Jim Glazer, president & CEO, has led Elliott Equipment Company— a manufacturer of truck-mounted aerial work platforms, cranes, and digger derricks for the utility and construction industries— since 2000. Decades of experience have given him a unique perspective on the challenges facing the industry and, more importantly, how a customer-focused approach leads to the development of effective products and services.
“One thing that is currently driving product and technology development initiatives across the utility industry is that poles are getting taller and heavier in response to electric grid capacity and reliability upgrades,” Glazer said. “As a manufacturer, we’ve responded by developing new aerials and diggers with more power, reach, and lifting capabilities.”
As an example, Glazer pointed to Elliott’s new D100i, a 100-foot digger derrick with a fully insulated, powered, four-section boom. At a 30-foot radius, he noted, the machine can lift more than 10,000 pounds— important for setting larger transmission poles— and it can lift up to 36,000 pounds at a 10-foot radius.
While Elliott has a full slate of products in development, Glazer noted that recent supply chain challenges also had to be addressed. “Lead times were longer than two years at one point, and due to component availability issues truck chassis manufacturers were forced to allocate supply, effectively putting an additional constraint on the market,” he said.
“With a fluid supply chain, complicated by pent-up demand to replace aging fleets, and the whole industry shipping at less than a standard rate, there was a sizable imbalance between supply and demand,” Glazer continued. “It took a while to clear, but our team has done several things over the past few years to improve our efficiency and position Elliott for further growth.
“We reconfigured many of our manufacturing processes to improve our execution,” Glazer explained further. “That’s helped shorten and make lead times more manageable for our customers.”
Making a Difference
Glazer also pointed out that strong partnerships with chassis manufacturers make a significant difference for fleets. “It means the industry can deliver equipment that is optimized for a given chassis, and it also ensures we stay informed about evolving programming changes from the chassis OEMs,” he said.
“These relationships also provide the flexibility to customize setups, so customers get exactly what they need,” Glazer added. “And if something does go wrong, having that connection means faster support and service, which keeps downtime to a minimum.”
Glazer cited other issues for manufacturers, dealers, and customers. Higher costs associated with tariffs will likely play a role going forward, he noted, and some chassis suppliers are already raising prices. Emissions requirements are another challenge. Depending on regulatory changes in California and other states, chassis availability in those areas may be impacted.
“Our industry’s workforce is always something to pay attention to as well,” Glazer stated. “To help attract younger workers interested in doing utility work and servicing equipment, for example, we’re making machines easier to operate and maintain. Technologies like on-board telematics also allow fleets to improve maintenance with troubleshooting and diagnostics. Beyond their operational and maintenance benefits, those systems can also help improve safety.
“Our founder, Richard Elliott, recognized the industry’s need for a more streamlined method of setting poles and deploying power lines,” Glazer said. “In response, he pioneered the first truck-mounted telescoping aerial work platform and crane, which became the foundation of Elliott Equipment Company.
“Today, we strive to produce equipment that helps utilities multi-task so they can maximize utilization, productivity, and return on investment,” Glazer continued. “The value of any manufacturer is in what they deliver. We do that by first taking the time to truly understand customers’ challenges and then designing robust products to meet their needs.”
Since its inception in 1948, Elliott Equipment Company has been at the forefront of truck-mounted aerial work platform, crane, and digger derrick innovation. As President and CEO of the company, Jim Glazer continues that legacy by steering Elliott to continually develop innovative and reliable equipment.
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