Sometimes lifting concrete slabs with polyurethane is about more than just making something structurally sound and level again.  In every town there are buildings sitting empty because the floors are not in sufficient shape for use by a business.   Imagine the service a concrete leveling contractor can provide by bringing slabs back into tolerance and allowing an empty space to become a revenue stream for the building owner.  This is what our contractor in Omaha Nebraska,The Rite Touch, did recently.

In downtown Omaha there are a lot of historic buildings.  Located on the site of the old stockyards, there is a building constructed in 1911 that had been used as a parts depot for many years; including parts for World War II era Jeeps.  Some of those are still there.  The owners of the building have converted some of it into a commercial laundry equipment distribution facility, but there was a section with sagging floors that really couldn’t be used effectively.

Some research on the internet led them to our customer in Omaha, The Rite Touch.  They have been doing concrete lifting and leveling for a few years now (in addition to spray foam and polyurea flooring systems).  This particular lift was a little tricky because the concrete literally had a belly, or sag, down the center.  The owner’s idea was to create an office space with partitions / cubicles for small businesses.  However, the current floor condition would have everyone’s office chair rolling to the center of the building.   Not good!  How would the floor react as they tried to bring it up a couple of inches?  I was onsite as a consultant to help them find out!

We gave ourselves a reward to shoot for if the lift was successful; a big slab of Omaha prime rib.  With that as a motivation we got to work slowly working our way across the floor and back.  Using zip levels, dial indicators, and instinct developed from other jobs, we slowly brought the old floor back into tolerance.  The product we selected for this project was AP Lift 430 and it worked beautifully.  The new MixMaster Pro injection gun performed as advertised and allowed for an efficient installation of the poly foam.  Although we had to drill multiple holes for the targeted injections, we only used three total injection ports.

Now the final touches are being added to this soon-to-be office space.  The owners will have multiple tenants paying rent and a once unusable space as a revenue generating property.  If you’re a property owner with a similar issue, call us to get hooked up with a contractor who can help.  If you’re a contractor, keep your eyes peeled for similar opportunities.  They are all over the place.  Now, about that prime rib….

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Manufacturing Representative (Metro DC area, Virginia, Maryland)

Do You Know Someone Who Would Be Perfect for This Position?

Apply online by following this link:  Alchemy-Spetec Manufacturing Representative Application

Please note, this is an independent contractor position; the selected candidate will not be an employee of Alchemy-Spetec.

Alchemy-Spetec is an equal opportunity employer.

Southeastern Regional Sales Manager (Florida)

Do You Know Someone Who Would Be Perfect for This Position?

Alchemy-Spetec is seeking a talented, results driven Southeastern Regional Sales Manager with an entrepreneurial spirit to join our high-growth organization. Although our office is located in Tucker GA, the position will be based in Florida.

We are a well established company looking to hire a sales superhero. 

Job Requirements

• Travel in-state (meetings with prospects, specifying engineers and contractor customers) and nationally (trade-shows 1-3 times per year) required
• Excellent communication skills – written, oral, and interpersonal (including public speaking to varied audiences)
• Ability to build and maintain highly effective internal and external relationships
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and self-directed

Major Job Responsibilities

• Find contractors and develop them to become high value customers.
• Find new specifying engineers to write specifications around our product.
• Find projects for contractor customers to perform with our products.
• Enter all contacts, history, opportunities, and follow-ups into CRM database.

Apply online by following this link:  Alchemy-Spetec Southeastern Regional Sales Manager Application

Alchemy-Spetec is an equal opportunity employer.

Please join us in welcoming Anthony Sandone and Thad Brown to the Alchemy-Spetec team. They have joined the newly merged company to further develop our growing portfolio of regional and national accounts.

Anthony Sandone comes to Alchemy-Spetec with 21 years of experience in the construction technologies field. Most recently, Sandone worked as the East Coast Regional Manager (ECRM), for ResiPlast. There, he effectively led outreach efforts that included presentations, training seminars, and marketing material creation to train potential clients and secure accounts. This background will help Sandone make an easy transition into the current position of East Coast Regional Manager for Alchemy-Spetec. Sandone also joins our Tucker office remotely by way of Pennsylvania.  In his spare time, Anthony is an avid sports fanatic with his children being heavily involved in basketball and soccer.

Thad Brown comes with a wealth of experience in the industry, having spent the last 27 years at Sika Corporation. At Sika, Thad was instrumental in acquiring numerous large accounts. Brown joins Alchemy-Spetec as the West Coast Regional Manager (WCRM). Brown's wealth of industry knowledge from his 39+ year career will make him a great addition to the team. Brown remotely joins our Tucker office by way of California. In his spare time, Thad is a current member of the Washington Glass Association (WGA) and has for the past 30 years participated in the association’s annual golf tournaments.

We view these placements as a sign of our dedication and commitment to our customers.

Have any questions for Anthony or Thad?

As I mentioned in this recent blog post, Alchemy Polymers and ResiplastUS have joined forces to become Alchemy-Spetec. We think you'll find this a positive development, as ResiplastUS has been widely known for their extensive line of polyurethane and acrylic leak seal/water stop products.

Have any further questions about the merger?

So you’re a contractor with an amazing business model and have superior results under your belt. Whether your focus is in soil stabilization, leak seal, or slab lifting, it’s a known fact that growing your contracting business is hard work. As a technical consultant, I am aware that many contractors focus so much time on generating new leads that they may overlook another great source of new revenue: re-engaging past customers.

In case you didn’t know, it costs about 5 times more money to attract a new customer than to sell to an existing customer. I’m speaking to your pockets aren’t I? And it's 50% easier to sell to an existing customer than to a new customer. It has also been said that 80% of most business revenue comes from just 20% of its existing customers. (Source: Forbes Magazine's "Five Customer Retention Tips for Entrepreneurs".)

Here's a list of customer types who are likely to provide repeat business...

• Large scale commercial property owners
• Large scale residential owners
• Chain stores
• City education department's/districts
• Municipalities/govt agencies

If you put your mind to it, I'm sure you can think of a few more. You can also reach out to individual residental and small business customers ocassionally.

Customer Retention Tips

Remember, customers do not owe you their loyalty, it has to be earned. You may be the most qualified and diversified contractor in the area, but if you want to get that repeat business you have to implement a retention program. Here are a few suggestions...

Create an email newsletter. Send out tips and advice that your customer base may find helpful. You can also include case studies or success stories from recent jobs. Holiday greetings are always good as well. Throw in a promotion or discounted service offer every now and then, but make sure your communications are always primarily focused on useful content.

Gifts, holiday cards and birthday cards are a nice way to express customer appreciation. Mailing them items like this will help you stand out from the crowd a bit, as more and more people are moving towards a "digital only" approach.

Take a moment on a regular basis to check up on your past customers' social media accounts. Like, favorite and share anything you find relevant or interesting. This is just another way to remind them that you're interested in how they're doing and that you're available, should they need any further assistance.

Anyways, you get the idea. Take some time to brainstorm and I bet you'll come up with some unique approaches of your own. If you're too busy to do this kind of stuff, hire a part-time assistant. The jobs you get as a result of these activities may pay for the assistant, and then some. Give it a shot and find out.

In the previous post, I discussed creating an effective personal LinkedIn profile for contractors. In this post, I'll discuss creating a contractor company page on LinkedIn. (Please note that you have to create a personal profile on LinkedIn before you create a company page). 

LinkedIn company pages help to build brand awareness by promoting your business and services to customers and industry professionals.

Creating the Page

1. While logged into your personal LinkedIn profile, move your pointer over Interests at the top of your home screen and select Companies
2. Click Create in the Create a Company Page box on the right side of the screen.
3. Enter your company's official name and your email address.
4. Click Continue and then proceed to enter your company information.
   • This is the space to complete an overview and detailed description of your company. Mention key services and include a few points about what makes your company unique.
   • Be sure to keep your description concise and use words that your customers may search for.

Insert a Logo and Banner

A LinkedIn company page is essentially an extension of your brand. A banner and logo will bring your page to life. It also shows on employee profiles. (Be sure to have any employees add the company page on their personal profiles for greater reach.)

Next, you want to create an attention grabbing banner to feature a key message. Next, create an eye-catching background image and feature key messaging on your page.

Company Updates

Updates are basically what you share with your connections (similar to a "post" on Facebook).

Posting tailored content consistently is the most effective way to engage your target audience.

Your main objective is to engage rather than to simply advertise. Share thought leadership pieces, advice and helpful tips related to your contracting niche, etc. Include media such as videos, presentations, images, and even info graphics to keep things exciting. Your goal is to help your target audience instead of simply making sales pitches.

LinkedIn’s activity level is not the same as other more active social platforms. Don’t overload your followers’ feeds with constant updates. Stick to one post per day or three per week. The best times to post are early in the morning or late in the workday.

Showcase Pages

LinkedIn showcase pages are essentially an extension of your company page and can be used to highlight and differentiate services. This allows users to follow certain pages for specific topics or services of interest. More relevant content in their news feeds leads to higher engagement rates.

Promotion and Engagement

Your employees are your biggest advocates and also the best place to start building up your company page followers. Encourage your employees to create LinkedIn profiles and add the company. They will start receiving company updates to like, share and comment on, which in turn extends your reach.

Promote your company page by linking it to your emails, newsletters, and blogs. Add a button to your website to make it easy for visitors to click and follow. Send an email to existing contacts and encourage them to follow your company page. Use your other social channels to cross-promote your page such as FaceBook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Conclusion

Many contractors are not using company pages to their full extent. Unlike FaceBook, this channel isn’t crowded yet. LinkedIn company pages are slated to grow significantly, and if your target audience is there you must create and expand your company presence. Be sure you follow the Alchemy Polymers company page for regular updates! 

Your LinkedIn profile is your personal branding page. LinkedIn can be an important part of your strategy for finding new contacts and customers in your industry. Often the first thing people see before they even click your profile is your name, photo and headline. Always use a professional quality photo. Do not skip the photo or you'll lose some credibility.

Headline

LinkedIn allots 120 characters for your headline. Do not just name your position. Add in what you offer, for example "President at ACME Foundations: Concrete Leveling and Soil Stabilization". 

Summary

In this space, LinkedIn allots 2,000 characters to summarize your work and accomplishments. This is key area in which LinkedIn looks for specific keywords to bring your profile into search results. This is the best place to use terms and information that potential customers may be looking for.

This is also the space to place media. This can include job photos, YouTube videos, blogs, and articles quoting you, presentations, and even a screenshot of a testimonial page.

Experience

Here you have the option of importing your resume. Do more than just that, take advantage of adding a media piece or two. Potential customers are more likely to look a little longer and that may lead to more business prospects.

Recommendations

If at all possible, try to get at least two recommendations from people influential in your industry or people who have hired you for jobs. Be sure to give them talking points that point out your strengths and character.

Endorsements

Endorsements are basically people attesting to the skills you have listed on your profile. List these skills with the most relevant at the top and the least relevant at the bottom. To build up those endorsements, you could endorse others and hope they endorse back (or email associates to specifically endorse you for a certain skill).

Connections

Build up as many LinkedIn connections as possible. This maximizes your profile visibility. Connect to all the people you know, such as friends, family, alumni, colleagues, customers and experts in your particular industry.

Contact Information

For this section, a simple email would suffice. That way, you are always within reach and there isn’t a chance that you are missing out on an important business opportunity.

URL

A URL is a web address. You can customize your LinkedIn account address to contain your first and last name. If your name's already taken, you can add a middle initial or a number to the end, etc.

Updates

Similar to a Facebook "post" or a "tweet" on Twitter, updates are basically what you share with your connections. This is the one of the most important aspects of your LinkedIn profile. It is the perfect way to engage your contacts on a daily basis and stay visible. It is a way to update your status with industry news and new accomplishments.

Conclusion

With this guide you should be able to attract the audience you want and strategically use LinkedIn to your advantage. Last but not least, make sure you follow the Alchemy Polymers company page! Look out for the next blog post in which we'll guide you through creating a company page for your business. 

Want more info on marketing your contracting business?

Many of the contractors I’ve worked with over the years have had to give a presentation at one time or another. In some cases they need to make a pitch to a potential client (for example at municipality or state agency contract meetings). In other cases they have the opportunity to market their services by giving presentations at trade shows, “lunch and learn” seminars, webinars, home owner association meetings, professional association events, etc.

Presentation opportunities can sometimes arise on short notice. This is why you can benefit from creating presentations ahead of time. If you’d like, you can ask our marketing team to critique your presentation. You can also inquire about getting a member of our sales team to co-present when an opportunity does come along.

Incorporate the following tips to create a powerful presentation for your contracting business. Some of these suggestions may seem contrary to everyday conventional practice, but who wants a run of the mill presentation? We’ve tested this approach time and time again, with consistent positive results. It will be worth your while to at least give it a shot.

Less Words

As a detail oriented professional, you may be inclined to pack your presentation slides with lots of text in order to get all your important points across. This is not the most effective way to give a presentation. It can lead to information overload and a drowsy, impatient audience. When creating a presentation, you want to condense the information and only include text that is absolutely essential.

Powerful Images

Now that you have seriously scaled back your text use, the next step is to make the presentation livelier. The audience needs to be actively engaged rather than bombarded with data. If you associate a powerful image with each essential point, the audience is better able to visualize and remember the concept.

Engaging Stories

Once you have simplified your text and added visually striking images, you can add extra punch by incorporating stories to get your points across. As a contractor you probably have many stories from the trenches. Telling a story is a surefire way to make sure a message sticks.

White Paper Instead of Note-Taking

One thing that dilutes the impact of even the most powerful presentations is audience note-taking. This habit guarantees that half their time is spent looking down at their desk rather than paying attention to you. That’s why it’s helpful to prepare a whitepaper (basically a multi-page essay with any essential graphics) that summarizes all the key points from your presentation. Inform the audience up front that there is no need to take notes, as they will receive a written summary afterwards. Explain to them that they’ll get a lot more out of the presentation if they provide their full attention.

Conclusion

Since I believe in giving credit where credit is due, I'd like to acknowlede that most of these ideas came from the book Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery by Garr Reynolds.

For more tips on how to create a powerful presentation for your contracting business, or to inquire about co-presenting with one of our specialists, give us a call at 404-618-0438.

Want more ideas for marketing your contracting business?

Aging sewer and storm water systems across the country are plagued by infiltration and inflow; especially in areas with high water tables and sandy soils. Over time, compacted soils around catch basins, manholes, and culverts relax and result in deflection of joints and pipe connections. The end result is infiltration of ground water into the storm and waste water systems. This infiltration erodes the soils surrounding below grade drainage structures resulting in sinkholes, settling roadways, and property damage; not to mention the extra cost of treating that uninvited ground water.

The solution is a combination of sealing leaking joints both from within the drainage structures and through point grouting from street level. Expansive polyurethanes such as AP Seal 500 and AP Fill 700 produced by Alchemy-Spetec can be injected directly into pipe and manhole connections where they react with infiltrating water and expand to seal off leaking joints. Additional point grouting from street level fills voids and permeates loose soils. This relieves hydrostatic pressure from the structures and strengthens the ground to support the above roadways and sidewalks.

For below grade structures that a man can safely enter, direct polyurethane injection is the best option. Holes can be drilled directly into the joints or leaking cracks, injection ports are then installed, and AP Seal 500 is directly injected to permanently seal active leaks.

If interior access is limited, point grouting technique can be implemented. This involved driving pipes into the vicinity of the active leaks on the outside of the structures and injecting AP Fill 700.
 

If you would like to discuss either of these products or procedures, please call us at 404-618-0438.

Want more info on infrastructure leak seal and void fill?