Executive Interview
By Mike Larson Kate Lampson
Continuing the Tradition
Kate Lampson has inherited her family’ s passion for helping serve customers and the industry
Kate Lampson is the third generation of her family to work in Lampson International, the eminent crane service provider that has grown from a small crane and drayage company founded in 1946 by her grandfather and grandmother, Neil and Billie Jane Lampson.
Now led by Kate’ s father, CEO Bill Lampson, Lampson International is still headquartered in Kennewick, Washington, with a major branch offices in Australia and Canada, and employees who work around the globe.
Currently, Kate is Lampson’ s director of business development and marketing, while her brother, Peter, works in sales and operations.
Though Kate has officially worked at Lampson for a total of 22 years now, she has really been involved with the family business and the crane industry for almost all of her life.
Recently, she shared insights about her career, the company and the industry.
Q: What are your main responsibilities?
I oversee all of the company’ s business development and marketing, including market research, trade shows, conferences and client relations, as well as its website, social media and advertising.
Q: What is your education and training?
After earning a degree in communications from the University of Colorado at Boulder, I immediately went to work for the family business.
Most of my training has come on the job, but also through some professional courses.
Q: How did you become interested in the business?
I knew that I wanted to work in the
Kate Lampson
family business since I was five years old.
Whether I was riding through the yard with my dad on weekends to check the inventory, or listening to my grandparents discuss business at the dinner table or serving dinner to visiting customers, I’ ve always had a passion for the family business.
My love for that business and the construction industry, as well as the many great friendships and business relationships that our company and family have cultivated over almost 80 years, keeps me passionately involved today.
Q: Can you give us a brief rundown of your career?
Fresh out of college, I spent six months working in many departments at our headquarters in Kennewick to learn about the overall business.
Within a year, I moved to Australia to work in our home office in that country.
During two years Down Under, I added experience both in the office and on jobsites all around that continent.
After that, I decided to challenge myself and broaden my experience by working for someone other than the family business.
I did that for four years before returning to Lampson, where I have worked for the past 19 years.
Lampson’ s Millennium 4100 combines the strong structure of a Manitowoc 4100W crane with a more comfortable cab, electronic controls, an updated engine and hydraulic drive for operating functions.
Q: What excites you most about the industry and your work?
The people. The whole industry has such a close-knit group of extremely good people working together, people I consider friends
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June 2025 • www. cranehotline. com