Operators, Riggers, Cranes Australia (ORCA) might be a relative newcomer to recruitment in the crane industry, but as a result of the very experienced team behind the business, it has made quick and significant inroads into the crane industry.
Business partners Harley Moad and Lloyd Bucci have vast experience in the crane industry and before starting ORCA, they could see a big gap in the ‘recruitment space’ for some time. They launched the business on 8 August 2024 with the vision of managing a small and niche recruitment agency focused on the industry, but it didn’t quite work out that way. Harley takes up the story.
“Lloyd and I kicked off the business in August 2024. We were aiming to be something niche and small in the industry and we wanted to change the approach to recruitment in the heavy lift industry,” he said. “We wanted to knuckle down and find the best talent to fill the gaps as we saw them. In our opinion, there are too many gaps with unskilled people in the labour hire sector which has been evident for some time and it’s a conversation that’s happening across the country every day.”
When founding ORCA, it was never a case of putting bums on seats said Lloyd.
“For us, it was never about chasing numbers. We always knew the opportunity was there, but we chose to stay specialised, understanding we’d be far better off turning work away than putting the wrong people forward. From the outset, our commitment was simple – if we didn’t have the right people for the job, we’d say so and that’s a standard we’ve consistently upheld.”
The business quickly gained momentum and in April of 2025 ORCA recruited Andre Bucci who has vast experience in crane management and had previously worked with Harley throughout the years. Today, ORCA has 700 names on its books and at any given time has a workforce of 70 plus out in the field.
Training and upskilling are key focuses for the business said Harley.
“We’re committed to developing our people because everyone has different gaps in their knowledge and skillsets,” Harley said. “With the experience within our leadership team, we can guide them in the right direction, whether that’s additional training or hands-on support at crane yards. We don’t send people into roles they’re not prepared for. Our priority is setting them up to succeed.
“On a monthly basis, we conduct hands-on training on cranes from Frannas through to larger slew cranes. We rotate between brands and we offer that opportunity to all of our crews that want to progress their knowledge through training and upskilling,” he said.
Transparency is really important to ORCA and its clients said Andre.
“If we get a call from a crane hire business and they need 50 people for a shutdown project we will be completely transparent with our response. ‘Yes we can cover it, this is who we’ve got, and these are their skillsets’.
“The benefit of working with us compared to other labour hire agencies in this space is that all three of us have come from the frontline, we understand what a client needs and what is required of our workforce. There are times when we might be short of people due to missed flights or family emergencies and guess what happens? We’ll put on the boots, go to site and fill the spot,” he said.
Culture is A key factor for the team at ORCA
“A key element to what we all do is the culture of the business,” said Harley. “Because we’ve come from crane backgrounds, we know what the guys have experienced and that’s why they have come to us. From the outset, their experience with us will be a positive one. When they arrive at our offices, it’s us that conducts the interview, not a HR manager, we know what we are looking for and, importantly, we know what we are looking at. Our questions are detailed because we want to ensure we are not wasting each other’s time.
“We encourage upskilling of those individuals who we feel will benefit the future of the crane industry, not just our business. Even if they move on in five years or whenever, we will see them down the track and hopefully they remember ORCA and that we helped in their career. All of this, along with good pay, has enabled us to become the labour hire leader in the crane sector in Western Australia,” said Lloyd.
Harley, Lloyd and Andre complement each other perfectly in the business. Lloyd and Harley have extensive crane operating careers. Andre moved into office work early in his career and built a very strong network of contacts across Western Australia and Queensland. He’s held various positions with some of the leading crane hire businesses including as operations supervisor, crane supervisor and regional manager.
“Our skillsets and experience complement each other and the most important thing for us is we deliver what we say we will deliver, and in many instances we over deliver. We encourage ownership from our work force we want them to take pride in what they do. You will not see any of our work force turn up to site not knowing what they are going to do. We provide them with all the information they require which again comes back to transparency,” said Andre.
“We kit our crews out with ORCA branded jackets which keep them warm in winter, they also have branded beanies and coffee mugs. We make sure they feel looked after which helps with the positive culture within the business. Our clients comment on how well presented our crews are and how professional their approach is to the tasks in front of them.
That investment in people is paying off
“Word spreads quickly that we look after our crews,” Andre said. “We’ve had riggers join us with strong backgrounds, demonstrate consistency and professionalism, and then progress into crane operator roles through structured upskilling.
“We’ve even had people from other companies approach us asking, ‘Is it true you’re doing this for your crews?’ And the answer is ‘yes’. It’s not about the numbers for us, we’re focused on helping our workforce build better careers wherever we can,” Andre said.
“Working for ORCA is like being part of a family. Just like orcas in the wild who live in pods and look after one another, we prioritise the wellbeing of our own pod and support them as best we can.”
