Mazzella Wins Award, Plans for #GLAD2024

Mazzella Companies has been presented with an award for its contribution to last year’s Global Lifting Awareness Day (GLAD), by the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA).

Mazzella was unanimously voted by a judging panel to have provided the best contribution from a company or individual to #GLAD2023, which was the fourth annual staging of a widely celebrated day where manufacturers, suppliers, and end users are among those that share material that promotes safe and high quality load lifting. Social media posts, videos, articles, and in-person activity are bound together by the hashtag — and Mazzella led the way.

Fittingly, the award was presented by Ross Moloney, CEO, LEEA, to Mazzella representatives attending this week’s Associated Wire Rope Fabricators (AWRF) Spring General Meeting in Nashville, Tennessee. Mazzella, like AWRF, has been a loyal campaigner since GLAD’s conception in 2020. Kindred spirits, AWRF runs an accreditation programme, powered by LEEA’s third-party audits.

Mike Close, corporate marketing and communications manager, Mazzella, said: “Winning this award was both surprising and affirming. Last year marked our most significant involvement in GLAD to date. We dedicated our efforts to a comprehensive campaign that spanned multiple media, including articles, videos, and a podcast. These initiatives were aimed at supporting the vision of LEEA and GLAD, with the goal of raising overall awareness of the lifting and rigging industry.

“This award is recognition for the whole marketing team. We were motivated by the increasing participation we observed in the industry and inspired by partners, like Kito Crosby, who received a similar award for their efforts in 2022. This appreciation of our peers spurred us to enhance our involvement and create an engaging and impactful awareness campaign.”

Central to Mazzella’s contribution was welcoming Moloney on an episode of the company’s Safety Factor podcast, launched on the cusp of #GLAD2023. Each podcast episode is available in two formats: audio-only, available on traditional podcast platforms; and a video version on YouTube, allowing viewers to watch the conversation between the host and guests. The episode above, titled, “How Global Lifting Awareness Day Addresses the Labor Shortage in the Lifting Industry,” received 370 plays across both formats. Moloney has already been invited back to appear on a pre-#GLAD2024 episode. Mazzella also published two key articles: “How is Technology Changing the Lifting and Rigging Industry?” and, “How Does Global Lifting Awareness Day Promote the Lifting Industry?” and populated social media channels with engaging content.

Moloney said: “GLAD messaging has always been underpinned by raising awareness — and Mazzella sets an outstanding example of what can be achieved. I was honoured to feature on the Safety Factor podcast, but that was just one component of a wider commitment to #GLAD2023 that was humbling and empowering. While we are growing a legion of supporters, none were more deserving of recognition than Mazzella — and what a place to celebrate with them here with the AWRF community.”

#GLAD2024 to be biggest ever

The fifth Global Lifting Awareness Day — #GLAD2024 — will take place on Thursday 18 July, represented by a new logo. Once more, Mazzella will be among leading stakeholders delivering the message emphatically to the point of use. This year’s campaign trail is already advanced, with the two pillars of earlier announcements being that LEEA will focus its strategy on skills and employment. It is encouraging everyone to contribute by using graphics and the hashtag to celebrate their involvement with the industry, at all levels of the supply chain. Cranes, hoists, rigging gear, and height safety hardware is central to safe operations in a myriad of end-user sectors, including civil engineering, construction, material handling, metals, military, offshore, subsea, and renewables, to select just a handful.

Close added: “The new logo is very cool — the design elements of the crane and the use of safety yellow [colour version], convey its relevance to the lifting and rigging industry. I think if you see it and don’t know what GLAD is, or the movement behind it, it effectively communicates its purpose of supporting and enhancing the industry. For #GLAD2024, we plan to continue our multi-medium approach, using articles, videos, and podcasts to spread awareness and share key messages.

“Our goal is to leverage our partnerships, particularly with a leading training company in the industrial sector, to focus on professional development and highlight its significance. There’s always so much more that can be done to promote best practices and safety within our industry, so I sense that will be a big theme for us this year as well. On the day, we’ll have a schedule built out to post links on social media to relevant and supporting content and information each hour of the day.”

Close called skills and employment “foundational in our industry.” He added: “As AI [artificial intelligence] and automation reshape our work environment, we have to be proactive in developing new skills in our teammates. It’s not just about adapting for tomorrow but planning for the next decades. This will be critical to remain competitive in attracting and retaining top talent. Additionally, the need for skilled craftsmen — welders, fabricators, riggers, operators, and technicians — remains as vital as ever. They transform ideas into tangible solutions, something that’s irreplaceable in our industry.”

• Celebrate the lifting industry on Thursday 18 July — include the #GLAD2024 hashtag.

Caption: Ross Moloney, CEO, LEEA presents the award for the best contribution from a company or individual to #GLAD2023 to (left to right) Mazzella’s Tony Mazzella, CEO; Matt Mazzella, president; Eric Parkerson, vice president of rigging; Mike Lindsey, vice president of supply chain; and Jim Takacs, director of corporate supply chain.

Contact for editorial enquiries: Mark Bridger, Bridger Howes Limited, mark@bridgerhowes.com