Near the shores of Lake Erie in a city called Lorain, Ohio is a family-owned manufacturing company called Skylift that embodies the pride and spirit of I Make America. The AEM Manufacturing Express pulled in to visit their facility and celebrate the amazing work that this team does every day.
Skylift is in the utility truck industry, manufacturing everything from backyard easement machines, digger derricks, material handlers and bucket trucks. Anything that involves lifting an operator skyward, Skylift makes a truck for that. That makes them a critical part of our utility infrastructure, since linemen across the country rely on these machines to repair power and phone lines.
We were not the only ones who came by to visit. The team was joined by numerous elected leaders today from Lorain who came to pay tribute to this incredible crew, including Congressman Bob Latta, Lorain Mayor Jack Bradley, and Lorain City Council President Joel Arredondo. “It’s the people that make this company work and makes them successful. When you look around Lorain County, we are very fortunate here. We are on the cutting edge here in Ohio,” said Congressman Latta.
The team here is fantastic, and a large part of its success and what brings so many of these lawmakers to Sylift is the company’s owner, Dr. Nicholas Jarmoszuk Sr. Jarmoszuk is a former doctor, who along with a few family members decided to start a derrick manufacturing company back in 2000. Over 25 years later, that operation has grown to a 60,000 square foot operation that sends all sorts of lift machines all over the country.
From the beginning, the Jarmoszuks were committed to buying only American-made components for their equipment. The reason why is deeply personal to Jarmoszuk Sr.
“As a 3-year-old, I came to America through Ellis Island. I came over on the USS General Blackford. When we pulled into New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty was on the left side. Everybody on the boat went to the left side and they prayed, they knelt, and they cried. That’s why I buy American only,” said Jarmoszuk.
This perspective and all of the companies success has made them a source of pride here in Lorain. In fact, many of their machines have decals on them that say “Proudly made in Lorain” next to the state of Ohio and the Skylift name.
Skylift represents the quintessential American manufacturing company the AEM Manufacturing Express is designed to celebrate. What started as a crazy idea discussed around a family dinner table has grown into a real business supporting jobs in their community. These trucks are what keep America moving, providing support to linemen when they need to make critical repairs to our power lines. America would not be what it is today without the people who take risks, try new things, and get their hands dirty. Thankfully, there’s a lot of those people who do just that here in Lorain.
