INTERVIEW
21
AUGUST 2013
ACT
resources. As you can imagine, being a
small, family run company means we all
wear many hats. I became president of
J&R Engineering in 2004. Currently, my
primary focus is design development and
customer interface.
WHAT DISTINGUISHES J&R ENGINEERING IN
THE MARKETPLACE?
We believe in building what the customer
wants to buy, not what we want to build.
We have spent a considerable amount
of time in the field with our customers,
watching them operate our gantries,
observing their challenges and coming up
with practical solutions.
What makes J&R unique in the
marketplace is our desire and ability
to produce the safest, most reliable
lifting equipment in the industry. Our
engineering expertise lies in our unique
ability to visualize the customer’s
need and tailor a specific solution.
We stand behind our products with
parts and service to ensure each and
every customer’s complete and total
satisfaction. This doesn’t end at delivery,
either. We see delivery as the beginning
of a new phase in our on-going
relationship.
ARE MOST OF THE GANTRIES AND OTHER
EQUIPMENT YOU PRODUCE CUSTOM TO THE
CLIENT? EXPLAIN YOUR CUSTOM SOLUTIONS
SERVICE.
We do customize our gantries with
regard to retracted heights, greater
extended heights, different base sizes
and different wheel configurations,
but our core business is our Lift-N-
Lock Hydraulic Boom Gantry line.
We also have done quite a few custom
products that utilize existing designs and
technologies to satisfy different lifting
environments or purposes. Additionally,
we’ve developed completely new
products like our self-propelled turbine
carts for hazardous environments and the
2,600-ton capacity mining shovel lift.
However, we feel our true customization
ability is most clearly evident in the
design of new products like our modular
nuclear cask transporter – which comes
Kevin Johnston,
president of J&R
Engineering, says he
has always wanted
to build and design
things. Many of his
earliest memories
are about his Dad’s
involvement in the
crane business.
‘‘
”
We believe in building what the customer wants to buy, not what we want to build. We
have spent a considerable amount of time in the field with our customers, watching them
operate our gantries, observing their challenges and coming up with practical solutions.
in a horseshoe configuration – and can
be driven by either crawler tracks or
wheel drives.
IT SEEMS THERE HAS BEEN A PROLIFERATION
OF THE USE OF GANTRIES IN THE REALM
OF LIFTING OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THIS TYPE OF
EQUIPMENT?
Gantries have become a standard lifting
tool because of their cost-effectiveness and
incredible lifting capacities, which are due
to efficiencies built into their inherently
practical design.
In the past, I’ve been on jobsites with
customers and witnessed individuals
inquiring about gantries, including
pointed questions about how these
relatively small pieces of equipment can lift
incredibly large and heavy loads. Through
the completion of heavy, challenging lifts
time and time again, gantries have gained
acceptance as a powerful and efficient tool.
Our line of Lift-N-Lock Boom Gantries
have proven to be a safe, reliable means of
lifting and moving loads.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT YOUR JOB THAT YOU LIKE
AND KEEPS YOU ENGAGED
Designing unique equipment for a truly
great industry is invigorating and keeps
us on our toes. Being a part of a company
that can take wild ideas and bring them
to fruition through the design and
manufacturing process all the way to the
finished product is very rewarding.
WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR DOWNTIME?
Spending time with my family and friends
is my release from the pressures of work.
We are into boating and Wisconsin
sporting events including the Packers,
Badgers, Bucks and Brewers.
We also enjoy travelling – it seems
that most of our vacations center on
Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association
events. Due to the mix of people involved,
we feel very fortunate to have been
involved in the association over the
years. We have made life-long friends
through the association and are always
looking forward to the next event on the
schedule.
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