About 

In 2017, industry veteran Chuck Gifford saw a problem that demanded a solution. Working in terminal operations, he witnessed the dangers and inefficiencies of manually removing barge lids, a process that put workers at risk with every operation. So he invented something revolutionary: The Claw Lid Lifter.

The Claw is a purely mechanical, gravity-operated system that allows barge lids to be safely removed without placing a single person on the barge. No springs, no complex mechanisms—just smart engineering that transforms a dangerous manual process into a safe, efficient catch-and-release operation.

Gifford left his longtime terminal job in 2017 to bring The Claw to market, successfully building the business as a one-man operation. But he knew the invention's true potential could only be realized with a dedicated team behind it.

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In January 2025, Randy Simmonds, a longtime friend and industry colleague with over 35 years of river experience acquired The Claw through his newly formed company, TSF Marine (The Simmonds Family). Together, they bring nearly 80 years of combined experience in terminal operations, cranes, and heavy equipment.

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Their passion for The Claw stems from understanding the real-world impact: customers operating over 3,000 barges annually eliminate more than 200,000 hand exposures per year. That's 200,000 opportunities for injury removed from the equation.

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Today, with increased production capacity and a team committed to safety innovation, The Claw is transforming barge operations across the industry one safe lift at a time.