Detailing George Young Company’s industry legacy

As the United States of America began to recover from the Civil War and the nation began to reunite, there needed to be machinery to match the ideals of a progressing country heading towards brighter days.

Moving the 103,000-pound Anthony J. Drexel statue earned GYC a JOY award in 2012.

Established in 1869, George Young Company (GYC)is one of the most historied specialized rigging and transportation companies in the industry. With ties to the Liberty Bell and other historical monuments, one might even consider George Young Company an industry “founding father.”

The success of George Young Company came down to a lucky hand and plenty of elbow grease. A year after the company was founded, Charles Young lost the company to his brother George in a game of poker. Following his victory, George Young capitalized on the booming print industry began to transport heavy printing presses and other typesetting equipment.

The company relocated the famous Liberty Bell in 1962 and 2007.

Amidst the Industrial Revolution, George Young found an increasingly diversified need for the specialized transportation of boilers, transformers, generators and switchgear.

From iconic pieces of art to time-honored historical artifacts, monuments and more, George Young Company was entrusted with moving some of the world’s most priceless pieces. In 1962, with Charles Young at the helm, the company was tasked with reinforcing, lifting and rehanging a national treasure, the iconic Liberty Bell.

In 2007, George Young followed in his father Charles’ footsteps and assisted with a relocation of the same monument. The project was completed at no charge to honor the victims of the 9/11.

A continued legacy

The last Young family member to run the company, George Young, was born on March 7, 1955 to Charles and Esthermae Young. He was the proud owner and business partner in the George Young Company for more than 40 years. Young worked diligently to carry on his family legacy and achieved high levels of rigging quality and safety, for which the company won numerous awards. Young unexpectedly passed away on March 6, 2018.

George Young: 1955-2018

Young was famously involved in the transportation of Robert Indiana’s LOVE statue, one of Philadelphia’s best known landmarks. The industry titan’s resume also included transportation of the “Rocky” sculpture, among many others. He was widely known as an industry leader in “moving the impossible.”

The company joined SC&RA in 1964, and George Young was an active member, serving on several committees and in a variety of leadership roles, including president and chairman. He also served on numerous SC&R Foundation committees and was elected to both the SC&RA and SC&R Foundation Board of Directors.

In the winter of 2017, Mammoet acquired George Young Company and it was rebranded as George Young Mammoet. The company serves as the “fifth generation” of the George Young Company.