Lamplighter: Celebrating a 60 Year Legacy of Light

In 1958, the term Lamplighter was trademarked by Jay Eitel, the inventor of the “cherry picker” – also known as the modern bucket truck. This term was coined to describe the “bucket” on an aerial device.

The Lamplighter trademark is officially defined as, “lifting equipment comprising an electrically operated extensible boom structure rotatably mounted upon a supporting framework carried by a selfpropelled vehicle in which the boom structure carries a workman’s basket which is adapted to be lowered into a position adjacent to the driving station of the vehicle.”

Now owned by Altec, the term “Lamplighter” is more than a trademark, it is a celebration of decades of industry leading equipment and services that support the “lamplighters” of today.

In their own way, Altec’s bucket trucks, and the lineman that operate them are the modern version of the lamplighter. Beginning as early as 1890, lamplighters walked the streets of their cities to light gas lamps one by one. A career as a lamplighter was honorable and earned a good living.

Just as the traditional lamplighters climbed up their ladders to brighten their cities, our linemen climb in the buckets of their aerial trucks to restore and maintain power for millions of people worldwide. Whether it’s assisting with storm recovery efforts or maintaining local power lines, these men and women are servants in their communities and are known for their hard work, dedication and grit.

Last year marked the 60th anniversary of the Lamplighter trademark. Over six decades later, Altec remains committed to ensuring the safety and efficiency of these “lamplighters” of homes and businesses across the globe. Our bucket trucks are leaders in the electric utility industry and are supported by Altec’s large network of safety, service and parts offerings.

It is our priority to provide the best possible level of support to local electric utility companies and the linemen that depend on our equipment to get the job done. Going forward, we will continue to support this industry and its workers with innovative product design and integrated safety features.

For more information on Altec products and services, call 800-958-2555 or contact an Altec representative online.