Lampson Australia is no stranger to complex projects, but there is always one constant before all jobs, big or small, and that’s the importance of safety above all else, says Managing Director John Lee.
Its the early hours of a cold and dark Friday morning, wind swirling, and the streets are empty.
Suddenly, two blue hauling trucks cover the road and slowly move towards the intersection.
Orange flashing hazard lights bounce off all reflective objects with the beeping of the trucks ringing on the airwaves, as the team at Lampson Australia calmly move an ultra heavy piece of equipment.
Lampson Australia has been a leader in the heavy lift and transportation industry for over 75 years, with a strong haulage history in Australia for over 33 years.
The company was originally founded in the United States, Kennewick, Washington and founded Lampson Australia in Toronto, Australia during 1990.
Managing a group of people and heavy integrated technology excites John and he lives for the challenge.
“As a young person, I always looked toward the role of managing a company; it was an inbuilt ambition, which was not a bad thing to have, and you think one day you’re going to be in charge of, whatever business you come into,” he says. “It does not always work out that way and is certainly something I am thankful for.”
Originally an engineer with Lampson Australia it was a dream of his to step into a role and lead one of the strongest hauling and lifting companies in Australia; John, however, believes luck is always some part of success.
Now 12 years into this role, “you can always do your best to prepare” he says, but there will always be the unexpected, and that keeps things interesting.
In John’s line of work, as the unpredictability of moving extremely large items can always put someone on edge. All scenarious are possible and we do our best to plan for the worst and aim for the best.
Most recently, Lampson Australia hauled an 8m wide, 156-tonne spiral case, part of Snowy Hydro 2.0 Project. The spiral case ensures even water flows at speed into a turbine to generate clean hydro-power.
Even though we done our CAD work, prepared the calculations, engineering drawings and lift plans and had it all checked by someone else there is always an element of risk. “When you go to site and you watch the load being moved or lifted, you’re still nervous, because you’re rethinking all that you’ve done to make this go right. It’s only because you care that you’re nervous,” John says.
“I think that when you put that much effort into something, you want it to go right, and you hope you haven’t missed anything, and you hope that the person that checked it hasn’t missed anything, and the guys that are doing the job haven’t missed anything.
“The the relief that follows does makes it worthwhile, in what makes yet again another successful Lampson project: there are high-fives all around,” he said.
John gets a thrill out of the fast-paced nature of the business. “The change is good, and because we can’t predict the future it keeps it interesting.
John also described the large-scale hauling projects as “live action drama”.
“It really is, and if you’re not checking what you’ve just done or checking what you’re about to do, things can go pretty crazy pretty quick.”
But it’s not just the big jobs John enjoys.
“I don’t mind the little jobs either. It is amazing how you can help someone else by just giving them the right piece of equipment, the right tool. And if they don’t have that tool, they might still be able to do the job, but they won’t do it as well or as quickly or as efficiently,” he says.
Complexity in the workplace is an everyday item, but it doesn’t discourage John from doing what he enjoys.
“I really get enjoyment of supplying the right tool to the right application – big or small. The bigger and more complex jobs, they’re also very rewarding, because it takes more thought and you feel like all the study that you’ve done and the experience that you’ve obtained is better utilised.”
Camaraderie is key to what John says is a strong culture at Lampson.
“That is also really rewarding too: the friendships within the company is like an unspoken understanding, as we all share the same experiences with the heavy equipment, cranes, trucks and trailers.”
John also says safety comes first and the knowledge of machines is paramount to this.
“When we look at a crane, a trailer or piece of equipment, before you start working it you’ve got to know the history of that piece of equipment, you’ve got to know where it was made, how it’s been maintained, how it’s been used, abused, repaired, he said.
“Then you need to know what you’re going to do with it,” he says.
Image: Lampson Australia
John also said the connection is not too dissimilar to driving your personal car.
“So that’s the next stage. And then you need to do a condition report to see what the machine is like right now – something that we conduct with every piece of equipment,” he says.
“You don’t just walk up to it and start using it. You don’t just go, here it is, go ahead and send it out on rent it as is; it’s like your own vehicle, your own car; you know what it’s done, what it’s capable of, and how it’s been treated.”
The preparation for longer heavy haulage involves plenty of planning and vehicular preparation, according to John.
The connection between staff and trucks is the key to safety and a smooth journey. The team at Lampson lean on their experts to ensure everyone and everything is safe.
“You’re very thorough with each piece of equipment, I think that’s where you need to start, at least for best utilisation.” When it comes to risks, John says it is unconditional. “It is all based on safety first”.
The company’s relationship with the United States parent organisation helps John feel supported and energized about the overall mission Lampson is embarking on.
John says he leans on the American counterparts to ensure machinery and production is running smoothly here in Australia, as he travels to the States when needed.
I’m certainly supported by those guys, technically and physically,” he says.
“If we need equipment or backup for spare parts, just about anything, those guys send us what they have, and that keeps our equipment running here,” he says.
John has fostered a strong relationship with his fellow leaders in Kennewick. “It’s a family-owned business and we know each of them personally. It’s a healthy situation, and it’s a really good company,” he says.
At the end of the day, safety is king; John’s priority is that everyone comes to work and goes home at the end of the day in one piece.
“If it’s ever going to be unsafe we will change that task and manage that risk. There is always another way.”