When the U.S. economy was flying high in mid 2008, no one could foresee the impact of the looming economic meltdown and the subsequent years of slow economic expansion in the industrial sector. Looking back over the last three years, we realize it’s made Clarkson Industrial a better company.

Only the most focused, agile and financially sound industrial contractors are even here in late December 2011. We’re proud to be one of the survivors. How did we get here?

Clarkson returned to our roots in 2011: Millwright, rigging and related mechanical and electrical work.

We Got Back to Our Roots.

In tough times, companies limit spending to what’s essential. That means outsourcing only what’s needed and getting services at a competitive price. At Clarkson, we were quick to recognize the need to eliminate services outside our core competence. There was pain in cutting back; but survival meant getting back to our roots: Millwright and rigging, along with related electrical and mechanical support.

We Improved Our Performance.

In a tough economy, mediocre quality will kill a company over time. We’ve taken steps to identify the next generation of leadership through Clarkson’s Foreman In Training (FIT) program. Keeping “On Time, On Task and On Budget” isn’t just a catch phrase. It’s ingrained into our culture.

We’ve Capitalized on Our Expertise.

Take aluminum extrusion press assembly, for instance. Clarkson’s reputation for understanding the critical requirements of these highly precise projects has paved the road for engagements throughout the eastern U.S. We’ve earned the same high marks from the automotive, aerospace, food, textile and tire industries.

We’ve Become Even More Responsive to Customer Needs.

To stay competitive, manufacturers need an organization that can turn the small job on a dime, while providing the same level of expertise on the larger projects. That’s exactly what we are. In addition, we’ve earned the trust of our larger customers by bringing a new dimension of pre-engineering to comprehensive projects. This helps them save money and more effectively integrate their new equipment into their workflow.

We Focused Our Message.

Over the past 12 months, we’ve clarified exactly what we do and the value we bring to every customer. Today, Clarkson is the top-rated millwright company in the South on Google.

The result is a company that’s built from the ground up for the challenges ahead. We can’t predict how the economy will turn going forward. But we know we’ll be ready.

At Clarkson, we know that great teamwork is critical to consistent project execution. Studying the best teams in sports makes us a better team in everything we do.

Despite Sunday’s loss to Kansas City, it’s natural to ask, “what’s the secret of the Green Bay Packers?”

Of course you know about the Packers’ Pro Bowl talent: Aaron Rodgers, Clay Matthews and Charles Woodson. But do you know Mike Eayrs? Mike is the Packers Director of Research and Development.

Aaron Rodgers gets the headlines. But Mike Eayrs gets the players' attention with motivating stories.

It’s Eayrs who studies an opponent’s tendencies and even researches how each referee calls certain situations. But there’s more to the man than just game analysis.

According to a great article by Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Eayrs’ is a master motivator. You’ll enjoy this quick story:

It was the middle of training camp and the Green Bay Packers were starting to ache. Even with Mike McCarthy’s player-friendly schedule, deep fatigue had set in from long practices and longer meetings. But the lockout meant the Packers needed to keep working. McCarthy turned to a little-known, in-house expert for help.

“And the will to survive and the will to succeed are very close.”

Safety is a big part of our culture at Clarkson Industrial. We’d like to recognize Randy Sherbert and his crew for their great judgment on a project last month. Another contractor opened a two-foot by two-foot trench adjacent to Randy’s crew. The contractor failed to put up a barricade to prevent workers from falling in the pit. Seeing the potential for injury, Randy came back to the office, picked up barricade stands and quickly secured the trench. Keep up the great work, Randy. You care about Clarkson associates as well as other others working near the open trench, and you corrected an OSHA violation.

At Clarkson, we believe effective communication is critical to a successful millwright operation. According to one of America’s most revered management minds, the key isn’t the speaker. We hope these insights help you build a more efficient organization.

“It is the recipient who communicates. Unless there is someone who hears, there is no communication. One can communicate only in the recipient’s language or in their terms.

"Unless there is someone who hears, there is no communication." Peter Drucker

We see largely what we expect to see, and we hear largely what we expect to hear. The unexpected is usually not received at all.

Communication always makes demands. It always demands that the recipient become somebody, do something, believe something. It always appeals to motivation. If it goes against a person’s aspirations, values or motivations, it is likely not to be received at all or, at best, to be resisted.”

Peter Drucker, 1909 – 2005

Time is money. An hour worked in the middle of winter costs just as much as an hour in perfect weather. At Clarkson, we know each customer is depending on our crew to be fully prepared for the unique challenges of the job, regardless of environmental conditions.

Our employees receive basic first aid training so that they can recognize, prevent and treat weather related health issues promptly to minimize inefficiencies. Our Project Managers have weather relief stations on site, particularly if our crews are exposed to prolonged extreme temperatures. We also plan for storage and installation issues that arise when the materials being used have temperature limitations (such as Z-Core pipe). Recognizing that the Clarkson Industrial fleet is essential to our service, we take the extra time to keep our extensive fleet well maintained for the harshest conditions.

Taking the extra precautions to prepare our men and machines for the job ahead is part of the professionalism Clarkson brings to every project.

Clarkson Industrial assembling an LEC heat treatment furnace, part of an aluminum extrusion project in Canton, GA.

A Clarkson Industrial team is working on the installation of a seven-section LEC Heat Treatment Furnace in Georgia, part of a new aluminum extrusion project. Each section shown above weighs 42,000 pounds. The unit includes a quenching system, a synchronized stretcher for tensile strength and an age oven to create the proper temperment. Our crews work throughout the country on the assembly and optimization of highly technical aluminum extrusion presses.

It’s a natural question: What gives Clarkson such a competitive edge when working on intricate aluminum extrusion press installations? After all, aluminum extrusion projects have been a mainstay at Clarkson for years.

Obviously, experience is a great teacher. The more a specialty is developed over the years, the more efficiency is improved. Crews know what to expect. Teamwork flows.

Clarkson Industrial using mobile lifts and rigging ingenuity to move this rear platen and main cylinder into place.

But one “micro-specialty” is Clarkson’s ingenuity in lifting and maneuvering equipment that can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. According to senior project manager Danny Lazurick, “one thing that sets Clarkson apart from the pack is our expertise in using mobile lifts with boom attachments, particularly in enclosed spaces where a traditional crane is of no value. It’s because our guys really know how to rig just about anything that projects tend to run on time and on budget … just like our motto.”

Looking for a crew with that kind of experience, ingenuity and professionalism? Use the mini-directory furnished here to get in touch with Clarkson!

Are you planning a millwright / rigging project in the coming months or during 2012? Now is an excellent time to consult with Clarkson to discuss how Value Engineering can reduce costs, increase productivity, improve quality and ensure total project safety. Working collaboratively with your engineering team well in advance of your project, we’ll analyze every aspect to determine the best approach and value to you. Contact us now to arrange a meeting.

Mark McCormick of Global Performance, winner of Clarkson's iPad Promotion.

Mark McCormick of Global Performance in North Charleston, SC, winner of the “Win An iPad 2 Giveaway.” Mark was met by Clarkson Industrial vice president of sales, Ron Kountz, at the Charleston Apple store to receive 2011′s hottest item in personal computing. The response to this promotion was terrific, so stay tuned to http://clarkson-inc.com for something new in a few months.

Clarkson Industrial is actively involved in developing the next level of professional managers within our company. Our Foreman In Training (FIT) program does just that.

Eight of Clarkson’s best and brightest graduated recently from our first-ever FIT program. Selected based on work ethic, positive attitude and eagerness to advance in their chosen profession, these men have come together one Sunday each month since the beginning of the year. These graduates will be paired with a mentor for a period of time and then eventually given their own crew to lead.

Clarkson Industrial congratulates the graduates of our first Foremen In Training program.

The Clarkson team congratulates: Justin Ashworth, Jeff Burgess, Jonathan Humphries, Scott Laws, Jon Shackleford, Aaron Suggs, Derek Toney and Marc Toney for their dedication.

For more information about our goals with Clarkson FIT program, we invite you to watch this short video.