Our company was founded by Neil and Billie Jane Lampson in 1946. Growing up during the Great Depression instilled them with a tremendous work ethic and a strong desire to help others. Since the company's inception, our commitment to helping our community grow and prosper has ensured that our company has grown and prospered as well.
When Neil and Billie started a small crane and drayage company in the late 1940s, one of their first jobs was erecting the approach to the Pasco-Kennewick Bridge by utilizing two Army surplus cranes. As we grew and acquired more sophisticated equipment, our small company was contracted to erect a stack at the "Church's Grape Juice Co." in downtown Kennewick. For Lampson, these two projects were the beginning of many successful jobs to come.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Lampson became involved with construction at the Hanford site. By 1973, Lampson was using the company's first proprietary Lampson Transi-Lift crane system at the FFTF site, and in 1978, introduced the "Over-the-Top" method of nuclear component installation using our now 1000-ton capacity proprietary Lampson Transi-Lift Mobile Crane. This method greatly increased productivity and decreased construction costs to the customer, Washington Public Power Supply System, now Energy Northwest. Lampson is still involved with work at Hanford, providing heavy lift and transport services to all the major contractors, the Department of Energy and the Navy.
As the years passed and Lampson International expanded its fleet, we took on a number of community related projects. One project that was of great significance was the Tri-Cities Cancer Center. Recognizing a need for this type of facility in the Tri-City area, Neil and Billie Jane, along with countless community members, laid out a plan to build the Cancer Center. Through Billie Jane's tireless fundraising efforts and the work of many key community leaders and local businesses, such as Lampson, the Tri-Cities Cancer Center was born. In 1994, the Cancer Center began treating our community.
Billie Jane and Neil have since passed on, but all of us at Lampson continue to carry on the family tradition of giving back to the community. One example is the cranes we donate to the Tri-Cities Water Follies Association for the annual hydroplane races. This is something started by Neil more than 43 years ago and is a tradition we plan to continue.
With the economic downturn in the construction industry both domestically and internationally, Lampson International has seen a slowing in the crane and rigging sector, but we continue to employ a steady community-based work force and pursue potential domestic and international jobs. We are confident the market will recover, and in the meantime we are staying busy by upgrading and modernizing our heavy lift and transport fleet.
As for what the next year will bring, Lampson is in the process of manufacturing a Lampson Transi-Lift LTL-2600 for the Hunan Taohuajiang Nuclear Power Company in China. This crane will be similar to the one Lampson built for the Sanmen Group last year and will be used for the construction of nuclear power plants in China.
Lampson also recently signed a contract with Hitachi America Ltd. for the manufacture of the first Lampson Transi-Lift LTL-3000. When finished, this will be the largest crane ever designed and built by Lampson and will be used for construction in the nuclear industry in Japan.
In order to meet the delivery deadlines, we have ramped up manufacturing efforts in our shops. Our goal is to remain a dominant player in the crawler crane and heavy rigging industry by utilizing various products such as our crawler cranes, Lampson Transi-Lifts, crawler and rubber tire transporters and innovative jacking systems.
We believe we have a very loyal and productive work force that is second to none in our industry. With the many benefits of being headquartered in the Tri-Cities, the professional attitudes of our dedicated work force and our leadership position in the crane and rigging industry, the Lampson companies will continue to prosper and build upon the many successes we have enjoyed over the past 60 years.
