Elliott Equipment Company has appointed three leaders to its Omaha, Nebraska, operations: Jeff Postlethwaite as director of engineering, Ryan Widner as plant manager, and Emily Hagge as manufacturing engineering manager.
The company announced the appointments October 28, 2026. The new leaders will oversee engineering development, plant production, and manufacturing processes for Elliott, which produces truck-mounted aerial work platforms, digger derricks, and cranes.
Postlethwaite and Widner will report to Andrew Schumacher, vice president of Nebraska operations. Hagge will report to Widner.
Postlethwaite will lead Elliott's engineering team, overseeing new product development, product improvements, and engineering standards across the company's product portfolio.
He brings nearly 20 years of engineering and product leadership experience in the aerial lift and specialty equipment industries. At PALFINGER, he most recently served as head of mechanical engineering and lead systems engineer, directing development of a new product platform and two major platform updates.
His previous experience includes product management and engineering leadership roles focused on aerial lift design, hydraulic systems, and new product development. He is also a voting member of the ANSI A92 Main Committee and A92.2 Subcommittee, which work on industry safety and compliance standards.
“Jeff’s deep engineering background and his work on industry safety standards make him a tremendous asset to Elliott,” said Schumacher. “He understands how our equipment is used in the field, and he will help us keep raising the bar on product performance and innovation.”
Widner will manage day-to-day production at Elliott's Omaha facility, with responsibility for safety, quality, throughput, and on-time delivery.
His more than 25 years of experience spans truck equipment, vehicle upfitting, and manufacturing. He previously served as regional general manager for Reading Truck Equipment and chief executive officer of Swenson Products, and held operations and general management positions at Monroe Truck Equipment for more than a decade. His experience also includes shop-floor work, lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, and employee engagement.
“Ryan has built and led successful operations at every level, from the shop floor to full P&L responsibility,” said Schumacher. “His customer-first, safety-always approach is exactly what we want on our production floor.”
Hagge will lead Elliott's manufacturing engineering team, focusing on process improvements, facility planning, and capital projects related to production efficiency, quality, and safety.
She previously served as manufacturing engineer supervisor for Terex Utilities, leading manufacturing engineering teams across three sites. Hagge holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.
“Emily brings a great combination of technical skill, safety focus and team leadership,” said Schumacher. “Her experience improving processes and building strong teams will help us work smarter and build better equipment for our customers.”
The three appointments expand Elliott's leadership team across engineering and manufacturing operations.
Oct 28, 2026
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