Dawes Rigging & Crane Rental

Beginnings: Company's foundation built on the 1945 merger of two Wisconsin firms – the Shea Drayage Company of Racine and the Matson Company, which resulted in one of area's largest specialized carrier and rigging companies.

Milestones: Gained reputation for setting up major trade shows, including the G.M. Powerama Show, Chicago, in 1957; the World Congress of Flight show, Las Vegas, 1959; and the American Medical Association Show, Atlantic City, 1968. Four owners of Dawes Transfer, all former Shea-Matson employees, purchased company and renamed it Shea-Matson-Dawes Company in 1973. Became Dawes Rigging and Crane Service in 1976 and then a subsidiary of All Erection and Crane Rental Corp., Cleveland, in 1978.

The company today: Works throughout the Midwest with more than 200 employees. Operates more than 300 cranes and, through its trucking arm (DST), about 50 trucks. Serves as dealer/distributor for Link-Belt, Terex, Potain, and Broderson cranes and for National and Elliot boom trucks. Recently, supplied 600-ton capacity crawler cranes for construction of new NFL stadiums for the Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys.

Noteworthy clients: ADM, MA Mortenson and Bechtel.