We recently connected with Scott Gross and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Scott, thanks for joining us today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.
I was a VP/Partner of a large electrical design/build construction firm. I was with the company from the start and over 20 years helped grow it to a $200+ million/year company with over 1,000 employees.
I oversaw the management of:
- Construction support and logistics
- Manufacturing
-Virtual Design
-Purchasing
-Vehicle fleet and propertyWhen the pandemic started we had to do a lot of re-structuring and personnel changes. The culture was never the same. I eventually made the difficult decision to leave the company and did so without any plan of what I would do next. Two of my best friends are professional musicians and when they heard I was no longer employed, they invited me to go out on the road with them. This was when I came up with the idea to start a crane company. After much searching I found a crane in South Carolina that I decided to purchase. My first job was on May 16, 2023 and the crane has been hard at work since. I am currently looking to add my 2nd crane and have started a mobile crane service business.
Scott, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I got my start in the electrical industry when I was a Freshman at Stephen F. Austin State University (Nacogdoches, Texas) where I was an electrical student helper. Throughout my 31 year electrical career I worked around cranes frequently and was always fascinated with the work they are capable of. When I moved into a construction project manager role, I started managing the process of hiring cranes and this is where I became familiar with load charts, lift plans, rigging and just general crane capabilities and set-up. I have always viewed success and achievement as two separate goals. I had a successful 31 year career but I never felt that I had achieved many of my goals. My biggest sense of achievement has been walking away from the only work I have ever known and starting something completely new at 50. Going to school at 50 is not the same as going to school in your 20’s. I am approaching the 1 year mark and and have achieved a greater sense of purpose and freedom with owning my own businesses. This is truly the first time ever, that I am doing what I am passionate about and I am enjoying the journey. I have learned that if you are deeply passionate about a pursuit, the success will follow it. Just do the work for the right reasons and the people you are surrounded by will help push you to success. It just takes faith and good intentions!
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
From a very early age I started a habit of putting money in an envelope when I wanted something. I would only make the purchase when the envelope finally had the amount needed. That started the process that I have used throughout my career…….pay cash when possible, take care of what you invest in and live within your means. Following this basic financial discipline has been one of my smartest moves.
My focus was always to be debt free. When the time came for me to take the big leap, it was unexpected. I literally woke up one morning and it just happened. I know that I would not have taken this chance if I had debt to worry about. You have to have the freedom to be able to change your course.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
When people found out I was starting a crane company I was shocked by the negative comments. I was told I had no idea what I was doing, I knew nothing about cranes, etc. I was shocked from the negativity……..it didn’t bother me, I was just shocked. That became my biggest motivation.
Contact Info:
- Facebook: Gross Crane, LLC
- Linkedin: Scott Gross