In 1950, John “JJ” Curran and his wife Jacquelyn Curran invested $400 to start a small business in Detroit, Michigan. Since then, through economic challenges and industry evolutions, JJ Curran Crane Company has helped build iconic structures in Detroit and beyond, has provided expertise to lift a wide variety of projects, and has continued to grow its footprint in the industry and the Midwest.
With the theme, “Lifting Together: 75 Years of Family and Community,” the company celebrates the longtime employees and customers who helped the business endure.
“I’ve had the privilege of helping lead this company over four decades,” current President Jeff Curran said. “I’m very grateful and thankful for the people who worked for our company over this long period of time and have done a fabulous job, and for our customers that have supported us. We want to carry that on.”
JJ and Jacquelyn initially founded Dearborn Excavating in 1950 with a 1933 Link-Belt speeder backhoe, then grew the company while raising five children — two boys and three girls.
In the early years, the small business did most of its work for Aurora Gasoline Company, now part of Marathon Oil. Soon after, JJ purchased a Lorraine 30-ton mobile crane, one of Detroit’s largest at the time. That sparked the birth of the Downriver Crane Company, which quickly expanded to six cranes. In the early 1960s, the crane division was renamed JJ Curran Crane Company. The company grew, and JJ placed his equipment all over the Detroit industrial corridor.
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“The shamrock has always been a symbol of the crane company because of our Irish heritage,” said Larry Curran, JJ’s oldest son, who served as President for 25 years. “In the 1960s, an employee by the name of John Czarnik coined the phrase, ‘It’s Not Luck, It’s Know How,’ and that’s been the company slogan ever since.”
JJ Curran’s iconic sign (later featured among Detroit’s scenery in a Chrysler ad for the 2006 Super Bowl) went up in the 1970s. In the following years, the company continued to grow. JJ added a 140-ton Grove hydraulic crane — a marvel in its day — and was operating more than 50 machines by 1975.
Family involvement expanded as JJ and Jacquelyn’s children grew. Larry joined the company full time in 1972, and Jeff, nearly a decade younger, came on board full time in 1981 after graduating college. From that point on, JJ Curran Crane entered a new era of leadership — transitioning from JJ’s individual stewardship.
In the 1980s, JJ felt that Larry being older and more savvy in the equipment operational side would complement the younger brother, Jeff, running the financial aspects. The brothers ran things together for nearly four decades in this fashion. Jacquelyn and JJ were able to enjoy time away as they liked, with the business being run by Larry as President and Jeff as Vice President of Finance. Jeff helped the company modernize every facet, with backing from both JJ and Larry. Jeff recalled how well JJ provided senior influence from the employees he trusted.
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Along with building a successful company, JJ and Jacquelyn had also built a good-sized family. Eventually the family grew to nine grandchildren, and they enjoyed time with all of them in the Florida Keys and in Boyne City, Michigan, whenever possible.
JJ passed away in 2000, and Jacquelyn continued to live her life as they had planned until she passed in 2012. JJ’s strong, long-term guidance helped prepare the brothers for this chapter. The sound planning allowed the company to transition to Larry and Jeff’s ownership. At this time, Larry stepped up to Chairman and Jeff became President.
Family members are not the only longtime members of the company.
“Our average employee has been here over 10 years,” Larry said. “If they like it here, they stay here, and if they do a good job, they’re always welcome here. I think our core people have always been that way for 75 years.”
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That longevity extends through the entire operation. “We get an abundance of repeat business because of our operators,” said Eric Stoller, Vice President of Sales and Operations. “The majority of our operators have been with us over 15 years. They’re very experienced, they know our customers, and they do a great job.”
One former operator now works in sales. Another, Chad McComas, operated cranes for 29 years before becoming a Dispatcher.
“I’d say there’s not a better Dispatcher out there, with how he does his job and his knowledge of the industry,” Stoller said. “Chad used to operate our largest crane, the Grove GMK6400 450-ton all-terrain, and he’s been dispatching now for over five years.”
According to McComas, multiple factors contribute to the longevity of the business. “Our location is great, as well as our operators,” he said. “Most of the guys I know retire from here. That’s rare, especially with rental barns. We have a great group of people here and a strong customer base.”
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Longtime JJ Curran operators do not just run equipment; they aim to know each crane's quirks intimately. That familiarity with the fleet and job sites helps them catch small issues before they escalate, keeping lifts safe and schedules intact.
“It’s a close-knit place to work,” Controller Amber Pearce said. Pearce was trained by her predecessor Mike Coffman, the Financial Comptroller, who spent 20-plus years working for Larry and Jeff. Coffman played a major role in the company’s survival during some of its toughest times in 2009 and 2010.
Beyond job sites, JJ Curran invests in the community through organizations like the Local 324 Operating Engineers union and sponsorships of various local charities and amateur sports teams throughout the years.
While family and employee loyalty anchored operations at JJ Curran, forward-looking technology became an engine for growth in an increasingly competitive market.
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In Michigan’s crowded crane market, JJ Curran leverages its people-first culture and technology. The dual focus has driven longevity and the ability to tackle increasingly complex projects. This started through Jeff’s efforts in the mid-1980s.
“My dad came to me and said, ‘I think we should be looking for a transition into the computer era,’” he said.
A year later, he spearheaded the company’s adoption of financial software, and the game of software innovation was on. “It’s literally never stopped from that time forward,” Jeff said.
“I was concerned with the lack of efficiency and good communication — how much time it took to get answers and get things turned around,” Jeff said. “The economy had major challenges then, too, especially in the industrial side with the auto and steel industries. So, I started to think about ways to lower costs. Systems and process seemed to be the answer.”
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In 1993, Jeff launched Fleet Cost & Care to develop, sell, and support vertical software systems for the construction and equipment industries. In addition to serving the fleet management needs at JJ Curran, Fleet Cost & Care now works with hundreds of other businesses worldwide.
“Fleet Cost & Care became a game-changer, not just for us but for the industry. The two companies benefited from each other as they hoped it would. We’re helping the crane business adapt to the future, and we’re on the leading edge of that,” Jeff said. “We’re able to keep costs down and understand how we can be more competitive.”
Through the years, JJ Curran Crane Company has anchored Detroit’s industrial backbone — from Zug Island refineries to Ford Rouge’s assembly lines. It quickly expanded into commercial, sports arenas, demolition, and residential. From the Joe Louis Arena and Ford Field to Little Caesars Arena and the Renaissance Center, JJ Curran has been involved. In 1995, their Krupp 500 GMT, a 500-ton all-terrain crane, executed lifts to connect Somerset Collection’s north and south expansions in Troy, Michigan. The retail landmark required surgical precision in a crowded suburb.
Most notably in recent years, JJ Curran played a critical role in the rehabilitation of Michigan Central Station, a symbol of Detroit’s decline and now its resurgence. Various JJ Curran cranes supported different phases of the renovation, from structural reinforcements to installation of mechanical systems and infrastructure upgrades. The company’s presence throughout the multi-year effort reflects not only its technical capabilities but also its enduring connection to the city’s future.
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Over the last few years, JJ Curran helped build the Gordie Howe International Bridge between Detroit and Windsor, Canada.
“We had numerous cranes working on that, from our rough terrain division all the way up to our crawler named after Red Wing player and broadcasting legend Mickey Redmond,” Stoller said.
The company also continues to support projects at Marathon Petroleum, the modern successor to JJ Curran’s very first customer, closing a full-circle connection between the company’s early days and its present-day industrial expertise.
One of the most recent projects using JJ Curran cranes, the new 12-story D. Dan and Betty Kahn Health Care Pavilion at University of Michigan Health in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is set to open in fall 2025. The project for Barton Malow was centered around the use of a large tower crane brought in specifically for the job.
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“Several projects of that type have been done in recent years,” Jeff said.
Larry marveled at the complexity of some of the projects. “Between our expertise and our people, we do it rather simply and with a lot of success — objects that are very, very tight and at capacity, those lifts are done almost daily,” he said.
The company’s current fleet includes all-terrain cranes, rough-terrain cranes, crawler cranes, tower cranes, boom trucks, mobilifts, and carry decks.
“We’ve got a diverse and pretty new fleet, including Grove, Manitowoc, Liebherr, and Tadano cranes,” McComas said.
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Today, Jeff sees technology continuing to play a significant role in growth.
“There are lots of new ways to keep our customers happy and our employees safe,” he said. “We don’t really shy away from it. We just keep trying to lead.”
The company is also working to expand service to customers around the state, beginning with a facility in Brighton, Michigan.
“It helps save customers on the logistics of moving a piece of equipment into a project and out,” Stoller said. “With the software that we have through Fleet Cost & Care, we can move and plan effectively. We cover a lot more geography.”
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Stoller said the goal is to eventually have separate fleets and teams in each location. “Our plan is to continue to expand our reach to cover the Midwest,” he said.
The company is also updating its Detroit facility, with the groundbreaking for a new three-story structure in fall 2025. The new building will include space for wide ranging certification, training, and education programs for Fleet Cost & Care clients and industry professionals. Visitors can stay at area hotels and go to local sports games.
“It’s a cooperative between leaders in the City of Detroit and the State of Michigan,” Jeff said. “The city is rebuilding areas that affect all of us, from downtown to the neighborhoods to the industrial sector. You can see and feel the future happening in Detroit. This city continues to return to its historic influence.”
“2025 is a year to look back on what our employees, customers, and suppliers have accomplished together since 1950. Families have earned a good living here, and the company thrived through many challenges,” Jeff added. “I am so appreciative of the time we spent together, and the opportunities we earned together. Larry and I ran the company together for 39 years, but now it’s me at the helm. It’s been a great thrill to see it continue, and with the experience we have, I hope to see it continue to prosper.”
