COLUMBUS MCKINNON CORP

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

(Amendment No. )

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Filed by a party other than the Registrant ☐

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☐ Preliminary Proxy Statement

☐Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))

☒ Definitive Proxy Statement

☐ Definitive Additional Materials

☐ Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a–12

Columbus McKinnon Corporation

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if Other Than the Registrant)

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☐ Fee computed on table in exhibit required by Item 25(b) per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11

A MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD CHAIR & CEO

NOTICE OF 2025 ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

FELLOW SHAREHOLDERS:

We are pleased to invite you to attend the 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the “Annual Meeting”) of Columbus McKinnon Corporation (“we,” “us,” “our,” “Columbus McKinnon” or the “Company”) on Friday, August 15, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The Annual Meeting will be held via live audio webcast at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/CMCO to address the following items of business.

ITEMS OF BUSINESS:

Consistent with our practice in recent years, the Company’s Board of Directors (the "Board") has decided to hold the Annual Meeting virtually, with no physical location. We believe that this is the right choice for Columbus McKinnon as it provides expanded shareholder access, regardless of the size of the Annual Meeting or resources available to shareholders, improves communication, and allows the participants to attend the Annual Meeting safely and conveniently from any location at no additional cost.

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The Company has endeavored to provide shareholders attending the Annual Meeting with the same rights and opportunities to participate as they would at an in-person meeting.

To attend the virtual Annual Meeting, vote, submit questions, or view the list of registered shareholders during the virtual Annual Meeting, shareholders of record will be required to visit the meeting website listed above and login using their 16-digit control number included on your Notice (as defined below), proxy card, or voting instructions form. Prior registration is required to attend and participate in the virtual Annual Meeting at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/CMCO2025. Upon completing your registration, you will receive further instructions via email, including your unique links that will allow you to access, submit questions, and vote at the virtual Annual Meeting. The Annual Meeting will only be held virtually, and you will not be able to attend the Annual Meeting in person.

The Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") rules allow companies to furnish proxy materials to their shareholders over the Internet. As a result, most of our shareholders will receive in the mail a notice regarding the availability of the proxy materials for the Annual Meeting on the Internet (the "Notice") instead of paper copies of those materials. The Notice contains instructions on how to access the proxy materials over the Internet and instructions on how shareholders can receive paper copies of the proxy materials, including a proxy or voting instruction form. This process expedites shareholders’ receipt of proxy materials and lowers the costs of the Annual Meeting.

WHO CAN VOTE

Shareholders of record as of the close of business on June 16, 2025 (the "Record Date") or hold a legal proxy for the Annual Meeting provided by your broker, bank, or nominee as of the Record Date, are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting, or any adjournment or postponement thereof. Shareholders as of the Record Date are entitled to vote on all matters listed above. At the close of business on the Record Date of June 16, 2025, we had 28,688,208 shares of our common stock, $.01 par value per share outstanding, and the holders of our shares are entitled to one vote per share on each matter properly brought before the Annual Meeting.

HOW TO VOTE

You may vote your shares in advance of the Annual Meeting via the Internet, by telephone, by mail, or during the Annual Meeting. If you vote via the Internet, by telephone, or plan to vote electronically during the Annual Meeting, you do not need to mail in a proxy card.

Beneficial owners should review the proxy materials and their voting instruction form or Notice for how to vote in advance of, and how to participate in, the Annual Meeting. Specifically, if you are a beneficial owner and your voting instruction form or the Notice does not indicate that you may vote the shares through the www.proxyvote.com website, you should contact your bank, broker, or other nominee (preferably at least 5 days before the Annual Meeting) and obtain a “legal proxy” (which will contain a 16-digit control number that will allow you to attend, participate in, or vote at the Annual Meeting). When accessing our Annual Meeting, please allow ample time for online check-in, which will begin at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time, on Friday, August, 15, 2025.

Banks, brokers and other nominees may not vote on your shares on all matters in the absence of specific voting instructions from you, as outlined in the "Voting Standards" section herein. Please contact your bank, broker, or other nominee directly if you have

questions about how to provide such voting instructions. A shareholder who executes a proxy may revoke it at any time before it is exercised by giving written notice to the Secretary at 13320 Ballantyne Corporate Place, Suite D, Charlotte, NC 28277, by appearing at the virtual Annual Meeting and voting their shares or by submitting another duly executed proxy bearing a later date.

QUORUM

In order for business to be conducted at the Annual Meeting, a quorum must be present at the Annual Meeting. Under our Amended and Restated Bylaws (our “By-Laws”), the holders of a majority of the shares issued and outstanding and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting, present in person or by remote communication, if applicable, or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum. Abstentions, broker non-votes and withheld votes will be counted in determining the existence of a quorum but are not counted in the votes cast and will have no effect on the outcome of any proposal as described in the "Voting Standards" section herein. Proxy cards that are executed and returned without any designated voting direction will be voted in the manner stated on the proxy card.

Your vote is important. Regardless of whether or not you plan to participate in the Annual Meeting, we kindly request that you vote as soon as possible. Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to your participation at the Annual Meeting.

Alan S. KormanSVP, General Counsel, Corp. Development and SecretaryJune 30, 2025

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VOTING STANDARDS

The voting results of the Annual Meeting will be published no later than four business days after the Annual Meeting on a Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC, which will be available in the Investor Relations section of our website at investors.cmco.com. If a proxy card is submitted and no voting instructions are given, the person or persons designated will vote the shares “FOR” the election of the Director nominees, “FOR” the advisory vote on executive compensation, “FOR” the ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP, “FOR” the Nasdaq Listing Rules Proposal, "FOR" the Authorized Shares Proposal, "FOR" the Preemptive Rights Proposal and "FOR" the Adjournment Proposal.

Our management does not presently know of any matters to be presented for consideration at the Annual Meeting other than the matters described in the Notice of Annual Meeting. However, if other matters are presented, the accompanying proxy card confers upon the person or persons entitled to vote the shares represented by the proxy, discretionary authority to vote such shares in respect of any such other matter in accordance with their best judgment.

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