Al Scott Memoriam (1931-2022)


20-Jul-2022 Go Back

Alfred L. Scott, founder of Scott-Macon Equipment, died at 91 on Monday, June 27, 2022.

With a career approaching seven decades in the crane industry, Al founded two major crane rental/dealer companies, and was chairman of a third.  Over this period, he touched the lives of countless people in the industry, from his employees and management teams to manufacturers, customers and competitors. Al was a staunch advocate for the industry, a consummate salesman and dealmaker, and deeply cared for his family, employees, and company.  He led by example and treated everyone fairly, with compassion and respect, and the highest level of ethics.  His generosity knew no bounds.

Al graduated from Union College and the New York University School of Law, where he became interested in leasing during his law studies. After passing and obtaining membership in the New York Bar, he started Bell Equipment Corporation in 1956 with the purchase of one used Bay City truck crane. Under Al’s leadership, Bell grew rapidly into a worldwide rental company and equipment dealer with seven domestic offices and six international locations. Bell was a pioneer in introducing turnkey equipment rental contracts under which, not only cranes, but all of a customer’s equipment and tool needs for a particular project or facility were handled through Bell.  Al expanded Bell’s operations into specialty engineering as well as equipment distribution and handled several lines of equipment including American Hoist cranes and the initial nationwide rollout of the Pettibone line of hydraulic cranes.

Still in his mid-30’s, Al sold Bell Equipment and joined the Corporate Finance Department at Oppenheimer & Co. where he advised corporations on mergers and acquisitions and debt and equity financing. Ever the entrepreneur, in 1973 he founded Scott-Macon, Ltd. as a New York-based boutique investment bank serving the middle market. Soon after, Al also returned to the crane industry at the request of a former Bell Equipment customer. He based the equipment operations in Houston and proceeded to build two very diverse businesses simultaneously within one organization on what had been his trademark at Bell, outstanding customer service.

Forty-nine years later, Scott-Macon Equipment reflects the vision that Al laid out to his management team in those early days. It has one of the largest rough terrain fleets in North America and services its customers from eight locations in Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. It is also a crane dealer for Tadano, Ltd., Broderson Manufacturing Corporation, and Kobelco Construction Machinery U.S.A. Inc. Concurrently, Scott-Macon, Ltd. continues as one of the oldest independent middle-market investment banking firms and has advised hundreds of public and privately-owned companies during his leadership.

While his son Alex Scott took over as President in 2021, Al was active in both businesses until his passing.

During his career, Al also served as a member of the board of directors of a number of manufacturing corporations as well as Chairman of heavy-lift equipment company, Dayton-Scott Equipment Company, until its sale to Lampson International. He was also an early advocate of the need to establish a regional association to focus on issues confronting crane owners in Texas, and with the help of others, that early concept evolved into the Texas Crane Owners Association in 2007. Outside the industry, he was instrumental in many fundraising programs and gave of his time unselfishly. He was a past President and long-serving member of the board of the Columbia-Greene Hospital Foundation in New York.

He married the late Anne A. Scott in 1963 with whom he had two children. He then married Elizabeth J. Scott in 1991 who survives him. Al is survived by his daughter, Carolyn A. Scott and son, Alexander L. Scott, and his two stepchildren Elizabeth Jacks and Robert Jacks. Between the two families he has eight wonderful grandchildren.