THE INTERVIEW | SERGIO ROBLEDO
GH Cranes & Components has now manufactured more than 125,000 cranes for more than 65 years.
True to its culture of consistency, hard work and patience, it has no desire to rush. “That is the way GH works,” states Robledo.
“The owners always remind us that Rome was not built in a day, and the company is not focused on short-term returns by any means. That is an advantage of not being owned by private equity.”
Leading by example Robledo is the first to praise the owners of GH, citing their work ethic, their family values and their willingness to get their hands dirty. “The owners in Spain lead by example. They
are first to arrive in the morning and last to leave at night. They don’t drive flashier cars than their employees. The second and third generations of the family are now involved and they are not just managers, they work in other jobs in the company as part of the workforce.”
GH is still family owned, and it manufactures all of the components for its own cranes. It does not integrate parts from other manufacturers. Although it has a long track record that goes back more than 65 years, and has manufactured more than 125,000 cranes, the company maintains the same values it had from the early days – honesty, innovation and a people-centred approach. It is an approach that has left a big impression on Robledo, who believes those values and the culture they create will be essential in addressing
30 Spring 2026 |
ochmagazine.com
the many challenges the industry will have to face in the years ahead. “Last year was very challenging with tariffs. It
was a very bad time for the industry as a whole, but particularly for us, as we import many of our materials. Anyone who imports – and that includes many of our competitors – has usually agreed on prices, but then costs change with the tariffs, so there is a lot of uncertainty. So, 2025 was challenging, but now I am optimistic. We have just spent millions on our new manufacturing site, and we are seeing a lot of projects and new leads. “It is a characteristic of the US that, regardless of who is in government, people work hard and are very practical. They have a plan and they go for it, even when conditions are uncertain. We see a lot of data centres are being built in the US, for example, and that kind of infrastructure requires power, transformers and many more components, and that moves a lot in the economy. We also see that the US is investing a lot of money in shipyards, defence and other key sectors.” For Robledo, the future of the industry seems bright, though getting there might involve some hardship and some patience. But that is just part and parcel of how GH operates. It has managed to thrive, expanding across the globe from its base in the Basque country thanks to its focus on steady growth and long-term benefit rather than short-term gain, and a strong sense that
everyone in the organisation has a key role to play in delivering success. “It is very much like a family,” Robledo observes.
“I remember once I was on my way to an 8am meeting and I had an accident on the way. I had crashed my father’s car, so I had to let the owners of GH know that I was going to be late and explain what had happened. The next thing I know, Victor Guerra – the owner of GH – has come to pick me up. And he paid for my father’s car. “Doing right by people is the most important thing here, which is one reason we have nice people who work hard. It is all about respect, and that carries through to our customers, as well as our employees.” Robledo freely admits that he likes surfing
more than he likes cranes. The beach, the sea and the waves are what he craves, though there is a thrill in working with big car manufacturers, tunnelling companies that need gantry cranes, train manufacturers and many more. Texas may not have the world’s best surfing beaches, but there are plenty of lakes where he can be towed behind a speedboat. “The week is for working, the weekends are for surfing. All my workouts are about getting ready for the opportunity for the big wave surfing in Hawaii.” It seems the US has given a warm welcome
to both GH and to Robledo, and their story will no doubt have many more chapters.
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