Crane Industry Services LLC (CIS), based in Carrollton, GA, recently announced that Greg Brown has joined the staff as a crane inspector, trainer and practical examiner. Brown is a U.S. Navy Veteran.
“Greg Brown has impressive skills and experience from the entertainment rigging sector as well as his military training,” said Debbie Dickinson, CEO of CIS. He has experience in rigging and hydraulics, working with cranes, forklifts and other equipment used in the construction and entertainment industries.
“There is a great need for equipment inspections in the entertainment industry,” said Brandon Bowling with United Rentals Sports & Entertainment Division, which rents lifting equipment to studios for rigging cameras and lights to machinery. Cranes are also used for stunt work. He said safety is as crucial to the entertainment industry as it is to the construction sector. Studios require inspections and extensive operator and rigger training.
Brown is an NCCER-certified instructor, a mobile crane examiner, an assessment coordinator and a curriculum performance evaluator. His background is in concert stage construction and the similarities to vertical construction lie in the rigging involved, he said.
“On the music side, you raise objects, like speakers and lights, and leave them there for the show. Then you bring them down. With cranes, you’re moving materials to where they’re needed. The rigging principles are much the same,” he stated.