Ranger Blog EGLHA SEPT OCT 2019 | THE INSIDER | ASHLEY THACKER In the second part of a mini series about building a team, Ashley Thacker presents five important elements of a successful, long-term people-development program. My last column in Lift & Hoist Australasia (LHA) magazine focussed on recruitment techniques and closed with...
Ranger Blog EGDaily inspection before each use should be taken seriously so even a small defect can be investigated in advance of work commencing. Look for anything that is abnormal or out of place. Excessive pitting, weld splatter, wear and gouges are all common signs that rigging gear might not be...- Ranger Blog EGAustralian Standards make frequent references to competence and competent persons. A competent person will have acquired through training, education and experience, or a combination of these, in addition to the knowledge and skills enabling that person to safely and effectively perform the task required. Competency isn’t achieved through simply working around...
Ranger Blog EGNot only do you have to demonstrate that your staff are competent, documentation of compentency standards and procedures must also be maintatined. Depending on the specific piece of equipment in question, we always recommend that the relevant Australian Standard be consulted. For example, it might be AS 3775.2:2014 Chain Slings...- Ranger Blog EGYou never know when comprehensive records related to training, testing, repair and inspection of equipment will be needed, but when that requirement presents itself it becomes clear how necessary they are. It’s particularly important to chart these activities related to lifting and rigging gear, and its use. Imagine the consequences...
Ranger Blog EGLHA JULY AUG 2019 | THE INSIDER | ASHLEY THACKER Astute recruitment and staff retention are key to thriving in a niche marketplace. I have a lot of conversations with fellow business owners and managers here in Sydney and wider Australia. It’s fascinating to compare notes with peers who are experiencing...
Ranger Blog EGLHA MAY JUNE 2019 | THE INSIDER | ASHLEY THACKER Only when everybody takes responsibility for safety can we reduce accidents associated with lifting and rigging equipment. Pre-use inspection is a good place to start. Even before the occasion when it is used for the first time, a single item of...
Ranger Blog EGUnder Construction As our facility in Melbourne continues into its second full year in business, it is opportune to reflect on the journey so far. By Ian Jongen, state manager Victoria, Ranger Lifting. It is a big step for a business to setup in a new territory or open a satellite...
Ranger Blog EGLHA APRIL 2019 | THE INSIDER | ASHLEY THACKER Source products and services only from specialist providers, especially when safety-critical equipment, such as lifting gear, is involved. Six years ago, I was interviewed by this magazine’s sister title. I was still in my twenties and had recently been named the Lifting...
Ranger Blog EGThe Insider A new magazine covering the Australasian lifting and rigging marketplace will help deliver safety messages to end users—and it has signed-up a guest columnist to help. Trade media covers all industries of note. Most sectors don’t use these magazines, websites, and related platforms to their advantage. Only a minority...
Ranger Blog EGPartners in Climb Finding the right business partners is essential to executing growth strategy. There are many theories about how to expand a company. A lot of the science about metrics, budget, resources, cash flow, marketing, branding, etc, but the importance of selecting the right business partners to oversee expansion is...
Ranger Blog EGLHI Magazine coming to Australia A new magazine covering the Australasian lifting and rigging marketplace will help deliver safety messages to end users—and it has signed-up a guest columnist to help. Trade media covers all industries of note. Most sectors don’t use these magazines, websites, and related platforms to their advantage....
Ranger Blog EGRanger welcomes William Essey Ranger Lifting has welcomed William Essey as a technical sales specialist, as we expand our team at our new Prestons head office. Will stepped into the role last month but resumes in earnest as the New Year gathers pace. Will brings a wealth of relevant experience to the...
Ranger Blog EGRanger reflect on the lessons of 2018 As we approach the end of the year—and high summer in Australia—Ashley Thacker, general manager at Ranger Lifting, reflects on the last 12 months. What a year that was. Where shall I start? We moved into our new facilities, opened in another state, increased staff...
Ranger Blog EGService through knowledge - Ranger team prepare to offer Magnetic Rope Testing (MRT) Training should lead diversification, not the other way around, says Ashley Thacker, general manager at Ranger Lifting, as a week of wire rope training concludes. Diversifying often makes business sense. However, it’s important that expansion is preceded by...
Ranger Blog EGRanger Lifting Wins LEEA Customer Service Award Ranger Lifting won the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA) Customer Service Award, presented during last week’s LiftEx trade show in Milton Keynes, UK. The prize was accepted by Ashley Thacker, general manager at Ranger, who was present during the inaugural awards dinner, held after...
Ranger Blog EGTrain Smart The training box is never ticked, says Ashley Thacker, general manager at Ranger Lifting. Training is too often snarled at but at Ranger it’s one of our favourite words. We’re honoured to host Barrie Mordue, director at Tensology, this week. The steel wire rope specialist has travelled from the UK...
Ranger Blog EGRatchet Lever Hoists from Ranger Pass Tunnels Test A major infrastructure project in Sydney, Australia is leveraging the benefits of Yale Ergo 360 ratchet lever hoists, suited to pulling, securing and lifting, featuring manufacturer Columbus McKinnon’s patent-pending crank handle. The product was introduced by Ranger Lifting, a specialist supplier of lifting...
Ranger Blog EGRanger celebrate 20 years in business Ranger marked 20 years in business at our brand new facility in Prestons on Saturday 22 September 2018. The anniversary event was the official opening of our brand new headquarters and an evening of celebrations involving staff, customers, media and representatives of industry. Ashley, Ranger General Manager...
Ranger Blog EGThe May/June issue of Wire Rope Exchange profiles the Thackers, the family behind Ranger Lifting. Meet the Thackers: Steve, Verity, and Ashley. The latter is general manager of Ranger, a lifting and rigging equipment company headquartered in Sydney, Australia; it recently opened a second site in Melbourne, further down the...
Ranger Blog EGIt’s necessary to note the changes and amendments included within updated or revised standards, such as AS 4497:2017, says Ashley Thacker, general manager at Ranger Lifting. As explored in my previous commentary, Australian Standards (AS) Committee ME-025 Lifting Tackle is soon to publish AS 4497:2017, a new standard covering roundslings...
Ranger Blog EGAs industry prepares to welcome an updated roundsling standard, Ashley Thacker, general manager at Ranger Lifting, issues an important safety message. Having recently joined Australian Standards (AS) Committee ME-025 Lifting Tackle, I’m looking forward to the imminent publication of AS 4497:2017, covering roundslings made of synthetic fibre. It represents an...
Ranger Blog EGWhen safe, lifting equipment can often be repaired rather than replaced. Replacing equipment is not always the cheaper option, says Ashley Thacker, general manager, Ranger Lifting. This article outlines the benefits of a repair before replace (when safe) policy, which can be frowned upon by lifting equipment suppliers who put...
Ranger Blog EGI can confirm that I have joined Australian Standards (AS) Committee ME-025 Lifting Tackle, as a representative of the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA), where I am a proud board member. Standards Australia is the nation's peak non-government, not-for-profit standards organisation. It forms technical committees, such as ME-025 Lifting Tackle,...- Ranger Blog EGRanger will open a new facility in Melbourne, Victoria this month to meet ongoing demand for its products and services, principally from the city’s thriving construction sector. The lifting and rigging equipment supplier will open the new site on the 22nd of the month in Kensington, strategically located a few...
- Ranger Blog EGWe are pleased to welcome Ian Jongen to the Ranger team in the role of State Manager Victoria and advise that we will be opening in Melbourne in early January. Ian has more than 30 years experience in the lifting and rigging equipment industry. He has worked in senior management...
Ranger Blog EGTraining and team spirit are key ingredients to success, says Ashley Thacker, the general manager of Ranger Lifting. Don’t try to win, train for it. When I first heard that saying I thought it was nonsense; if it was that easy, everyonewould be doing it, I thought. And there always has...
Ranger Blog EGAustralian Standards make frequent references to competence and competent persons. A competent person will have acquired thorough training, education and experience, or a combination of these, in addition to the knowledge and skills enabling that person to safely and effectively perform the task required. Competency isn’t achieved through simply working...
Ranger Blog EGWhat could happen if you don't inspect your lifting equipment? There are a vast amount of defects that are not easily detected by untrained personnel. Even for an experienced lifting equipment inspection professional, it takes constant refresher training to stay at the sharp end of this specialist field; that’s why...
Ranger Blog EGLifting gear inspections should be a priority, not just to tick a box. At Ranger, when we say we’re a family business, we don’t just mean we’re family-owned and people with the same surname come to work here. We’re proud that’s the case, but what we really mean by it...
Ranger Blog EGAre you considering large independents when making your buying decisions? Today's climate lends itself to sourcing from large, independent companies over corporate conglomerates now more than ever, says Ashley Thacker, Ranger General Manager. In the lifting industry—probably other sectors too—selecting the right tool for the job goes a long way...- Ranger Blog EGRanger Offers New Ratchet Lever Hoist in Australia New South Wales, Australia-based Ranger has taken delivery of its first batch of Yale Ergo 360 ratchet lever hoists, suited to pulling, securing and lifting, featuring manufacturer Columbus McKinnon’s patent-pending crank handle. Ranger, a specialist supplier of lifting and rigging equipment and the...
Ranger Blog EGThere is much to be gained by international travel, even for a regionally focussed business in a niche marketplace. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, or so the saying goes. Actually, nothing could be further from the truth. When my father and Ranger Lifting founder, Steve, and I travelled to...
Ranger Blog EGThe climate lends itself to sourcing from large, independent companies over corporate conglomerates now more than ever, says Ashley Thacker, general manager at lifting, rigging and safety specialist supplier, Ranger. In the lifting industry—probably other sectors too—selecting the right tool for the job goes a long way to ensuring its...
Ranger Blog EGUnlike lifting a load, safety shouldn’t be something we pick up and put down, says Ashley Thacker, general manager at lifting, rigging and safety specialist supplier, Ranger.When I joined this industry 15 years ago, safety meant something different to what it does today. Then, it was about wearing a hard hat...
Ranger Blog EGAshley Thacker, General Manager, charts the journey of lifting, rigging and safety specialist supplier, Ranger. Next year marks 20 years since my father, Steve, and his friends Brian and Shane started an industrial supply company named after their favourite football team. Even though I was only a child at the...
Ranger Blog EGRanger taking business to new heights last week completing a lifting gear inspection on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Our senior inspectors are ensuring New Years Eve goes off with a Bang. Ranger was commissioned to do the inspection of the hoist ropes for the Harbour Bridge New Years Eve...
