EBCO in brief
EBCO General Contractor started in Cameron, Texas, in 1984 as a residential and light commercial framing contractor. In 1996 it shifted entirely to commercial construction. Today it offers preconstruction, design-build, general contracting and construction management, and its project types include healthcare, senior living, hospitality, restaurants, retail, office, education, multifamily, manufacturing and industrial work across the southern United States. Its headquarters remain in Cameron, in Milam County. Company information is at ebcogc.com.
A general contractor's part in crane work
On a commercial building, the crane might belong to a steel erector, a rental company or a mechanical subcontractor. The general contractor still controls the site. Under OSHA's crane rules, the controlling contractor has duties of its own, such as making sure the ground where the crane sets up is prepared and that the crane user knows about hazards like underground voids or utilities.
That puts EBCO's field staff in the middle of lift planning even when they never touch the controls. Superintendents and assistant supers typically:
- Decide where cranes set up and coordinate ground preparation.
- Sequence deliveries so trusses, wall panels, roof units and steel arrive when the crane is ready.
- Watch picks over occupied areas, such as hospital or senior living additions that stay open.
- Step in when a subcontractor's rigging or signaling looks wrong.
Knowing what correct rigging and signaling look like makes those calls easier and more credible.
Training options for EBCO's people
For superintendents and project staff
The 4-hour Miller Crane Works Level I Rigger/Signal Person class gives field leaders a working grasp of sling selection, hitch types, rigging inspection and standard hand signals in half a day. It is our own qualification, not an NCCCO card, and is a practical fit for supervisors who oversee lifts rather than perform them daily.
For self-perform crews
Carpenters and laborers who set trusses, panels or materials themselves should take the 28-hour rigger and signal person course, which prepares students for the NCCCO Rigger Level I and Signalperson exams.
For anyone who will run a crane
If an employee is going to operate, OSHA requires certification for that crane type. Our fixed/swing cab courses cover hydraulic cranes, and multistory projects that use a tower crane can look at the 40-hour tower crane course, taught on the tower crane in our yard.
Healthcare and senior living additions are good examples of why this matters. These projects often build next to occupied buildings, with cranes setting rooftop units, roof trusses or steel over drives and walkways that patients and staff use. A superintendent who understands load control, swing paths and signal methods can plan barricades and timing that keep people out from under the load, and can hold a subcontractor to the same standard.
Coming from Central Texas
Cameron is a few hours' drive south of our Seagoville yard, so a one-day class is a long round trip and multi-day courses usually mean staying in the Dallas area. All instruction and NCCCO practical exams happen at 304 Tunnell St; we don't train at project sites. The location page has directions.
For the operator and 28-hour rigging courses, staying near Seagoville for the week is the practical choice; the course runs on full weekdays and starts early. Employees who are veterans may be able to apply GI Bill® benefits to approved courses, and details are on the funding options page along with posted tuition for each course. Most general contractors simply pay tuition for the field staff they send.
Setting up group training
A good approach for a general contractor is to send field leaders together, so they share the same vocabulary for lift planning. Our company classes page covers group enrollment, and you can contact us with the number of supervisors and craft workers and the weeks you're considering.