In 1954, from his home in a south suburb of Chicago, John Lanigan envisioned a better way. Over time Mi-Jack became a multinational corporation providing machinery and solutions for the transportation and material handling industries worldwide.

Early on, Mi-Jack® distributed self-propelled rubber tired gantry cranes (RTG), and focused on the railroads and ports of the United States. As Mi-Jack® pioneered new methods and technologies in intermodal transportation, other industries soon found the RTG crane equally effective in increasing productivity.

In the early 1980’s, Mi-Jack® purchased the manufacturing rights to the cranes it had been selling which helped open up new national and international markets.

Today Mi-Jack® is recognized worldwide as an industry leader and innovator. Corporate headquarters remain in Hazel Crest, Illinois. In addition, the company maintains four regional operations headquarters, five sales offices, and over 60 intermodal terminals. What was started on the kitchen table now comprises sixteen divisions and companies.

Mi-Jack’s Hazel Crest headquarters is an ISO 9001:2017 certified facility and produces Translift and Travelift RTG’s now in use on six continents. Travelift® cranes have capacities ranging from 15 to 325 tons, with dimensions customized to customer applications.

As Mi-Jack® and the Lanco Group of Companies continue to grow, their goal will not be forgotten, says Lanigan. “Our business philosophy is simple. We strive to be the leader in any market we service and we do that by providing superior products and superior service.” Nor will its roots be lost, he adds. “We treat our old customers like new ones and if you always give the customer a little more than what they had when they came, they tend to come back.”