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GSS- AC-450


Global Specialized Systems was proud to showcase the newest addition to its fleet of cranes – the AC 450 – at ConExpo-Con/AGG, the largest construction show in North America! 

The AC-450 is a 500-ton mobile hydraulic crane that runs on seven axles. This crane is as compact as 6-axle cranes, but it has the capacity of many 8-axle cranes. 

“This crane is one hundred percent mobile,” said Mike Orr, the Crane Operations Manager for GSS. “This cuts down on transportation costs, because mobilization makes this much more efficient and affordable than conventional crawler cranes. A crane of this size, in a crawler category, would probably be in the neighborhood of 25 loads; we can move this one in seven loads.” 

The AC-450’s mobilization is one of its most important features, but it’s not the only thing. 

“One of the benefits of this crane is that it’s got 260 feet of main boom,” Orr said. “Which means all you’ve got to do is pull up onto the job site, hang some counterweights, and you can send out 260 feet of boom and go to work. Or you can put it in 265 feet of luffing jib, which gives you a 410-foot max tip height.” 

Which means, in Layman’s terms, that it can reach really, really tall places. 

“With that kind of setback, you can reach the top of all wind towers for maintenance, gearbox changes, and more,” Orr stated. 

All of these features and more made the AC-450 the belle of the proverbial ball at the ConExpo-Con/AGG, which took place from March 13-17, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

“We’ve been talking about this crane for about eight months,” Orr said. “We secured the deal with Crane Works a couple months after we started talking about getting something in the 500-ton class. So, we partnered up with Crane Works and Tadano, and we found one that was going to be delivered and we found out that it was going to be the same crane that was coming to ConExpo, which really made them push it to get delivered overseas.”

It was delivered and it most certainly did deliver.

“It was actually the centerpiece of Tadano’s exhibit at ConExpo,” Orr said. “The expo itself was great. I went out the week before to make sure that the crane was in good shape and looked good for the show. And then we had really good conversations with Tadano and Crane Works and just went over a lot of the functions, processes, and procedures that go along with a crane of this magnitude.” 

At the expo, GSS also participated in a ‘passing-of-the-keys’ ceremony, as well as a customer appreciation dinner along with Crane Works. 

“It was a really neat experience,” Orr said. “I know for a fact that this crane in particular – there’s probably a hundred cranes in that show – and this crane here got, by far, the most attention.” 

As it should have. The AC-450 is a massive piece of equipment, but it moves like a much smaller crane. It has a capacity of 52,500 pounds at a 294-foot tip height and an 80-foot radius. It also has a 330,700-pound maximum counterweight.

“It’s a 500-ton crane that you don’t have to remove the boom from in order to move it,” Orr revealed. “It’s the only crane in its class, so you don’t have to remove the boom, which cuts down on a ton of transportation and it’s just a really neat looking crane. It’s just an amazing piece of equipment. It’s very impressive.” 

Despite its size, the mobility of the AC-450 is really its key defining feature. 

“This crane is 100% mobile,” Orr reiterated. “We can pull up to a job and get to work. It’s literally two hours from the time you pull up to the job, to the time you start working. It’s really raised our platform as a crane company and a crane provider.”

Orr, as well as every person who attended ConExpo, is in awe of this new crane. It’s a game-changer, and GSS is proud to have it. 

“The AC-450 will probably be the most versatile crane in the industry as of right now,” Orr stated. “Obviously they keep building things bigger and taller, but for what we’re dealing with right now, for everything that we’re working with, this is the crane. It’s the most versatile, heavy-lift crane that we have.”

Julie Masters Celebrates Ten Years with GSS/TP&L


Julie started working in the crane and trucking business seventeen years ago. She started as a crane dispatcher and converted over to a trucking broker. She started working for GSS in 2013 as their logistics coordinator. In the beginning, there were challenges, finding drivers to take loads and earn the business from new and familiar customers. 

“We all worked very hard to get the ball rolling, and before long, GSS was looking to expand the business and employees and we moved across town which is now the GSS & TP&L yards,” Julie said. “Ten years later, GSS is bigger, and always looking to expand our trucking, crane, and personnel needs.” 

Julie normally handles the brokerage for GSS. Moving cranes, wind components, equipment, for TP&L, IDS, and Renew, and lact units, and skids for companies in the oil industry. Her largest moves have been rig moves, and a drag line with more than 140 loads from Mississippi to ND a few years ago. 

“I feel like I have been fortunate to be mentored by the best in the business Jim Orr, Matt Orr, Justin Orr, Shana Anderson, Paul Masters, Clint Murray, Scott Miller, Paul Johnson, Mike Orr, Dylan Wisroth, Michael Pantuso, and many more including Trent Zempel, who in the beginning was our engineer, safety guy, permit guy, and much more,” Julie said. “Lorrie Blackford, also came with all of us to the best family-oriented, driven, and successful, new business. When we all started here ten years ago that is what we were all taking the chance on. Stability, a good working environment, and success, and we have all strived to keep achieving this goal. There have been new companies added who have helped with the success of all of the Takkion companies, and I appreciate all of their work ethic and drive for success. 

“I try to take great pride in my work, and keeping the customers very satisfied with our safety and mindset to be #1. There are days when you might feel defeated, but you keep the mindset to never quit. There are a lot of hours behind all these companies. Hard work, dedication, and striving for excellence; that is what makes us great. Good people, good product, and the best trained people in the business. That is what makes me hold my head up high, and feel proud of where we started, and where we are going. I appreciate all my coworkers, drivers, and customers. There is never a question that can’t be answered with all the experience in this company.”  

 “Julie is married to Paul Masters, who is also employed as the Southern Regional Manager for TP&L. They met working together in 2008 and lived in Wyoming until 2020. They decided to move to Fort Worth, TX in May of 2020 to be closer to Paul’s sites, and warmer weather. 

“We packed up our life, our two Golden Doodles Cooper, and Romeo, our dog Theo, and our cat Zeus, and here we are living our best life in Texas,”Julie said. 

 In November 2021 things took a sad turn when Julie’s younger sister Lindsay passed away in a car accident. Paul and Julie, not having any children of their own, became the permanent guardians of their niece Alexis who is now 9 years old. 

“We have always had a relationship with Alexis, and Paul is her favorite,” Julie said. “She now resides with us in Texas and we enjoy the fun and love she brings to our life. You can always catch us hanging by our pool in the summer months or singing to Paul’s music in the car.  We recently went to Disneyland in October for her 9th birthday, and have plans to go somewhere educational this summer. 

“I love football, so you can catch us at an Alabama playoff game or now, a Dallas game once a year. Alexis wears her CD Lamb jersey with pride. Our life now revolves around her, and her volleyball camps, etc. We are living our best life. Paul and I used to live to work, and now with Alexis, it has taught us to enjoy the little things. A walk with our doodles, a movie, or a trip to the zoo, or water park. The Reunion Tower is cool in Dallas.”

 Her brother Kyle is also in Texas now, and her Mom winters in Texas to be close to family. 

 “The last ten years have been amazing and I am grateful for all of the people I have met along the way,” Julie said. “Ashley helps me in brokerage, and we have big plans to expand more. She has been a great addition to our team. I would like to thank all the GSS drivers, crane operators, riggers, mechanics, office staff, and everyone who makes us great.  In ten years, I have seen a lot of promotions and people excel to do their very best. I miss my coworkers in WY, but I am never too far away. We take a day trip of fifteen hours about three times a year back home and that is what makes life worth living. This job has helped me grow as a person. When they said this about family they meant it, and I consider all of you mine. Here is to 10 more years. My husband and I often joke that one of us is always on the phone, but it is ‘the life.’ I appreciate the opportunities I have been given and look forward to another 10 years.”

Haul Box Movers


At Global Specialized Services, one of the biggest services we offer are heavy haul transports. This includes Haul Box Moves, which involve moving and offloading oversized loads of coal, iron, or other materials to different sites across the country. 

One of the key people involved in Haul Box Moves is Condo Edwards, the Dispatch Permitting Specialist for GSS. 

While working for Austin Engineering, Edwards developed a close relationship with GSS and eventually wanted to make a career move. So he came to the company and began working primarily in the permitting department. 

When moving heavy loads across the United States, getting the correct type of permits are required in order to actually perform the transport. That’s where Edwards comes in, which is why he’s such an integral part of Haul Box Moves. 

“When I worked down at [Austin Engineering], I was sending quotes to Matt,” Edwards said. “Now that I work for GSS, they’re sending quotes to me, and I’m quoting them. Matt has just kind of handed that off to me to take care of, seeing as how I know how to load them, what we can haul, what type of equipment we’re going to need for the weights and widths we haul, etc.” 

There’s a process involved in Haul Box Moves, and that process illustrates how pivotal Edwards is to the entire operation. 

“Austin will send me a quote,” Edwards said. “I’ll figure out what the miles are, what we’re gonna charge per mile, the fuel costs, the permit costs, the pilot car costs, and the police escort costs because some states require police escorts. So I have to figure out which states they are, and then I have to go through my big book telling me what permits we need and what we’re going to be allowed to haul and where we can haul it, depending on the size of these things. 

GSS performs route surveys to ensure that drivers won’t run into any powerlines or telephone poles, or bridges, or any other obstruction. 

“The route survey will pinpoint all those obstacles, and then, when we get to the mine site, we make sure to do a complete job safety analysis,” Michael Orr offered. “We get everybody on board and have a nice 10-15 minute discussion of any hazards, anything to watch out for, and we ask if anybody has any questions, they need to be addressed before we do the job.” 

Safety is the utmost priority, and it’s something that GSS – something that Michael Orr and Condo Edwards, personally – take seriously. 

GSS’ commitment to safety is just one of the reasons why Austin Engineering continues to hire them to perform these Haul Box Moves. 

“We’ve got the equipment to do what we need to do, and we can haul just about any size that is requested,” Edwards said. “We’ve got 10 years of experience hauling these things. The drivers that we’re putting on these projects have years of experience hauling these haul boxes at this width. We’ve become very proficient at hauling these and hauling them safely for the public and for everybody else involved in the process.” 

GSS: Magenta Wind Farm


Global Specialized Services was recently awarded the Magenta Wind Farm Project and they began making their first deliveries on November 14. 

The project came after GSS made a bid for it in the fourth quarter of 2021, and it was awarded in the spring of 2022. This will be GSS’ first project of the year for this specific client, and it’s a big one.

The Magenta Wind Farm is located in Fluvanna, Texas. GSS will be hauling components out of the Port of Aransas, Texas, as well as the Port of Brownsville, Texas. According to Aaron Nirider, Project Manager at GSS, the wind blades will be coming out of the Port of Brownsville, while the towers, nacelles, hubs, and drive trains will be coming out of the Port of Aransas.

Aaron Nirider said that this project is an exciting one, but it will also be a difficult project thanks, in part, to the eleven-part wind towers that will soon be getting erected. 

“There are five specific tower sections to these towers,” Nirider stated. “If you’re paying attention to the wind industry, you’ll notice that everything’s getting heavier. So right there, you’re faced with a challenge right off the bat. These blades are 77.5 meters, and just routing them through the state of Texas is a job in itself.” 

Luckily, GSS has partnered with the TXDOT to ensure a safe and speedy delivery process. 

“We’ve definitely worked hand-in-hand with the Texas Department of Transportation every day for the last four or five months,” Nirider said. “Especially trying to find routes. We realized that we’ve gotta work on this early enough on the front end to make sure we have everything lined up, but you have to understand that in Texas, construction pops up every so often.”

Construction aside, we have sent Scott Miller with GSS to run various route surveys, to determine bump-outs on turns, making sure they can get under and across bridges, and more. 

“That’s where our site survey specialist comes in,” Nirider said. “He physically runs the route and notes things like, ‘Even though TXDOT thinks we can make this turn, based on the length of this component, the turning radius and the steering angles of the trailer, we won’t be able to make the turn.’ And that’s when we try to find a different route.” 

Nirider said that GSS has two sets of equipment running each component out of the Port of Aransas, and 3-4 sets running the blades out of the Port of Brownsville. There are 11 total components to haul per tower and GSS has a total of 25 different trucks on this project. The entire project is made up of 38 total towers, and GSS is required to complete four towers a week, meaning the projected completion date is sometime in January. It’s a massive project, but the crew at GSS is more than up for the task. 

“We’re always in the business of customer service,” Nirider stated. “Especially with projects of this size. We’re always focused on keeping our customers updated with what we’re hearing on our end and just being very transparent with them on what’s going on with our routing, our permits, our start dates, when our trucks can actually be down there. We pride ourselves on being transparent. And we’ve gotten all good feedback from this customer so far. They understand the difficulty of these projects, based on the size of the components.

The client is confident, too. Because GSS has continued to prove itself with projects big and small. 

“We’ve got so much experience in our office; in the GSS office itself and through TP&L and all of our other companies,” Nirider said. “I think our customer service makes us the best choice for this project as well. We pride ourselves on customer service and making sure we can do everything in our power to get these components delivered to the site safely and on time.

And that’s exactly why the Magenta Wind Farm is in very, very good hands.

GSS Consulting Division


Global Specialized Services offers a wealth of services to customers in the Northwest and Midwest areas of the country, including trucking, heavy-haul, and crane services. GSS also offers Rail Logistics and can assist with everything from unloading at the dock, loading to rail, movement to truck, unloading products, and more.

Recently, GSS has added a Consulting Division to its repertoire, to assist customers in various types of scenarios when it comes to heavy-haul wind components.

“Service-wise, what we can provide is pre-construction consulting to help mitigate any potential issues that are going to come up on that project site in the future,” said Dylan Wisroth, the Senior Operations Manager with GSS.

Wisroth said that the consulting services GSS offers are vast and varied. They include in-person consulting, where consultants will meet with the customer and their team to go over whatever situation they may be facing. They will help them to decide that best haul routes, as well as how to build their string roads, how to build their radius’, how to go about getting permits, and more. In many cases, consultants will actually do the pre-project permitting themselves for the site, acquiring the permits and putting them in order for the customer.

Route planning is an especially large part of GSS’ Consulting Division, as that’s one of the most important parts of any project.

“Site surveys and route surveys are a big part of this service,” said Michael Pantuso, the Operations Field Manager with GSS. “Site surveys are huge. Route surveys are massive too, because these components keep getting larger and larger and the infrastructure in the United States is not set up for that. So having to find the right routes to get some of this equipment to sites, especially where they build the wind farms – those are crucial.”

Additionally, consultants can perform ‘load-outs,’ advising customers on the types of equipment and components to use for each project, as well as traffic control plans.

GSS can also provide customers with drone footage of potential land where projects may take place.

“If they just want a flyover to get the lay of the land so that they can supply that to their team, we can do that,” Wisroth stated. “We’ll just do an auto-turn based on a drone footage snapshot, because Google images are not as accurate. So, the best way to do it is with a drone. We’ll also do dry runs. So, if our customers get to a portion of the project and they believe that the roads are built to where they can get components in there and they want to do a dry run, we’ll actually have one of our trucks and blade trailers go out to the site and actually drive all the site roads to make sure that those clearances are good and that there are no issues. Those are all part of the consulting service.”

The Consulting Division of GSS is a labor of love for Pantuso, who has worked in the heavy-haul industry for almost three decades.

“Ever since I took this position, [consulting] was one of the things that I honed in on and focused on because there were so many areas that this could benefit the company in, and it could broaden our customer base,” Pantuso said. “My 5-year-plan is to have a very large division that employs quite a bit of people. I’d like to have 10 permanent people, just like myself, doing this all over North America and possibly going global with it. We can do this. This is something that’s really, really exciting. And it’s a great opportunity.”

Pantuso said his number one goal is to build the division, and his number two goal is for it to actually finance itself.

Both are goals that could very easily be attained.

Right now, Wisroth said there are only about three people heading up the division at the moment, but the more that word gets out that this is a service GSS offers, the more customers will want to utilize it, resulting in more people being hired to perform the consulting.

This is just one of the services that separate GSS from its competitors, but it’s a stark reminder that GSS is committed to providing beginning-to-end services, allowing customers to rest easy knowing that every step of the haul is being handled by true experts in the field.

And make no mistake about it, Pantuso is very much an expert in this field. He has the experience and, maybe even more importantly, he has the passion to see this division flourish.

“Every person that’s a part of this division are all former heavy haul truck drivers that are trained on all forms of equipment,” he stated. “Consistency is key. So, everybody that comes aboard is going to be trained exactly the same way, to do it exactly the same way, to assess the situation exactly the same way. And they’re all going to have real-world experience.”

Wisroth agreed.

“What separates us from our competitors is just the background of each of our guys on-site,” he stated. “Each one of them come with 25-plus years of heavy haul experience. And, for the most part, I think that we work in every area. We’ve done a lot of work in power plants, mining, wind, oil and gas, and more. And, really, the whole purpose of this division is to save these companies money. We can save companies millions of dollars.”

That is the biggest goal off the Consulting Division of GSS and it’s Pantuso’s goal as well – a goal that he believes his team is more than capable of reaching.

“If you take all the people that could make the decisions to run something here, we have well over 200 years of experience, collectively,” he said. “We have that mix between the younger generation in our office that are brilliant, and then we have my generation that are older and have done all of this stuff before. So, it’s a great mix that we put together, and I think we’re unstoppable.”

New Crane at GSS


Global Specialized Services is proud to announce its acquisition of a new, 120-ton crane to be used in the field in a variety of ways. 

This new crane, serving the Rocky Mountain region, will be based out of Wyoming and used primarily in the oil field and in the erection of cell phone towers, setting up air conditioners on buildings, and more! 

As one of our smaller cranes, this crane has a jib with a reach of 275 feet. This gives it the ability to maneuver in and out of smaller areas with relative ease. It has a compact size for the tonnage, which means it can be utilized in smaller job sites. Because of its longer reach, this crane can get closer to buildings, resulting in more capacity at the same rate.

It is an all-terrain, instead of a truck crane, which makes it a lot more versatile with offroad job sites, as well. 

This crane is designed to be on dirt roads, meaning it can withstand even the toughest road conditions. It has a higher lifting capacity with the same amount of counterweight, meaning teams will not need additional counterweight trucks to balance the capacity. Additionally, it negates the need of a boom dolly, meaning fewer machines taking up space on the job site, and fewer technicians to operate it. 

This crane will be replacing an older model, and it is just the latest example of GSS continuing to innovate, as we offer our customers the best service for all of their construction needs.

A Family Business: Matt Orr Celebrates 10 Years at GSS


There’s something to be said about starting a business from the ground up. There’s even more to be said about starting that business with your family.

That’s exactly what Matt Orr did. Matt, along with his brother Justin, began working for Transportation Partners and Logistics in May of 2011. TP&L was the brainchild of his father, Jim Orr, and when Matt came aboard, he did so with the knowledge, skills, and experience that could have only come from already having spent years in the transportation business.

“My dad has been in the transportation business as long as I can remember,” Matt said. “He worked for a previous heavy haul transportation company for 23 years as the Operations Manager. So, I worked there and my brother worked there ever since they would let us. I started out as a mechanic in the shop, moved out to a pilot car driver, got my CDL and did some truck driving, and then I did a lot of project management work myself. We shipped out a lot of drag lines and that sort of thing, and that was how I got my background in the transportation industry.”

That background would serve him well, because a year after TP&L started, Jim brought his boys on board. This wasn’t a case of nepotism, however. Both Orr brothers knew the job backwards and forwards, and both were eager to bring it to the next level.

Jim Orr started TP&L because he saw the need for a laydown facility with rail access that was centrally located in the United States. So, they chose Garden City, Kansas as their location and started a company that included distribution services, transportation management, and product maintenance for port, rail, truck, and distribution centers.

Following the creation of TP&L, Global Specialized Services was added to provide wind energy transportation across the country. GSS specializes in heavy haul transportation for energy sectors, including wind, oil and gas, coal, natural gas, power plants, and more. They offer a taxi crane service, as well as project management.

Matt said that it just made sense to create a laydown facility with cranes. They already had the contracts. They already knew where loads were going and when they were going. So they might as well be the ones to deliver them.

“We had that background that most over transportation companies don’t have,” he added.

So once the inception of GSS was determined, it was up to Matt to get to work.

“We started off with one truck,” he said. “I was the driver. We had one trailer. And then we just slowly added equipment and personnel as we grew. At TP&L, I started off as a rigger. I had a lot of background experience in cranes and rigging, so it made sense. Then I got moved up to an offload foreman. Then I got my CCO, so I got a lot of crane experience. And then once we started GSS, I had a driver position, I was a crane operator. Basically, I did anything that was needed because we were limited personnel-wise, and it just made sense. Slowly but surely, we got the right people in and added more equipment, and then I moved in as the office manager as we continued to grow.”

And grow, they did. GSS has been in existence for ten years, and Matt Orr has been there for all of them. From driving the first truck, to where he is now, Orr said that the growth of GSS has been incredible, and it’s due solely to their employees and their customers.

“I think over the first year we got up to four trucks and four drivers,” Matt said. “I moved into the office as soon as we hired the drivers and other personnel. We added two cranes within the first year, and now we have seven cranes total. On the transportation side, we’re doing entire wind farm projects in-house, and it’s just great to see.”

Recently, GSS added a second yard in Enid, Oklahoma. Matt said that, in ten more years, he hopes to have ten more locations. And, he said, the success that both TP&L and GSS have achieved is due to the people who work there – from the drivers, to the crane operators, the project managers, the technicians and more.

“They’re the ones that really make everything successful,” Matt affirmed. “They’re the ones out there doing the jobs. And we hear that from our customers. We hear that our communication is great. Our people working with them are great. Everything we’re doing on the project management side has really grown over the last couple of years, as we’ve gained more projects and learned more lessons. Our people are everything.”
 

And if there’s one lesson that Matt Orr has learned over the last 10 years, it’s this: Your people are what make you successful. Investing in them, teaching them, even learning from them ensures a successful company. Both TP&L and GSS are successful and, according to Matt, it’s solely because of the people who work there.

He should know. He’s been there from the beginning.

TAKKION Acquires Harvest Energy Services


Acquisition Continues the Expansion of TAKKION’s Renewable Energy Operations and Maintenance Services 

DALLAS, Texas, May 3, 2022  — TAKKION TP&L Holdings LLC (“TAKKION” or the “Company”), a portfolio company of funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, Inc. (NYSE: APO) (together with its consolidated subsidiaries, “Apollo”) today announced that it has acquired Broomfield, CO-based Harvest Energy Services, LLC (“Harvest”). Harvest is an independent services provider of operations and maintenance (“O&M”) solutions to the renewable energy industry.

TAKKION is a premier independent services provider supporting the energy transition. The acquisition of Harvest demonstrates the continued expansion of TAKKION’s capabilities in long-term O&M solutions for renewable energy markets. Harvest is TAKKION’s third significant acquisition in less than 18 months and expands TAKKION’s scale and capabilities in the wind services market.

Harvest acquisition expands TAKKION’s scale and capabilities in the wind services market

The Harvest team will join TAKKION’s leading logistics and O&M services companies: Transportation Partners and Logistics (“TP&L”), Global Specialized Services (“GSS”), RENEW, and AIRWAY SERVICES. The addition of Harvest will grow TAKKION’s wind O&M presence in North America, meaningfully enhancing TAKKION’s ability to provide comprehensive solutions for the evolving needs of the renewable energy supply chain. In particular, the Harvest acquisition expands TAKKION’s technical capabilities in blade repair, and adds a high throughput, state of the art training center in Broomfield, Colorado that will support continued hiring and job creation for the renewable energy industry.

“We are ecstatic to welcome Harvest to TAKKION. Harvest has a long history of performance and we are fortunate to incorporate the expertise of its employees into our businesses. We see compelling opportunities to expand the already market-leading scope of TAKKION’s services, leveraging Harvest’s skills and equipment. The acquisition of Harvest furthers our goal to be the strongest partner to companies across the renewable energy industry.” said Jim Orr, CEO of TAKKION.

Vinson & Elkins LLP acted as legal counsel to TAKKION in this transaction. Kirkland & Ellis LLP acted as legal counsel to Harvest.

ABOUT TAKKION

TAKKION is a premier independent service provider of logistics, O&M, and technical repair and remanufacturing services to the renewable energy industry. With the industry’s largest network of people and assets across North America, TAKKION is uniquely positioned to support and optimize the growth and lifecycle of renewable energy. Our brands TP&L, GSS, RENEW, and AIRWAY SERVICES work together seamlessly to deliver quality, performance, and efficiency for our customers. We live by our core values of safety, integrity, transparency, and putting our people & customers first. To learn more about how TAKKION is Moving Energy Forward, visit www.TAKKION.com/

ABOUT APOLLO

Apollo is a global, high-growth alternative asset manager. In our asset management business, we seek to provide our clients excess return at every point along the risk-reward spectrum from investment grade to private equity with a focus on three business strategies: yield, hybrid, and equity. For more than three decades, our investing expertise across our fully integrated platform has served the financial return needs of our clients and provided businesses with innovative capital solutions for growth. Through Athene, our retirement services business, we specialize in helping clients achieve financial security by providing a suite of retirement savings products and acting as a solutions provider to institutions. Our patient, creative, and knowledgeable approach to investing aligns our clients, businesses we invest in, our employees, and the communities we impact, to expand opportunity and achieve positive outcomes. As of December 31, 2021, Apollo had approximately $498 billion of assets under management. To learn more, please visit www.apollo.com.

Juan Hernandez Named Operations Manager of GSS Oklahoma Site


When working at TAKKION and any of its sister companies, it’s not just a job; it’s a career. It’s a chance to develop skills and climb the ladder of success until you reach the heights that you’ve always wanted to reach. It’s an opportunity to learn, to grow, and to better yourself, personally and professionally.

That’s exactly what Juan Hernandez has done, and it’s why he was recently named the Operations Manager of a GSS location in Oklahoma.

Juan has been working with GSS’ sister company, Transportation Partners & Logistics, for more than 6 years.

And in those 6 years, he has built a reputation as a reliable, innovative, motivated, hard-working natural born leader.

Before starting with TP&L, Juan worked in the oil field industry, working on various pipelines and compressor stations.

“After that last boom, I just decided I wasn’t going back to the oilfield,” Juan stated. “I was looking for a different path, a different career. And that’s how I started with TP&L. It’s been a long ride, but a really nice and comfortable ride.”

That ride began more than 6 years ago. Juan originally heard about TP&L through a temp employee agency who told him a company needed some general labor workers. He traveled to Garden City, Kansas where he was trained on offloading machine heads and hub trains, tower trains, and blades trains. He started working as a rigger, but then was asked to operate a forklift for a wind project. That was something he proved to excel at.

“I came back to Enid and stayed on the forklift,” Juan stated. “And from there, I went to a lead position; I was leading a crew on offloading trains and components off the trains, loading trucks, and running a crew.”

Following that, he began working as a foreman, helping to “run the yard.” He would be given directions from his superior and would direct his crew to make sure the trucks and trains were loading and offloading on schedule.

Following that, he worked as a foreman and then a site manager, traveling to various sites to ensure the quality of work met the standards of excellence that TP&L is known for.

“I’ve been on the road a lot and I started talking to our regional managers, Ryan and Paul,” Juan said. “I told them I was trying to be home a little more often, so they offered me this position and that’s how I got to where I am today.”

Today, Juan is the Operations Manager for the Enid, Oklahoma GSS site.

“What’s really exciting is that it’s a different work environment,” Juan said. “We’re trying to grow this company down here and, for me, the excitement is getting out there and being the face of the brand, of GSS and building customer relationships. And we’re starting with a small group of employees, but I’m setting a goal for myself that we’re going to expand this site to have 30 employees out here. So it’s exciting for me to challenge myself. I wake up and I say, ‘Okay, today we want to accomplish this.’”

Juan said that he believes the reason he was chosen for this position was because of his drive to succeed.

“One of the things I know about myself is that I’m self-motivated,” he revealed. “To be out there and go from place to place, you’ve gotta be motivated. If you don’t have that drive, you’re not gonna make it.”

But Juan has made it. And he’s excited to help others make it as well. That’s part of being a good boss; investing in your employees and helping them achieve greater things than even you, yourself, have accomplished.

That’s exactly what Juan’s bosses have done for him, and it’s what he does for his employees.

“It’s been a good experience,” he stated. “It’s made me grow a lot. I started as a temp, and to get to where I’m at and look back at what I’ve accomplished with the help of everybody in the company, and all of the trust and support that the company’s given me, it’s a big deal. I know Paul is really proud of me. Paul was the one that brought me up. He saw something in me and he’s the one that pushed me a lot. Even today, I had a conversation with him and he said ‘Keep pushing; give it all you’ve got. And one day, you’re gonna end up being higher than what you ever thought you could be.’”

Juan has climbed the ladder of success that was offered to him at TP&L and, now, GSS. And now that he’s on one of the top rungs, he’s reaching down to help pull others up with him.

And that’s exactly what a good boss, what a good manager, should be doing.

Juan is a good manager. But even more than that, he’s a good man.

Retirement of Floyd Crisp


Global Specialized Services is saddened, but so proud, to announce the retirement of one of our truck drivers, Floyd Crisp. Floyd has been one of Jim Orr’s (President of GSS) right-hand-men since before GSS even existed, and he has been a staple of the trucking industry for decades.

“I started working with Jim Orr in 1999,” Floyd stated. “I worked with Jim at other companies and then when he started GSS, I came along with him.”

Floyd said that he’s been a truck driver for the last twenty years. He began his career working for Casper Concrete and fell in love with the job. He said he enjoyed the simplicity of it.

“They give us a truck, we pick up a load somewhere and drop it off somewhere else,” he laughed. “The most important thing is to take care of the equipment. Make sure the equipment is in good shape at all times.”

And that’s something that Floyd always did. He took his job seriously and he made sure that no matter what load he was carrying, it was always taken care of.

Customers and other employees always enjoyed seeing Floyd pull into their projects. Floyd’s great attitude and work ethic will be missed, but we want to wish him a long and happy retirement.

“As Floyd stated, I have had the pleasure to work with Floyd for over 20 years. In those 20+ years, Floyd has driven over 2 million miles without a major incident. It has been a great honor to work with a man that has the work ethics that Floyd has. To my knowledge, Floyd was never late for a pickup or delivery and wore the GSS brand with pride. Thank you for all that you have done for the GSS family and enjoy your retirement. You will be greatly missed!”

– Jim Orr