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May 30, 2019
What is Rigging? When people buy a home, they often hire a moving company to transport their belongings. In similar fashion, when industries move from one location to another, or buy a new piece of machinery, they hire movers called “riggers.” In both cases, valuable items are being handled, transported, and gently set in place by trained professionals. For more than 50 years, Rog’s, Inc. has been in the rigging business, helping industry and contractors with their moving needs. Whether it’s setting rooftop air-conditioning units at a shopping mall, or transporting and delivering machines weighing tens of thousands of pounds, Rog’s, Inc. is the area’s premier rigging and crane service. They have the equipment and the manpower to handle almost any job with the utmost care. Rog’s motto is: “We lift things up and we place them down.” Company Profile Rog’s, Inc. is the all-American success story of a young entrepreneur who followed his dreams. In 1957, Roger “Rog” Hedderick left his welding job at General Electric and launched his own company, Rog’s Welding. He built a solid reputation among Erie’s industrial community by offering prompt service at a reasonable price. As his clientele grew, so did the diversity of their needs, prompting a change in the company’s direction. Rog’s Welding soon became more about rigging and crane service, and less about welding and fabrication. In the 1960’s Rog’s was on its way to becoming the largest and most fully equipped rigging company in our tri-state area, and by the 1980’s, the name was changed to Rog’s, Inc. In 2006, Rog retired, and his son, Gaven Hedderick, became president and CEO. Sadly, Rog passed away in 2009, but his namesake lives on. Equipment and Resources Today, Rog’s, Inc. has a fleet of forklifts, including narrow profile Versa-Lifts (25,000 to 35,000-pound and 40,000 to 60,000-pound capacity), as well as its 80,000-pound workhorse, the Rigger Special. The company offers crane service up to 100-tons, as well as air-ride tractors and trailers, straight trucks and tilt-beds. Rog’s facility at 18th and Parade Streets occupies an entire city block, storing industrial machinery, as well as cars, boats, and motor homes. Among its 12 warehouses is Rog’s 30,000-square-foot Machinery Distribution Center, where new machines are received for future delivery, and older machines are stored for future sale, all within the protection of its secure building. Machines are loaded and unloaded “inside” the building — out of the elements. Shipping machines directly to Rog’s relieves the customer of the stress of coordinating trucker and rigger, allowing the company to schedule deliveries at the customer’s convenience
May 30, 2019
In the rigging and machinery moving business, size matters. And, since 1957, Rog’s Inc. has been steadily growing and developing into the local tri-state area’s largest and most fully equipped rigging company. What late founder Roger “Rog” Hedderick started some 56 years ago has since grown and flourished into a major operation under the leadership of his son, Gaven Hedderick, now president and CEO. Gaven’s brother Scott serves as general manager, and his brother Vern serves as maintenance and warehouse manager. Thanks to their father’s tutelage, these men were operating forklifts and moving heavy machinery long before they were old enough to drive. Even Gaven’s brother-in-law, Tony Giannelli, Rog’s senior foreman, has been with the company for 20 years. Together, these professionals have 130 years of combined rigging experience and, coupled with Rog’s excellent staff of OSHA-certified riggers and crane operators, offer customers the very best and most qualified riggers in the tri-state area. Unparalleled Equipment With 17 conventional forklifts of all sizes, plus three innovative forklifts, including a small-profile 25/35 VersaLift, that is only 5 feet wide, but can lift 35,000 pounds; a slightly larger 40/60 Versa-Lift, that is only 6 feet wide, but can lift 60,000 pounds; and its workhorse, the Rigger Special, that can lift a hefty 80,000 pounds, Rog’s has a forklift for nearly every need. When reach or weight is an issue that a forklift cannot handle, the company has three cranes with a maximum capacity of 100 tons, and a maximum reach of 221.7 feet. Rog’s also has a fleet of late model tractors and an array of tri-axle tilt-bed trailers, flatbeds, tri-axle lowboys and step-decks, all with air-ride-suspension, to assure a smooth ride for today’s delicate machinery. Hedderick Properties, the warehousing division, features 12 onsite warehouses, with 162,000 square feet of under-roof storage space, which includes its 24,000-square-foot Machinery Distribution Center. There, Rog’s receives and unloads customers’ machinery, saving them the aggravation of coordinating trucker with rigger. All machinery is loaded and unloaded inside Rog’s building, protected from the elements, and then delivered at the customer’s convenience. If customers should need more time to prepare a site, Rog’s has the room to keep the machine until they’re ready. Exercising Care, Safety and Service Rog’s slogan is “We Lift Things Up & We Place Them Down.” In other words, the company exercises the utmost care when handling every piece of equipment entrusted to its care because safety and customer satisfaction are Rog’s two highest priorities. Next time you need a crane or a forklift, call Rog’s Inc. and find out why it is the area’s premier rigging and crane service
May 30, 2019
For centuries, men have uttered such catchphrases as “Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched,” or “Necessity is the mother of invention.” These phrases, and many others like them, are profound nuggets of truth. They speak volumes in just a few words. Another equally profound phrase, uttered in the 15th century by Gabriel Bell, is: “You get what you pay for!” In other words, price reflects quality and “You got your money’s worth!” Whether you’re speaking about clothing, automobiles, tools, or rigging and crane service — it makes no difference — quality requires a higher level of investment, thus often resulting in a higher price. The adage remains true: “You get what you pay for!” For 58 years, the name ROG’S, INC. has been synonymous with quality rigging and crane service in the tri-state area. It is the area’s premier rigging company. To be the area’s largest and most fully equipped rigging company requires a significant financial investment. For example, to have and to hold a highly skilled, OSHA-certified work force of riggers and crane operators, experienced in all aspects of machinery moving, requires a substantial financial investment. To purchase and maintain late-model quality equipment, such as cranes and specialized forklifts, tractors and trailers, which facilitate the safe and efficient moving of the most delicate and expensive industrial machinery, requires a substantial financial investment. To carry the appropriate liability insurance for rigging and crane service requires a substantial financial investment. ROG’S, INC. continues to make that investment, constantly updating and expanding its equipment. This assures that its customers receive the safest and highest quality of service, with the least amount of interruption to their operation, all the while keeping the price as reasonable as possible. ROG’S, INC. may not always be the cheapest rigger, but the company vows to be the best, choosing never to compromise quality for price. Remember, “You get what you pay for!” ROG’S, INC. has the area’s only 80,000-pound “Rigger Special” forklift. Being an innovator and not a follower, ROG’S was the first to purchase a specialized forklift called a Versa-Lift, a “narrow-profile” rigging forklift with extendable counterweights, designed to increase load capacity. The company currently owns two such forklifts: the 5-foot-wide 25/35, which picks 25,000 pounds when retracted, and 35,000 pounds when extended; and the larger 6-foot-wide 40/60, which picks 40,000 pounds when retracted, and 60,000 pounds when extended. These forklifts are narrow enough to navigate through tight-quarters, yet hefty enough to get the job done. ROG’S warehousing division is HEDDERICK PROPERTIES, offering 13 warehouses, and 167,000 square feet of indoor storage for short-term or long-term storage. There is also a 24,000-square-foot Machinery Distribution Center, where all machinery is received inside the building, and prepared for delivery. ROG’S, INC. truly is a one-stop rigger, offering rigging, crane service and warehousing, all with the customer’s needs in mind. As they say, “You get what you pay for!”
May 30, 2019
What’s It Worth to You? Did you know there is an entire cable TV network dedicated to do-it yourself (DIY) projects? It encourages otherwise unskilled homeowners to wade out into the waters of “home-improvement,” by giving them tips and ideas on how to tackle simple and sometimes not-so-simple home improvement projects, all under the guise of “saving money.” However, there are some projects that are too dangerous for the DIY and should be left to the professionals. After all, no amount of savings is worth a crippling injury or an unsafe structure. Concerning your health and your property — what’s it worth to you? Experience Matters There are “do-it-yourselfers” in industry, as well, who think that anyone with a forklift can move machinery or perform rigging services. The traditional definition of rigging is the use of hoists and pulleys to move heavy loads. Today, its meaning has been expanded to include lifting, moving, transporting, positioning, pulling and securing of heavy loads, requiring specialized equipment and skilled personnel. There are numerous factors that must be considered before embarking on a rigging project, the first being: Do I have the right equipment? You can pound a nail with a shoe, but a hammer works much better! Secondly, do I have skilled people? Each machine and each application is different, and one false move can prove disastrous. Some machines are top-heavy; some machines require a boom instead of forks; and, some machines have composite bases that are easily damaged. If you damage the machine, who is going to pay for it? The decision to “do-it-yourself” is almost always prompted by a desire to save money, but can you afford to drop your machine or injure an employee? What’s it worth to you? On several occasions, ROG’S has been called upon to fix a “do-it yourself” mishap that resulted in much higher costs to the customer. Rigging Experts When it comes to moving expensive machinery, which is often very delicate and often very heavy, trust the professionals at ROG’S, INC., who, now in their second generation, have been moving machinery for more than 58 years. In the time it takes for others to “figure-out” how to handle the machine, ROG’S can have the machine moved and in place. Time is money! Why make a two-hour job into an all-day event? If you value your property and value your employees and value limited interruption to your production schedule, call the professionals at ROG’S, INC. After all, what’s all that worth to you? ROG’S, INC., is the area’s largest, and most fully equipped rigging company, employing a full-time crew of OSHA certified riggers and crane operators, and possessing late-model rigging equipment, such as specialized forklifts with lifting capacities to 80,000 pounds, mobile cranes with capacities up to 100 tons, and a fleet of air-ride tractors and trailers to haul the most delicate machinery. When purchasing your next machine, call ROG’S, INC. — your time and investment are worth it!
May 30, 2019
Some people are fans of the TV show “Dancing With The Stars.” They love to watch the dancers move gracefully across the floor, the men lifting the women high into the air and then gently returning them to the floor. Every move is calculated; every transition is smooth and seemingly flawless. The dancers move with such fluidity that their actions appear almost effortless; yet, beneath these graceful performances is raw power under total control. This is the result of hard work and dedication, coupled with a passion for perfection. The finished product is “a moving experience.” Believe-it-or-not, those who have watched ROG’S INC. professionals move machinery have made similar statements. “It’s like watching a ballet!” Well, maybe not a ballet exactly, but the sentiment remains the same — the ease in which ROG’S operators move machinery is something to behold. It is truly “a moving experience.” With seemingly little effort, large machines are lifted from a truck and lowered gently to the ground, displaying the skill of the operator and the power of the equipment — raw power under total control. Then, with the fluidity of a ballet, the machines are carried or skated through the building, often encountering obstacles and narrow passageways, but the crew doesn’t miss a beat. To the delight and fascination of those watching, every move is calculated, every transition is smooth and every potential hazard avoided. It is “a moving experience.” Psychologists say that moving is one of the most stressful events in life, whether it’s a family moving across town or a manufacturing facility moving dozens of machines within a plant; either way, there is a degree of anxiety that surrounds the event, and it behooves those who are moving to hire those who are knowledgeable in all aspects of moving, so as to turn a potentially stressful event into “a moving experience.” ROG’S INC. has been in the rigging and crane business since 1957, and is the area’s premier rigging and crane service, offering 167,000 square feet of indoor warehousing/storage through its warehousing division Hedderick Properties. The company also has traditional and specialized forklifts with capacities to 80,000 pounds, hydraulic cranes with capacities up to 100 tons, and experienced OSHA-certified riggers and crane operators. The next time you want to move a machine or an entire plant, don’t just settle for “any” rigger, call ROG’S INC. — for “a moving experience!”
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