About Mi-Jack Products

Home / About Us

Elevating American RTG innovation around the globe.

For over 70 years, Mi-Jack® Products, Inc. has engineered some of the world’s most advanced, reliable, and durable material handling equipment. We’re recognized as the global industry leader and innovator of Travelift® and Translift. Rubber Tired Gantry cranes and have a storied reputation for exceptional service and support. All Mi-Jack cranes are manufactured to ISO 9001:2015 certified standards.

Just a Chicago kid and a dream

1950s

  • In 1954, Jack Lanigan Sr. devised a boom crane that could lift utility poles from the back of a truck over parked cars. To bring his big idea to life, he took a leave of absence from his job at the City of Chicago and started Mi-Jack Products — named after his two sons, Michael and Jack.
  • The material handling industry held no bounds for Jack Sr. He searched for market needs and devoted his energy to finding what he called, “a better way.” 
Demonstration of boom crane lifting utility poles over cars in 1954
The Mi-Jack team in the 1960s pose with variety of equipment

1960s

  • Mi-Jack began distributing self-propelled Rubber Tire Gantry cranes.
  • Jack Sr. understood that holding onto existing customers was just as important as finding new ones. This philosophy inspired the slogan — Where Service is Golden — which became synonymous with Mi-Jack for the next 60 years. 
  • As Mi-Jack grew beyond a railroad equipment supply company, they began adding operating services and eventually became a construction equipment distributor. By consistently setting the bar for service response and reliability, they remained the benchmark by which all others would be measured. 

1980s

  • In the early 1980s, Mi-Jack purchased the manufacturing rights to the cranes they’d already been selling. As the manufacturer, they could better serve their customers’ needs.
  • With the ability to incorporate their own modifications at will, Mi-Jack embarked on a new era, opening doors to new markets both nationally and internationally. .
One of Mi-Jack's original self propelled rubber tired gantry cranes on site
The Mi-Jack team poses in front of a RTG crane at their manufacturing plant in Hazel Crest Illinois

1990s

  • In 1998, Mi-Jack shifted their focus to railroad operations. The nation of Panama announced it was taking bids for a 50-year concession to rebuild and operate its 47.6-mile railroad stretching across the Isthmus of Panama. Having already had a lengthy presence in Latin America, Mi-Jack partnered with Kansas City Southern Railway to submit a winning bid to operate the line — The Panama Canal Railway Company.

2000s

  • Mi-Jack formed the Lanco Group, a diverse group of companies specializing in a variety of disciplines like: 
    • Material Handling
    • Terminal Automation
    • Supply Chain
    • Sports & Entertainment
  • Always laser focused on product quality and service at every level, Mi-Jack (and all other Lanco companies) continue to be the gold standard for performance and customer satisfaction. 
The Mi-Jack team poses in front of a RTG crane at their manufacturing plant in Hazel Crest Illinois
A Mi-Jack Translift RTG on-site at a BNSF terminal

2010s

  • Rapid technological advancements and proprietary research positioned Mi-Jack to proactively deliver industry-leading solutions and service.
  • By integrating the latest Radio Frequency and GPS technologies, Mi-Jack’s Technology Research department began automating cranes for remote operation and fueling them using a variety of power sources. 
  • Mi-Jack manufacturing innovations and credits include: 
    • Mi-Star® automation solutions — auto steering, inventory management, virtualized terminal operations, fleet monitoring, in-cab visualization, workforce and work zone protection 
    • Electronically controlled hydraulics for faster, smoother movement
    • Ergonomic and stress analyses for more reliable, hassle-free performance  
    • Camera, sensor, and proximity-switch usage for safer operations