Elliott Equipment Company announced the addition of three leaders to its Omaha team as the company continues to invest in engineering capabilities, manufacturing excellence and long-term growth. Jeff Postlethwaite has joined Elliott as Director of Engineering, Ryan Widner as Plant Manager and Emily Hagge as Manufacturing Engineering Manager.
Widner and Postlethwaite will report to Vice President of Nebraska Operations Andrew Schumacher and Hagge will report to Widner. Together, these hires round out the operations leadership team and strengthen Elliott’s ability to design, build and deliver the reliable, field-proven equipment its customers and dealer partners count on.
As Director of Engineering, Postlethwaite will lead Elliott’s engineering team, guiding new product development, product improvements and engineering standards across the full product portfolio.
Postlethwaite brings nearly two decades of engineering and product leadership experience in the aerial lift and specialty equipment industries. Most recently, he served as Head of Mechanical Engineering and Lead Systems Engineer at PALFINGER, where he directed the development of a new product platform and two major platform updates. He previously held product management and engineering leadership roles focused on aerial lift design, hydraulic systems and new product development. Postlethwaite also serves as a voting member of the ANSI A92 Main Committee and A92.2 Subcommittee, helping shape the safety and compliance standards that govern the industry.
“Jeff’s deep engineering background and his work on industry safety standards make him a tremendous asset to Elliott,” said Schumacher. “He understands how our equipment is used in the field, and he will help us keep raising the bar on product performance and innovation.”
As Plant Manager, Widner will oversee day-to-day production at Elliott’s Omaha facility, with a focus on safety, quality, throughput and on-time delivery.
Widner brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in truck equipment, vehicle upfit and manufacturing. Most recently, he served as Regional General Manager for Reading Truck Equipment. His career also includes serving as Chief Executive Officer of Swenson Products and more than a decade in operations and general management at Monroe Truck Equipment. Having started his career on the shop floor, Widner is known for his hands-on leadership style and his commitment to lean manufacturing, continuous improvement and employee engagement.
“Ryan has built and led successful operations at every level, from the shop floor to full P&L responsibility,” said Schumacher. “His customer-first, safety-always approach is exactly what we want on our production floor.”
As Manufacturing Engineering Manager, Hagge will lead Elliott’s manufacturing engineering team, driving process improvements, facility planning and capital projects that support efficiency, quality and safety in production.
Hagge brings extensive manufacturing engineering experience in the utility equipment industry. Most recently, she served as Manufacturing Engineer Supervisor for Terex Utilities, leading manufacturing engineering teams across three sites. Hagge holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.
“Emily brings a great combination of technical skill, safety focus and team leadership,” said Schumacher. “Her experience improving processes and building strong teams will help us work smarter and build better equipment for our customers.”