It won't anywhere be near the profit levels that I had planned and budgeted. On normal margins, that level of sales would be more than adequate. I'd like to make money but I didn't buy this business to get rich. I did it for happiness and peace of mind and things I didn't get out of it yet. I'd be happy to grow the business and not take a paycheck home for quite a while. My wife is working. There would be a lot of sleepless nights otherwise.
Q: You just picked up a contract at the Appleton water plant. Is it accurate to say you're improving the way chemicals are handled there?
A: Yes. It's going to bulk handling from smaller batches. It's definitely a good job for us. We'll cover some of our overhead.
Q: Who else are you working for?
A: Our biggest customer is Thilmany, where I came from. We do a lot for U.S. Paper or Sunoco. We pretty regularly do work for Presto Products. We're doing process piping, primarily. Some mechanical contracting. We're doing work in Sherwood for a booster pump for their well. We're doing some work for Brillion Ironworks. We just got done with a public works building in Rhinelander.
Q: Does the economy force you to change the way you're bidding or chasing work?
A: For sure how you're chasing work. You've got to find what's there to bid. I'm trying hard to prove we have more value than our competitors. There's value in my background. We can do a whole project. Typically, a contractor comes in when the project is pretty much designed and engineered. I can say, "Hey, I know you guys downsized. We'll take it a step further back. We'll do your engineering, we'll do the layout of the project and then we'll do the installation."
Q: Heath Hoffmann, maintenance and reliability superintendent at Thilmany told me your firm is a preferred supplier. He said you've been able to relay their expectations to your guys, which helps in safety, performance and ingenuity. Is that part of the extra value you're talking about?
A: Getting more involved with the plants and understanding their expectations due to my background helps both businesses save money.
Q: Do you think the economy has bottomed out?
A: I think we're at the bottom. It's just a question of how long that bottom is. We're seeing a little more out there to bid. We're seeing some of the stimulus money actually turning into projects this (past) week.
Maureen Wallenfang: 920-993-1000, ext. 287, or mwallenfang@postcrescent.com
INNOVATOR INSIGHTS
--Innovative direction
"A more lean and cost-effective process is to get the contractor involved earlier in the design/engineer phase of the project and utilize the contractor to do the layout, minor engineering, and project management for the project instead of duplicating these services."
--Attention to customers
"We're 24-hour service. We always take a call. It doesn't go to voice mail. I understand the value of a machine being down for an hour."
Know a young entrepreneur? Send Inc. Innovator nominations to pcbusiness@postcrescent.com.
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