theceomagazine.com The CEO Magazine - August 2015 117.

In The OfficeEXECUTIVE INTERVIEW

I n only 14 years, Titan Cranes has established itself as one of the market leaders in the supply of cranes, hoists, and

rigging services in Australia, working on some of the country’s largest construction projects within the mining industry and major residential, commercial, and government infrastructure projects.

Managing Director Damon Hanlin believes Titan’s success is due to the development of both a strong business plan and the formation of a capable and resilient team with the determination to follow the plan. Titan has stuck to the plan and is now enjoying the rewards of the hard work.

“We have a fleet of JASO cranes,” Damon says, “and have recently established one of the best yard facilities in the industry. The JASO high-tech and environmentally friendly electric cranes are manufactured by a world-class

“You need to have a lot of energy to keep up with what goes on in a business of this size. You have to take the highs and lows that come with it.” - Damon Hanlin

With exclusive suppliers, highly trained staff, and an enviable list of past projects, Titan

Cranes is truly a titan in the crane, hoist, and rigging industry in Australia.

Images by Scott Ehler

European company that services more than 60 countries across the globe. The key to our on-the-ground success has been our level of high-quality service that we provide to our reliable hi-tech assets in the marketplace.”

Damon, who has been leading the company since its inception, has certainly contributed to this growth. He is straightforward and honest with his staff, suppliers, and clients. This has established the company with a reputation for high integrity. “I lead by example,” Damon says. “I do as I say, and I am always the first one to accept when I am wrong; I lead from the front.” Damon is undoubtedly an entrepreneurial soul who demonstrates both courage and high energy in tackling the breadth of projects that Titan has undertaken. “You need to have a lot of energy to keep up with what goes on in a business of this size. You have to take the highs and lows that come with it. Energy is a big one. I would think that my

leadership style comes from a vast array of life experiences.” Damon has natural leadership ability, and he attributes his involvement in sport to that. “Having played competitive sport and learning how to lose as well as win is a big part of leadership. You learn from your wins and losses; that is what the ‘school of hard knocks’ is teaching you every day.”

His learning experiences are perhaps what make integrity so important to him, Damon reveals. It is one of his core values, alongside ensuring equal respect for all staff, a core part of the company culture. Ensuring staff members are respected and responsible means, in Damon’s opinion, that you get a more productive and innovative workforce. “Integrity is important in all day-to-day transactions, and you must have respect for the people that you work with. I also expect people to take responsibility for their actions and be proud of their accomplishments. There is

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nothing wrong with being accountable for your actions, even when the outcome is not what you wanted. You can learn a lot from your mistakes! I encourage people within the business to constantly improve and have the courage to be innovative, even if that means making mistakes along the way.”

Titan also invests heavily in the training, development, and wellbeing of staff, especially in regard to safety. It has in-house trainers, working sessions with stakeholders, and puts on social events for staff. “We consistently conduct training in our new facility here in Sydney and encourage our overseas manufacturers to come on a quarterly basis to constantly keep everybody up to speed on new global technology.” Damon’s everyday philosophy is, “Enjoy life, be happy, get involved in life, and don’t be a bystander.”

Damon says that Titan looks to suppliers for long-term strong relationships. Titan is the sole Australian agent for one of the largest crane manufacturers in the world, JASO. “As with any good relationship, it takes time and trust, and suppliers are an integral part of any business. JASO is our key major supplier that we have in the business. I visit Europe regularly, reporting and working on engineering and commercial proposals, and vice versa. JASO is here regularly as well, supporting us as a business. Each of us has a great deal of respect for the other, testified by the fact that our relationship is now in its fifteenth year. We both strive to live up to our promises, and together we have formed a loyal and trusted business partnership.”

Another strong partnership has been forged with NAB. “NAB has been our financial strategic partner throughout the journey, and has not only been a financial supporter of the company but also an outstanding business partner,” says Damon.

Titan prides itself on its commitment to technology and using the most technologically advanced machinery. It was one of the leaders in bringing new

technology into the industry to Australia, and is continually searching for the best equipment and systems in the world. “We were at the forefront of bringing technology into our industry,” Damon says. “An example is the SMIE anti-collision, which is a French system that we pioneered in the Australian market and that aids drivers in preventing collisions between cranes. We pioneered bringing in from around the world state-of-the-art electric cranes with the latest technology, including very high-quality braking systems to try to prevent minor malfunctions or catastrophic failures that may have resulted in personal injury and extensive site damage.”

The company has expanded its engineering expertise with the development of new yard facilities in Sydney. “We have brought our fabrication and engineering back in house to ensure we can provide a high standard of engineering at a cost-competitive price. Horan Steel is our preferred supplier, as they bring not only cost-competitive pricing but also a range of high-tech machinery for profiling and cutting.”

It’s these qualities—integrity, respect, innovation, technological advancement, and highly trained staff with a strong team spirit—that make Titan Cranes the chosen company for many high-profile projects. Over the years, Titan has worked on projects for the National Portrait Gallery, the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Children’s Hospital in Perth, Royal North Shore Hospital Sydney, Meriton Residential Developments,

and the redevelopment at Barangaroo in Sydney.

“For me, Barangaroo was a major highlight. Winning what is the largest residential and commercial redevelopment in the country and working closely with Lend Lease to design and implement lifting solutions across the project has been a real buzz,” Damon says. “Also, working with similar large companies such as Meriton has also been excellent. Meriton is an enormous business, and to work with them to resolve their lifting solutions utilising both our cranes and hoists across Australia has been very rewarding.”

Titan has also worked with the John Holland Group to build the Children’s Hospital in Perth. “Working on the Children’s Hospital was one of those moments that I was not only very proud to win, but we also did some pretty amazing things behind the scenes to support that project other than supplying the cranes and hoists.”

Given the success Titan Cranes has experienced in the past, and the growth it is currently enjoying, Damon is confident the future of the company is bright. It has a good understanding of the future of the industry in Australia. “Titan has a bright future as there are many exciting opportunities for us at the moment,” Damon concludes. “We see a lot of positives for us as we continue with our business strategy; I am very optimistic about our future in the building and construction industry in Australia.”

“There is nothing wrong with being accountable for your actions, even when the outcome is not what you wanted. You can learn a lot from your mistakes!” - Damon Hanlin

Established in 1921, Horan Steel is a privately owned company that has an excellent reputation as a robust, long term, well-established leader in the distribution and value-added processing of quality steel products. We understand the importance of fulfi lling our customer’s needs, especially with respect to:

• Impeccable customer service• Sales team availability 6.30 am – 5.30 pm• Fast responsiveness• Excellent stock availability (range and quantity)• High-quality products• On-time deliveries• Flexibility• Value-added processing facilities, including state-of-the-art beam line, coping line, profi ling, and sawing facilities.

www.HoranSteel.com.au

LEADERS IN STEEL DISTRIBUTION AND VALUE-ADDED PROCESSING