Steve McReynolds is a huge fan of Baylor University. The owner of Texas-based Groves Equipment Rental is an alumnus, as is his wife, three of his children and many of his cousins. When Baylor began construction of a new football stadium, McReynolds knew how he could help: by donating a custom-painted Grove RT880E rough-terrain crane to the project.
The construction of Baylor’s new football stadium is a unique project. It’s located next to the Brazos River, the longest waterway in Texas, and will have boat slips so fans can enjoy water-access to the games. The crane will be erecting steel for the stadium’s structure and installing a variety of construction materials.
McReynolds chose the new RT880E rough-terrain crane for the project because of its reach and capacity. He also had it painted in the school’s colors – “Baylor Green” and “Baylor Gold” – and had decals of the school’s logos placed on the crane. The crane is meant to boost school spirit when students and alumni see it working.
“I am happy to give back to my alma mater in a unique and meaningful way,” McReynolds said. “Also, this crane, with its reach, capacity and mobility, is ideal for the work that needs to be done on the stadium.”
The RT880E has a 128 ft (39 m) MEGAFORM boom and boasts an 80 USt (75 t) capacity. The crane was designed for operator comfort and visibility with a 20 degree tilt, Full Vision cab that is outfitted with ergonomically designed crane controls.
When finished, Baylor’s new football stadium will hold 45,000 spectators and will have the flexibility to expand to a 55,000-seat capacity in the future. It’s expected to not only bring more football games to the Baylor campus, but to stimulate riverfront development and revitalize downtown Waco, as well as bring jobs and other economic development to the region.
Groves Equipment Rental Company has supplied heavy construction equipment to the construction, oil and chemical industries along the Gulf Coast for more than 50 years. H&E Equipment is Groves’ dealer.
H&E Equipment is the dealer for Groves. Established in 1961, the Baton Rouge-based H&E offers a host of services for the all of the Manitowoc crane brands, including crane rentals and sales, parts and services, and training. The company is also a certified EnCORE partner, providing the outstanding service and the highest quality remanufacturing and structural repair work for Manitowoc-brand cranes.
The contractors in charge of the project are Dallas-based Austin Commercial, and Tulsa, Okla.-based Flintco. Both companies have worked on Big 12 football facilities before, including Oklahoma State’s Boone Pickens stadium, Oklahoma’s Gaylord Family Memorial Stadium and Texas Christian University’s Amon G. Carter Stadium.
Work on Baylor’s new stadium began the first week of February in 2013 and is expected to be complete in the fall 2014 -- just in time for football season.