Cranesy: Who or what inspires you every day?
Jasper: It’s a difficult question, but I think it’s people.. more then machines. I love to help people getting better in what they do. If I see people develop it really inspires me.
Cranesy: Current projects for 2014?
Jasper: I’m working now as a Lifting Supervisor on a jack-up ship, installing foundations for windmills. All heavy stuf (smile) mono piles +500 ton and often more than 70m long, and transition pieces +300 ton.
Cranesy: How come you have been interested in the World of Cranes?
Jasper: when I was a kid my uncle had a steel erection compagnie. Back in 1977 he owned one crane; a Unit with a 30 m lattice boom and 12 m fly jib. That was the first time I saw a crane. And from that time on I wanted to be a crane driver.
Later, when I was 19 years old I started working in that compagnie. Within 2 years I became a crane driver. It was a Grove 300TMS.
Cranesy: You have over 25 years of work experience behind you, what’s the toughest decision you ever had to make in your entire career?
Jasper: I remember when I was working as a Lifting Supervisor for the first time in the Caspian sea on a drill rig owned by Deutach Drilling for Agip. We had several local crane drivers, and I had to pick one of them who could stay the rest of the project and the others were send back to shore. They all needed the job really hard, so they all did there absolute best. It was a tough dissuasion… Grown men asking me with tears in there eyes if they could please please stay.
Cranesy: Today more and more women are being accepted into crane sector to do the tipical “men jobs” like crane operators or crane supervisor. What do you think about your female colleagues?
Jasper: I think that a woman can work very well as a crane driver. If there is something as a problem, it’s often not the woman, but the men because they start acting different with a woman on site. It’s probably a matter of time.
Cranesy: Daily you do hard work, and how do you find a balance between work and home?
Jasper: If I’m fit, I’m a better person, so in my time off I train a bit on my bike to stay in shape. I love to cycle in the mountains. It really helps me to relax.
Cranesy: Your strengths?
Jasper: I started out as a crane operator and having a technical background, but I’ve learned over the years that I’m better with people than with machines.
Cranesy: Tips for young people who want to achieve success at work?
Jasper: Try to be honest in everything you do, especially when work is being explained. Remember that there are no stupid questions only stupid answers.Integrity is the most valuable thing a man can own.
Cranesy: Would you offer some of your favorite quotes to column Men&Cranes?
Jasper: Please be and stay yourself, there are enough others.