This past fall, Ben Gunn Sr. and his son Patrick joined our Sims Crane team. Mr. Gunn Sr. began his apprenticeship after working in phosphate following his time in the military in Vietnam in 1969. Ben spent 37 years with Sparks’ Crane Service, operating the company after the passing of founder Jack Sparks. While Ben still enjoys the fun of building large cranes, he says his greatest acheivement has been growing Sparks’ from 12 to 18 cranes in just 2 years while clearing the debt in that same time. In his spare time, he operates a blueberry farm, managed by his wife and youngest daughter, fishing and hunting with his 8 year old grandson.
Ben’s son Patrick spent much of his time around cranes at a young age, often working as a mechanics’ helper until he graduated from Durant in 1997 and went to work full time as a dispatcher at Sparks’ until 2005 when he became General Manager of Ray Anthony International for the Tampa area. Since his recent marriage in February 2010, Patrick says he has been very focused on family, spending time with his three children, and enjoys bowling.
