25
APRIL 2014
ACT
RESPONSIBILITIES. AS THENEWLY ELECTED
SC&RA PRESIDENT,WHAT ARE YOURGOALS
FOR THIS YEAR, ANDWHAT ISSUESDO YOU
FEEL ARE INNEEDOF ATTENTION?
SC&RA is a solidorganizationwith a
great staff.Many talentedpeoplehave
invested their efforts inmaking the
organization a valuable force inour
industry. I plan to continue topush
the flywheel. Permit uniformity, safety
standards, regulation and traininghave
been valuable contributions of our
organization; andwe should continue to
make strides in these areas.
FORTY-FIVE YEARS ISA LONG TIME INANY
INDUSTRY. HOWHAS THE CRANE, RIGGING
AND TRANSPORT BUSINESSCHANGED, BETTER
ORWORSE, IN YOUR EYESOVER THE DECADES,
ANDWHERE DO YOU SEE IT HEADED?
The industry is safer,more international
andmore competitive. The equipment
ismore sophisticated and customers’
expectations arehigher. I have seen
massive changes, but the basics of safety,
hardwork, innovation and teamwork
remain. Inhigh school,mydadused a
slide rule – I used a calculator.Mykids
use computers and smart phones.What
toolswillmy grandchildrenhave? I bet
wewill laugh at our ‘smart phones’ when
we lookback in20 years.
IT COULDBE SAID THAT BARNHART’S STEADY
GROWTHAND CURRENT SUCCESS ISA
TESTAMENT TO ITS INTERNAL VALUESAND
MISSION STATEMENT.WOULD YOUAGREE?
Godhas blessedBarnhart. To say
otherwisewouldbe to takeundue credit.
Hehas assembled a great groupof people
and given eachof us skills and gifts that
INTERVIEW
dream. The twoof thembought anew
sailboat and sailed around theworld–
an adventure that tookmost of thenext
seven years.When they left, Eric and I
startedBarnhartCrane&RiggingCo.
Itwas anew corporation, but the same
team (minusMom andDad) and the
same fleet.Wehad eight cranes –up to
125 tons – and12people.
WHENDID YOURRELATIONSHIPWITH SC&RA
BEGIN, ANDHOWHAS IT EVOLVEDOVER TIME?
We joinedSC&RA in theEighties. Eric
and I attended theCrane&Rigging
Workshop several times before going
toour first convention in1991.We
benefitted greatly from the interaction
with leaders in the industry. BillHeron,
BrockSettlemier,DonRussell, Earl
Johnson,GeorgeBragg,DonSicklesteel,
Bill Sterett,DanBumby, JohnWilliams
andmanyothers gave great advice and
served as rolemodels.Wewere a small
company fromMemphis andwere
amazed at the tools the ‘big guys’ had. I
also enjoyed getting toknow the young
guys –DougWilliams, fromNorth
Carolina; JimTaylor, fromKansas;
AlanAshlock, fromFlorida;Delynn
Burkhalter, fromMississippi; George
Young, fromPhiladelphia– and the
crazy Settlemier boys fromCalifornia.
We are all still around, but not so young
anymore. In1998, I had thehonor of
serving as the chairmanof theCrane&
RiggingGroupGoverningCommittee.
AS THE LEADEROF A COMPANYWITH JOBS
ANDOFFICES SPREADOUT ACROSS THE
COUNTRY, YOUNODOUBT FIND YOURSELF
MANAGINGNUMEROUSROLESAND
the role that SC&RAplays inproviding
itsmembers, aswell as the industry,
withproven, trusted andunsurpassed
leadership.
In a recent SC&RA interview, Barnhart
looks backon a long, satisfying career
within the family enterprise, and looks
ahead at the continued effort tohelp
associationmembers runmore efficient
businesses of their own, inhis new role as
SC&RAPresident.
YOUR COMPANY GOESBACK SOME 45 YEARS.
CAN YOUWALKUS THROUGHHOW IT BEGAN,
ANDHOW IT GREW INTOWHAT IT IS TODAY?
BarnhartConstructionbegan in1969,
whenRichard andNancyBarnhart
started a steel erection companywith a
pickup truck, aweldingmachine and a
ladder. The companyheadquarterswas
twobedrooms of our home for the first
17 years.Mybrother Eric and I started
working for adime anhour as kids. In
the early seventies, the company started
buying cranes. In1974, we bought our
first telescopic crane – aGroveTM-650.
The company continued to erect steel, but
branched into crane service and rigging.
By the early eighties, the companyhad
evolved into a crane and rigging company
that occasionallydid steel erection– the
focus had shifted.
AS TIME PASSED, YOUAND YOURBROTHER
ASSUMEDGREATERRESPONSIBILITY.
Yes, Eric and I both got degrees in civil
engineering and joined the company
full-time –Eric in1982 andme in1983.
We bothhave boring resumes; we’ve
beendoing the same thing ever since.
In1986,myparents decided to fulfill a
Barnhart has collected Rigging and Hauling Job of the
Year Awards for more than 20 years – cementing its
place as one of the premier crane, rigging and heavy
transport companies in the industry.
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