Ask Rick Leaming what continues to motivate him to come to work every day after 45 years in business, and he’s quick with his answer: “I love to build. I always have. It’s been a real enjoyment.”

That drive and joy have been with Rick since he joined his uncle’s business full time in 1980 and eventually took it over, renaming it Rick Leaming Construction & Manufacturing LLC. Rick’s wife, Debbie, is the Oklahoma-based company’s office manager, and their sons, Tyler and Andrew, work as a crew leader and a facility supervisor respectively.

While there have been some changes during the past four decades, such as moving operations to a single location on the edge of Newkirk, the Leamings’ focus has squarely remained on providing erection and fabrication services that help customers increase their grain storage capacity. Projects generally fall into two categories: completely new steel or concrete bins, or expansion of existing structures. Rick Leaming Construction provides a full range of services from design to completion on all projects.

“The industry changed during the ‘80s, with small feed mills shutting down in favor of larger, more efficient ones that could store more and do it long term,” Rick recalled. “We started out just taking down old products such as tanks, legs, piping, and then put in new. As time went on, we got into remodeling feed mills with brand-new, up-to-date equipment. Now, we’re doing large add-ons to make mills bigger and putting in new grain receiving systems for elevators.”

Tyler and Andrew credit Rick’s ambition and vision for the company’s success.

“He’s a really hard worker,” stated Tyler. “He’s instilled that in us, and we’re carrying it on. He’s always said that animals need to eat, so there is always going to be a need for grain, and therefore the services we offer. It’s a good business to be in, and I think it will last a very long time.”

“He goes above and beyond his word,” Andrew added. “He leaves a good impression, and we are following that model. We’re trying to provide a service and quality of product that will be used for years and years, and that you can trust.”

Repairs to new construction

Rick Leaming Construction’s services range from repair work to complete new construction projects. According to Tyler, repair work is mostly done in the summer when feed mills and grain elevators are running constantly during wheat harvest, while the winter typically has more scheduled or bid jobs and new construction.

“We typically have anywhere from three to four jobs going on weekly depending on how fast things are going and how busy we are,” noted Tyler.

On new construction jobs, Rick Leaming Construction ensures all work is done in a timely manner. It handles earthwork, concrete for tank bases and steel erection, as well as the installation of grain legs and other components that are manufactured in its fabrication shop, including round tanks, elevator legs, distributors, bins and carriers. With a shear-brake-roll machine and a burn table on-site, manufacturing personnel can build practically any idea or design a customer has.

“If someone wants something unique, we tell them what we can do and will provide our expertise,” said Andrew. “Basically, any structure out of metal that you can dream up, we can build it. I think one of the reasons people continue to turn to us is our commitment to quality work. We won’t half do a job, and we will over-engineer. For instance, our legs are thicker and stronger than others to better withstand weather.”

Growing with Grove cranes

To ensure Rick Leaming Construction could complete larger jobs, Rick invested in truck-mounted cranes, starting with a used Grove 70-ton model in 2006. The Leamings like truck-mounted cranes because they can be driven from site to site and set up quickly, allowing for use on multiple projects in a day. In addition to its work on grain storage projects, the company rents out its cranes with an operator for projects such as setting air conditioning units for HVAC companies.

“We did a lot of research comparing Grove and another brand, and Grove stood out with a better lift radius and a longer boom,” Rick recalled. “When we bought the original crane, I said we would run it for three years, and if we like it, we’ll buy a new one. It did well, so I got in touch with Kirby-Smith, told them what I was looking for, and they assisted with the purchase of a TMS9000. Around that time, the grain industry went on a boom, and everything started getting bigger and taller, so the TMS9000 fit our needs.”

Kirby-Smith Machinery Inc. (KSM) and Crane Division Account Manager Josh Layman helped Rick Leaming Construction upgrade to a Grove TMS9000-2 truck-mounted crane with a 115-ton capacity and a reach of up to 169 feet in 2022.

“What we really like is that the newer crane has an extra section of main boom, so we don’t have to swing the jib as often or add the insert on some of the taller picks,” explained Rick. “That moves things along faster, and we can pick up more weight at the height we need. It also cuts down on wind drag.”

Rick Leaming Construction uses a Grove TMS760 truck-mounted crane with a 60-ton capacity for smaller work such as pipe patching, setting air conditioning units and lifting materials to installers. The TMS760 and TMS9000-2 are part of a fleet of machines that includes a Komatsu PC210LC-10 excavator, Manitou telehandlers, JLG telescoping boom lifts and a Sullair generator purchased from KSM.

“I can call Josh and the service and parts people at Kirby-Smith, and they get me what I need quickly,” commented Andrew. “They are very knowledgeable. When we were looking at the TMS9000-2, Josh brought it out, showed us how to run it and maintain it, and made sure the operator was comfortable with it. Additionally, we do a lot of specialty work, and Kirby-Smith has been great about matching machines to our applications. We recommend Kirby-Smith to other contractors.”

Succession could mean additional expansion

Rick is transitioning toward retirement, and Tyler and Andrew will eventually succeed him at the helm of Rick Leaming Construction. Both see the potential for future expansion.

“I see us getting bigger, both on the project side and the manufacturing,” stated Tyler. “The places we work for, they want to get bigger, so we will need to grow in order to keep up.”

Andrew added, “I’d love to see it grow. I like the direction we’re headed, and I want to keep that going. I can see us potentially spreading out farther and getting into more work to the east of Oklahoma.”