BY: Bob Glenn, Editor and Publisher

As a certified crane operator with more than ten years of experience in the construction and lifting industries, Colton Roy launched his own business – Royal Rigging – in 2023. Operating from a shop located in Langley Township, British Columbia, roughly 60 kilometers (37 miles) southeast of Vancouver, Royal provides a variety of lifting, rigging and load securement products, including custom made wire rope slings and assemblies – and operates a test bed onsite to support inspection and repair services.

We reached out to Colton to learn more about the business – what prompted him to start the operation and what he’s seeking to accomplish – and here’s what he shared with us.

Bob Glenn / Wire Rope Exchange (WRE): Let’s start with right now. Tell us about the current status of your business, your inventory, your shop and equipment. If we were to walk into your shop, what would we see?

Colton Roy / Royal Rigging (RR): We just moved into our new shop in Aldergrove in May, it was a big move but I finally feel settled with the entire operation and the new place. We are fully stocked with rigging, shackles, and all kinds of towing and lifting equipment. The test bed is running non-stop bringing in tons of work and ensuring safe equipment for all my clients! Since moving shops, we have an office, an equipment room, and the full bay for all the testing and repairs.

WRE: You mentioned your test bed – that’s a pretty sizeable investment. How do you see that paying off for your business?

RR: As I started expanding in the business last summer, I recognized there was a substantial need for another test bed in the Lower Mainland. Companies were having to wait up to four or even six weeks to receive their rigging back which is completely unrealistic for small businesses. They cannot afford to have two of three full sets of rigging and when they don’t have their equipment, their trucks don’t go out on the job.

Since bringing in the test bed, I have been able to meet a substantial number of companies and small business owners needs by providing them incredibly quick turnaround times on their rigging. The test bed is crucial to the safety of job sites and the humans that are operating and building the industry. Because the industry here has historically had long turnaround and wait times, much of the rigging is coming in outdated, past due on inspection, or broken.

Rigging will always leave my shop in great working condition, pull tested, repaired, and tagged for safe operations. Because rigging needs to be inspected yearly, the test bed will be on a continuous flow testing and repairing rigging making it a replenishing investment.

WRE: How large is your facility? Do you have any employees, either full or part time, at this point?

RR: My shop is 2,500 square feet. I am currently in that spot where I’m working more than full-time, and not quite at the place to hire someone full-time to help. I have started to bring guys in to help me in a part-time position when I am unavailable and starting to get them familiar with the operations. Having someone who can operate the forklift on a weekend to bring in an order if I am away, do a delivery, help with the test bed on weekends. My wife has now started to help me on the back end of things. She does all my marketing, social media, and innovation. We just started a “merch” line, so keep an eye out for hoodies, shirts, and hats!

WRE: Tell us about where you’re located. How remote is it? How close to your customers are you? How did you pick the location?

RR: I am in Aldergrove, which is pretty central to the Lower Mainland. I have customers spanning from Vancouver Island to Kamloops and more. The large portion of my clients though are within a one hour drive or less drive, give or take with Vancouver traffic! This isn’t my first pick for location although with the industry in this area, you don’t always have a choice.

WRE: Tell us about the customers you are serving?  What kinds of applications or industries are they working in or supporting?  Are they typically smaller operations, larger ones, or a range of many sizes?

RR: Most companies are large scale civil construction and rental companies. I also serve a lot of small crane and tower crane companies, and independent owner operators. My clients are working on major projects like expanding Highway 1 to Metro Vancouver, major sewer and water upgrades, tower cranes building infrastructure and high rises, new pipelines, and offshore projects.

WRE: Looking back, what prompted you to start Royal Rigging?  It seems like you were working somewhat independently immediately beforehand, so did it kind of evolve or was there something of a big leap at some point?

RR: I have always been an entrepreneur at heart. Back in 2021 I was in a position to take over the crane company I was working in, then managing, and it just wasn’t the right fit for me. I knew that I was capable, and I wanted more, but the dynamics of that role didn’t work out. When my wife and I moved to British Columbia from Alberta in 2022, I was starting from scratch in another crane company. At this point I had 10 years of operating all types of cranes from the oil field to construction to agriculture to coastal industries. I started to see the gaps in crane education and training, rigging safety, and how the industries worked together.

Because of the connections I had in Alberta, I got in contact with some rigging mentors and quickly after that I made my first purchase to start selling on my own. I figured, what do I have to lose, and let’s make a go out of this! I started out with a few tubs full of rigging in the back of my truck, then I filled our storage unit with more equipment, and soon enough I found myself needing more space. I got to the point where I was working full time as a crane operator, and close to full time in Royal Rigging. That’s when I knew I had to take the leap to quit my operating job, and go all in.

WRE: Once you got started, walk us through the main things you had to do to get from there to today?

RR: There were so many steps and unexpected turns that I had to take to get where I am today. I didn’t realize there would be so steep of a learning curve, which has only made me more excited and innovative with how I run Royal and what matters most to me in this business. I had to learn all the types of rigging, the test bed, wire rope, equipment, sourcing, and the norms of the industry. I challenged myself both personally and professionally on this journey, navigating changing relationships and an entirely new industry that I was very familiar with but still fresh in.

My wife and I had to make incredible financial sacrifices to support the growing of Royal, and we really had to lean into one another to figure out how to grow the business at the rate of demand we were experiencing. Royal would not be here today without the incredible support from my mentors, and my clients. Social media has been an incredibly huge part of my growth, connecting me to many of my clients but also people from all over the world.

WRE: Several folks have told us that this industry is about two things, people and trust, and if so it seems clear that relationships are very important. Your website talks quite a bit about relationships – how is that helping you build your business?

RR: I have always put relationships at the core of my business because I have seen the importance of trust and integrity but also vulnerability. The blue-collar world can sometimes be perceived as having aggression or hostility, I never believed in that. Community, coming together, and building trustworthy relationships begin with a foundation of respect and kindness. Because of this, people feel really connected to me personally, and Royal Rigging as a business. I see diversity, innovation, communication, and relationship as huge strengths. And I want everyone to feel respected and safe as clients, or as community.

WRE: Are there some key people or key experiences – jobs, skills – that have really been especially important for your development through the course of your career?

RR: As I have experienced the crane industry in British Columbia, I am extremely grateful for my education and experience as a crane operator in Alberta. The training and ticketing for crane operators is very different between the provinces and experience in the oilfield industry has proven to be extremely valuable to my knowledge.

Working in a small business in Alberta allowed me to fulfill so many roles as operator, mentor, manager, and dispatcher. My time at Central Crane in Alberta with owner Brian Durstling significantly impacted my overall development as a crane operator. I was given so much opportunity to really learn about who I was, what I wanted in my life, and given lots of trust to develop into the operator and the man that I am today.

And Royal Rigging wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for my mentor Gregg Hampton at Canyon Rigging. He has been incredibly supportive, answers all my questions, takes all my calls, pumps my tires at every win I have, and has taught me invaluable business lessons in this industry. Having him as a mentor and business partner has been critical to the success I am having today.

WRE: Tell us about growing up on a farm in a rural area. What did you learn?

RR: Growing up on a farm taught me so many invaluable lessons. I mean it’s woven into who I am today and how I view business and so much of my life. I was taught hard work, dedication, and community from a young age. On the farm, you don’t always get a choice as to how things go, there are so many things you must accept – variable conditions, unknowns, hardly anything is certain. You must really sink into what you can control, and what your mindset is.

And my mindset always reverted to “if I don’t know how to do this, I will figure it out.” I was never the type of kid that let others do things for me, never took the shortcuts or easy way out, and was always the most reliable and hardest worker. I still carry that into my life now. Granted, I have had to build in understanding and boundaries with myself, but I will always carry that foundation and value system.

WRE: What’s next for Royal Rigging?

RR: There are a lot of exciting things happening for Royal Rigging in the future. We are excited to get our “merch” line going as social media has been demanding we sell swag with our sick logo!

WRE: Heh! Let us know when that kicks off and we’ll share it on our social media accounts as well.

RR: My goal is always to serve my current customers; I always want them to feel valued and important to Royal. Building on that, I will continue to be expanding and reaching new customers as we grow and develop in the industry. We are going to be expanding with employees in the next few months, and we are so excited to announce we are bringing in a wire rope press! There is a significant wire rope demand and the waits in the Lower Mainland are up to 3-4 weeks, so I am very excited to be offering another solution to a backed-up industry.

WRE: What else should our readers know that we didn’t ask?

RR: I take so much pride in the modernization and innovation that Royal Rigging is providing to the industry. I’m not here to do things the same way, I am here to change the industry and create ease to rigging and safety. Royal Rigging provides prompt delivery and pick up service, after hours and weekend availability, and building relationships rather than just service. I know I am young; I know I have a lot to learn, but my age is also a significant advantage. Diversity, inclusion, and innovation will always be a driving factor of Royal Rigging and we can’t wait to see what is in our future. Follow us on social media and join our community!

We extend our thanks to Colton for taking time to engage with us for this interview. Learn more about Royal Rigging by visiting www.royalrigging.ca.