Working at Height Award winners announced

The winners of this year’s Working at Height Awards were revealed on Thursday, Oct. 16 in Nashville.

Winners included Genie, Sunbelt, Haulotte, MEC and Palazzani, while industry veterans Pat Witte and Brian Clark were separately honored for their tireless work within the access and rental sector.

The most emotional moment of the evening came when Kevin O’Shea, who passed earlier this year, was posthumously awarded the lifetime achievement award. 

Entries across nine categories were scored by a panel of four judges, comprising Ebbe Christensen (consultant), TJ Lyons (Lyonetics Consulting), Randy Marzicola (IPAF) and Mark Hinkel (Hinkel Equipment Rental).

A summary of each shortlisted entry will soon follow. Here were the 2025 winners:

Lifetime Achievement Award
Kevin O’Shea

IPAF/ALH Person of the Year
Brian Clark, Sunbelt Rentals, Director Product Support and IPAF’s North America Regional Council Chair

Distinguished Service Award
Pat Witte, MEC Aerial Work Platforms

Safety Innovation – OEM/Supplier
Haulotte – MyCompanion

The judges said: MyCompanion gives operators in the field instant access to essential machine-specific information through a QR code, empowering them to actually do their jobs as safely and efficiently as possible. It is a bonus that it can be deployed across entire fleets—including retrofitting.

Safety and Culture Leadership - Rental
SOS Equipment

The judges said: SOS Equipment has led with safety since its inception, but it also has invested heavily in innovation, product integration, software systems and spare parts. It’s a major task for any company to undertake, especially an independent, smaller rental firm.

Technology Innovation
Genie - Serial Hub QR Code system

The judges said: With walkaround videos and operator training content currently in development, Serial Hub is not only a powerful tool today, but a platform for smarter, more efficient equipment uses in the future. It reduces downtime, provides easy access to important safety-related materials, and builds a stronger bridge between equipment and information.

New Product Award – Scissor lifts
MEC - 2032SEAC

The judges said: This is a machine that offers comprehensive performance in the field, the result of MEC’s focus on new, real-world jobsite challenges while understanding what rental needs. And, it’s a machine we haven’t seen much of in the North American market.

New Product Award – Boom lifts
Genie - S-85 XC FE hybrid and S-85 XC E

The judges said: What really stood out was how Genie put welding capacity and capability on the XC booms. This didn’t exist in the industry safely decades ago, and it’s what users need in the field.

New Product Award – Atrium/compact crawlers
Palazzani - TZJ 530 and TZJ 590 spider lifts

The judges said: These have key features such as proportional electro-hydraulic controls, an intuitive user interface, and an automation kit with auto-leveling and “Return to Home” functions. These are not “updates” to an older model, they’re addressing what customers in North America want and need.

IPAF N.A. Member of the Year
National Lift Truck

The Working at Height Conference & Awards event was co-organized by Access, Lift & Handlers (ALH) magazine and the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF).

The awards brought together MEWP manufacturers, rental companies, safety experts, contractors and suppliers to recognize and celebrate exceptional achievements in safety, innovation and performance.

Organizers would like to thank the judging panel for their time and expertise in deciding the shortlist and winners of this year’s Awards.