This award is given to individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the specialized carrier and rigging industry over a consistent and significant period of time.
Lomma founded his company in 1975 as a heavy-hauling specialist. The company gained a strong reputation early on for relocating a 400t transformer from inside the New York State Power Authority’s Indian Point generating plant along an uphill route to a staging area a mile away.
By the early 1980s, the rapid expansion of cellular communications set the stage for his company’s entrance into the crane business. Over the years, J.F. Lomma, Inc.’s inventory of cranes and rigging equipment continually expanded and diversified. Today, the company is known as a top provider of heavy hauling, rigging and transport services in the U.S.
During the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, Lomma cranes arrived on the scene at Ground Zero to assist in the rescue and recovery efforts and remained there for several months. He was among the first people called upon by then Mayor Rudy Giuliani after the tragedy.
A member of SC&RA since 1981, James Lomma held a number of the association’s key leadership positions over the years, including President between 1996-97. He was instrumental in the formation of both the National Commission of the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) in 1995, and of SC&RA’s property and casualty insurance partnership with NBIS, which became the association’s exclusive all-line insurance in 1996 and which now serves more than 400 SC&RA member companies. He remains active in SC&RA as a Past Chairman.
SC&RA chairman Ron Montgomery, said: "To the core, James Lomma is compassionate and has demonstrated genuine concern and provided personal and widespread industry assistance many times to those who faced challenges or simply needed help. If you ask his competitors to describe him, they say he’s a man of his word. He’s got integrity, and he operates with a firm adherence to a strong ethical and moral code."
