Some of the best crane operators in the world took the controls at the 2011 Crane & Rigging Rodeo held during CONEXPO in Las Vegas.
Eyes widened and grins grew as these operators took control of the official Rodeo crane supplied by Liebherr.
Seasoned crane operators, such as Ronnie Gray, dubbed the crane "the Mercedes" of cranes. One operator, who had never operated a Liebherr, Adam McDermott, said, "It was my first time in a Liebherr crane . . . it was a smooth crane. It felt sturdy, solid. I liked it." Matt Taylor said operating the 1045-4.1 Truck Crane was "flawless." These guys should know, they all scored in the top three of the Crane & Rigging Rodeo. Rodeo Grand Champion, Wes Dowd said the crane was "user friendly and very smooth."
Crane Institute of America Certification (CIC) is in the business of providing written and practical exams for crane operator certifications which are recognized by OSHA and nationally accredited. These certifications meet all the new OSHA requirements and cost at least half the price of comparable certifications.
Being so well-known as a certification provider means that CIC put a lot on the line as one of the proud sponsors of the 2011 Crane & Rigging Rodeo at CONEXPO. A number of factors made the Rodeo successful. First, the Liebherr crane was perfect for optimal performance and secondly, the design of the Rodeo challenge by Mike Parnell of Industrial Training International and Cliff Dickinson of Crane Industry Services provided realistic challenges to the contestants and a big thanks goes out to CIC Authorized Examiners Wendell Gray and Carl Whitaker who acted as judges. Finally, the event could not have taken place without the contributions of the key organizer, Maximum Capacity Media, who holds the power of the pen for the crane and rigging industry.
To the joy of all involved, particularly the sponsors, the crane operators had only praise for the way the Rodeo was set up, the friendliness and professionalism of the Rodeo team, and the way the Liebherr Crane operated.
Be on the watch for more great Rodeo events to be announced in the near future. Liebherr, CIC and all the Rodeo sponsors enjoyed working together to bring this exciting, hands-on event to CONEXPO. The collaboration of all the great sponsors made the Rodeo possible, challenging and worthwhile. We like the show, tell and experience aspect of the Rodeo, made possible through the collaboration of all the great sponsors.
For more information, visit: http://www.CICcert.com or call 763-476-4242.
