Stinger crane is removed

Employees of Steel Girder, Inc., a company formed by a creditor of Stinger Welding, removed a 25-ton overhead crane Wednesday from the Port Authority building where until months ago steel bridge spans were built.

Kootenai River Development Council Assistant Executive Director Brigid Burke confirmed the removal of a 25-ton overhead crane from the former Stinger Welding, Inc., building on Port Authority property.

“Yes, it was Wednesday,” Burke said Friday. “We found out about it (Thursday).”

Burke said the crane is valued at $183,000, and was one of seven in the building. Burke confirmed the cranes were purchased with economic development grants secured through the county for Stinger and were to be excluded from whatever assets Steel Girder, Inc., assumed with the buyout of shares of Montana Stinger Welding.

“There were six overhead cranes, some as much as 50-ton and another one that is not an overhead,” Burke confirmed.

Steel Girder, Inc., is a company owned by Tommy Fisher of Fisher Sand & Gravel, a Riverdale, N.D., company that invested and is listed as a creditor of Stinger Welding.

In the March 2013 bankruptcy filing Fisher Sand & Gravel was owed $536,990.

Allan Payne, the Helena attorney who represents the Port Authority, said he is taking legal action to prevent further and subsequent removal of any other cranes.

“I’m frustrated on this,” Payne said. “Clearly,  this is wrong. Those cranes were not part of the Stinger assets. They belong in that building. They were purchased with ED money paid for in taxes by the people of Montana.”

Payne said the cranes are a huge asset as the Port Authority tries to attract a new tenant to the former Stinger Welding building. Paul Rummelhart is director of the Port Authority.

“When (the cranes) are in there, the building has much bigger potential,” Payne said. “I can’t say this any more plainly: These cranes were purchased with community development and Department of Commerce funds, paid for by Montana taxpayers. The intent of those cranes was to be used in Montana and not to be disassembled and moved to Arizona.”

Lincoln County Presiding Commissioner Tony Berget said the removal of the crane is wrong.

“We have a fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayers of Lincoln County and the people of Montana,” Berget said. “These cranes were purchased through Lincoln County with state of Montana money.”

Berget said the cranes ultimately would have become the property of Stinger, if the company had lived up to its end of the agreement with the county by meeting goals for overall employment and salary levels. However, that didn’t happen, he said.

On Friday, Payne was successful in obtaining a temporary restraining order in 19th Judicial District Court against Stinger Welding of Montana and its affiliations for the purpose of halting any subsequent crane removal. The restraining order states the Port Authority would suffer irreparable damage if additional equipment is removed. The order was granted by Judge Loren Tucker of Dillon.

Lincoln County Sheriff Roby Bowe was summoned to the scene after the crane was removed.

“It’s not my job to decide who’s right. That’s up to the judge,” Bowe said. “I’m there to make sure no one gets out of hand.”

The CEO of Stinger Welding In March, Stephanie Jordan, Douglas’ widow, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Creditors are owed at least $5.86 million, according to court documents.