is required to operate in
conformity  with the Code to maintain  its  qualification.  The Plan was amended
subsequent to the IRS determination letter. The Plan Administrator  believes the
Plan is being  operated in compliance  with the applicable  requirements  of the
Code and,  therefore,  believes that the Plan is qualified and the related trust
is tax exempt.





























                                                                              9
<PAGE>


















                                    Schedules


<PAGE>


                          Columbus McKinnon Corporation
                          Employee Stock Ownership Plan
                                 EIN: 16-0547600
                                  Plan No. 016

               Schedule H, Line 4(i) - Schedule of Assets Held for
                       Investment Purposes at End of Year

                                 March 31, 2000


IDENTITY OF ISSUE    DESCRIPTION OF INVESTMENT        COST         CURRENT VALUE
-----------------    -------------------------    ------------     -------------

Columbus McKinnon    Employer Common Stock,
   Corporation*        1,496,114 shares           $ 15,875,055      $ 19,636,496

Fleet Investment     Stable Asset Fund                 110,966           110,966
   Services*           10,164 shares



* Parties-in-interest



























                                                                             10

<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                    Columbus McKinnon Corporation
                                    Employee Stock Ownership Plan
                                           EIN: 16-0547600
                                            Plan No. 016

                     Schedule H, Line 4(j) - Schedule of Reportable Transactions

                                  For the year ended March 31, 2000




                                                                                                     Current Value
   Identity of                Description              Purchase         Selling          Cost         of Asset on           Net
  Party Involved               of Assets                 Price           Price         of Asset     Transaction Date     Gain (Loss)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CATEGORY (III) - SERIES OF TRANSACTIONS IN EXCESS OF 5% OF PLAN ASSETS
----------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                        <C>                        <C>              <C>            <C>            <C>                   <C>

Fleet National Bank*       Money Market               $  795,366       $       -      $  795,366     $  795,366            $     N/A
                             Deposit Account                   -         795,366         795,366        795,366                    -

Fleet National Bank*       Stable Asset Fund             452,778               -         452,778        452,778                  N/A
                                                               -         788,148         788,148        788,148                    -
</TABLE>


There were no category (i), (ii) or (iv) transactions during the year.

*Parties-in-interest





                                                                             11
<PAGE>

                                   SIGNATURES

          The Plan.  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934,  the trustees (or other  persons who  administer  the employee  benefit
plan)  have duly  caused  this  annual  report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                  COLUMBUS McKINNON CORPORATION
                                  EMPLOYEE STOCK OWNERSHIP PLAN
                                  RESTATEMENT EFFECTIVE APRIL 1, 1989




                                  By: /s/ Timothy R. Harvey
                                      ----------------------------------
                                      Timothy R. Harvey, Trustee


                                      /s/ Karen L. Howard
                                      ----------------------------------
                                      Karen L. Howard, Trustee


                                      /s/ Robert L. Montgomery, Jr.
                                      ----------------------------------
                                      Robert L. Montgomery, Jr., Trustee


                                      /s/ Neal E. Wixson
                                      ----------------------------------
                                      Neal E. Wixson, Trustee


<PAGE>

                         CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS


We consent to the  incorporation by reference in (a) the Registration  Statement
(Form S-8 No.  333-3212)  pertaining to the Columbus  McKinnon  Corporation 1995
Incentive  Stock Option Plan, the Columbus  McKinnon  Corporation  Non-Qualified
Stock Option Plan, the Columbus McKinnon  Corporation  Restricted Stock Plan and
the Columbus  McKinnon  Corporation  Employee Stock  Ownership Plan  Restatement
Effective  April  1,  1989  of  Columbus   McKinnon   Corporation  and  (b)  the
Registration  Statement  (Form  S-8 No.  333-81719)  pertaining  to the  Options
assumed by  Columbus  McKinnon  Corporation  originally  granted  under the G.L.
International Inc. 1997 Stock Option Plan and the Larco Industrial Services Ltd.
1997 Stock  Option Plan of our report  dated June 9, 2000,  with  respect to the
financial statements and schedules of the Columbus McKinnon Corporation Employee
Stock  Ownership  Plan  included in this Annual  Report (Form 11-K) for the year
ended March 31, 2000.

                                                         /s/ Ernst & Young LLP



Buffalo, New York
June 29, 2000