Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Flaherty.
Mike got involved with heavy equipment while working for JF White during the Big Dig. For the next several years he specialized in crane assembly and repair. In the late 90’s, he was JF White’s Equipment Manager for the Northeast Corridor Project in Connecticut. Upon his return, he continued to work in the crane industry, but didn’t like the confines of working for someone else. He purchased a service truck and in August of 2003 began as a mobile mechanic. He would travel to job sites or customer’s yards to perform repairs and maintenance on their cranes. As the father of 4 sons, he had plenty of “help” in the field. In 2010, he rented a garage with yard space in Billerica, MA. At this time one of his sons joined him full time as a mechanic. He has been called in to assist at crane accidents and also to investigate accidents. He regularly works throughout the New England states.
He has assisted customers buying and selling their used cranes. In 2014, he became the New England area dealer for Elliott Boom Trucks. At this time, he also began importing cranes from Ireland for customers. With the current favorable exchange rate, this has allowed several of his customers to purchase all-terrain cranes not readily available in the US. His most recent import was for a customer in Utah who had previously purchased a used crane from him. Currently, he has a second son working for him. He was recently named a Tadano Dealer for All Terrain and Rough Terrain Cranes.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has not always been smooth only in the sense that it took a lot of work to provide for the family. I wanted my wife to stay at home with our four sons and I put them all through Catholic school. I had to work a lot to make this happen. I was lucky to always have more work than there was time for. Saturdays, I would try to take one of the kids to work with me. Doing this allowed them to experience my world.
My diverse customer base has kept me busy when the economy has slowed. It was often a challenge to find time to do paperwork so the billing could be done. I was fortunate to work for good people and very rarely did someone not pay a bill.
Flaherty Equipment – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We are a family business based on service. Our customers know that they can call us 24/7 and we will answer. In the crane industry, down time is expensive. With a fleet of service trucks and our central location to major highways, we can reach our customers within a short time of a call out. I am most of proud of how all of my family has worked to make this a reality. All of our sons and my wife of 31 years have been involved in the business.
Through my years in the crane industry, I have met people around the globe who I can reach out to when a problem arises. Not only my knowledge, but my ability to get answers sets me apart from others. I am fortunate to have this vast array of contacts.
Word of mouth has allowed our business to grow that we now have 4 full time mechanics. Our customers are truly our best advertisers.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
My father was an immigrant from Ireland. He taught me that one must work hard to be successful. I have tried to pass that along to my sons. Success to me is knowing that I have provided for my family and that I have given them the tools they need to continue and become even more successful. Having enough money to take care of my family has always been most important. I don’t need to have the most money or the biggest house, I just want to take care of my family.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.flahertyequipment.com
- Phone: 781-736-9009
- Email: mike@flahertyequipment.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=214375718585174&ref=br_rs
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