Not every great American business story starts in a Silicon Valley office or a Wall Street boardroom. Some start with a single truck, a big dream, and one woman who refused to let the construction industry tell her no. That is exactly how Stevenson Crane Service, Inc. was born — and more than 35 years later, it stands as the largest locally owned crane rental company in the Midwest, with a fleet that can lift everything from a rooftop air conditioning unit to a 600-ton industrial structure.
But who actually owns Stevenson Crane? The answer is refreshingly straightforward — and genuinely inspiring.
What Is Stevenson Crane?
Stevenson Crane Service, Inc. is a leading provider of crane and aerial lift rentals, sales, and services, operating nationwide with a strong presence in Chicago and the surrounding areas. The company specializes in rigging, heavy haul transport, and machinery moving, catering to the construction, industrial, mechanical, and manufacturing sectors.
The company is headquartered at 410 Stevenson Drive, Bolingbrook, Illinois 60440, and operates locations in Bolingbrook, IL, South Holland, IL, and Gary, IN — each with state-of-the-art maintenance and repair facilities, along with a fleet of fully equipped service trucks.
The equipment fleet at Stevenson Crane is one of the most comprehensive in the Midwest. Their fleet consists of carrydecks from 8 to 25 tons, rough terrain cranes from 30 to 160 tons, all-terrain cranes from 60 to 600 tons, truck cranes from 30 to 120 tons, crawler cranes from 80 to 880 tons, scissor lifts up to 53 feet, articulating or straight booms up to 185 feet, telehandlers up to 77,000 pounds, and modular heavy-haul trailers capable of moving up to 600 tons.
That kind of range — from a small telescoping forklift to a machine that can lift the equivalent of 400 cars — is what separates Stevenson Crane from regional competitors.
Who Owns Stevenson Crane?
The direct answer is clear: Stevenson Crane Service, Inc. is a privately held, family-owned company. It is not publicly traded, not owned by a private equity firm, and not a subsidiary of any larger corporation.
Stevenson Crane Service, based in Bolingbrook, IL, has been family-owned and operated since 1989.
The founder and owner is Donna Stevenson — a businesswoman who built this company from a single small crane into the dominant locally owned lifting company in the Chicago market and beyond.
Donna Stevenson founded Stevenson Crane Service in 1989 with a single small truck crane to service contractors requiring material hoisting in the Chicago area. Capitalizing on the opportunity to reach into adjacent supportive markets, Stevenson Crane, Rigging & Heavy Haul now stands as the largest Midwest market share for a locally owned business in the crane rental space while renting equipment coast-to-coast.
That growth — from one truck to the largest locally owned crane company in the Midwest — is the result of more than three decades of smart decisions, a relentless focus on safety and service, and a willingness to invest in equipment and people when competitors stood still.
Ownership Summary Table
| Party | Role | Ownership Type | Key Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donna Stevenson | Founder and Owner | 100% Private Family Ownership | Founded company in 1989 with a single truck crane in Chicago |
| Stevenson Crane Service, Inc. | Operating Company | Privately Held | Headquartered at 410 Stevenson Drive, Bolingbrook, IL 60440 |
| No Public Shareholders | N/A | Not publicly traded | No stock exchange listing; no outside institutional investors |
| No Private Equity Ownership | N/A | No PE backing | Remains independently and privately family-owned since 1989 |
| SBA PPP Loan — Busey Bank | Lender (not owner) | Debt financing only | Received SBA PPP loan of $2–5 million; lender holds no equity |
| Cranes & Equipment Specialists | Acquired company | N/A | Stevenson Crane acquired this firm to expand its capabilities |
The Founder: Donna Stevenson’s Story
The story of Stevenson Crane is really the story of Donna Stevenson — and it is one worth telling properly.
In 1989, Donna Stevenson launched Stevenson Crane Service with nothing more than one small truck crane and a determination to serve contractors in the Chicago construction market. Starting a crane company from scratch is not easy under any circumstances — the equipment is expensive, the liability is enormous, and the industry is dominated by large, established players. Starting one as a woman-owned business in 1989, when women in heavy construction were even rarer than they are today, made it exponentially harder.
Donna Stevenson has a long history of industry engagement, holding positions on the Board of Directors with the Plainfield Community Bank, Women Construction Owners and Executives, the Chicagoland Construction Safety Council, and the Operating Engineers Certification Program.
Her leadership in these organizations reflects something important about how Stevenson Crane has been run from the beginning — with deep community roots, a genuine commitment to safety standards, and an understanding that a company’s reputation in a relationship-driven industry like crane rental is built over decades, not quarters.
Today, Donna Stevenson remains the controlling owner of the company she built. There is no board of outside investors to answer to, no private equity timeline to manage toward an exit, and no publicly traded shareholders demanding quarterly returns. The company runs exactly the way she built it — focused on the next job, the next client, and the next lift.
From One Truck to 30+ Years of Growth
Stevenson Crane’s growth over 35+ years has been driven by a clear and consistent strategy: invest in better equipment, hire better people, and expand into markets where the company can genuinely add value.
With 30+ years of experience, Stevenson Crane has a vast knowledge of the industry and has developed a diverse portfolio of projects — large and small. From skilled operators to expert project managers, Stevenson’s team is comprised of the industry’s most experienced professionals whose priority is to provide the best service in the industry.
The company has grown from serving just the Chicago area to operating across Illinois, Indiana, and the broader Midwest — with equipment available for rental coast-to-coast. Stevenson Crane Service provides expert crane rental, heavy hauling, and rigging services across Illinois, Indiana, and the Midwest. Their fleet includes all-terrain cranes, rough terrain cranes, forklifts, telehandlers, man lifts, hoists, Goldhofer trailers, cantilever beams, and specialized rigging gear. They offer lift planning, project management, temporary road systems, bridge inspection units, parts and maintenance, and new or used equipment sales.
The acquisition of Cranes & Equipment Specialists further expanded the company’s service capabilities and client base — a strategic move that added depth to an already comprehensive operation.
What Industries Does Stevenson Crane Serve?
Stevenson Crane is not a one-sector company. Its services cut across virtually every corner of the construction and industrial economy.
The primary sectors it serves include construction, industrial manufacturing, mechanical contracting, and infrastructure development. In the Chicago area specifically, the company has worked on some of the city’s most recognizable projects — from high-rise building construction to CTA transit expansion work and complex urban lifts where space and precision are everything.
Stevenson Crane offers lift planning, project management, temporary road systems, bridge inspection units, parts and maintenance, and new or used equipment sales. From standard rentals to complex industrial lifts, they deliver dependable, engineered lifting solutions for every job site.
The company has also positioned itself as a certified distributor for premium international equipment brands. Stevenson Crane, Inc. will increase access to Ruthmann truck-mounted aerial lifts and equipment service for North American fleet customers by adding service locations in the Chicago area. Stevenson Crane, Inc. has been servicing and maintaining premium brands of hydraulic equipment for more than three decades.
Is Stevenson Crane Publicly Traded?
No. Stevenson Crane Service is a private company and therefore does not currently have an official ticker symbol. It has never been listed on any stock exchange and there are no publicly available financial statements or investor filings. The company is entirely private, controlled solely by Donna Stevenson and her family.
This private structure gives Stevenson Crane a significant operational advantage in its market. It can invest in new equipment, take on long-term contracts, and make strategic decisions on its own timeline — without the pressure of quarterly earnings reports, activist investors, or debt-driven private equity timelines pushing for cost-cutting or a rapid exit.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Who owns Stevenson Crane?
Stevenson Crane Service, Inc. is privately owned by its founder Donna Stevenson, who started the company in 1989 in Bolingbrook, Illinois.
Q2. Is Stevenson Crane a publicly traded company?
No. Stevenson Crane is a privately held company with no stock exchange listing and no public shareholders.
Q3. When was Stevenson Crane founded?
Stevenson Crane Service was founded in 1989 by Donna Stevenson with a single small truck crane serving the Chicago construction market.
Q4. Where is Stevenson Crane headquartered?
Stevenson Crane is headquartered at 410 Stevenson Drive, Bolingbrook, Illinois 60440, with additional locations in South Holland, IL and Gary, IN.
Q5. What services does Stevenson Crane offer?
Stevenson Crane offers crane rental, aerial lift rental, heavy haul transport, rigging, lift planning, project management, machinery moving, and equipment sales.
Q6. What is the largest crane Stevenson Crane operates?
Stevenson Crane’s fleet includes crawler cranes up to 880 tons and modular heavy-haul trailers capable of moving loads up to 600 tons.
Q7. Is Stevenson Crane a woman-owned business?
Yes. Stevenson Crane was founded and is owned by Donna Stevenson, making it one of the largest woman-owned crane and rigging companies in the Midwest.
Q8. Has Stevenson Crane made any acquisitions?
Yes. Stevenson Crane acquired Cranes & Equipment Specialists to expand its service capabilities and market reach across the Midwest.
Stevenson Crane Service, Inc. is 100% privately owned by its founder, Donna Stevenson, who started the company in 1989 with a single truck crane in the Chicago area. Over 35 years, she has built it into the largest locally owned crane rental company in the Midwest, operating from three locations — Bolingbrook, IL, South Holland, IL, and Gary, IN — with a fleet capable of lifting up to 880 tons and providing services coast-to-coast.
There are no public shareholders, no private equity owners, and no parent corporation. Stevenson Crane is a genuinely independent, family-owned American business — and in an industry increasingly dominated by large national chains and investment-backed consolidators, that independence is one of its greatest competitive strengths.
