The Architect Behind the Exit: How Jennifer Gabel Restructured the Lomma Business Before the Bay Crane Deal

30-Second Takeaway

The 2026 Bay Crane & Select Crane Sales acquisition of remaining Lomma assets was the culmination of a long-structured transition in which operational control, technical systems, and liabilities were separated. Tes Inc. retained the certifications required to operate cranes in New York City, while JK Crane carried contracts, crews, and newer equipment as a WBE-certified entity. During this same period, J.F. Lomma Inc. and New York Crane lost competitiveness and contract presence as operational capacity shifted away from them. Industry sources identify Jennifer Gabel as the architect behind this transition, positioning the business for acquisition while legacy liabilities remained behind.

 Deal That Was Decided Before It Happened

The transactions have largely unfolded without formal announcement, quietly taking shape behind the scenes. Within the crane industry, they are viewed as far more than a routine consolidation but rather the final phase of closing out all remaining Lomma entities, a process that had already been set in motion long before any public visibility.

No formal press releases have been issued. Yet the signals are difficult to ignore: all Lomma company websites have gone offline, the TES Inc. website now redirects to Select Crane Sales, and Jennifer Gable is now serving in a consulting role with Bay Crane.

That restructuring unfolded across multiple coordinated deals. Select Crane Sales acquired TES Inc. along with the tower crane assets, while Bay Crane acquired the remaining crane assets, effectively dividing and transitioning the Lomma-related business in a controlled and strategic manner.

At the center of this transition is Jennifer Gabel, widely regarded within the industry as the architect behind how the Lomma business was repositioned prior to the sale. Rather than a sudden shift, these moves reflect a calculated effort to realign assets, operations, and market positioning in advance of the final transactions.

While the Lomma name remained tied to J.F. Lomma Inc. and New York Crane, industry sources consistently point to Gabel as the only family member actively managing operations and direction during the company’s final phase, with her siblings having little involvement in day-to-day business decisions.

The Weight Behind the Restructuring

The Lomma-related entities were operating under the shadow of significant legal and financial obligations many of which dated back more than a decade.

In the aftermath of the 2008 crane collapses in New York City, two of the most catastrophic in the city’s history resulting in nine fatalities, regulatory scrutiny intensified and permanently reshaped how tower cranes were inspected and approved.

One of those incidents led to a jury verdict ordering New York Crane and Equipment Corp., James Lomma, and associated companies to pay $47.8 million to the families of two construction workers.

By 2016, James Lomma filed for bankruptcy, underscoring the mounting financial strain tied to litigation and ongoing operational pressure.

Following his death in 2019, the business entered a prolonged period of estate management, with ownership, liabilities, and control tied up in probate.

The recent transactions represent the culmination of that process effectively marking the final settlement and unwinding of the Lomma estate.

At the same time, the operational side of the business was already shifting.

In the years leading up to the transition, J.F. Lomma Inc. and New York Crane did not disappear but they steadily lost ground.

Across the NYC market, contractors and competitors observed:

• Fewer successful bids

• Reduced presence on major projects

• Misalignment with newer equipment

• Increasing association with past liabilities

Confidence followed that shift.

The companies still existed on paper but operationally, they were no longer where the work was happening.

These were not isolated developments.

They were parallel forces: financial pressure and operational displacement converging toward the same outcome

The restructuring was not sudden.And it was not optional.

It was inevitable.

Where the Work Actually Went

The key to understanding the transition is simple:The business didn’t collapse it was redistributed.

And that redistribution followed a deliberate, multi-entity structure that separated assets, operability, and active work  before ultimately being absorbed or dissolved.

TES Inc.: Control of Operability and the Sales Channel

TES Inc. (Technical Equipment Services) held one of the most critical layers of value in the NYC crane market:

• Load test certifications

• Engineering approvals

• Maintenance and inspection records

• Compliance documentation required by regulators

Without this data, cranes cannot be approved for operation regardless of their physical condition.

This positioned TES Inc. as more than a service company.It controlled operability.

But TES also played a second, equally important role.

It served as the Link-Belt dealership and functioned as a primary sales arm for the Lomma entities, bridging the gap between equipment ownership, distribution, and market placement.

This meant TES sat at the intersection of:

• Compliance

• Equipment sales

• Manufacturer relationships

As part of the restructuring, TES Inc. along with key tower crane assets was acquired by Select Crane Sales, transferring not just operability control, but also a key piece of the sales and dealership infrastructure into new ownership.

JK Crane: Where the Work Consolidated, Then Disappeared

At one stage of the transition, JK Crane (Lomma LLC dba JK Crane) became the center of active operations.

It carried:

• Contracts

• Crews

• Revenue-generating jobs

• Newer, deployable equipment

As a WBE-certified company, JK Crane also had access to:

• City-funded work

• Infrastructure projects

• Procurement pipelines tied to compliance requirements

Industry sources indicate that during this phase: the work followed JK Crane.

However, JK Crane has since been dissolved, signaling that its role was transitional rather than permanent.

Why the Legacy Companies Lost Bids

From the outside, it appeared that J.F. Lomma Inc. and New York Crane were simply losing work.

Inside the industry, the explanation is more structural.

They no longer had alignment of:

• Crews

• Equipment

• Certification pathways

• Operational control

In a market like New York City, that alignment is everything.

This wasn’t just a decline in performance it was a systematic unwinding of capability.

And once that alignment was broken, competing at the level required to win became increasingly difficult.

The Architect Behind the Exit

By the time the transactions surfaced within the industry in 2026, it was not the beginning of a deal it was the final step of something that had already been executed.

At the center of it all was Jennifer Gabel, widely identified by industry sources as the architect behind the exit and the figure directing how the business was repositioned long before the outcome became visible.

Not a passive successor. Not a symbolic figure. An active operator.

While her siblings remained largely removed from operations, Gabel was consistently identified as the only Lomma family member actively guiding the business through its most critical phase embedded in the decisions that determined where operations lived, how technical control was maintained, and what ultimately carried forward.

Industry sources describe her as:

• The operator guiding the business through its final phase

• The figure aligning TES Inc. (technical control) with JK Crane (operations)

• The person ensuring continuity as legacy entities declined

At the same time, she maintained a visible and active role within the Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association (SC&RA), where she remained engaged, present, and positioned within the future of the industry.

This created a dual reality:

• Internally → restructuring and unwinding the business

• Externally → maintaining industry presence and forward positioning

What followed was not a collapse of the Lomma legacy.

It was a controlled separation.

One where the operational business moved forward, while the weight of prior liabilities remained tied to the past.

To some in the industry, the outcome is viewed as restructuring.To others, it represents something more deliberate:

An effort to ensure that while the liabilities stayed behind, the name and what it could still represent had a path forward.

Asset Split: Where the Equipment Landed

The crane assets did not transition as a single portfolio.

Instead, they were divided:

• Select Crane Sales acquired TES Inc. and tower crane-related assets

• Bay Crane acquired the remaining crane assets

This reflects a controlled separation of asset classes rather than a traditional consolidation.

Editorial Note

Following the original publication of this article, Jennifer Gable contacted the editorial team alleging inaccuracies in the reporting.

In response, the article was reviewed and revised to incorporate additional context, drawing from available public records, observable business changes, and corroborating industry insight to ensure a more complete and accurate account.

Despite being given the opportunity to identify and clarify the specific inaccuracies referenced, Gable declined to provide further detail and instead requested that the article be removed in its entirety.

At Crane Hub Global, we are committed to providing unbiased, fact-based crane industry news. The editorial team stands by the reporting presented here, which reflects the most substantiated and verifiable information available at the time of publication.

Frequently Asked Questions

Were these transactions ever formally announced?

No. There have been no formal press releases or public disclosures outlining the full structure of these transactions. However, multiple industry signals including website shutdowns, domain redirects, and confirmed asset transfers indicate that the restructuring has already taken place.

What happened to the Lomma companies?

The Lomma-related entities were not shut down all at once. Instead, they were systematically unwound, with assets, operations, and technical control separated and transferred across multiple entities as part of a broader restructuring tied to estate settlement.

Who acquired the assets?

• Select Crane Sales acquired TES Inc. and the tower crane assets

• Bay Crane acquired the remaining crane assets

This reflects a deliberate division of the business, rather than a single-party acquisition.

Was the tower crane acquisition confirmed?

Yes. Jason MacKenzie confirmed the acquisition of the tower crane assets, reinforcing what industry sources had already indicated regarding the structure of the deal.

What role did TES Inc. play in the business?

TES Inc. controlled critical elements required for crane operation in NYC, including certifications, engineering approvals, and compliance records. It also served as a Link-Belt dealership and sales arm, making it both a technical gatekeeper and a commercial channel.

What happened to JK Crane?

JK Crane temporarily became the center of active operations, carrying contracts, crews, and revenue-generating work. It has since been dissolved, indicating its role was transitional during the restructuring.

Why did J.F. Lomma Inc. and New York Crane lose competitiveness?

They lost alignment across key operational components including crews, equipment, and certification pathways which are essential to compete in the NYC crane market. As those elements shifted elsewhere, their ability to win work declined.

Who led the restructuring?

Industry sources consistently identify Jennifer Gabel as the central figure directing the transition aligning operations, technical systems, and business continuity during the final phase. She is now serving as a consultant with Bay Crane.

How did past legal and financial issues impact this outcome?

The companies operated under significant pressure from:

• The 2008 crane collapses (9 fatalities)

• A $47.8 million jury verdict

• Bankruptcy filed in 2016

• Estate proceedings following James Lomma’s death in 2019

The restructuring represents the final settlement and unwinding of those accumulated liabilities.

Why is this transition significant to the industry?

It demonstrates how a business can be strategically separated into operability, assets, and active work, allowing portions to continue forward while isolating legacy liabilities all without a formal public transaction.