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Brian Isringhausen, CEO
Brian was around nine years old when he went to his first derailment along with his father. When still a teenager, he purchased one of his dad’s cranes and took over an operational division of Isringhausen Emergency Railroad Services, where he responded to railroad emergencies for several years before co-founding Cranemasters in 1986.
His passion for the business is reflected in the company’s core commitment to understand the anatomy and logistics of a train derailment, starting with the first call for help. Under Brian’s leadership, the Cranemasters team of seasoned railroaders and engineers embraces a no-shortcuts philosophy to solve any problem to the customer’s full satisfaction. Along the way, extreme care is taken to protect property and equipment owned by the customer or the railroad, including rail cars and their contents.
He believes customers should know that Cranemasters has a unique familiarity with the challenges inherent to the railroad and specialized lifting industry. Also, the company is always looking out for the customer, keeping their needs at the forefront and constantly innovating on their behalf.
“If we continue to grow our organization through innovation, delivery of quality services and hiring the best talent available, we’ll not only remain a leader in rerailing and track maintenance, but also will expand our footprint into other service areas such as bridge work, retarders and much more. Our potential is virtually limitless.”
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Barry Isringhausen, President
As one of the entrepreneurial co-founders of Cranemasters, Barry has more than three decades of professional experience in the railroad and specialized lifting industry. This business was in his DNA because of his father’s long career in the rail services industry. Barry has become immersed in all aspects of operations and management at Cranemasters, both in the field on job sites and in administration at the company’s headquarters in North Chesterfield, Virginia.
Barry’s leadership and guidance have fostered a culture of innovation where team members are encouraged to keep customer needs at the forefront of every project and decision, well beyond the scope of the initiative. This mindset has catapulted Cranemasters to become one of the nation’s pre-eminent players in the field and has helped the company to diversify into many industry sectors.
He believes customers should know that Cranemasters places a true focus on delivering exceptional value and unparalleled performance at all times.
“I’m very proud of the company’s commitment to safety, collaborative teamwork and providing a high-quality product and service that benefits the customer.”
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Mark Braithwaite, Vice President of Operations, Eastern Region
Mark’s career in the railroad industry spans almost four decades, including 23 years with Cranemasters. His extensive experience in both engineering and derailment makes him a valuable asset to the company.
In addition to managing emergency derailments from start to cleanup, Mark has managed a wide variety of engineering projects such as building and installing switches, bridge span replacement and retarder replacement. He especially likes that Cranemasters functions as a family, working together to help clients – and employees – be successful.
He believes customers should know that Cranemasters wants to get the 9-1-1 call when a derailment occurs. The company will do everything possible to get the freight car back on the rails with minimal down time and staying within the budget.
“Our experience, our innovations and our commitment to solving problems are very beneficial to our customers. We are a railroad contractor that cares.”
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Dan Morse, Vice President of Contracts, Estimates and Logistics
Dan has 35 years of experience in the railroad and specialized lifting industry, with almost 30 of those years at Cranemasters. In addition to his responsibilities as a regional manager, his areas of expertise include track repair and construction, and derailment recovery work.
His career in the industry began with a two-week position with a railroad contractor in the area where he grew up in the Pennsylvania coalfields. As a longtime leader at Cranemasters, he looks forward to helping the company expand its footprint and reputation on the national stage.
He believes customers should know that Cranemasters team members always critique a project to look for more ways to improve service, even after the customer has expressed complete satisfaction.
“We have a strong team atmosphere at Cranemasters. Our employees are encouraged to take ownership for solving problems and creating solutions in order to meet a customer’s need.”
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Tom Weaks, III, Vice President of Operations, Western Region
Although Tom is a relatively new member of the leadership team at Cranemasters, having joined the company in 2016, he has been in the train derailment business for almost 40 years. Most of that time was spent with one company, where he held a variety of posts while rising through the ranks to the position of regional vice president for the western areas of the U.S. and Canada.
Since becoming affiliated with Cranemasters, he has been impressed with the company’s investments in R&D and innovation, resulting in several creative lifting techniques that are more advanced and forward-thinking than any others in the industry.
He believes customers should know that Cranemasters is a better cost alternative than its competitors because the company is committed to doing the job right, from start to finish.
“We really care about our customers and I’m excited about what we will develop next to help them. When you look at Cranemasters, you see the future of this industry.”
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Aaron Braithwaite, Vice President of Track Operations
Aaron Braithwaite was appointed Vice President of Track Operations in October 2018. Aaron has 16 years of railroad experience and is responsible for directing all Track maintenance and construction operations on the east coast into the mid-west.
He brings extensive experience to his role having worked for Cranemasters for 9 years coupled with 6 years of experience as the Superintendent of the Southwest Region for a major commuter transit system. In this role, he had direct responsibility for 80 miles of transit system and two separate rail yards.
Aaron is a champion of safety, efficiency, and delivery of quality services to our railroad customers ensuring on-time delivery of services.
“Cranemasters is a company that strives to be the best in safety, innovation and providing a quality service. We care about our customers and want to help in any way possible to keep them moving. We care about our employees and want them to have a safe work environment with the best equipment to work with. This is why I am proud to be a part of this company.”