23
INTERVIEW
SEPTEMBER 2013
ACT
A
llegiance Crane & Equipment
President Jim Robertson got
his start in the crane business
by accident.
“I arrived in Florida in 1982 and worked
as a carpenter for a company setting
trusses in July, in 100-degree heat,” he
says.
He quickly realized that “beating down
plywood” was not what he wanted to do.
Seeing a crane on the jobsite he was
working on, he was intrigued.
“I looked down and saw an operator
sitting in a crane, setting the trusses,” he
says. “I thought this would be a much
better job.”
The very next day he landed a job as an
oiler for a crane operator at a local crane
company. Robertson was fascinated with
cranes and the work they could do. He
quickly moved into the operations side of
the business and the rest is history.
After 25 years building and growing
General Crane USA, Robertson and
Prophet Equity Group purchased the
assets of General Crane and formed
Allegiance Crane & Equipment. Over the
past two-and-a-half years, the company
has been in a high growth mode, updating
its fleet and acquiring crane companies
throughout the southern United States.
Based in Pompano Beach, FL, Allegiance
has branches in Houston, TX; Marion, TX
(San Antonio) and Carrizo Springs, TX.
Robertson alluded that Allegiance would
have more offices in other locations soon.
“Our goal is to be the preferred single
source provider of crane, rigging and
hoisting rental services,” says Robertson.
“Our plan is for the long term.”
While the company has been building
its fleet through the acquisition of other
companies, the Allegiance team has also
been buying new cranes.
I was able to meet up with Robertson at
a grand opening event for a new Liebherr
facility in the Miami area in June. At
the event, three new cranes sporting
Allegiance logos were on display, one
crawler and two all-terrain cranes.
Each crane was adorned with the
Allegiance name and logo, as well as a
stylized name, much like you’d see on a
WWII Bomber or Fighter plane.
“Yes we have given some of our
signature new cranes names,” he says.
D.Ann Shiffler
talks to
Jim
Robertson
about the future
of the crane
business and the
prospects for
Allegiance Crane
& Equipment.
Allegiance Crane &
Equipment President
Jim Robertson
loves the fast
pace of the
crane
business.
Fast paced
