INTERVIEW Ӏ SC&RA
WALKING THE WALK
CEO Joel Dandrea, CEO of SC&RA, shares his vision for the future of the Association with Cranes Today. Mike Chalmers reports.
The Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association (SC&RA) is an international trade association of more than 1,300 members from 46 nations. Members are involved in crane and rigging operations, specialized transportation, machinery moving and erecting, industrial maintenance, millwrighting, concrete pumping, manufacturing and rental. The organization works to
help its members run more efficient and safer businesses by monitoring and affecting pending legislation and regulatory policies at the state and national levels, and researching and reporting on safety concerns and best business practices. Entering his 21st year at the helm of SC&RA, CEO Joel Dandrea looks forward to the business of cranes in North America and beyond as economies shift, workforces evolve and the industry continues to both expand and adapt to the various markets it works within. Dandrea recently sat down for an interview with Cranes Today and shared the vision for SC&RA as it approaches its 75th anniversary next year – while also articulating the Association’s ongoing commitment to serving members both domestically and abroad.
26 CRANES TODAY
Joel Dandrea is entering his 21st year as CEO of SC&RA
Chalmers: How would you say SC&RA has navigated the challenges of the past two years? Dandrea: Like so many other organizations around the U.S. and the world, the past two years have proven to be some of our most challenging. But one of our greatest achievements as an association, in our view, was ensuring that our members could continue to work as the pandemic was unleashed.
Chalmers: Early on, the lockdowns threatened construction significantly – how was SC&RA able to get out in front of this challenge? Dandrea: Indeed, we realized how critical the lockdowns would be to our industry, so our priority in early 2020 was petitioning the Department of Homeland Security to designate the U.S. crane, rigging and specialized transportation industry, and its workers, as Essential Critical Infrastructure. Literally, within a week, we received confirmation of our essential designation – which enabled our industry to remain open for business and continue servicing essential elements of our economy.
Chalmers: It’s not uncommon for Associations across myriad industries to speak about value
and advocacy, but this was an undeniable example of walking the walk. Dandrea: Exactly. In times of crises, belonging to a group that has your interests in mind is priceless. At the heart of everything we do here is delivering value. Our activities and products must provide value to our members and help them operate safely and more efficiently. The fact that we’re at nearly 92 percent with our membership retention rate, given everything that’s going on in the world right now, is very indicative of the value SC&RA members believe that we bring to them.
Chalmers: Given the complexities within the last two years, how has your ability to interface with the full breadth of your membership been impacted? Dandrea: Well, that’s the reality we’ve been dealing with for quite a bit during the pandemic. While SC&RA is located in the U.S., we do have members all across the world. Pre-COVID, we’d see international members both attending and exhibiting at our yearly events. However, in the past two years, most of our international members have attended from primarily Canada, Mexico, Peru and Germany. In that regard, it hasn’t always been easy
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