Millwright and Rigging

Millwright services are contractor-provided mechanical trade services for industrial machinery: installation, precision alignment and leveling, machinery relocation, rebuilds, and mechanical repair. A millwright contractor supplies the trained crews, supervision, rigging coordination, and tools needed to set heavy equipment to exact tolerances and keep it running. Facilities typically hire millwright services for new equipment installations, plant moves, shutdown work, and repairs that go beyond what an in-house maintenance team can cover.

A journeyman millwright is a skilled tradesperson who has completed a millwright apprenticeship or reached an equivalent level through documented training and experience. Journey-level millwrights install, move, level, align, maintain, and repair industrial machinery. They can usually perform the trade with less direct supervision than an apprentice. The exact title and credential vary by employer, union, apprenticeship program, and location, so “journeyman” is not one universal license across the United States.

In industrial construction, rigging is the planned lifting and moving of heavy equipment and materials using cranes, hoists, slings, and specialized hardware. Riggers calculate load weights and centers of gravity, select gear rated for the pick, and follow an engineered lift plan so machinery lands exactly where it belongs without damage or injury. This is different from rigging in animation or sailing; industrial rigging is a skilled construction trade built around safe, controlled lifts.