THE INTERVIEW | RICHARD WARRINER
industrial crane power systems and other related infrastructure. The W is for Warriner, and the K is for Daniel Klasel, president of Spanguard and VP of WK2
Services. The company was established to address
growing industry demand for experienced field knowledge, particularly in modernisation projects and system transitions, where practical experience counts but is often in short supply. The company works directly with facilities, contractors and technical teams to evaluate systems, identify risks and create reliable solutions to improve performance, safety and long-term operability. “The service industry is primarily composed of lots of ‘mom and pop’ shops. They may have good technicians but no engineers and people who are retiring from that role often want to keep using their skills but not in a full-time job. So, we took the WK2
proposition to the market.
We are not an engineering firm, and we can’t provide licensed people directly, but we can match experienced engineers with opportunities presented to us by small service companies. It is almost like a brokerage, matching opportunities with appropriate engineering expertise.” Over the years, Warriner has clearly kept up with the changes that have happened in the industry, and WK2
is the result of his deep
understanding of the skills deficit that casts a long shadow over it. The company grew from an idea that was fertilised by decades of hands-on crane electrification and modernisation experience, including Warriner’s participation in ASME, AIST and related code committees. That experience gives WK2
an in-depth understanding of industry
standards, as well as a field-tested perspective on what makes crane service teams able to plan work correctly and confidently. It is also the fruit of Warriner’s almost insatiable
appetite for work. “My wife would argue that I don’t have a
Spanguard’s Four-Bar conductor bar system is designed to electrify cranes, hoists, monorails and moving equipment.
for electrifying cranes, hoists, monorails and moving equipment and came into the company’s portfolio when it was acquired from Starline Holdings in 2024. “I really enjoy it because I have an opportunity
to see how things happen. Four-Bar lends itself to monorail systems, and one customer has several units in its manufacturing operations. Last week, I was on a manlift in Brunswick, Maine, inspecting a Four-Bar system that is being used on aircraft hangar doors. I’ve seen steel-making operations using 250t capacity cranes, I’ve been in nuclear power plants looking at their overhead cranes and I have seen a lot of materials handling operations. It is always fascinating to see.” His love for the industry does not, however,
blind Warriner to its shortcomings or its challenges. One thing that he wishes would
38 Summer 2026 |
ochmagazine.com
change is the apparent loss of knowledge among some companies that buy and use lifting equipment.
“When I was a youngster coming up in this industry – and even up to 2000 – there were experts in the industries we sold to. Companies would have a cranes guy, and he could make decisions based on knowledge. One thing that is frustrating and makes me sad is that now these decisions are often made on price rather than value. Sometimes corporations get so big they don’t really understand the details.”
Banking on experience It is Warriner’s appreciation for skills and experience that has led him to his parallel venture – WK2
Services. This is a technical services company that provides hands-on expertise for
balance between work and the rest of my life. I am more work-driven than most people and I have a real need to achieve. Satisfying a customer or winning a contract is what pushes my buttons. “I think that comes from growing up in a
culture where you were expected to work. Somewhere along the line, I decided I had to be able to take care of myself and my own life, and the result is that I probably focus more on work than I should. But I understand what drives me. When I remarried, I knew that I would have a wife that is as supportive as anyone could be, including my first wife, who always understood my need to work.” If there are any parting words of wisdom that
Warriner has for the next generation in this industry, it would be to value skills and experience, to understand human relationships and to reward bold and decisive action when it is taken. “Praise people for taking the initiative and
they are more likely to do so again. It gives people confidence when you praise their abilities and their initiative.”
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