Performance with purpose: a look at SC&RA’s annual Environmental Award winners

The 2026 SC&RA Environmental Award presentation: (L to R): Joel Dandrea (SC&RA), Simon Schuster (Liebherr USA), Anneliese Denny (Goldhofer), Matthias Ruppel (Goldhofer), Jim Sever (SC&RA and PSC Crane & Rigging). Photo: SC&RA

Environmental responsibility has become an important consideration throughout the crane, rigging and specialized transportation industries. From equipment design and manufacturing to fleet operations to facility management and project execution, companies are exploring new ways to reduce environmental impact while improving efficiency and performance.

SC&RA recognizes those efforts through its Environmental Award, presented to member companies that have demonstrated a meaningful commitment through innovation, operational improvements and long-term environmental stewardship.

Moment of pride

Presented during the 2026 SC&RA Annual Conference in Amelia Island, Florida, the Environmental Award was presented to Liebherr USA (Newport News, Virginia) and Goldhofer (Aktiengesellschaft, Memmingen, Germany).

For Goldhofer, receiving the 2026 SC&RA Environmental Award served as a recognition of progress and a validation of a philosophy that has steadily evolved over the past decade.

“Receiving this award was a moment of pride because SC&RA stays closely connected to the realities and demands of specialized transportation and heavy-haul operations,” said Goldhofer’s Florian Bischofberger.

Florian Bischofberger, Goldhofer

Bischofberger noted that the recognition reflects contributions from across the organization – from engineering and production to sales – and reinforces Goldhofer’s belief that sustainability and performance are not competing priorities.

“They go hand in hand,” he said. “Receiving recognition from SC&RA validates what we’re doing.”

According to Simon Schuster, divisional director, mobile and crawler cranes division, Liebherr USA, “Environmental responsibility only works if it also works for the customer.”

At Liebherr, sustainability isn’t defined by a single technology or breakthrough. Schuster added, “It’s the result of a broader philosophy centered on practical solutions that deliver environmental benefits without compromising the performance our customers depend on.”

Rather than committing exclusively to any one technology, Liebherr continues to evaluate a range of solutions, including alternative fuels, electrification and emerging energy technologies. The goal, Schuster noted, is to identify the right solution for the right application rather than forcing a single approach across an industry with widely varying operating conditions.

“Flexibility is particularly important in the crane sector, where equipment may operate on urban jobsites with stringent emissions requirements one day and remote project locations with limited infrastructure the next,” he said.

As a result, Liebherr has adopted what it describes as a technology-neutral approach; one that prioritizes efficiency, performance and emissions reduction while remaining adaptable to the evolving needs of customers and the markets they serve.

“For the company, sustainability is not viewed as a separate initiative,” said Schuster. “It is increasingly becoming part of the engineering process itself, influencing decisions about equipment design, energy use and long-term product development.”

Shared responsibility

While Goldhofer’s environmental initiatives are often associated with products such as the E-PowerPack and other equipment, the company’s commitment extends well beyond product development.

According to Anneliese Denny, area sales manager, one of the most striking aspects of preparing the Environmental Award submission was realizing how deeply environmental considerations have become embedded throughout the organization.

“Once you start looking for it, you realize sustainability extends well beyond engineering and production,” she said. “From solar panels and lighting systems to bicycle parking and the overall design of the facility, it’s woven into daily practices and reflected in the way people work every day.”

Anneliese Denny, Goldhofer

That cultural shift, Bischofberger explained, has developed gradually. “When I joined Goldhofer more than twelve years ago, many environmental efforts were already underway, including rooftop solar installations and participation in a regional wood-pellet power plant. At the time, however, those initiatives were largely viewed as standalone projects rather than part of a broader company mindset.”

Over time, environmental awareness became increasingly integrated into everyday operations and decision-making at Goldhofer. “Ideas generated by employees – including the company’s transition to LED lighting throughout its facilities – helped reinforce the notion that sustainability was not solely a corporate objective, but a shared responsibility.”

For Liebherr, the response to an ever-evolving industry has been to provide customers with practical options that work today while continuing to evaluate the technologies that may shape the future. The approach has led Liebherr to expand the use of hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO), advance hybrid and electric crane technologies and continue exploring future energy solutions such as eFuels (electrofuels) and hydrogen.

Among those efforts, Schuster pointed to HVO as one of the most effective tools currently available. Capable of reducing lifecycle CO₂ emissions by as much as 74 percent compared to conventional diesel, HVO is already being used throughout production, with all new cranes manufactured in Ehingen fueled with HVO from day one.

Liebherr is also advancing hybrid and electric technologies designed to support local zero-emission operation. Hybrid models such as the LTC 1050-3.1E combine a conventional drive system with an electric motor, allowing emission-free crane operation when connected to an external power source.

“In addition to reducing emissions, electrification can lower noise levels by as much as sixty-five percent – especially important in urban environments,” said Schuster. “And supporting technologies, including mobile energy storage systems, further expand the ability to operate electrically where grid access is limited.”

Practical solutions

Electrification may be driving many of the industry’s most visible advancements, but Bischofberger noted that some of Goldhofer’s newest advances are focused less on power sources and more on improving efficiency – pointing to a recently introduced heavy-duty transport module capable of widening its track.

“This innovation allows certain transports to be completed with significantly fewer modules,” he said. “Which means fewer units have to be mobilized – reducing the number of transports required and, ultimately, reducing the environmental impact.”

The philosophy represents a broad-brush approach at Goldhofer. The best outcome is to solve a problem the customer already knows they have – and, ideally, a few they haven’t thought about yet, Bischofberger explained.

Simon Schuster, Liebherr USA

Zooming out, Liebherr sees continued opportunity in expanding technologies already proving themselves in the field. Alternative fuels can deliver immediate emissions reductions across existing fleets, while electric and hybrid systems continue to create new pathways toward lower-emission operation as supporting infrastructure develops.

Both companies, said SC&RA CEO Joel Dandrea, have demonstrated such operational excellence and environmental stewardship. “We congratulate Goldhofer and Liebherr on their Environmental Awards. As expectations from customers, communities and regulators continue to grow, environmental responsibility is increasingly becoming a business imperative.”

He added that SC&RA encourages all industry leaders to “continue seeking new ways to reduce environmental impact, improve efficiency and strengthen sustainability efforts – and we look forward to recognizing them through our awards program in the future.”

More inside the latest edition of American Cranes & Transport.

Safety Awards

At the annual convention, SC&RA also handed out its Safety Awards. Below is a list of all the winners from this year’s competition.

Photos: SC&RA

Thirteen member companies received a Crane & Rigging Zero Accidents Award for having an Incident Rate (TRIR) less than or equal to 1.25, a Worker’s Modification Rate less than or equal to 1.0, an Incident Expenses Frequency Rate less than or equal to 1.0, zero fatalities during the current program year and no recordable accidents: Active Crane Rentals – Wilmington, Del.; Bay Crane Service – Long Island City, N.Y.; CCI Industrial Constructors – Brighton, Mich.; Crane Rental Service Inc. – Orange, Calif.; JJ Curran Crane Company – Detroit, Mich.; McNally-Nimergood Co. – Saginaw, Mich.; Olori Crane Service, Inc. – Nanuet, N.Y.; Precision Crane Service – Windsor, Calif.; Royal Crane Service, Inc. – Markham, Ill.; Southeastern Rigging – Winter Springs, Fla.; Stevenson Crane Service, Inc. – Bolingbrook, Ill.; Titan Crane & Rigging, Inc. – Stockton, Calif.; and Waggoner Equipment Rental LLC – Wood River, Ill.

Twenty-two SC&RA member companies received Crane & Rigging Safety

Awards due to their superior safety records, achieving an Incident Rate (TRIR) less than or equal to 1.25, a Worker’s Modification Rate less than or equal to 1.0, an Incident Expenses Frequency Rate less than or equal to 1.0, zero fatalities during the current program year and an Experience Modification Rate (EMR) of 1.0 or less: Active Crane Rentals – Wilmington, Del.; Bay Crane Midwest – Columbus, Ohio; Bay Crane Service – Long Island City, N.Y.; Bay Ltd/Berry Contracting & Heavy Haul – Corpus Christi, Texas; Bigge Crane and Rigging Co. – San Leandro, Calif.; Buckner HeavyLift Cranes – Graham, N.C.; CCI Industrial Constructors – Brighton, Mich.; Crane Rental Service Inc. – Orange, Calif.; JJ Curran Crane Company – Detroit, Mich.; International Industrial Contracting Corporation – Sterling Heights, Mich.; Maxim Crane Works, L.P. – Wilder, Ky.; McNally-Nimergood Co. – Saginaw, Mich.; Mr. Crane, Inc. – Orange, Calif.; Olori Crane Service, Inc. – Nanuet, N.Y.; Precision Crane Service – Windsor, Calif.; Royal Crane Service, Inc. – Markham, Ill.; Sautter Crane Rental, Inc. – Philadelphia, Pa.; Southeastern Rigging – Winter Springs, Fla.; Stevenson Crane Service, Inc. – Bolingbrook, Ill.; Titan Crane & Rigging, Inc. – Stockton, Calif.; W.O. Grubb Crane Rental – North Chesterfield, Va.; and Waggoner Equipment Rental LLC – Wood River, Ill.

One SC&RA member company – W.O. Grubb Crane Rental – North Chesterfield, Va. – earned a Crane & Rigging Safety Improvement Award for having an

Incident Rate (TRIR) less than or equal to 1.25, a Worker’s Modification Rate less than or equal to 1.0, an Incident Expenses Frequency Rate less than or equal to 1.0, zero fatalities during the current program year and reducing their incident rate and/or worker’s compensation modification rate compared to the previous year’s contest entry.

Additionally, 96 individuals, representing 10 member companies, received Crane Operator Safety Awards. This award is presented to certified crane operators who exhibit exemplary work achievements by accumulating a minimum of 10,000 work hours accrued as a crane operator while working for their current company, and recording zero incidents or accidents, zero lost calendar days and zero failed random or post-accident drug tests during the program year. The companies included: Barnhart – Memphis, Tenn.; Bay Ltd/Berry Contracting & Heavy Haul – Corpus Christi, Texas; Bigge Crane and Rigging Co. – San Leandro, Calif.; Connelly Crane Rental Corp. – Detroit, Mich.; Dutcher-Phipps Crane & Rigging Company – Monahans, Texas; JJ Curran Crane Company – Detroit, Mich.; McNally-Nimergood Co. – Saginaw, Mich.; Mountain Crane Service, LLC – Salt Lake City, Utah; Precision Crane Service – Windsor, Calif.; and Sautter Crane Rental, Inc. – Philadelphia, Pa.

Eighteen individuals representing five member companies received the Rigger Safety Award, given to riggers who exhibit exemplary work achievements by accumulating a minimum of 10,000 work hours accrued as a rigger while working for their current company, and recording zero incidents or accidents, zero lost calendar days and zero failed random or post-accident drug tests during the program year. The companies included: Barnhart – Memphis, Tenn.; Bay Ltd/Berry Contracting & Heavy Haul – Corpus Christi, Texas; MEI Rigging & Crating – Albany, Ore.; Bigge Crane and Rigging Co. – San Leandro, Calif.; and Mr. Crane, Inc. – Orange, Calif.

On the transportation side, two SC&RA member companies received a Transportation Zero Accidents Award for having a USDOT Recordable Accident Frequency rate less than or equal to 0.67 and zero recordable accidents as defined by CFR Section 390.5: Highway Heavy Hauling – North Plains, Ore.; and Precision Heavy Haul, Inc. – Tolleson, Ariz.

Five SC&RA member companies received a Transportation Fleet Mileage Category Award for having the lowest accident frequency rate in different mileage categories: 100,000 miles to 500,000 miles – Precision Heavy Haul, Inc., Tolleson, Ariz.; 500,000 miles to 1.5 million miles – Highway Heavy Hauling, North Plains, Ore.; 1.5 million miles to 5 million miles – Miller Transfer – Rootstown, Ohio; 20 million miles to 50 million miles – Maxim Crane Works, L.P. – Wilder, Ky.; and over

100 million miles – Landstar Transportation Logistics, Inc. – Jacksonville, Fla.

Additionally, two member companies earned a Fleet Safety Improvement Award for having a USDOT Recordable Accident Frequency rate less than or equal to 0.67, and by showing a reduction in their accident frequency rate for miles traveled, compared to their previous year accident frequency rate: Maxim Crane Works, L.P. – Wilder, Ky., and Miller Transfer – Rootstown, Ohio.

This year, one professional driver from an SC&RA member company was recognized with the Million Miler Safety Award. The Million Miler award recognizes drivers who have accumulated a minimum of one million consecutive miles of safe driving within the industry: James A. Freeman, with Landstar Transportation Logistics, Inc. – Jacksonville, Fla.

Finally, the Driver Safety Award recipient was recognized for accumulating five years of accident-free driving: Nick Melocchi, with Sautter Crane Rental, Inc. – Philadelphia, Pa.