02.01.2020

Jay Kendall Shiffler 1952-2019

We have received the sad news that US crane industry veteran Jay Shiffler passed away on 26th December, he was 67.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Shiffler served in the US Army, and then took a business degree, before moving to Dallas, Texas in 1979. It was here that he met his future wife D. Ann Slayton and embarked on a 40 year career in the crane industry, starting out as a district manager for Link-Belt Cranes.

In 1987, he moved to Kobelco America as general sales manager and then nine years later joined boom truck manufacturer Manitex as vice president sales, leaving for Manitowoc in 2004 where he was appointed west coast district manager. He only stayed a year before leaving for Texas based crane repair and renovation specialist Wheco where he became vice president of business development/sales.
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Jay Shiffler

In 2013, he was recruited by Tadano America as executive vice president of marketing and remained with the company until retiring in mid-2018. He continued to do some consulting work however, using his long experience in the crane business, but in September he rejoined Wheco as director of business development.

Shiffler loved the crane industry and the people that worked in it, but also enjoyed life, including his family, his neighbourhood, travel, meeting new people and trying different cuisines. He is survived by wife, Ann, and his daughters Kendall and Bailey and two grandchildren.

A service was held for him on December 29th.