Bo Rogers’ curiosity for how things function leads to a long career as a crane technician that ‘never feels like work’

Bo Rogers has always had an inquisitive mind. He admits that it sometimes got him in a little trouble growing up.

“As a kid, I had to know how things worked, so I took them apart — often things I should not have,” Rogers recalled. “It started with clocks, and they ended up in heaps because I didn’t know how to put them back together. My dad got me a set of encyclopedias about how things work and told me to start reading. I eventually figured out how to put things back, so they functioned again.”

As time went by, Rogers moved up to working on radios, bicycles, lawnmowers and cars. After graduating high school, he attended Universal Technical Institute in Houston where he graduated at the top of his class and received an associate degree in automotive and diesel technology. He immediately put his skills to work as an auto mechanic.

“In the mid-1990s, I could see that technology was advancing in the auto world. I also realized that the equipment industry was lagging behind, but technology was the future,” Rogers said. “I got excited about the possibilities, so I switched gears. Because I had a good understanding of hydraulics and could read schematics, I homed in on becoming a crane technician.”

Nearly every perspective

For the past 10 years, Rogers has been a crane technician at Kirby-Smith Machinery Inc.’s Oklahoma City branch. Previously, he worked for another heavy equipment dealer, a crane and rigging company, and had his own business working on heavy equipment.

“I understand the industry from nearly every perspective,” said Rogers. “What I like about being a crane tech is knowing that I’m making a difference. Most times when I go out on a call it’s because the customer is down, and it’s my job to provide a solution that makes their day better. That’s a great feeling. I often tell my three kids about my day and impress upon them that when you love what you do, it never feels like work.”

Rogers also enjoys the camaraderie at Kirby-Smith, as well as the support he receives from the company. “I have a lot of good friends here. We like to do things together outside of work. It’s like a brotherhood or family, and we all care about each other.”

He added, “As a company, Kirby-Smith provides great support with training and tooling, so we are up to date and can perform with the most advanced knowledge available. Management is willing to make the investments to ensure we have what we need to keep customer downtime to a minimum.”

Rogers enjoys pursuing his other passions, too. He has a 1985 Jeep Grand Wagoneer that he put a 440 engine in several years ago, so he could race it. He has a Technician Class radio operator license, is learning how to be a storm chaser, and does one-line drawings.