15.12.2017

Kristopher "Kyle" Lewis 1960-2017

We have finally managed to confirm the sad news that tower crane entrepreneur Kyle Lewis, 57, of Lewis Equipment and Sun Crane has died.

He passed away last Friday, December 8th, following recent orthopaedic surgery. A memorial service was held yesterday in Arlington, Texas.

Lewis was born in Minnesota and moved to Texas to follow a career in lifting, specialising in tower crane and hoist sales, rentals, erections and dismantles. Through hard work and a quick brain, he managed to build a substantial business under the Lewis Equipment which he established 1985, later adding the Sun Crane name and Rock Island Rigging, along with Lewis Crane & Hoist.
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Kyle Lewis

Between 2005 and 2007 the company expanded exceptionally rapidly adding operations throughout the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. In 2008 as the economic meltdown began the business ran into problems having purchased the Verticon operations in New Zealand in 2007, followed by taking on the Zoomlion crawler and All Terrain crane line for North America and spending $34 million on Zoomlion cranes, as well as importing Yongmao tower cranes into North America.

Lewis Equipment filed voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in late 2009, then came under personal pressure from some of its lenders, including GE Capital who claimed to have personal guarantees.

Kyle Lewis was larger than life and put as much energy into his private life as he did his business. He enjoyed his wide range of friends and family, racing Porsches and riding his Harley. His life was sadly way too short, but he crammed a lot into the time he had.

He is survived by his mother, Diane Lewis, son Logan Wade Lewis, his mother Melissa Lewis, his second wife Lisa and the third and final wife Mari Lewis. Also siblings, Kirk, Keith and Kristie Lewis.
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Kyle Lewis at work