Hisrich's double skill set

Ed Hisrich brings a double shot of knowledge and expertise to his role as vice president of sales at Broderson Manufacturing. As an engineer, Ed Hisrich knows the minutiae of crane design and manufacturing. As a salesman, he forges lasting relationships and assesses what his customers need.

“I appreciate the awesome designs and capabilities of the diverse cranes available to the market,” Hisrich said, “and as a salesperson I enjoy the challenge to apply the products I represent to solve a customer’s problems and make the sale.”

For more than 10 years, Hisrich applied his dual skill set at Tadano Mantis, a manufacturer of telescopic crawler cranes. But last October, Hisrich was offered the opportunity to move to Broderson Manufacturing, a long-time maker of industrial carry deck and rough terrain cranes. In his new role, Hisrich manages all new equipment sales and oversees parts sales, service and technical support.

Hisrich’s move to Broderson may have been a surprise to many in the industry, but Hisrich saw the job as a good fit.

“I’ve known and respected a lot of people from several of the Lanco Group of companies for many years, and I’m proud to be part of this team,” Hisrich said.

Engineering and sales

After graduating from The Ohio State University with a BS in Engineering, Hisrich joined DredgeMasters International as Mechanical Engineer, performing mechanical, structural and hydraulic systems design as well as field startups for hydraulic cutter suction dredges. He was promoted to chief engineer and also earned his MBA from Belmont University while at DredgeMasters.

In 2003 he took a job as a territory sales manager for Livingston & Haven, a distributor of hydraulics, pneumatics and industrial automation equipment. This job lead to his first foray into sales, which he said was a “great fit.”

“I was able to do a lot of applications engineering and sold products to a diverse set of customers,” he said. “I learned a lot about sales: how to find out what a customer’s needs were, how to apply a product to take care of those needs and how to provide good service and build lasting relationships.”

He was promoted to regional sales manager. Then in 2007, he moved to SpanDeck/Mantis, serving as chief hydraulic engineer and helping the company work through the hydraulic component shortages that many companies experienced in 2006 through 2008, he said.

At the end of 2008, Tadano purchased SpanDeck and Hisrich moved into the sales department as vice president of North American sales.

“Working for Tadano gave me tremendous opportunities to learn about the crane market, to manage and grow the distributor network and to ultimately move to a role managing global sales and support,” he said.

For several years Hisrich was the leading voice of Tadano Mantis. He is a foremost expert in the telescopic crawler sector, and his engineering expertise and sales acumen give him a unique advantage in whatever job he holds.

Hisrich is good friend to many in the crane industry. Besides always being one of the smartest guys in the room, he is also authentic and trustworthy, a true stand-up guy. No doubt he is already a revered leader at Broderson Manufacturing.

I think you will be interested in his answers to my questions.

What made you decide to make the move to Broderson?

The company, the people, the product. Broderson is a well-established company with a great product line, a strong name and a strong industry presence. Broderson has an experienced management team and a great group of dedicated employees that believe in delivering high quality cranes to our diverse group of customers. Our parent company, Lanco, has a strong focus on products and service, safety and the customer. Lanco is also progressive, diverse and has strong roots in the lifting equipment industry.

What’s your take on the lifting equipment sector in 2019?

2019 will be a strong year in the lifting industry. There is a lot of work in process and a lot of projects in planning phases. The sector as a whole has seen increasing backlogs and lead times have followed.

With the government shutdown, new Congress and other issues, do you think this makes the market nervous?

The crane market, or the stock market? We’ve seen volatility in the stock market lately, but I believe the crane market is sound. As I mentioned, there is a lot of work to be done this year, and a lot to be accomplished in the future. As long as the stock market realizes that the overall state of industry is strong, I don’t believe there is presently a reason for nervousness.

What’s your take on today’s equipment buyer? What are their needs? Are most of the crane and lifting companies addressing their needs?

Today’s equipment buyer is highly educated about the products and the equipment market. Information is readily available and buyers take advantage of the ability to access that information. Their needs are a good return on investment from a product that will perform to their requirements with high uptime. Most crane companies are trying to address these needs through product development and quality improvements.

How does Broderson approach product development? What can we look forward to seeing from Broderson in terms of new products?

Developments are pursued based on the needs of the customer and the market. Broderson entered into a phase of product development several years ago and displayed several new prototypes at ConExpo 2017. Those prototypes are becoming production models as Broderson completes this round of development. We are looking forward to more new products in the future and are preparing for ConExpo 2020.

Do you envision Broderson expanding its rough terrain line?

We keep close to our dealers, our fleet owners and the end users. We listen to what their needs are and will keep our product offering relevant to the needs of the market.

What is the most popular Broderson model and why?

We have several popular models. Crane users like Broderson cranes because of ease of operation, rugged designs, strong capacities and reliability.

What are the trends you see in the carry deck and industrial crane market?

Trends in the industrial crane market are going to enhance safety, performance and reliability; similar to the trends in other parts of the lifting equipment markets. I can see future possibilities for growth in the use of telematics, remote controls, camera systems, hybrid and/or electric drives. Technology continues to grow rapidly, and Broderson will utilize technology to enhance our products in the future.

You’ve been in the crane industry for 12 years. What keeps you engaged?

I really enjoy the equipment and the people in this industry. I’ve had the opportunity to make friends and promote products all over the world. I’ve kept engaged because as an engineer, I appreciate the awesome designs and capabilities of the diverse cranes available to the market, and as a salesperson I enjoy the challenge to apply the products I represent to solve a customer’s problems and make the sale.

What are the challenges for a company like Broderson in today’s market?

We are happy to be managing the challenges of a strong market right now, including meeting delivery commitments, finding and retaining great employees, improving our forecasts and managing our supply chain. We are always looking at our processes to see where we can improve, evaluating the options for improvement, then executing for improved performance.

What do you do in your leisure time?

I travel a good bit for work, so my first priority in my leisure time are my wonderful wife Julie and our four children. I like to be there for the important times in my family’s lives. I enjoy the outdoors – camping and fishing, keeping in shape and I enjoy wood working when I have any time left.