While the public sees all of the work going on in the front of the Cook County North Shore Hospital/Care Center, there is also a lot going on behind the building. Here two Boldt Construction employees carefully work with the crane operator to lower this large truss and set in a pile with the others that will be used for the Care Center renovation.
Corey Nelson grew up in Chisholm, Minnesota, but part of his heart has always been in Cook County. His grandmother is Cook County North Shore Hospital Board Member Sharon Bloomquist.
Nelson is in Cook County working as the crane operator for Boldt Construction at the hospital/care center. Currently he and his fellow Boldt employees are moving trusses from the front side of the building to the back. The trusses will be used for the roof of the new care center rooms that Boldt will soon be putting up. The plan is to have rooms ready for care center residents to move into in the spring.
When asked if it was difficult to operate a 75-foot crane, Nelson replied, “Well, there are some tense moments, but today, [Nov. 9] is really nice. It’s going really well.”
Calling himself a typical Northlander, Nelson said he likes to hunt, fish, and work on a house he is building when he gets back to Chisholm.
“I’m pretty excited to work on this project. It’s going to have a positive impact on the community,” he said.
Corey Nelson gives big thumbs up from the seat of the 75-foot crane that he operates at the Cook County North Shore Hospital/Care Center. Nelson, from Chisholm, is the grandson of Sharon Bloomquist and is staying with her while he works on the job for Boldt Construction.
Nelson worked through high school, foregoing sports. “Coaches always asked me to come out, especially for football, but I worked with my stepdad (Sharon’s son, Dean), doing construction work. I worked all of the time around equipment.”
Operating cranes isn’t for everyone. There is very little if any room for error. Nelson said, “I was around the right people who trained me. I had very good instructors. I also went through a nationally accredited training program and received certifications for different types of cranes.”
Tower cranes can reach 1,500 feet, and even higher. Nelson said he isn’t interested in operating cranes that high. “I’m happy running more medium sized cranes. The one we are using at the hospital is medium-sized. The biggest crane I have operated could pick up 440 tons. That was the crane at Minnesota Power’s Boswell power plant in Grand Rapids. The crane I am using here has a 75-ton lifting capacity.”
While he is on assignment here, Nelson is staying with Bloomquist. “I’m really enjoying seeing her. I haven’t seen much of my family for the last four or five years because I travel so much. This has been great.”
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