A grateful beekeeper is enjoying increased productivity and safety, due to the generosity of Iowa Mold Tooling Co. Inc. (IMT), an Oshkosh Corporation company. IMT contributed an articulating crane and operator-training services to a lucky trucker in Tipton, Okla., for an episode of “Trick My Truck” on CMT.

Gary Grose, manager of Tipton Valley Honey Co., received a Hino chassis decked out with an IMT 4/29 articulating crane. The IMT 4/29 articulating crane features a maximum reach of more than 22 ft. (6.7 m) and a maximum lifting capacity of 4,520 lbs. (2,050 kg). It also sports an overload protection system, and Grose’s model came with radio remote controls.

“We are very honored to have been asked to participate in this unique opportunity and to be a part of such a special occasion,” said Steve Fairbanks, IMT president. “When we heard about Gary’s situation, we quickly realized how much he would benefit from one of our cranes.”

Grose said the IMT 4/29 unit would save him an immense amount of manual labor.

“I was ecstatic when I found out I was getting a truck outfitted with a crane. A crane has so many benefits for my business — all the back-breaking labor that it saves,” Grose said. “The crane is absolutely phenomenal. It’s going to save us so much time and money that we should be able to drive our costs down to better compete in the global honey market.”

CMT’s hit series “Trick My Truck” aims to improve the lives of American truck drivers who are in need of a much-deserved break. The cast of the show “steals” the rigs of lucky drivers and then alters the trucks, ultimately improving the truckers’ lives.

Grose is going to use the new crane to deliver pallets of beehives from field to field across the country. He previously used a skid steer loader to move the hives around, but that method involved a great deal of manual labor. He said that not only is the crane going to help him be more productive, but it’s also going to mean safer operations for his field crew.

For more information, visit www.imt.com.

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