companies that don’t want to purchase
sheet piling but need it for temporary usage.”
Mulveney added, “Our tool can’t yet handle
the logistics of getting the piling out
to customers and then returning it to our
nearest facility, but we’re watching to see
how effective the system operates, how
our customers respond. If it works out as
well as it promises, we’ll see what other
directions we can take to make things even
more convenient.”
The use of such online tools has been
magnified by the pandemic.
“A lot of people are working from home
right now and so in that way, especially, the
online estimating tool is very convenient,”
said Bennett. “When a contractor plugs in
their information and receives an estimate,
that email will go to our salespeople so they
can get back to the customer and still offer
our same high customer service.”
Mulveney notes that the pandemic
hasn’t had much direct effect on the need
for piling.
“In our business, there’s a momentum:
project, engineering, financing. There was
a lot of momentum last year and it didn’t
really slow down except a few places in
the second quarter, but our business is
considered essential, so we didn’t see a
PDCA ASSOCIATE MEMBER
lot of change until steel pricing started to
escalate,” he said. “That has made rentals a
more attractive option in some cases. But
otherwise, the pandemic really didn’t affect
or change our business other than having
more people working remotely; there have
been no interruptions in supply or manpower
in production.”
The give and take of
PDCA membership
Samuel Roll Form Group has been a longtime
member of PDCA, and Mulveney
credits the organization with keeping the
industry connected through communications
such as PileDriver magazine, being
able to attend trade shows and local
chapter meetings.
“Being a member offers the opportunity
to interact and be involved in changes within
the industry, to be aware of new technology
and specifications. PDCA covers a lot
of these areas for us, including health and
safety and legal aspects of business,” he
said. “We see PDCA is working to stay current
and continues to add value to its members;
we want to support the organization
by being visible and active. It’s a reciprocal
arrangement that works for everyone.” t
“Right now, steel pricing is very high, so instead of
investing in new piling and having to deal with the
leftover piling at end of the job, a contractor can rent
for one or several months. Once the job is finished,
they can extract the piling and return it to us.”
– Hal Mulveney
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