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Celebrating the Canadian heavy lifting industry’s Top 10 Under 40

The future of the heavy lifting industry looks bright. Armed with a strong work ethic, initiative, curiosity, and a commitment to training and safety, the 2023 Top 10 Under 40 selections are setting the bar for young professionals across the industry.

Whether they work in leadership, operations, maintenance, sales or support, these crane and hoist employees are highly regarded by their colleagues, clients and peers.

Congratulations to our 2023 winners!

(Photo credit: EllisDon)

Olivia Brown

Preconstruction manager, special projects, EllisDon

Calgary, Alta.

Alex Davoli’s coworker Olivia Brown is deserving of a Top 10 nomination because of her dedication to detail.

“Olivia’s day-to-day job duties include project management. She consistently delivers on key responsibilities, including developing and maintaining project schedules, expertly managing project budgets, and overseeing all aspects of procurement, from subcontracts to material ordering,” says Davoli. “Her ability to seamlessly coordinate and communicate with subcontractors, consultants, owners, and stakeholders ensures that projects run smoothly and efficiently.”

But what truly sets Olivia apart is her unwavering dedication to safety and compliance.

“She goes above and beyond to ensure that all work executed on-site adheres to relevant codes, regulations, and quality standards. Her meticulous approach to risk management and her proactive identification of opportunities to mitigate risks make her a true asset to the industry,” he says.

As a preconstruction manager, Olivia’s talents shine even brighter.

“Her involvement in developing technical content for proposals and RFPs showcases her ability to craft winning solutions. Collaborating with architects, engineers, and other stakeholders, she consistently delivers design solutions that meet clients’ needs and budgets,” says Davoli. “Olivia’s skills in evaluating alternative design and construction methods have optimized project costs and schedules, demonstrating her ingenuity and foresight.

Additionally, Olivia’s membership in the Calgary CCA Young Construction Leaders and her role as a content advisor for “Project Coordination 101” for EllisDon Corporate’s “Knowledge Hub” demonstrate her passion for fostering leadership and sharing knowledge within the construction community.

“Olivia’s remarkable achievements in project management, preconstruction, and her contributions to industry knowledge and education make her an outstanding candidate for Crane & Hoist Canada’s Top 10 Under 40 list,” says Davoli. “Her dedication to excellence, safety, and innovation is truly exemplary and deserving of recognition.”

(Photo credit: Test Rigging)

Garrett Margetts

Manager, Test Right Rigging Ltd.

Vancouver Island, B.C.

“Garrett Margetts is the most well-rounded person I know in the lifting industry,” says his father and his boss, Wayne Margetts. “From great people skills to executing major lifts, from manufacturing slings to testing overhead lifting devices, Garrett is ahead of his peers.”

His ability to run a 125-ton conventional friction crane, implement jack and roll jobs, estimating, problem solving and always looking out for his fellow workers, he adds.

“Garrett gets complex jobs done on time within budget and with safety at the forefront,” he says.

(Photo credit: Energy Crane Services)

Cory Robinson

Operations manager, Energy Crane Service

Stony Plain, Alta.

Cory Robinson’s employer Jesse Myshak has only the highest praise for his Top 10 nomination.

“Cory in my opinion is a huge driving force in our company’s success and growth over the years,” says Myshak. “His passion with all facets of the company and the crane business supersede what any normal person would consider a passion. He is obsessed with anything crane and takes the time to know every crane in our fleet and rental fleet inside and out.”

It is his knowledge of the cranes that the company operates and the functionality of each unit that allows Robinson to give customers an honest approach to their projects.

“Cory first started with our group in August of 2017 as a crawler hand and has proven himself time and time again, working himself into an operations managers position within Energy Crane,” says Myshak. “His commitment to the personnel and the customers ensure our growth and making Energy Crane a well-known crane company within our and other provinces.

In short, Cory is a crane nut: he lives and breathes the crane industry and to honour this individual with this recognition would speak volumes to his passion in this industry.”

(Photo credit: Falcon Equipment)

Kelsey Patrick

Marketing manager, Falcon Equipment Ltd.

Surrey, B.C.

Kelsey Patrick started her career at Falcon Equipment as a Marketing Coordinator in 2017, where she was brand new to the crane industry. It was her passion, drive and motivation that were evident from the beginning, and she would be a leader in the crane world, earning her promotion to Marketing Manager in 2021.

“Kelsey has countless achievements; some of her outstanding work includes hosting Canada’s first-ever Truck-Mounted Crane Rodeo from inception to execution, held in our head office in Surrey,” says Blair Norberg, vice president at Falcon Equipment.

“In this event, Falcon’s Annual Crane Rodeo, the local crane operators from the industry competed with one another; there were games and prizes and an overall successful, fun-filled event.”

Building on this success, “Kelsey plans to host the Crane Rodeo in our other branches to include local crane operators in those areas to participate in this event,” says Norberg.

Kelsey has excelled in creating brand awareness and maintaining our social media presence.

“She is collaborating with crane operator influencers on Instagram, creating content and keeping up with the market trends. She is promoting our cranes in a trendy and fun way on our social media platforms, directly impacting our crane sales,” says Norberg. “Kelsey is our shining star and deserves recognition for her contribution to the crane industry; we look forward to her continued growth and success at Falcon Equipment.”

(Photo credit: GUAY)

Yannick Santerre

Chief mechanic of conventional crawler cranes, GUAY

Montreal, QC

Yannick Santerre has a passion for cranes, says work colleague Olivier Giguere.

“Yannick initially joined GUAY in October 2016 as a crane mechanic at our Trois-Rivières branch and then, transferred to lend a hand at our Anjou branch in April 2018,” says Giguere. “From his very beginnings with GUAY, we were able to observe his passion for cranes and his dedication to his work.”

Always looking to gain more knowledge, Yannick was quickly recognized by his colleagues for his involvement in the garage, as he does not hesitate to assist anyone who needs his help.

After having continued to develop his expertise over the years, combined with his pleasure of sharing his knowledge, Yannick was nominated to the position of foreman of the East-Montreal in May 2021.

“Everything indicated that he was the ideal candidate to support his colleagues in the maintenance of the branch’s fleet,” says Giguere. “In June 2023, Yannick was again promoted to Chief Mechanic of the conventional crawler cranes, where he will take on new challenges with the project team regarding the maintenance and repair of our crawler cranes fleet at the provincial level. For GUAY, Yannick is a reference because of his work ethic and the work quality that he delivers every day.”

(Photo credit: Irving Equipment)

Julien Raby

Engineering manager, Irving Equipment Ltd.

Saint John, N.B.

Thane Tapley, a work colleague of Julien Raby, has only the highest praise and respect for his Top 10 nomination.

“As Engineering Manager at Irving Equipment, Julien Raby, P.Eng, demonstrates the highest level of leadership and professional conduct, excelling in the many aspects of the heavy lift and transport industry,” says Tapley. “Julien’s passion for safety and innovation have been demonstrated repeatedly throughout his 18.5 years at Irving Equipment, while managing wind, shipbuilding, petrochemical and countless other heavy industry projects.”

Raby’s involvement with the Canadian Crane Rental Association, the CSA-Z150, further demonstrates his passion to innovate and improve safety throughout the crane and heavy transport sector.

“With an unwavering attention to detail, regardless of the magnitude of the job, Julien aspires to engage and inspire the highest level of teamwork throughout our organization,” says Tapley.

(Photo credit: McIntyre Crane & Rigging)

Nathan ‘Nate’ Tobin

Operations manager, McIntyre Crane & Rigging Ltd.

Calgary, Alta.

Nathan ‘Nate’ Tobin is becoming a highly respected rising star in Southern Alberta’s crane and hoisting landscape. A native of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nate had craning in his blood with renowned family members already well-established in the trade, says coworker and HR manager David Monteith. “Nate entered the trade at an early age and never looked back, earning his Red Seal in Mobile Crane Operation in 2018 at just 23 years of age. Nate’s peers quickly recognized him as a standout operator, worker, and person.”

Despite having well-established connections through his family in craning, Nate would endeavour to blaze his own trail, relocating to Alberta in the summer of 2019, and would go on to join McIntyre Crane & Rigging Ltd. in Calgary, Alta., in April of 2021 as a crane operator and media manager.

“Here, Nate could merge his two passions of cranes and videography,” says Monteith. “As the company took on more projects, Nate started accepting more responsibilities and quickly became the go-to person for quotes, lift planning, dispatch, and fleet service. Nate also plays a key role in employee development, training, and career planning.”

In March 2023, less than two years into his tenure with McIntyre Crane & Rigging Ltd., Nate would be appointed to the role of Operations Manager. As remarkable as Nate’s career has been so far at just 27 years old, possibly more impressive is how well-liked and respected he is.

“Recognized by many within his team as being one of their favourite co-workers, Nate is also revered by clients, contractors, service providers, and competitors for his positive energy, friendly attitude, impressive knowledge base and operational skill, professional conduct, and managing capabilities,” says Monteith. “Nate embodies the epitome of a competent crane operator, a leader, and a friend.”

(Photo credit: ML-Trucks Equipment)

Cameron Spencer

Parts specialist, ML-Truck Equipment

Abbotsford, B.C.

Mathew Friesen nominated his coworker Cameron Spencer, recognizing his key contributions to the company.

“Cameron received his Red Seal as a partsperson five years ago, where he worked in the industrial supply area and then moved into on highway truck parts,” says Friesen. “Cameron wanted a more challenging and specialized focus in his career path.”

ML Truck had an opportunity for Spencer to do so and he made the switch.

“Here we are just over a year later and Cameron has excelled in his overall parts knowledge as well as a true understanding of our crane industry,” says Friesen. “Cameron has become one of the key go-to people within our organization, with a can-do attitude and a passion to go the extra mile, ML Truck is very excited to see Cameron further develop his skills, while keeping our company in the top tier of the crane industry in B.C.”

(Photo credit: Tadano)

Louis Francescutti

Section manager, Canada, Tadano America Corp.

Leduc, Alta.

Justin Andrews is always impressed by the leadership skills of his work colleague, Louis Francescutti.

“Louis started off with Tadano as a technician and has proven to show not only that he has the knowledge and expertise to be our top technician but, has proven that he can lead a team and grow the company in the service and support department for all of Canada,” says Andrews. “Louis at the age of 33 has been promoted to lead the Tadano service and support team in Canada.”

(Photo credit: WrightPlan)

Randa Fernandes

Director, operations and customer experience, WrightPlan Inc.

Waterloo, Ont.

For the past two decades, Randa has been a technology visionary and digital transformation leader within the software industry, leveraging emerging technologies to help organizations around the globe innovate, grow and solve complex challenges for customers.

“Since joining WrightPlan Inc. in January 2023, she has immersed herself in understanding the digital transformation needs of the crane and rigging industry from a planning and execution perspective, and even presented her findings as a panelist during this year’s SC&RA Crane & Rigging Workshop,” says Adam Gall, her coworker who nominated her for the Top 10. “Her day-to-day activities see her collaborating with industry leaders and her talented WrightPlan Product and Services teams to develop and implement strategies that streamline processes, reduce downtime, and increase productivity for crane and rigging operations.”

Fernandes is a Women in Tech advocate, a proud mother to two little girls “and a member of mentoring circles that work to inspire, support, elevate and empower more young women to enter careers in tech,” adds Gall.