Snorkel Founder Art Moore Introduces his Memoirs at the Rental Show
Art Moore, founder of Snorkel, debuted his memoirs at The Rental Show. His autobiography, titled “My Story” details his journey as one of the most respected pioneers of the aerial lift industry.
Moore founded the Snorkel Company in 1959, introducing a revolutionary firefighting and rescue machine. In 1977, he led the development of the Snorkelift aerial work platform. During the 1980s, Snorkel became a leader in the AWP market. Although Moore retired in 1991, he remains on the board of directors at Snorkel. Don Ahern acquired the majority shares of Snorkel in Oct. 2013.
Moore began writing his memoirs in 2003, beginning with what was intended to be a letter to a company that was producing a die-cast model of the Snorkel fire truck. Its brochure had many inaccuracies, Moore said, and he wanted to set the story straight. Over a period of 11 years, Moore’s letter grew into a book, providing insight into the founding and workings of a major manufacturing company and the early days of the aerial industry.
Moore began his entrepreneurial career in 1949, when he and childhood friend Ray Pitman partnered at the Pitman Manufacturing Co. They developed the Hydra-Lift and eventually an industrial truck-mounted aerial platform that became Chicago’s leading fire truck. In 1959, Moore resigned from Pitman to start his own company, Snorkel Fire Equipment Co.
Snorkel launched its first Snorkelift aerial work platform in 1977. Moore sold Snorkel during the 1980s.
After retiring, Moore and his wife Sue began to divide his time between their home in Pompano Beach, Fla., in the winter and Osage Beach, Mo., on the Lake of the Ozarks in summer.
“I am honored and excited to be able to write this memoir and relive many wonderful memories from my time at Snorkel,” said Moore. “I am particularly grateful to Don Ahern for his support in making My Story a reality.”
My Story can be ordered at www.artmoorememoirs.com.
About the Author
Michael Roth
Editor
Michael Roth has covered the equipment rental industry full time for RER since 1989 and has served as the magazine’s editor in chief since 1994. He has nearly 30 years experience as a professional journalist. Roth has visited hundreds of rental centers and industry manufacturers, written hundreds of feature stories for RER and thousands of news stories for the magazine and its electronic newsletter RER Reports. Roth has interviewed leading executives for most of the industry’s largest rental companies and manufacturers as well as hundreds of smaller independent companies. He has visited with and reported on rental companies and manufacturers in Europe, Central America and Asia as well as Mexico, Canada and the United States. Roth was co-founder of RER Reports, the industry’s first weekly newsletter, which began as a fax newsletter in 1996, and later became an online newsletter. Roth has spoken at conventions sponsored by the American Rental Association, Associated Equipment Distributors, California Rental Association and other industry events and has spoken before industry groups in several countries. He lives and works in Los Angeles when he’s not traveling to cover industry events.