The Insider

A team’s ability to have respectful, meaningful conversations is a cornerstone of healthy company culture, says Steve Napieralski, president at Oz Lifting. If you read this magazine’s recent ProMat review, you’d have seen an interview with Parker Hale, inside sales specialist at my company, in which he reflected on his first trade fair appearance. “Wow,” […]

‘Made in…’ can be a great stamp of quality and acceptance, but there must be value to support it, says Doug Stitt, president and CEO at The Caldwell Group Inc. Walk the aisles of a trade show like ProMat, which was took place in Chicago, just a few weeks ago, and you’ll see and hear […]

Operations and maintenance programming seems to be more important in some markets than others, which is exposed when implementing cross-industry strategy, says Joel Cox. As I spend time with stakeholders in various markets, I’m reminded of the constant need to share knowledge that drives continued improvement of industry best practices. At the time of writing, […]

Honesty remains the best policy, even though people seem more prepared than ever to give the truth scope, observes Steve Napieralski, president at Oz Lifting. Someone was talking to me the other day about sandbagging, a policy of lowering expectations to go above and beyond them when the results are delivered. I’ve also heard countless […]

You can’t lift a load with a logo, says Doug Stitt, president and CEO at The Caldwell Group Inc. We’re all susceptible to marketing messages, especially in the consumer sector, where movie stars can convince you that wearing the same fragrance as them can make you appear as cool, visually appealing, or successful. Clothing companies, […]

Is it important to keep energising and challenging a team with new learning, as a recent safety course reminded Joel Cox of the Dellner Bubenzer Group. There’s something about being suspended in a harness that focusses the mind. Only when reliant upon a safety system is true perspective really gained about how vital it is […]

New products lift us up and we must show a constant bias towards innovation, says Steve Napieralski, president at Oz Lifting.   You’ll hear it said a lot at my company, “I’m just thinking aloud here…”. And I like to see it. Innovation is a cornerstone of growth, but a business can’t continue to innovate […]

Never have we faced so many contrary and unknown forces, and it’s made for some awkward cueing, says Doug Stitt, president and CEO at The Caldwell Group Inc. “Doug, your next column is due,” the editor said. “Can you do something on the state of the market, please?” So, I’ve chalked up, white ball up […]

Manufacturers of ancillary equipment have a big role to play at Global Lifting Awareness Day, says Joel Cox. I was at the Cleanpower show in San Antonio, Texas last month (May) when a group of young people, each with a big ‘W’ on their tops, came over to our exhibit. They were unmistakably students at […]

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, as an emphatic return to in-person networking proves, says Steve Napieralski, president at Oz Lifting.   Are you ready for Christmas? You should be. Jane and I have already got our stockings hanging above the cabin fireplace. And we’re not the only ones. The world’s logistics nightmare […]