Jimmie King, a heavy haul truck driver, rigger and crane operator working for Bryson Crane Rental Service, Daytona Beach, Fla., is the 2013 recipient of a training and certification scholarship awarded by the Florida Crane Owners Council (FCOC).
The training portion of King's scholarship includes a four-day Mobile Crane Operator classroom and hands-on Certification Prep Course donated by Crane Institute of America, Sanford, Fla. He also received complimentary Mobile Crane Operator Certification exams from Crane Institute Certification. CIC's Customer Service and Operational Center is located near Atlanta, Ga.
Jim Headley, director of Crane Institute of America, presented the scholarship to King at the FCOC's September meeting in Orlando. "We selected Jimmie King because he has the talent and drive to become a quality operator and he wanted to come to the Crane Institute of America for training," said Headley. "Safety is a priority for him and Bryson Crane Rental, which has a reputation for sending certified operators out with all its rentals."
King has worked for Bryson Crane Rental for about five years, periodically operating cranes during that time. "Jimmie is a great employee with common sense and a mechanical mind-set," said Ray Rutt, Bryson's operations manager. "This scholarship will help get him ready for the OSHA requirement to be certified, which is fast approaching. I'm glad there is more than one certification option in the market," he said.
Bryson Crane Rental Service, established in 1955, is a member of the Florida Crane Owners Council. FCOC's mission is to address issues facing Florida crane owners by monitoring laws and standards for the efficient and safe operation of cranes in the state.
"The timing of these scholarships is designed to assist FCOC member companies in meeting OSHA requirements for operator certification," said John Wessel, managing director of FCOC. This is the second year that FCOC has awarded the scholarships.