Stafford Crane Group

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Stafford Crane Group :

Stafford Crane Group’s deep customer knowledge results in quality service delivery Based in Phoenix, Arizona, Stafford Crane Group Firm is a worldwide provider of lifting equipment and services.

Written by Leslie Blaize Produced by Stephen Marino

www.staffordcranegroup.com

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www.staffordcranegroup.com

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tafford Crane Group (SCG), a family-owned business established in 2004, values comprehensive care of its clients.

That focus helped create the company’s success as a worldwide provider of lifting equipment and services.

“Our main competitive advantage in the industry has always been and will always continue to be providing great customer service,” says Greg Linaman, CEO. “That means you have to control the customer experience from start to end.”

The company, with headquarters in Phoenix, built its reputation in Arizona. SCG has expanded into new markets and currently operates in more than ten states, with depots in Phoenix, San Diego, Denver, Oklahoma City, and Houston. It also offers crane and hoist rentals in Mexico. Through its affiliate Lift Cargas, Stafford Crane Group offers crane and hoist services in South America.

Most recently, SCG acquired Soima Cranes of Portugal, a family-owned and operated tower crane manufacturer.

Stafford Crane Group employs between 150 to 200 people. Its yearly sales, now exceeding $50 www.staffordcranegroup.com

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million, quadrupled in the past five years. Although the rate of increase slowed a bit because of COVID-19, “we’re ramping up to pretty much full speed now,” reports Linaman. “I think that number’s only going to keep going up.”

Firm Provides Comprehensive Services SCG understands that customers want to turn to one provider for their needs. As a result, SCG manufacturers, designs, and installs cranes. The company rents and sells: • Mobile cranes • Self-erecting cranes • Overhead cranes • Construction hoists Technical expertise is another critical component of the company’s success. SCG provides certified operator services for all cranes and hoists. It also offers erection and dismantle, technician, and consulting services on tower crane projects worldwide.

A key component of SCG’s success is understanding its clients’ needs.

“We listen to the customer and see what they want done better or how they want something changed,” says Patrick Stafford, owner and SCG founder.

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Expertise. Protection. Trust.

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www.MPSpecialty.com Jason McElrath jason@mpspecialty.com 803-603-2887

Michael Beall mbeall@mpspecialty.com 803-603-6655 www.staffordcranegroup.com

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Unlike a family-owned business, large corporations typically don’t have trusted family members who can visit significant customers to learn about their project needs.

Patrick Stafford III, who represents the next Stafford generation.

Family’s Crane Business Began in Ireland

As a niche industry, Stafford Crane Group needs a specialized workforce. “We really have to develop our own talent,” notes Linaman. “The smaller the pool of talent you have to draw from, the harder it is.”

The origins of Stafford Crane Group can be traced to 1996 when Derek Stafford founded Stafford Tower Cranes in Dublin, Ireland.

In 2004, Derek’s brother Patrick wanted to expand the business into the U.S. With Derek’s support, Patrick and Heather Stafford founded Stafford Tower Crane of America in Phoenix, Arizona. Now Patrick is joined by his son, www.staffordcranegroup.com

Training Employees

SCG solved this issue by creating the Tower Crane School of Phoenix, one of the largest and most prestigious crane training schools in the United States. It provides training for tower and

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mobile crane operators as well as riggers and signalpersons.

Acquisition Assists with Supply Chain Issues Like most industries, supply chain challenges are impacting SCG. The cost of a container from Europe has doubled in some cases during the past year. The company also is dealing with some availability issues.

Stafford talked with crane suppliers during his international travels to address supply concerns.

Some of those conversations led to the acquisition of Soima Cranes of Portugal.

Management Takes HandsOn Approach SCG believes in on-site supervision of its projects by family members or close associates. “Leadership is on-site for a lot of these projects, if not all of them when the crane is going up,” reports Linaman. A leader typically tours a worksite with a project manager, watching for safety issues and managing performance.

On-site managers want to ensure the company is performing at a top level. If work starts five minutes late, that means 10 or 15 people are hanging around without anything www.staffordcranegroup.com

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to do. That’s unacceptable with the cost of a mobile crane at $1,000 an hour.

“We’re involved every step of the way,” says Patrick Stafford.

As a worldwide provider of lifting equipment and services, Stafford Crane Group plays a critical role in many significant projects. The following projects highlight the company’s diverse services.

State Farm, Tempe, Arizona: One of SCG’s most significant projects was the State Farm office campus in Tempe, Arizona, for Ryan Companies. It’s the largest office development in the state’s

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history. Stafford provided six cranes and five construction hoists, and the firm self-performed all services.

“The client chose us because we could provide a complete package,” says Stafford.

Theatre District Living and Learning Neighborhood Project, University of California San Diego: SCG is currently supporting Kitchell on the Theatre District Living and Learning Neighborhood project on the University of California San Diego campus in La Jolla, California. SCG provided a five-tower crane and five dual hoists. It’s the biggest tower crane

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project in Southern California, with an expected completion date in 2023.

college degree. New hires have the opportunity to prove themselves and get noticed.

What Employees Value about SCG

Besides on-the-job training, the Tower Crane School of Phoenix also opens up possibilities for high school graduates who don’t want to pursue a college degree.

High school counselors appreciate this option for teens who want to learn more about jobs in the construction industry.

At Stafford Crane Group, you don’t need an advanced degree to succeed. “If you work hard and do a good job, you will get noticed, and you will be rewarded,” says Linaman. “For talented and ambitious employees, that’s the kind of atmosphere they love.”

Because it’s a niche industry, employees can make really good money at a young age without a

Both Stafford and Lanaman agree that the company’s “care factor” is important for employees.

Linaman notes that the firm www.staffordcranegroup.com

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recently closed a big deal with a bank. The project involved the entire company. At the close of the agreement, the bank’s regional head met with Stafford and the management team. He was impressed with Stafford’s broad knowledge of his employees.

done differently.

“That guy (Stafford) knows who sweeps the floor,” he said.

At one point, Stafford was interested in aviation but pursued crane development instead.

Stafford and Linaman emphasize that they’re willing to do what is necessary to get the job done despite their leadership positions.

During his career, Stafford has performed most of the work tasks that he asks others to complete. And as part of his job, Stafford frequently travels to Europe, Canada, and elsewhere to meet with clients and address their needs.

Focus on Relationships Stafford has been happy with his company’s growth since 2004. Still, like many owners, he sometimes thinks about what he could have

“I think we definitely could have been more aggressive in the early stages,” he notes. “We took our time and tried to stay involved with everything, although that was important.”

Lanaman also shared some of his lessons learned over the years.

“Learn absolutely as much as you can every day because it’s amazing how often knowledge is a competitive advantage,” he says.

“Be curious, read, and develop your knowledge base.”

In addition, the CEO says he believes it’s important to meet as many people as you can. “At the end of the day, business is about people and relationships. Take every opportunity to meet people and develop good relationships with folks in the industry and related industries.”

“We listen to the customer and see what they want done better or how they want something changed.”

- Patrick Stafford, Owner and SCG founder www.staffordcranegroup.com

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SCG Prioritizes Taking Care of Clients If Stafford had to pick a top best practice for Stafford Crane Group, it would be taking care of customers.

“You can have brilliant chairmen and presidents and everything else, but sometimes the care factor gets left behind. The one huge advantage we have is that we will always be meeting with the customers,” he says. “We will always be friends with our customers, and we make sure to take care of them.”

COMPANY INFORMATION Stafford also emphasizes the importance of bringing in the right people to help run the company at an early stage. “I’ve been very lucky in this regard,” he recalls.

“Somehow, I bumped into Greg one night.”

As leaders of the company, both Stafford and Lanaman bring different strengths to their roles.

Stafford is a very hands-on owner who knows what’s going on with the critical components of the business. Although also involved with day-to-day operations, Linaman also steps back and studies the overall trends in the construction industry.

Company Name: Stafford Crane Group Country: USA Industry: Tower Crane Company Est: 2004 Premier Services: Lifting Services and Equipment Owner: Patrick Stafford CEO: Greg Linaman, CEO Website: www.staffordcranegroup.com www.staffordcranegroup.com

3620 S. 40th St. Phoenix, AZ 85040