Chris Pena
Director of Hoist & Crane Operations
Hi-Speed Industrial Service
“I’m always looking for ways to positively impact a customer’s business so they can be more efficient and profitable.”
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Chris serves as Director of Hoist & Crane Operations for Hi-Speed Industrial Service. In this role, he is responsible for leading the company’s hoist and crane operations including planning, project management and sales initiatives across multiple states. He is responsible for the development and execution of Hi-Speed’s operational and sales initiatives relative to overhead cranes, all in an effort to keep its valued customers up and running. In addition, he has a passion for employee development, coaching and leadership. In his current role, his managerial responsibilities include members of the technical staff, estimating team and the field operations team.
PREVIOUS EXPERTISE
An industry veteran, Chris has been involved in the overhead crane industry since 1991. In fact, he founded and ran his own service company called Absolute Crane Services from 1996-2003. After that, he served in various leadership roles ranging from service manager and branch manager to district operations manager and territory sales manager for a crane and lifting solutions company in Texas. He joined the Hi-Speed team in October 2021.
EDUCATION AND INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT
Chris has been working since he was 14 years old. “After high school, I saw a newspaper ad for a shop helper at an overhead crane company,” he says. “I applied for the job and fell in love with the industry the first time I saw the shop.” Chris has been a professional in the industry for more than 30 years doing everything from building electrical panels and working on cranes to managing branches and, now, an overseeing an entire hoist and crane operation. “This career is a blessing to me,” he says. “It’s all come very naturally to me and, for that, I’m eternally grateful.”
WHAT SETS HIM APART
Chris loves getting up every day and helping people. “My primary passion in life is people,” says Chris. “I’m always looking for ways to positively impact a customer’s business so they can be more efficient and profitable.” He likes that his job always has a new, unique challenge to solve. For example, a client recently had a critical crane runway situation that could have caused catastrophic failure for their business. Chris and his team came up with a solution that would correct the problem quickly while the company was closed over a holiday break. The customer was amazed at the quick resolution and that the crane was running more quietly than ever before. In addition to serving clients, Chris holds a special place in his heart for mentoring. He is a man of faith and feels very fortunate to be able to serve others. When he is not working, he enjoys hunting and spending time in the great outdoors.