Jeffrey Armfield

Jeff Armfield is the founder of Cognition Lifting Systems LLC. His professional experience includes engineering, sales, and operations roles at global manufacturing companies ranging from $500M to $2B in annual revenue. He holds mechanical engineering degrees from North Carolina State University and Purdue University and an MBA from University of Michigan – Ann Arbor. A long time resident of Genesee County, Jeff is deeply interested in rebuilding the manufacturing base in the community.

Idea Statement: Each day thousands of people walk into a factory or onto a job site and use hoists and cranes to lift large, heavy objects. The problem for these operators is that they rarely know the condition of their lifting equipment or the weight of the objects they are lifting. This lack of knowledge leads to unsafe lifting scenarios where injuries can and do occur.

Using digital technology and a patented mechanical design, Cognition Lifting System’s first product, an electric chain hoist, not only lifts up to 2 tons but provides critical lifting data to operators, safety managers, and factory leadership that enables safety and operational improvements.

Cognition envisions a future where smart hoists, cranes, and rigging equipment are the norm and industrial lifting accidents are no longer.