Pacoima-based Champion Crane Rental, Inc. has found its niche among the bright lights and glamour of the Hollywood movie industry. Champion has facilitated much of what we have seen in many Hollywood movies. The company works in various capacities, ranging from pre-production construction to facilitating special effects, as well as on-set work during the actual filming process.

Champion Crane holding the mechanical shark
in place for filming at the Universal Studios back lot
for the movie Jaws.

Owner, Michael Konle, says, "If the movie is filmed in California, it's almost a sure bet that we're on it."

An especially memorable project was completed for the filming of the movie "Terminal Velocity" starring Charlie Sheen and Nastassja Kinski.

100 Ton Link-Belt crane setting boats in the water
for the offshore boat races in Long Beach.

In one particular scene, Kinski is trapped in the trunk of a Cadillac that is pushed out of an airplane. Sheen jumps out of the plane after her and into the car. Making a gimbal out of one of Champion's cranes and projecting the background images onto a "blue screen" accomplished the special effect.

Champion's "Hollywood connection" also extends into work at the studios themselves. Many projects have been completed on the lot of Universal Studios and Theme Park. Among them was a rather challenging job of transporting and installing all of the dinosaurs at the "Jurassic Park" attraction. The job involved the use of three cranes to move the individual pieces of the dinosaurs and reassemble the prehistoric beasts completely inside of the buildings. While Konle considered the tricky rigging job a "constant battle", he did find some comic relief in seeing the dinosaurs "flying" through the sky. Other projects include work done building roller coasters and other attractions at Magic Mountain, facilitating numerous consumer challenges for the "Fight Back with David Horowitz" show and rigging contestant stunts for NBC's "Fear Factor".

During one particular challenge for the "Fight Back" show, a hard hat that was held to an I-beam by Crazy Glue hanged Konle himself. This stunt earned him the industry nickname of "the Crazy Glue guy". Konle is quick to remind that while all this movie stuff may seem nothing but fun, it's actually a serious business and one that is constantly inundated with a never-ending amount of bureaucratic rules and regulations. For Champion, this proves to be the most challenging aspect of their work.

Filming of Karate Kid III north of San Francisco. "If the movie is filmed in California, it's almost a sure bet that we're on it."

"They (the various governmental entities) don't see that we're driving business off. We should be business friendly here in California - especially to the movie studios. We need to keep Hollywood here", says Konle.

While much of Champion's work is done for the movie industry, it also serves its Southern California clientele in all aspects of transport, rigging and demolition for general construction projects.

Champion also manages a complete manufacturing facility for tube-bending, lathe work and welding of specialized devices at its 3-acre property in the San Fernando Valley. The company's equipment inventory features a variety of manufacturers and ranges from 5-ton to 180-ton hydraulic cranes. Among them are Link-Belt HTC 8640s and 8670s, Demag AC 25s, 120s and 435s, Bucyrus Erie 5-ton and 35-ton machines, a Barbor 5-ton, and P&H T-30s and 750s.

Champion's fleet of equipment also includes numerous Peterbilt trucks, many forklifts and other support equipment.

The personnel necessary to operate such an equipment fleet and administer such a wide-range of projects have proven to be Konle's greatest asset. He considers them the reason his company has been so successful in the industry.

"I have the best employees in town. They are the most innovative, customer-friendly, hardworking, ready-to-jump-in-and-help employees that truly know and understand the business. I couldn't be happier. Without them, none of this would be possible."

High Rise downtown Los Angeles
Putting up roofing material with a
165 Ton Demag.

Konle takes a hands-on approach to ownership and can often be found operating equipment and visiting his company's job sites. Not your typical "9 to 5" kind of guy, he will often put in 12-hour workdays.

When he's not working, Konle enjoys piloting his twin-engine Cessna 414 down to his vacation property 200 miles south of the Mexican border on the gulf side of Baja California. He affectionately refers to it as "an adult toy box on the beach" that comes complete with boats, scuba diving equipment, 4x4 trucks, ATVs and motorcycles. His love of motorcycles dates back to his younger days when he raced professionally on various dirt track circuits such as the Baja 1000, Speedway, flat track, and Motocross. His other interests include water and snow skiing, bungee jumping, skydiving and flying his plane to places like Alaska and Mexico. When he's not out doing something "extreme", he often spends time with the loves of his life - his daughters, Traci and Jacki, and his three grandkids, Henna, Ethan and Michael.

As for Konle's love of the business, he says he enjoys the challenges of the industry and of doing something new every day to "exercise the gray matter".

For Konle, helping to make movie magic has managed not only to satisfy his need for excitement, but has also proven to be a rather successful business strategy.

(Top) New York Street Universal Studios back lot Streets of Fire Movie.(Middle top) Dantes Peak - 70 Ton Link-Belt with a Techno Crane attached. (Middle bottom) 180 Ton and 165 Ton Demag Crane and 70 Ton Link-Belt used on Universal Studios back lot on the movie Truman Story. (Bottom) Link-Belt 100 Ton at Mojave airport working with special effects for the movie Water World.

(Top) Mike Konle racing in the Sidewinders competition in Portland Oregon. (Middle top) Konle sky diving in California City. (Middle bottom) Mike Konle brings in a Rooster Fish in Costa Rica. (Bottom) Konle's Cessna 414 is used to fly all over for both business and pleasure.