Why Process, Data, and Adoption Drive Growth at Lift Solutions with Lawrence Bilker

Guest Introduction

 

Lawrence (Larry) Bilker serves as Chief Information Officer at Lift Solutions, a fast-growing company that provides complete industrial lifting services across the United States. Founded in 2021, Lift Solutions performs OSHA-mandated inspections, aftermarket services, and parts supply for overhead cranes and lifting equipment. As CIO since its inception, Larry has led seven successful acquisitions in just three years while guiding the company's digital transformation. His background spans engineering at General Electric, leadership across multiple industries, and a lifelong curiosity for technology that began when he first learned programming as a teenager at RadioShack.

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Here's a Glimpse of What You'll Learn

• How Lift Solutions scaled through seven acquisitions in three years

• Why Larry built a 100-step integration checklist to streamline every acquisition

• How CRM adoption improved accountability and team collaboration

• Why user engagement is more important than brand recognition in CRM success

• How operational data shapes performance from sales to service delivery

• Larry's belief that AI enhances human productivity without replacing it

• How early programming experiences at RadioShack inspired his lifelong passion for innovation

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In This Episode

Larry explains how Lift Solutions has achieved rapid growth through disciplined integration and data-driven management. He shares how his team developed a 100-step checklist used during each acquisition to ensure consistent infrastructure, application setup, and data migration. The process typically takes between 120 and 180 days to complete, allowing the company to expand quickly without compromising quality or stability.

He emphasizes that data drives everything the company does. Lift Solutions tracks leads, quotes, orders, and service schedules across multiple business lines to ensure visibility and performance. Larry implemented an open-source CRM called EspoCRM because of its flexibility and ease of adoption. He believes user adoption is more important than brand prestige. When employees see that CRM tools simplify their work, reduce management questions, and make information easier to find, they naturally engage without resistance.

Larry also shares his early journey in technology. As a teenager, he learned programming at a RadioShack store using a Tandy TRS-80 computer with only 4K of memory. That experience sparked a fascination with technology that led him to develop assistive software for disabled children and later join General Electric as an engineer. There, he designed inspection systems before moving into GE's Information Management Leadership Program, where he discovered how technology could drive global business efficiency.

Today, Larry continues to apply that mindset to modern IT leadership. He views artificial intelligence as an extension of human capability, not a replacement for it. In his words, AI should serve as a productivity amplifier while still relying on human judgment and governance. He encourages leaders to use AI responsibly, safeguard confidential data, and view it as a tool that enhances and not replaces human thinking and creativity.