How PSC Crane & Rigging built a legacy: an interview with Randy Sever

For the past 91 years, the Sever family has been operating Piqua Steel Company, started in 1933 by Earl F. Sever, Sr. The company weathered the Great Depression and various other economic storms, enduring and moving forward with its no-nonsense approach to rigging and millwrighting. PSC Crane & Rigging is now known around the world for its innovation and expertise.

Randy Sever, Chief Operating Officer, PSC Crane & Rigging, Chairman, SC&RA Crane & Rigging Workshop

Today, the fourth generation of the Sever family runs the business that has expanded exponentially over the past 25 years. Brothers Jim and Randy are at the helm of the company that their great grandfather founded. They serve as president and COO, respectively.

The brothers work well together, having drawn on their particular interests and strengths to take the company to a new level over the past decade.

On the map

Randy has been especially active in building the company’s presence in the automotive, food and beverage and energy sectors, to name a few. PSC is a leader in the installation of stamping presses at automotive plants, and the company excels in the realm of manufacturing plants for all sorts of food and beverage products. Additionally, he maintains relationships with flagship legacy customers who call on PSC when it comes time to serve their needs.

Humbled by the growth and success of the company, Randy remembers something his grandfather told him a few years ago, before he passed away.

“I went to see him, and we chatted for a little while about the business,” Randy said. “At one point, he put his hand on my knee and told me how proud he was of me and the family business that we all had worked so hard building. ‘Your great grandfather would have been so proud, too,’ he said. ‘He would have never dreamed you would be traveling to Japan to build relationships with people building automobile plants in the United States. You have put this company on the map.’”

The Sever brothers are well known within the specialized rigging and transportation industry, and both are very active within the SC&RA. Randy is chairman of the 2024 Crane & Rigging Workshop, which will be held this month in Glendale, AZ. This is his second time to hold this position, the first time back in 2020 when the event was held virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Randy is excited about the Workshop as well as the program that the Crane & Rigging Committee and SC&RA staff have organized.

“I am honored to serve as chairman again,” he said. “It’s been very gratifying to serve on this committee and serve alongside so many peers who I respect. What resonates is that everyone faces different challenges, and we want to try to bring some clarity to solving these problems.”

A team effort

New and evolving technologies is a focus at the workshop, and Randy thinks the presentations will be informative and engaging.

“Everyone in SC&RA rallies behind the challenges or issues that we are facing,” he said. “For the Workshop, we’ve pooled subject matter experts to provide programs to address several important issues we all face.”

Randy is a recognizable face at SC&RA meetings, and he is knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. I’ve interviewed him several times about various jobs PSC has performed through the years, and he always makes note of the PSC team and how amazing they are at the jobs they do.

“You need a good, cohesive team of people who respect one another and understand the company’s goals,” he said. “Everyone needs to be pulling on the same side of the rope. That is where we are, and where we are headed.”

Mentorship matters

Randy gives a lot of credit to people who have mentored him along the way, many who were SC&RA leaders who have passed on. That’s why it’s so important to “seize the day,” he told me.

I’ve known Randy for pretty much all the years I’ve been editor of American Cranes & Transport. He’s a great friend to many people in the industry and in the SC&RA. He gave a lot of thought to my questions, and for a couple of them, he said, “You know, I’m going to need to think about that.”

And sure enough, he did, calling me the next morning with his well-thought-out answers. I think you will enjoy reading what he has to say.

What are the biggest challenges for PSC Crane & Rigging?

Our challenges are similar to those of other companies in our industry. Skilled labor is one of the biggest concerns as we continue to grow and expand. There’s a skilled labor shortage in our industry.

Another challenge is long lead times on acquiring new assets. For instance, if you want to buy a brand-new specialized forklift from the factory, it’s probably going to be 2027, depending on the specs and manufacturer. But it’s the same for certain specialized used equipment. If you find a used forklift, you need to jump on it immediately. In many instances you need to purchase the unit sight-unseen.

However, we’ve been fortunate in the skilled labor arena. We have developed a culture at our company that makes it a really great place to work. We are known in the industry, as well as in the region with the local union workforce, for treating our people well. We truly care about their safety and wellbeing. It’s not just making sure they are working safe or that they have the right tools and equipment. We care about their mental health and their family life. All of our team members have a “stop work” authority. If something doesn’t look right, stop work immediately. We make a continual investment in our tools and equipment. When you have a good culture within your organization, word gets out and others want to join the team.

PSC Crane & Rigging recently assisted in the erection of a 120-foot vertical wind tunnel for NASA at Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA.

What is it about this industry that keeps you engaged?

I like the challenges that this industry presents. Every job is different, and it provides us a chance to innovate and institute creative solutions that potentially evolve the way we work. That’s what inspires me about the work we do.

Plus, I look at where we were and where we are now. It’s amazing how much our company has grown over the past 25 years. The new technology within our industry is all very exciting to me. The forklifts we have today, the cranes, in comparison to where they were 25 to 30 years ago. The new gantry systems today have so many enhanced safety features built into them.

Rigging as a concept has changed a lot over the years – in the past, people figured out how to get things done with what they had. However, the challenges of today are solved by very different equipment, technology and engineering.

You can go back and look at when they would roll big, heavy equipment components around using roundwood timbers, railroad jacks, winches and horses. Everything is different now. Everyone is trying to come up with something new in the lifting, moving and transport part of the business, while always putting safety at the forefront.

How do you characterize the market for the services your company offers?

All the market sectors we currently serve or work within seem to be aggressively plowing forward. We also find ourselves in new industry market sectors, which is propelling our growth. All the markets we serve are busy and growing. Because of this, PSC is growing.

We’ve been working in tech and data infrastructure for over five years, and have seen substantial growth. Most of this business has been regional, and has led to nationwide relationships. Our customers like how we perform and understand what needs to be done. They see how well we meet schedules, how efficient we perform the scopes of work and how safely we operate. The only thing that is slowing down growth in this sector right now is the electrical grid not being able to keep up with the power demand.

As a result of that growth, we recently purchased several lines of THP DC Dual Lane Goldhofer over-the-road transport equipment and prime movers. We had the self-propelled Goldhofers that allowed the short over-the-road and onsite drayage work; however, we were missing out on other large opportunities. In order to compete and grow our special projects work, we needed these assets, so we made the investment. This equipment complements other facets of work we do and has expanded our footprint.

You have been involved in SC&RA for several years. What does SC&RA bring to the table in terms of PSC Crane and Rigging’s scope of work?

Being a part of SC&RA has greatly helped our business grow. It’s allowed us to forge strong partnerships with equipment suppliers, as well as competitors. Through these relationships, we‘ve been able to utilize certain assets that we didn’t have in our fleet.

SC&RA relationships allowed us to rent equipment and perform a scope of work that we wouldn’t necessarily have been able to perform on our own competitively. These relationships and partnerships are a big piece of who and where we are today as a company.

For example, in the early 2000s, on one of the first big press projects we performed, we utilized a gantry system we rented from Selinsky Company out of Canton, OH. For another project, we rented 10 lines of Goldhofer and we again partnered with Selinsky, utilizing some of their assets. This led to further investment in our equipment fleet, by purchasing some of these assets. Additionally, the relationships we have fostered with many SC&RA members over the years have allowed us to forge long-standing business partnerships. The SC&RA is all about building relationships and sharing know-how.

What is the best business advice you’ve ever been given?

I’ve always felt that when everyone is operating slightly out of their comfort zone, we’re optimizing our efforts and talents most effectively. I like to challenge people, but I also want to empower our team members to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes and make the most of opportunities. It gives them ownership of both their own success, and the company’s. When everyone is working in this fashion, great things happen.

The other thing is that you have to know your limitations as a company. You don’t want to bite off more than you can chew. I’ve always told everyone we want to push ourselves, but not to the point that we set ourselves up for failure.

Years ago, at one of the SC&RA January board meetings, a person told me this: Remember, pigs get fed and hogs get slaughtered. And I have used that terminology on several occasions when we find ourselves going after new opportunities. Are we sure we are going to be able to perform on all fronts? You need to make a good, solid business decision and sometimes that means you have to pass. You can’t be everything to everyone at all times. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. It can destroy a company.

I’ve been given a lot of good advice in my life and I have so much respect for so many people, especially our SC&RA leadership. It’s sad and humbling that some of them are no longer with us. But I guess my favorite takeaway is that you have to seize the day, every day.

Of the equipment in your fleet, which is your favorite in terms of the “do all be all?”

That’s a hard question. All of our equipment is interesting and useful. But something that’s new and exciting that we’ve entered into is our over-the-road THP DC Goldhofer trailer. This is allowing us to further expand capabilities with our customers and provide an overall turnkey solution. Our team is pretty energized about this new piece of equipment and what it will allow us to do.

Another thing that has me motivated is our PSC team. They are the do all, be all. I’m just so encouraged by the level of professionalism from our team members and how well they are helping us grow the company and take on new roles and responsibilities. Our PSC team is so willing to accept new challenges, which is allowing us to step outside of our comfort zone and expand our footprint across the nation.

My father (Earl Sever, III) always said, ‘You can have all the fancy toys and equipment, but if you don’t have good people who can do great things, take responsibility, accept challenges and take ownership, you really don’t have anything.’

What do you do in your leisure time?

I love family vacations with my wife (Heather) and our two boys (Brandyn and Hayden). We like to spend relaxing time at the beach, as well as both domestic and international travel. I enjoy cooking, family dinners and spending time on the golf course with friends.