THE INTERVIEW
n A 10t crane. © Ace Industries
make things right. We have branch managers who will personally deliver and drive a part over if needed, stay late until all the techs are home, and generate a culture of family. We have so many branches, we're able to borrow people so we send the right person for the job. We have depth and that is one of the things that makes Ace special.
OCH: What is your view on the future of the overhead cranes business? MW: A lot of the changes we have seen have been electrical-based and to do with safety, with more fall protection on cranes. We are looking now at how we can utilise cranes to provide other aspects of safety and so I think we'll see more of that. I think we will continue to see the largest leaps in electrical and data collection. Companies are already starting to provide data about your crane on your smart phone or tablet. What’s next? Could a crane or hoist be powered through a signal eliminating the need to have wires completely? When I first started in this business, we still had people who would ask for contactor controls and Center Drive Cranes, but dual drives are standard now and VFDs (variable frequency drives) are commonplace. I think we’re going to continue to see more features on hoists and cranes in a more compact space. ^
Molly’s Top 5 tips for success
1. Be willing to listen to other's ideas. Bouncing ideas off of a team can generate even better ideas. If you get so focused on your own, sometimes you’ll miss an opportunity. I like to summarise what I heard back to the other person. It allows them the opportunity to correct me or tweak their idea or offer more clarification and they feel heard.
2. Trust your gut. A lot of times you have to trust your gut to move forward and ask for permission later. But as long as you're moving forward, and listening to others, you can’t agonise over every decision otherwise it would stagnate the process. When a customer calls, he doesn’t want to wait for 10 pages of calculations to know if you can do something. If it seems reasonable, provide the answer, that gives breathing room to do some calculation checks. If you find out you need to go back to them, you are armed with information and solutions.
3. If you don't have experience in something, go and talk to the guy who has to build it. He may not have all the information on how to do the calculations, but he knows what needs to be done, and what the design limitations are. Once you have a concept, the evaluation work is easy.
4. Find a mentor. Find somebody you respect in your industry, within your company or even in life. What do they do differently? How are they responsive? What draws you to them?
5. Positive vibe. Be positive and put that out into the world. A positive outlook on a problem can often turn it into an opportunity and doesn’t tear down a team. Going through a trial together can strengthen team bonds. A friendly smile and eye contact can go a long way in setting the tone of a meeting or office conversation. There are opportunities in everything if you just look for them.
44 | Winter 2023 |
www.ochmagazine.com
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