Shirley Eckelberger is the Executive Assistant in Sims Crane & Equipment’s Orlando Branch. Branch Manager Thomas Baldtree knows how valuable Shirley is to their team. “Shirley is the glue that hold that place together. She extremely efficient and organized and detail oriented.” When Shirley arrived in Orlando, the branch was very small, and at the time was nothing but a trailer. They only had five cranes, and Sims Crane & Equipment only had three branches. In the 20 plus years she’s been with us, she has seen not only the growth of the Orlando branch, but of Sims Crane & Equipment as a company.
Prior to joining Sims, she served for 22 years in the United States Navy, and held positions never before held by women.
Shirley will be the first to tell you that she is not one for the spotlight. While in the Navy, she traveled the world and stood beside some of the most powerful men in our country. While going about doing her job to the best of her ability, she was able to accomplish many ‘firsts’ for women, though that was never her intention or goal.
The youngest of three children, Shirley was born and raised in Pennsylvania. She was the first in her family to leave her hometown, and the only member of her high school graduating class to enter the Armed Services. ‘At that time, joining the Navy was a big deal for women, ‘ said Shirley. ‘There weren’t to many opportunities available to us yet.’ She served as a Chief Warrant Officer and as a Limited Services Officer. Prior to joining Sims, she moved 14 times in 22 years. She credits the Sims Crane & Equipment family and ‘way of doing business’ for the reason she has stayed in Orlando for so long.
