Masonry Magazine December 2011 Page. 30
The Scoop on the Scaffolding Industry
BY JENNIFER MORRELL
Image courtesy of Premier Scaffold Solutions
AS THE ECONOMY EVOLVES INTO A "NEW NORMAL," EACH FACET OF THE MASONRY INDUSTRY IS AFFECTED A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY. To get a snapshot of how current economic times are affecting the scaffolding industry, Masonry consulted two of the top leaders in that arena. Weathering this storm has called for the truest forms of leadership. Only the fittest have survived, so here's some insight to how that was possible.
We talked to Michael D. Solomon, national sales manager for TNT Equipment Co. and Premier Scaffold Solutions, and Justin Breithaupt Jr., co-owner of Non-Stop Scaffolding Inc., to ask what it has taken to stay afloat during the last few years, and what the fallout has been. We even asked them to peek into the future. Following is what they had to say.
Michael D. Solomon
Justin Breithaupt Jr.
Masonry: How has 2011 compared to 2010? What do you see for 2012?
Solomon: The year 2011 has seen some improvement for sure. We're still far out from where the industry was four years ago, but things are going in the right direction, from our view point. I feel that, if everything continues to climb slowly, with the current uptrend, there's no reason not to believe that 2012 will be better than 2011 has been, and should end up being.
Breithaupt: We manufacture elevating scaffolding for mason contractors, and sell it all over the United States and Canada. The year 2011 has been about like 2010: down about 40 percent off a normal year. We are seeing it trying to come back, though. We think we'll turn the corner in 2012, and start coming back up at least 30 percent. Canada's economy seems to be doing better than the United States' economy.
We have had more calls from mason contractors this year than any of the last four years. They are saying there seems to be more work coming out in 2012, and they are talking about buying our scaffolding, so they can operate leaner as they pick up more work. Our kind of scaffolding keeps their labor costs down. Every 100 feet of Non-Stop knocks about $8,400 per month off their payroll. That's at the national average of $4,200 per mason, per month.
Masonry: Have you incorporated anything into your product offerings to help mason contractors save time on the jobsite, therefore saving on labor costs?
Solomon: One thing TNT has been able to offer our customers is an incredibly fast turnaround though our sister company, Premier Scaffold Solutions, on jobsite drawing. The drawings help with job planning, with using the ProSeries mast climbers on site. Having this information readily available means that the mason contractor will not only have the right equipment located on the jobsite in the best possible place for production and labor savings, but not more than needed, which would waste money