Alchatek Blog

This article is an excerpt from Episode 12 of Alchemy-Spetec's podcast The Injection Connection, featuring Outside Sales Representative at All-Tex Supply, Inc. Josh Van Hook. Josh has over 18 years of experience as a distributor in Austin, TX and one of his passions has been chemical grouts. (If you'd rather view or listen, an audio/visual version of this excerpt is posted at the bottom of the article.)

Charlie Lerman: Going back through 18 years, what are a couple of unique, interesting jobs that pop up in your mind, specific grout jobs?

Josh Van Hook: There are quite a few. One of the first ones that I was on, this was probably 15 years ago, where I actually went to the site with one of my old bosses at that point in time - it was an elevator pit and the shaft was leaking. This was the first time I'd ever been on to a job site down in that capacity.  I sat there in the corner and just watched as they lowered the smallest guy on the crew down into a manhole or up to the elevator shaft, with a tube of grout and he started injecting. Obviously, that one sticks out just because it was one of the first ones I was on.

Charlie: Was that right next to a quarry?

Josh: That was, yep. I believe you were out there.

Charlie: We were on that together! Holy cow! I totally forgot about that job.

Josh: Like I said, for some reason after all these years, that's the one that sticks out the most. And then, there are some pretty neat ones down in San Antonio. There was a botanical garden job that we were on and we got to go out there on a regular basis. And it's just neat seeing some of that stuff and then also watching the contractors work. Some of those guys are like artists in how they do that kind of stuff.

Charlie: There are some people that are just really incredible and almost to the prima donna point where they've got to have everything set up perfectly. But yeah, they can massage the grout and do some special things out there. That one at the elevator pit, they were lowering a guy down into the shaft. There were only like 36 inches and it was filling up with water. He had like five minutes of work and then we had to pull him up. We'd get the pipe down there, drain it. It just kept going back and forth.

Josh: Yeah, and I was still green at that point. I’m sitting in the back corner just wondering to myself, what did I get myself into? And here we are, still doing it.

View the video version of this excerpt...

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This article is an excerpt from Episode 12 of Alchemy-Spetec's podcast The Injection Connection, featuring Outside Sales Representative at All-Tex Supply, Inc. Josh Van Hook. Josh has over 18 years of experience as a distributor in Austin, TX and one of his passions has been chemical grouts. (If you'd rather view or listen, an audio/visual version of this excerpt is posted at the bottom of the article.)

Charlie Lerman: One of the things I’d like to say - and I hope you can add on to this because it's right there in the Austin area - is there's a standard kind of tick you'll find from distribution that people just come in, pick up a couple of pails a month or something like that. But then, we have these what I like to call “grout nirvana” jobs that just all sudden pop up. They're typically no bid. I think within the last couple of years, we had (without really going to the contractor's name or the job specifically) a close to $50, 000 just on the grout material side job that came up within a few days there, right?

Josh Van Hook: Yeah, obviously the grouting world is very up and down due to the weather pattern, too. And so, we'll go for a stretch without selling anything really big. Then all of a sudden, you'll have something break loose and you'll have a bunch of rain or you'll have the weather change. And all of a sudden, it’s nothing to sell 25, 50, $75 000 worth of grout on any given job just because they've got to have it.

Charlie: Those things get kind of hard to forecast both on the manufacturer side and on the distributor side because you look at, you’re like, well, how much we're going to do with Alchemy-Spetec this year? And you're like, well, last year, we did this but it's up and down because you hit those job specifics.

Josh: Correct. And with the grouts, you just don't know what you're going to get. We go into corporate meetings and talk about forecasting and whatnot. Over the years, I’ve learned that you really can't forecast your chemical grout sales for the year just because no one knows how far a bucket of grout's going to go. One bucket could do a whole job or one bucket could turn into 100 buckets. You have no idea until you get in there.

View the video version of this excerpt...

Want some information on Alchemy-Spetec products?

This article is an excerpt from Episode 12 of Alchemy-Spetec's podcast The Injection Connection, featuring Outside Sales Representative at All-Tex Supply, Inc. Josh Van Hook. Josh has over 18 years of experience as a distributor in Austin, TX and one of his passions has been chemical grouts. (If you'd rather view or listen, an audio/visual version of this excerpt is posted at the bottom of the article.)

Charlie Lerman: What are some of the common mistakes you see the contractors make with chemical grouting?

Josh Van Hook: A lot of times they just don't know, and they're afraid to ask the questions, or they think they know. Because everybody can read a piece of paper on the website and figure out, okay, this is what I need to use, this is how you do it, this is the right product. And then, without thinking about it, they'll just go out and start doing it - whereas they should have probably gotten the rep involved, a specialist, to come out there. Every job's a little bit different and that's probably the major problem that I see out there.

Charlie: Yeah, and that ties back into the fact that the product has to be available. So, you guys stock the product, which is wonderful. But it doesn't matter if you're loyal to a certain brand of chemical grout, if you need it that day, if it's not there, then that doesn't help you. But then, the second part is, like you said, getting that tech help and having somebody. Because it's not rocket science, I mean, we're not geniuses here but we have experience and this isn't intuitive. So, we can help people get through that and understand.

Josh: Yeah, because most people nowadays, especially on my side of things, there are not a whole lot of people who know the chemical grout world and the people that do are starting to become fewer and fewer. So, from the supplier standpoint, having somebody who knows enough to get somebody started or get them headed in the right direction, that's a big plus.

View the video version of this excerpt...

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As mentioned in this previous blog post, AP Pump Saver 195 can be used to lubricate and protect single-component pumps. Now we’ll look at how it can be used in two-component pumps to reduce isocyanate contamination in the lube reservoir.

Recent field tests have proven that AP Pump Saver 195 rejuvenates and restores seals on the A-side of two-component proportioners. Seal deterioration is the main cause of isocyanate leaking into your pump lube reservoir. Healthy seals will stop this contamination. Simply empty your pump lube reservoir and replace the lube or DOP with AP Pump Saver 195.

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On Episode 12 of The Injection Connection, host Charlie Lerman welcomes Outside Sales Representative at All-Tex Supply, Inc. Josh Van Hook. Josh has over 18 years of experience as a distributor in Austin, TX and one of his passions has been chemical grouts.

Watch the episode in its entirety below, or check it out on TheInjectionConnection.com and the following platforms:

• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• SoundCloud
• Google Podcasts
• YouTube

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A Polyurethane Grout Manufacturer That Cares About Your Contracting Business

As stated in our recent blog post, A Competitive Edge for Contractors...

At Alchemy-Spetec, the success of your business is our top priority. You gain a significant competitive edge over your competition with access to the widest selection of premium materials and equipment, plus rock-solid reliable technical and marketing support. Our entire company culture is built around ensuring your success in this industry.

Marketing Support for Polyurethane Repair Contractors

In this post, we'll take a look at an example of Alchemy-Spetec marketing support for a dedicated customer.  Prairie Poly Solutions offers slab lifting, void filling, and crack sealing services to the Alberta and Saskatchewan areas in midwestern Canada.  When looking for a fully stocked professional rig, they came to Alchemy-Spetec. According to owner Gary Papp, "We were looking for a full-service material provider.  An organization that not only offered the highest quality polyurethane concrete repair products but top-of-the-line equipment and tech support. We found that in Alchemy-Spetec, and then we were pleasantly surprised to discover their substantial marketing support as well."

When Gary requested assistance with the vehicle wrap design for the rig he purchased from us, we were more than happy to help. Gary worked closely with the Alchemy-Spetec marketing department to communicate what he was looking for in a design. Multiple drafts were created and gradually refined until Prairie Poly Solutions had the exact look they needed. A local vehicle wrap specialist in Canada used the files to create and apply the actual wrap to the rig.  Here are a few more photos...

• Addition of contractor logo and contact to pre-made brochure PDF files. (And a referral to an online printing service for easy ordering of print versions.)
• Addition of contractor logo and contact info to existing videos and animations.
• General advice on internet advertising, blogging for leads, web design, keywords, etc. (And referrals to expert providers.)

Want to learn more about marketing your contracting business?

A New 3.5 lb Concrete Leveling Foam

AP Lift 435 is a two component, high strength, high density, hydro insensitive structural polyurethane foam. Unconfined density is approximately 3.5 lbs/cubic foot (56 kg/cubic meter).  AP Lift 435 is ideal for concrete leveling, soil stabilization, compaction grouting, and similar types of concrete slab foundation repair.

Advantages

• Traffic ready in 15 minutes.
• High strength.
• Works in wet environments - displaces water.
• Bonds with soil and concrete.
• Closed cell.

Field of Application

• Lifting concrete slabs.
• Stabilizing soil.
• Fracture grouting.
• Deep Lift™

Packaging

• 10 Gallon Unit - Item #: 435-10
• 100 Gallon Unit - Item #: 435-100
• 500 Gallon Unit - Item #: 435-500

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Editor's Note: An earlier version of this article was published under the title Develop Your Competitive Edge. 

In today's fast-paced infrastructure repair market, you need every advantage you can get. At Alchemy-Spetec, the success of your business is our top priority. You gain a significant competitive edge over your competition with access to the widest selection of premium materials and equipment, plus rock-solid reliable technical and marketing support. Our entire company culture is built around ensuring your success in this industry.

Polyurethane – Quality and Selection

Alchemy-Spetec offers one of the most technologically advanced grout product lines currently on the market, We offer a wide variety of leak seal materials, including injection resins for sealing water leaks in cracks, curtain grouting foams for sealing challenging/gushing leaks, acrylic injection resins that penetrate thin cracks and saturate soil, epoxy resins for structural repair and preventative waterstop products. We also offer a wide variety of geotech materials, including slab lifting foams, deep-soil lifting foams, soil stabilization foams,. The superior quality of these materials guarantees fewer callbacks from your customers. Many of these products are also certified for contact with potable water, making them safer for the environment.

Equipment and Accessories Selection

We’re a one-stop-shop for all things polyurethane concrete repair, with one of the most versatile equipment and accessory product lines in the industry. Once you’ve picked out the product that best fits your needs, we can provide it all: pumps, hoses, packers/ports, and specialty accessories.

Tech Support – Experience and Dedication

Do you need technical support? You’re in luck—we’re home to the industry’s premier technical support squad. Averaging decades of experience, we also pride ourselves on being incredibly responsive. For example, our team was once called on to assist with a large metro project in the Western United States. The customer informed us at 4 pm on Monday evening that assistance was needed at 9 am the very next day! Our Technical Services Director, Vice President, and Western Regional Sales Manager traveled to the site Monday evening to help diagnose the location of the leaks and develop an action plan. Our Technical Services Manager remained on site for two more days to ensure that the project was successful. Depending on the size and scope of the project, response time and participating team members may vary, but this story serves to illustrate the lengths we will go to assist customers.

Training and Education

We offer the industry's most thorough training and education for both leak seal and geotech polyurethane infrastructure repair. This includes job site training/consulting, online educational content, and training workshops at distributor locations - not to mention one of the most educational blogs in the industry.

Marketing Support

Our marketing department provides qualified customers with product application illustrations and photos for use on websites, customized brochure PDFs for printing, and truck signage graphics. We also offer the use of our educational videos and animations. Lastly, we’re available for guidance on everything from online lead capture strategies to internet advertising, and more.

We’re Committed to Your Success

The overriding theme here is our commitment to your success. Obviously, this is not totally altruistic in nature.  The more successful you are, the more materials and equipment you buy.  But it is 100% genuine.  Our entire team understands the relationship between YOUR success and OUR success.  This point of view is thoroughly ingrained in our company culture.

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Alchemy-Spetec is happy to welcome Daryl Miller as Operations Manager at the Tucker, GA manufacturing facility.

Before joining Alchemy-Spetec, Daryl spent over 25 years in manufacturing leadership roles in the areas of operations, logistics, and EHS management. He led plastic extrusion and injection molding operations as operations manager at Cleveland Tubing, Inc., in Cleveland, TN. Daryl was responsible for planning, logistics, and transportation management at Jindal Films, a plastic film extrusion company in LaGrange, GA. He was the plant superintendent for liquid and powder polyester production at Bayer MaterialScience in Columbus, GA. Daryl was also the warehouse, logistics, quality, and compliance manager for Knauf Insulation in Lanett, AL. He was the EHS manager for Johns Manville’s Industrial Insulation Group in Phenix City, AL, and operations manager for the Hyundai-Glovis vehicle processing facility in West Point, GA. Most recently he served as the logistics manager for RK Mission Critical in Aurora, CO, managing inventory, kitting, assembly, and installation operations of modular data centers for military and IT applications.

Daryl takes a hands-on, systematic approach to leadership, using Six Sigma methodologies to identify opportunities for improvement and Lean methods to optimize operations. Major projects he has led include the construction of and transfer of operations to a 65,000 square foot manufacturing facility, overseeing the implementation of M2M, SAP, and Global Shop ERP systems at three companies, developing OSHA and EPA compliant health, safety, and environmental systems for four operations, and overseeing line and new equipment start-up at multiple companies.

His strengths include developing and training high-performing teams, technical and professional writing, strategic planning, budgeting, production scheduling, warehouse and inventory management, and transportation planning. He received his bachelor’s degree from Northern Kentucky University with technical writing and life sciences as his major fields of study. He has been licensed as an OSHA outreach trainer and HAZMAT technician by the Georgia Tech Professional Education program, and currently holds certifications in the transport of hazardous materials and waste.

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Rigs & Pumps for Polyurethane Slab Lifting

Entry-Level Rig

This rig features a hydraulic PH-2 proportioner. It's in a 16' v-nose trailer and has a gas powered air compressor and generator. We have many contractors with this set up doing everything from residential to D.O.T work.

Mid-Level Rig

This rig can either be a 18' or 20' trailer that happens to be built around the PH-2 proportioner. This setup is made for the contractor who wants stellar results in an affordable price range. This package boasts a 22 KW diesel powered generator and an electric air compressor.

Advanced Level Rig

This rig is similar to the mid-level rig with a larger PH-40 proportioner. These rigs come in 20'-plus size trailers and box trucks. They and are powered by 35 KW Stateline Diesel (John Deere) generator sets and also include electric air compressors. This setup is ideal for larger jobs.

PolyBadger Mobile Lifting Unit

The PolyBadger lifting system is tough and compact. This system is an affordable entry-level option for new contractors, as well as an extremely portable addition to the experienced contractor’s arsenal. The PolyBadger is a lot less expensive than your standard 20 foot trailer rig. The set up is simple and requires minimal equipment. The entire system can easily fit in the back of a pickup truck!

Polyurethane Soil Stabilization & Seawall Repair Pumps

PolyShark Pump for Larger Jobs

Single-Component Geotech Pump Skid
The PolyShark system is a custom pump skid for installation of single-component polyurethane geotech resins. This world-class skid set up is essential for large scale seawall repair, soil stabilization, and void fill projects. The PolyShark includes a gas-powered high-pressure injection pump, two hose reels, and flow meters.

Gas-Powered High-Pressure Injection Pump
A step up for projects that require greater power and output, this custom modified pump is our best-selling gas over hydraulic piston machine, favored by contractors who want to complete large application jobs in record time with high profit margins. The hydraulic ram fluid section is moved front and center in the configuration for easier maintenance and control.

High-Pressure Hose Reels with Stainless Steel Ball Bearings
High-pressure design guarantees durability when used with the high-pressure single-component pump. The construction is completely corrosion resistant and the stainless steel ball bearings, hardware, and manifolds are stronger than the aluminum parts on standard hose reels. The ball bearing-driven hose reels operate smoothly because they contain no bushings. (Bushings easily wear out.)

Flow Meters
Two high-pressure flow meters are capable of recording the exact amount of product pushed through the hose lines. This allows for precision material-use tracking.

Titan 440 Pump for Smaller Jobs

Pumps like the modified Titan IMPACT 440 electric injection pump are ideally suited for residential, property maintenance and small commercial applications.

MixMaster Pro Slab Lifting Gun

The MixMaster Pro was designed based on years of feedback from slab lifting contractors working in the field. Every known point of frustration and difficulty has been addressed in this sturdy, single-purpose gun. Further benefits include a lower cost of consumables (you can reuse ports with this gun), beefy check valves designed to handle the back pressure, and a short 10-minute breakdown/cleaning session at the end of each day. Not to mention the fact that this gun is a production BEAST - no leaky port connections, no fumbling with clamps. Watch your man hours on each project shrink accordingly. Did we mention you’ll have less replacement part orders? There are only a few inexpensive replacement parts on this gun - PERIOD.

Want more information on geotech equipment and products?