The BiggEvent Is Back
383 new cranes coming in. More than 1,200 units on rent. The largest order and the highest utilization in our 110 year history.
Welcome to The BiggEvent!
Welcome to the inaugural issue of our new company newsletter. We are launching this to help keep everybody across the Bigge team informed and feeling connected to one another. Every quarter it pulls together what is actually happening across Bigge: the new gear, historical highlights, safety wins, updates from our branches, and the people around the who make it happen.
Back in the 1980s, Brock Settlemier ran Bigge and published a newsletter for every employee called "The BiggEvent." It covered the jobs, the people, the projects, and the news around the company. We are bringing the name back as our way of honoring his years at the helm. You will find scans of one of his original issues below, so you can see where this came from.
The Original BiggEvent
Innovation is in our DNA
From Henry Bigge’s pioneering spirit to the innovations of tomorrow
Henry W. Bigge Jr. went to work for his father in the eighth grade, dropping out of school during the Great Depression to help support his family. He was just 21 when his father died and left him the small trucking company to run. Everything he knew about running a business, he was about to learn the hard way, in real time, with everything on the line. He said it best himself:
“I have heard it said that the difference between a fellow who went to school and a fellow who did not go to school was this; the fellow who went to school learned the lesson first and then took an examination. The fellow who did not go to school took the examination first and then learned the lesson. How true that statement is insofar as my life is concerned. I took all the examinations first and then learned the lessons.”
In 1934, working alongside his master mechanic, Henry designed and built the first lattice boom truck crane in the world. He took the design to the manufacturers, convicnced them to build it, and that design went on to set the standard for the entire industry for the next fifty years. The Bay City Crane Company started calling him the "Father of the Bay City Cranes." He built the machine the industry didn't know it needed yet, and then the whole industry followed.
More than 110 years later, that instinct is still alive.
Look at the LR 1300. Our CEO and Henry's grandson, Weston Settlemier, went to Liebherr and convinced them to build the machine, then handed them the requirements for what it would take to succeed in the American market. Liebherr built it to that spec. We received the very first one off the line in 2007, and today we are the largest owner of LR 1300s in the world. Weston earned that the same way Henry did, by seeing the machine the market needed before the manufacturer did and telling them how to build it.
Fast forward to today: we saw an opportunity to revolutionize the industry once again. Roughly 70 percent of the hours on our cranes were idle hours, operators had to run the crane all day just to keep the cab comfortable on jobs that only required a few picks per day. Those idle hours run up three bills at once: they wear the machines out faster, drive down the value of the machine, and stick our customers with an overage-hour bill nobody wants to pay. So we went to SANY and told them what to build. They built an Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) to our spec that runs independently from the main engine and powers the cab's heat and air conditioning. The main engine only runs when there's a pick to make. It works just like a car at a red light: the moment the operator hits the gas pedal or touches a joystick, the engine fires right back up.
Today we have 74 SANY cranes across 11 models in the fleet, with roughly 140 more arriving before year's end. The APU is just the start. We have a range of new SANY models in development right now, each one built to requirements we've determined to best serve our customers and crane owners.
From a 21-year-old with an eighth-grade education and a broken-down trucking company, to the largest bare rental fleet in the world. Bigge has never been the company that waits to see what the industry does next. For 110 years, we've been the company that decides.
Bigge Bites, our first employee cookbook
We are building a company cookbook out of your recipes: secret family dishes, homecooked favorites, anything good. Submit as many as you want. We will host a digital version of this cookbook.
Email Your RecipePhoto contest: your shot could win a Milwaukee toolbox
Send in your photo anytime this quarter. Next issue, the top picks go up for a company vote, and the most votes wins a Milwaukee toolbox. Cranes, jobsites, team moments. If it is Bigge, we want to see it.
Email Your PhotosSafety performance, wins, and the practices that keep everyone going home safe.
No Slack in the Line
Safety is our #1 core value. Every safe outcome starts with planning, communication, and accountability.
Vehicle accidents companywide, year-to-date
That number reflects the discipline and focus our teams bring to every task, every day. In a boom year that does not forgive shortcuts, this is the standard.
Three SC&RA Safety Awards, One Year
Bigge won three 2026 SC&RA Safety Awards this year: the Crane & Rigging Safety Award, the Crane Operator Safety Award, and the Rigger Safety Award. Together they cover the whole picture, company performance, individual operators, and rigging crews, which means this recognition touches almost everyone reading this.
At the end of the day, this comes down to one thing: getting yourself and the people next to you home to your families the same way you left for work that morning, every single day. That is what matters most, and it is worth a real thank you. We are going to keep driving toward being the safest company in this industry, and toward making the whole industry safer alongside us.
Five employees recognized for stopping the job
Their actions reflect the responsibility every Bigge employee carries: to step in and stop work when something doesn't look right. This team demonstrated strong judgment, professionalism, and a clear commitment to protecting their coworkers and the job.
Safety starts before the lift
The message remains clear: strong planning, clear communication, and acting early on risk prevent incidents.
Lessons learned
Most issues trace back to the same gaps:
- Communication breakdowns
- Rushed or incomplete planning
- Failure to adjust when conditions change
Bottom Line
If the plan changes, we stop and reset. No slack in the line means no shortcuts in how we plan or execute.
See something? Say something.
If you need to report a safety concern, email or call our Safety Team.
Gulf: HWagner@bigge.com · (832) 278-0200
California: MMcCarthy@bigge.com · (510) 707-5889
The Crew
Employee spotlights from across the company.
From Craigslist to Crane Leadership: Zack Ganzell's 15 Years at Bigge
It was June 2010 and I had just moved back to the Bay Area. I graduated from SDSU (Go Aztecs!) in one of the worst economies we've seen in a while and jobs were hard to come by. I was working for our family excavating company as an Operator/Laborer, but I preferred the titles of "Integrated Dirt Management Specialist" and "Director of Manual Material Distributions." Unfortunately, projects were few and far between and I knew it was time to find a big boy job to start paying off my student loans.
So I jumped on the #1 job listing platform of all time, Craigslist, to search for a sales role. I noticed Bigge's listing and felt it was a perfect fit for my skillset. During my initial interview, I was told there were 2 roles they were trying to fill and I would be interviewing with Brian Noga and Marcus Leaverton. My interview with Noga included a panel with everyone in the EQS Trailer and a ton of Q&A. My interview with Leaverton included talking about how horrible the Oakland A's were that year and if I thought the Giants had a chance to win it all. When I was eventually offered a choice between the 2 roles, I jumped on Noga's EQS Team immediately.
The early EQS days included Noga, Apo and I making ridiculous bets on basically everything we could think of while Deanna had to put up with our shenanigans. She was all eyerolls on the outside, but secretly loved it all. We also knocked out a minimum of 100 cold calls per day, which were all manually logged in SLX, also known as the world's best CRM ever built (JK, it was a total pile).
My next role in Bigge involved me moving down to Southern California to bare rent cranes through our SoCal branch at the time, Carde Pacific. Shortly after moving, we decided to start doing O&M under Bigge in the SoCal region. I learned a lot about the business, balancing partners that overnight became our competitors as well as trying to drum up business in a very competitive market.
After a few years of working in the SoCal market, there was an opportunity to move back home to the Bay Area and do O&M Sales under Marcus Leaverton and then eventually Troy Kussmaul and Joe Nelms. It was a great opportunity to expand my skillset and learn from the best O&M Crane Company in the world. While the Bay Area is an incredible market to work in, it felt like every job had a problem to solve and an obstacle to clear. There was so much teamwork and knowledge in the Bigge building that we were unstoppable, something that still holds true to this day.
Around 2016, I was able to find my way back home to the EQS Team working under Robert Apo. It was great to see how much the department had grown, but also how much of the core EQS business was still the same. Shortly after, in 2017, there was an incredible opportunity to move to Colorado to get the DNCO branch back on track. We had about 15 cranes in the region, but the person that was running it had left Bigge. I leaned on what I had learned from my previous experience of expanding a satellite branch and within a short period of time, we grew the branch to 40+ cranes.
In 2021 I was promoted to the EQS Sales Manager and was able to work closely with Mike Buckland on taking EQS to the next level. The EQS department had seen a lot of growth over the years and we were able to implement a lot of new technology and innovation to drive even stronger results. In 2022, I became the Director of Equipment Sales. We worked really hard to develop a team that worked well together, crushed our goals and had a lot of fun at the same time.
In June 2025, I was able to sit down with Weston, Noga and Nelms and was promoted to the Vice President of Equipment Sales and the Mountain Region. My focus has been on growing both departments through strategic hires and placing people in the right positions for success. Both roles require a lot of cross functionality, and I think we achieve a lot of our goals because I've had the honor of working with so many different teams and people within Bigge.
In 15+ years at Bigge, I've seen incredible growth as a result of the collective effort of hard work and dedication from everyone. Our Core Values are not just wall decor, but something we live and breathe every day. Everyone has the opportunity for growth and success, you just have to #keepcrushin.
The Spark Behind the Support: Cheyanne's Story
I grew up in Atascocita, TX as the youngest of 3 kids. I spent my high school years playing on the Varsity Tennis team and taking as many AP classes as I was allowed to take. My parents had pushed me to get a job over the summer between my Sophomore and Junior years of high school, so I applied at our local grocery store, H-E-B. I started working as a part time bagger in the summer of 2011. By the following Spring, I had been promoted to Cashier. I worked every shift I could get my hands on. After I graduated High School, the Service Director selected me to attend "H-E-B University" and I went through their 6-month floral program. I got certified as a florist and began picking up extra shifts in the floral department as well as still acting as a Cashier. At this point, I had also enrolled into college to pursue my Business Administration degree with a focus in Marketing. I was eager to grow up, be an adult and hold a "real job."
I had a routine customer come through my line one day and she asked me if I would be interested in being a receptionist at her job. I agreed to entertain the idea, and after one quick interview I was hired on the spot. I started at Siddons-Martin Emergency Group in the Summer of 2015 as a receptionist. Once there, they quickly realized that I picked up on things very quickly, so I was moved to the AR department. I helped in the AR department for a short time before I was moved to the AP department. I oversaw processing the company credit card transactions and auditing statements on past due accounts. I made countless connections with internal employees while in this role, and by the Summer of 2016, I found myself applying for an internal transfer to a service center in La Marque, Texas. I was transferred and started my role as a Service Admin for a new entity the company was opening called "Industrial Apparatus Services (IAS)." I had the official title of Service Admin, but I oversaw everything from ordering office supplies and lunches to sourcing parts and providing service quotes. In 2019, I was promoted to Assistant Service Manager: me, little 20-something year old Cheyanne, in charge of 15+ employees.
At the beginning of 2020, I was met with a request to move to a new branch opening in Friendswood, TX and help them get established and get their feet off the ground. I moved branches and I was assigned to the field service department and the parts department for this branch. In 2022 we lost a key management employee, and I took over the entire branch overseeing the day-to-day operations. I quickly became burnt out in this new role and found myself seeking more: more of a challenge, more of a reward, more meaningful. I needed to get my spark back. I had put feelers out on Indeed and applied for a few jobs here and there, but leaving a place you had worked at for 10+ years is hard, especially during COVID times.
One day, Kevin Jadney reached out via text message and said he found my resume on Indeed and thought I would be a good fit for the Equipment Sales Specialist position and requested I apply. I shrugged it off as a scam text and just moved on with my day. For some reason, I just could not let it go though. I texted Kevin back and before I knew it I was sitting at the HSTX office in an interview with Mike Buckland and Drew Collins. I walked out of the office on a high. The thought of doing something new that I had zero insight or background in was exciting!
I started at Bigge in August 2023 working for Zack Ganzell & the EQS team as an Equipment Sales Support Specialist. In my current role at Bigge I have helped the EQS team fine tune our processes and streamline as many things as possible. When a sales rep is ready to invoice any sort of equipment, I process the request and generate the invoice. I apply the payments, collect tax audit documents, request ESP set ups, and issue Bills of Sale. I help the asset team by adding Equipment to Workpro and Salespro. I help the Operations team by uploading 3rd party annual inspections to Workpro. Every day I show up to work with 3 main goals in mind: do my work and do it well, make things easier for my coworkers by helping where I can, and learn as much as I can from anyone willing to teach me.
Outside of work, I have 3 children ages 11, 7 & 4. We spend most of our time at the ballpark and if we are not there, we are going on some sort of adventure. I also have a snow cone business that I co-own with my sister-in-law and we do events and parties on the weekends. In my free time, which I don't find myself having a lot of, I enjoy reading, spending time with family, crafting, and playing outside with my kids.
A rotating branch and regional update, featuring a different branch each issue.
From the Yard
Branch-level updates from across the system: what's busy, what's coming, what changed. Each issue features a different branch.
Pulling the Rope in the Same Direction
How the GNLA team is building a branch on the rise
"We have a great team in place, and everybody is pulling the rope in the same direction."
The Gonzales, Louisiana branch is moving forward with a growing team, a busy yard, and a clear plan for what comes next.
Branch Manager Alex “Boogie” Troegel and the newly adopted GNLA team have brought real energy and pride to the branch. Nine people now show up to the shop every day, Boogie included. The team is also adding a dedicated parts person, while the search continues for additional sales reps and an office administrator.
The shop has been cleaned up and repainted. New furniture is in place. The yard is being reorganized to handle the next wave of equipment arriving in Gonzales.
That investment is substantial. Bigge has committed 41 cranes and $49.6 million in capital investment to Gonzales through 2026. The fleet gives GNLA more capacity to support its customers across Louisiana and the Gulf Coast, while helping the branch build the reach and infrastructure needed for the long term.
“Morale is great now,” Boogie says. “We have a great team in place. Everybody understands that we have to keep pulling the rope in the same direction.”
That phrase, “pulling the rope in the same direction,” captures what is happening at GNLA better than any org chart could. The branch is growing because its people are taking ownership of the work, the facility, and the opportunity in front of them. The progress is visible in the shop, in the yard, and in the way the team is preparing for what is next.
Where GNLA Is Headed
Gonzales is building toward a larger role in the Bigge system. The vision is for GNLA to become a solid pillar in the Gulf Coast, working alongside Houston and giving Bigge a launchpad to press farther into the Southeast, eventually bridging the gap between Gonzales and Aiken.
That is an ambitious play. The team, the incoming cranes, and the investment behind Gonzales are putting the branch in position to make it happen.
At GNLA, the rope is taut. Everybody is pulling.
Crew Connections
Celebrating our people, culture & community, the parts of Bigge that exist between the lifts.
The first edition of our employee cookbook
We're excited to launch the first edition of Bigge Bites, a cookbook created by our very own people! This cookbook is made up of secret family recipes, homecooked favorites, or just something delicious you found while scrolling online. We encourage you to submit multiple recipes and to continue to submit throughout the year. The cookbook will be available to all employees via PDF and will be updated regularly to keep the latest and greatest dishes in front of you.
Email your recipe (name, ingredients, instructions, and a photo if you have one) to marketing@bigge.com.
Email Your Favorite RecipeBigge in the Wild
A look at Bigge cranes and crews in the field, Q3 2026
A few shots of Bigge cranes on the job taken by members of our team.
Submit Your Shot
Got a great photo from the yard, the field, or the road? Email it to marketing@bigge.com with your name, location, and a quick caption anytime this quarter. In the next issue, we will post the top submissions here for everyone to vote on. Most votes wins the Milwaukee toolbox.
Email Your Photos
Your Shot Could Win a Milwaukee or DeWalt Cordless Fan!
Submit your best photo this quarter. In the next issue, the top picks go up for a company-wide vote, and whoever gets the most votes takes home the fan. Cranes in the field, job sites, team moments. If it's Bigge, we want to see it.
Backpack & School Supply Drive
July 1 to July 31
Help local students start the school year prepared and confident.
- HSTX Beneficiary: Star of Hope
- Additional community partners will be announced for other locations
The standout projects and company moves that shaped the quarter.
Under the Hood
A rebuilt WorkPro, a record month for parts, a new AI safety tool, and a new home for HR and payroll: this is what moved this quarter.
WorkPro Service Module Goes Live
WorkPro was originally built in 2016. This quarter it got a full service module that replaces the Smartsheet the team had outgrown, covering work orders, scheduling, parts, billing, and service history in one place, alongside the asset data we already use.
The build took about four months start to finish. A couple years ago it would have taken five times as long and cost five times as much. AI-assisted development and our in-house talent closed that gap, which lets us keep investing in WorkPro so it stays best in class as we scale.
Thanks to Murali Kamity, Keenan Chiasson, Tom Raffetto, Tommy Huynh, and James Watson on the IT team, for a job well done.
Parts Sales Just Posted a Record Month
June was the best month Parts has put on the books: $754,000 in sales.
Credit where it’s due: Julian Russell, Sebastian Vela, Juan Guzman Portillo, and Nicolene Huysamen. Keep up the great work!
Meet the Bigge AI Safety Agent
The Bigge Safety Agent is a new tool built into TimePro and ServicePro. It answers safety questions in plain language, pulling every answer straight from Bigge's official documentation with the source attached.
It also reads photos. Snap a picture of a jobsite and the Safety Agent flags hazards and suggests precautions before the pick. Innovation built it alongside Safety to put safety information directly in the hands of crews in the field.
Bigge Goes All In on ADP
Payroll, benefits elections, and PTO requests used to live in separate systems. The HR and Payroll teams are migrating it all onto ADP Workforce Now: one login for payroll, benefits, PTO, and personal information.
HR, Payroll, IT, Finance, and Operations are handling the migration together, validating every record and testing every process so paychecks and benefits balances stay accurate.
Questions about the transition? Reach out to Mario Sapon, HRIS and Benefits Manager: msapon@bigge.com or (832) 786-5193.
Training, certifications, and promotions. How we invest in our people and help them grow into the next role.
Raising Capacity
Training programs, certifications, internal promotions, and the people putting in the reps to grow into the next role.
Building the Future of Technical Training at Bigge
We are doubling down on employee development, and part of that is welcoming Ryan Kraemer as our new Technical Training Specialist. Ryan brings more than 12 years in the crane and heavy equipment industry, with deep experience in technical instruction, control system troubleshooting, and curriculum development. He comes to us from The Manitowoc Company, where he was a Senior Training Instructor delivering in-person and virtual training and built more than 50 electronic training courses.
In his role here, Ryan is developing practical, equipment-focused training for our technicians and sales teams. His knowledge of Manitowoc lattice boom crawler cranes and heavy equipment control systems also makes him a go-to internal resource when a tough technical question comes up.
A Strong Year Already
Ryan joins at a busy time. So far in 2026 we have run four weeks of hands-on technical training in Houston, giving intermediate and advanced instruction to mechanics from multiple locations. Courses have covered LIEBHERR Litronics Levels 1 and 2 and Manitowoc MLC300 Level 1, focused on control systems, diagnostics, calibrations, schematic reading, and troubleshooting.
The training team is also working with Sales and Innovation on new learning resources: short-form equipment familiarization videos, an improved learning management system, and control system emulation tools. Those tools let employees practice crane configurations, diagnostic navigation, calibrations, and troubleshooting in a controlled setting before they ever touch the real machine.
Where It Is Headed
We plan to keep expanding our Manitowoc, Grove, SANY, LIEBHERR, Tadano, and other OEM training. Houston will stay an important hub, and the program will keep reaching employees at branches, jobsites, and every other location across the company.
The progress this year comes down to our people taking part and backing the effort. When we invest in training and give teams consistent, practical ways to learn, everyone works more safely, more efficiently, and with more confidence. Please join us in welcoming Ryan and supporting the program as it grows.
What is coming up on the calendar for the quarter ahead.
The Next Pick
Key dates and initiatives on the horizon for Q3 and beyond. Mark your calendars and watch for more details as each item approaches.
Bigge Day: Company-Wide Luncheon
Bigge is celebrating 110 years in business with a company-wide luncheon on July 29, featuring great food, fun activities, and a chance to recognize the people who have helped make Bigge what it is today. Bigge Day itself falls July 31. Watch for additional event details as we get closer to the celebration.
ADP Workforce Now: Platform Transition
Bigge is transitioning from BambooHR to ADP Workforce Now. More details on training will be shared as the transition moves forward.
Questions? Contact Mario Sapon, HRIS and Benefits Manager: msapon@bigge.com or (832) 786-5193.
Wellness Fairs
Wellness Fairs are scheduled for Fall 2026 at both locations. Specific dates will be confirmed and communicated closer to the events.
- SLCA: September 2026 (date TBD)
- HSTX: October 2026 (date TBD)
ChatGPT 101: Recurring Monthly Trainings
Whether you're just getting started with ChatGPT or could use a quick refresher on the basics, the Innovation team has sessions for you. We're hosting ChatGPT 101 twice a month on Teams, on the 15th and 30th of each month. If either date falls on a weekend or holiday, the session will be held on the nearest workday before. Each session is 30 minutes and is designed for new users and anyone who wants to strengthen their foundation before diving into more advanced features.
To be added to an upcoming session, email Innovation@bigge.com.