Where Size Matters

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

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!”

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!