Who isn’t fascinated by the sight of a huge crane dangling tons of steel or other materials hundreds of feet in the air?
Plenty of us are, and that’s why I expect a new video from Sims Crane & Equipment Co. will become a big hit on YouTube.
The professionally produced video, “Heavy Lifting,†showcases Sims’ certified crane operators and support staff. Scripted as a reality-style show, with nods to “Survivor†and “The Apprentice,†among others, the six-minute video takes viewers behind the scenes as the crew erects a 250-ton crawler crane at the Port of Tampa – complete with salty language and humor.
The stars are Sims’ workers, including Bobby, the erection foreman; Bubba and Jimbo, crane operators; and Mike and Will, apprentices. The skyline of downtown Tampa and the Sunshine Sykway Bridge have bit parts.
There’s solid business logic behind the production. The video offers views a glimpse of the company’s core values – safety, professionalism, expertise, experience, client service, personal pride, teamwork and a family like approach to the job, Dean Sims II, vice president of marketing, said in a statement.
A second video, “Citizen Crane,†mimics “Citizen Kane†and is one of a series designed to get crane operators and end users to think about crane safety. It’s narrated by Bob Berry, a 30-year crane operator and Sims’ safety director, who also stars in the video.
Tampa-based Sims Crane, with sales and rental revenue of more than $48 million in 2012, has 10 regional offices in Florida, 281 employees and 381 cranes.
Margie Manning Quality and Content Editor-Tampa Bay Business Journal Email  | Facebook  | Twitter  | Google+