Alchatek Blog

Alchemy-Spetec is pleased to announce that our VP of Sales and Business Development, Jim Spiegel, recently completed Tier 1 of ICRI's Concrete Repair Technician Program.  As the industry leaders in technical support for contractors, distributors, and engineers, we pride ourselves in a company culture that encourages ongoing technical training for employees and executives. 

More on the ICRI Concrete Repair Technician Certification Program from ICRI website...

This online certification program was developed based on industry demand and...outlines repair inspector qualifications for the inspection of concrete repairs, and designates an individual who has been certified as an ICRI Concrete Surface Repair Technician, as a qualified inspector.

The Concrete Surface Repair Technician Certification Program is a competency-based program using current best practices for online training and evaluation. The Educational component is presented and tested online while the Performance component is tested both online through a knowledge exam and assessed by observable criteria (video submission or live recorded).

Tier 1 only applicants are those who may not be regularly engaged in concrete surface repair inspection and testing, yet have an active interest in learning more about the inspection and tests, be introduced to types of concrete deterioration, understand the requirements for a quality concrete surface repair, be aware of repair materials and methods, and be qualified to perform pre and post-placement inspections and testing.

Learn more about the ICRI Concrete Repair Technician Certification Program...

Want more information on Alchemy-Spetec products?

Get ready for a thorough education in polyurethane slab lift/soil stabilization geotech products and applications on Thursday, October 10th (October 9th is leak seal day), 2019 at Alchemy-Spetec HQ in Tucker, GA. You’ll get hands-on training from a technical staff with decades of on-the-job experience. Registration includes both days, but we’ll take a close look at the geotech curriculum in today’s blog post…

The schedule on Thursday, October 10th includes education on the Alchemy-Spetec geotech product line, soil stabilization, slab lifting, the Deep Lift™ process, rig & mobile lifting systems, geotech accessories, soil testing (ground penetrating radar, penetrometer), pricing and estimating. There will also be live geotech demos, product mixing demos, and open discussions for sharing job related tips and solutions from the field.

Your instructors have years of experience providing technical support for contractors across the country. You can look forward to presentations, demos and/or discussions lead by Stephen C. Barton (President/CEO), Jim Spiegel (VP Sales & Business Development), Andy Powell (Southeastern Regional Manager), Anthony Sandone (Eastern Regional Manager), and Charlie Lerman (Western Regional Manager). 

Participants will receive a Samsung tablet loaded with leak seal training material.

Sign up while there's still space available...

Get ready for a thorough education in polyurethane leak seal products and applications on Wednesday, October 9th (October 10th is geotech day), 2019 at Alchemy-Spetec HQ in Tucker, GA. You’ll get hands-on training from a technical staff with decades of on-the-job experience. Registration includes both days, but we’ll take a close look at the leak seal curriculum in today’s blog post…

The schedule on Wednesday, October 9th includes presentations on the Alchemy-Spetec leak seal product line, crack injection, curtain grouting, permeation grouting, pumps & packers, leak seal accessories and municipal applications. There will also be live injection demos, product mixing demos, and open discussions for sharing job related tips and solutions from the field.

Your instructors have years of experience providing technical support for both contractors and distributors across the country. You can look forward to presentations, demos and/or discussions lead by Stephen C. Barton (President/CEO), Jim Spiegel (VP Sales & Business Development), Andy Powell (Southeastern Regional Manager), Anthony Sandone (Eastern Regional Manager), and Charlie Lerman (Western Regional Manager). 

Participants will receive a Samsung tablet loaded with leak seal training material.

Sign up while there's still space available...

As a member of the ICRI Board of Directors, I'm happy to share the following information about the upcoming ICRI Webinar: Specifying Concrete Repair.

Time and Date:
Wednesday, July 31, 2019
1-2 PM CDT / 2-3 PM EDT

This webinar will review issues that should be addressed when preparing a specification for concrete repair. ICRI developed an editable specification titled “Guide Specification for Structural Concrete Repairs” that can be used by design professionals. The webinar reviews the specification and discusses decisions that should be considered when developing a concrete repair specification.

Learning Objectives

1. Become familiar with ICRI Technical Guide No. 110.1, “Guide Specifications for Structural Concrete Repairs,” based on the CSI (Construction Specifications Institute) Masterformat.
2. Understand the breakdown of key information in the three parts of the specification: Part 1: General, Part 2: Products, and Part 3: Execution.
3. Understand the decisions made by the committee during the development of the specification. 
4. Be introduced to the decisions that will need to be made by the Design Professional when using the specification.
5. Learn the standard practices commonly used in the concrete repair industry, with options and commentary, and how to require them through specifications.

About the Presenter

Karl Rickert, PE, was born in Baltimore, Maryland and raised in Arnold, Maryland.  Thanks to familial connections, his father was a structural engineer. Karl obtained a job at Lamprecht Consultants, a structural engineering firm in Baltimore, where he worked during the summer after his junior year in high school until about 2 years after finishing college.

Between 1971 and 1975, Karl attended Drexel University, participated in their cooperative education program and became a student member of the American Society of Civil Engineers.  Following graduation with a BS in Civil Engineering, Karl spent the next 11 years gaining experience as a structural engineer through work at Lamprecht Consultants, Skarda & Rickert Structural Consultants, and Whitney, Bailey, Cox & Magnani.  In 1979, Karl became a registered professional engineer in the State of Maryland and is currently registered in eight states and the District of Columbia.  Karl completed an MS in structural engineering at George Washington University in 1984.

In 1986, Karl founded Rickert Engineering, Inc. and continues to serve as President of the firm.  Karl completed an MBA at Loyola College in Baltimore in 1994 and has maintained memberships in professional organizations including ACI, ACEC, AISC, ASCE, CSI, ICRI, and NSPE.  He has been an officer at the local level of several of these organizations and is currently active on committees (past-chair of Committee 110) at the national level of the International Concrete Repair Institute.  He is also currently serving on the Maryland Board of Professional Engineers.

Leak Seal & Geotech Products & Procedures

October 9th & 10th, 2019 at Alchemy-Spetec HQ in Tucker, GA

Get ready for a thorough education in Leak Seal, Slab Lifting, Soil Stabilization and the Alchemy-Spetec Deep Lift™ process. You’ll get hands-on training from a technical staff with decades of on-the-job experience.

Wednesday - Leak Seal

• Leak Seal Product Line Overview
• Curtain Grouting
• Permeation Grouting
• Leak-Seal Product Mixing
• Pump & Packer Overviews
• Leak-Seal Accessories
• Municipal Applications
• Live Injection Demos
• Open Discussions

Thursday - Geotech

• Geotech Product Line Overview
• Soil Stabilization
• Geotech Product Mixing
• Rig & Mobile System Overviews
• Geotechnical Accessories
• Slab Lifting Live Demo
• Deep Lift™ Overview
• Soil Testing with the
• GPR & Penetrometer
• Maintenance Discussions
• Pricing / Estimating / Cost Savings
• Open Discussions

Participants receive a Samsung tablet loaded with training material.

Your Instructors:

Stephen C. Barton (President/CEO), Jim Spiegel (VP Sales & Business Development), Andy Powell (Southeastern Regional Manager), Anthony Sandone (Eastern Regional Manager), Charlie Lerman (Western Regional Manager), and Michael Binyaminov (Western Sales Representative). 

Alchemy-Spetec is pleased to announce a customized version of the popular Estimate Rocket invoicing, client management and CRM tool for contractors.  The custom version includes material estimating calculators for Alchemy-Spetec geotech polyurethanes.  These calculators make it easy to figure out the amount of material you'll need for any given job.  Sign up now via this Alchemy-Spetec link to get the customized version!  (Visiting the Estimate Rocket site in any manner aside from the links we provide will get you the generic, non-customized version.)

Paperless Workflow

Creating impressive proposals has never been easier with Estimate Rocket’s easy-to-use business templates. Leave a lasting impression with professional paperless estimates and invoices you can create and deliver to clients in seconds. 

Job & Client Management

Keep your clients most important information organized and at your fingertips 24/7. The system automatically saves and organizes current and previous jobs, contact information, notes, and more.

Powerful CRM Tools

Stay connected with customer relationship management tools that keep you more responsive than ever before. Automated reminders and appointment scheduling let you know when to take action. Automated Follow-Ups stay in touch with your customers automatically.

Team Collaboration

Bring your entire team with an easy to use web-portal where crews can view appointments, field estimators can build estimates, and accountants can send out invoices.

Financial Reports

View up to the minute reports and know exactly where every job stands. Advanced reporting gives greater depth with detailed job statistics. Easily export to QuickBooks or other accounting software that imports CSV files.

Access on Any Device

Whether you’re on site with a customer or back in the office, you always have complete access to all features. Estimate Rocket works on Mac, PC, iOS, Android, Blackberry and any other web-enabled device.

AS Material Estimation Calculators

As mentioned previously, the Alchemy-Spetec customized version of Estimate Rocket features AS geotech material estimation calculators built in!

 

The Never-Ending Story

Over the last few years I have heard different versions of this story over and over again. It is usually shared at our weekly company-wide meeting. "So and so switched from the competition because they couldn't get the technical support they needed. A contractor I am working with had too many call-backs on his jobs because the foam from their previous supplier wasn't holding up after installation. My new customer said the equipment they bought from Company X is unreliable and frustrating to use." The list goes on.

Investment Brings Profit

The one thing all these new Alchemy-Spetec customers tend to have in common is that they started out trying to cut corners on material and equipment costs. They initially tried buying from the low price leaders in the industry, only to discover the hard way that you get what you pay for. Finally motivated to pay for quality, they are now enjoying maximum efficiency on the job with reliable equipment and durable high-strength polyurethane foam. Many new customers also express appreciation for the continued tech support and marketing assistance they recieve from Alchemy-Spetec. It's a big contrast from the "thanks for the check, we'll see ya' later" approach that many manufacturers have. The irony in all this is that the added value of top quality foam, equipment, tech support and marketing assistance more than makes up for the price difference. These new customers are turbo-charging their business with a new level of efficiency and productivity. It's actually fun to watch and gratifying to hear the feedback.

If you're one of those reformed bargain seekers checking out our site because you initially "got what you paid for", call us today at 404-618-0438 and let's discuss turbo-charging YOUR business!

Want more info on Alchemy-Spetec slab lifting products?

Pursuing the dream of starting your own polyurethane slab lifting business is a big leap. But it's not nearly so intimidating when you're armed with the right information. In this post I'll cover available slab lifting markets, marketing strategies for your lifting business, and estimating materials for a job.

Polyurethane Slab Lifting Markets

Residential Slab Jacking

The residential market offers tremendous opportunities for the slab lifting contractor. Obviously there are driveways, foundations, patios, pools, and porches. Don’t think residential only includes houses. There are countless opportunities in the apartment and condo sectors as well.

Commercial-Industrial Slab Jacking

Because scenarios for slab lifting are infinite in the non-residential category, we list commercial and industrial together. Concrete parking lots, showroom floors, industrial park walkways and an endless supply of huge warehouse floors are just the tip of the iceberg in this potentially lucrative market.

Slab Jacking for the Transportation Sector

Last but not least, there's the transportation sector. The world is covered with miles and miles of concrete roads, highways, bridge approach slabs, and railroad support slabs.  A large percentage of them have settled in one spot or another (and the rest are vulnerable to future settling). Read more in the post Identifying Common Markets for Slab Jacking with Polyurethane.

There will NEVER be enough slab lifting contractors out there to address ALL of these current and future slab lifting needs.  Your fortune awaits...(IF you know what you’re doing).

Marketing Your Slab Lifting Business

Maintaining A Well Designed, Search Engine Optimized Website

Professional design, photography and content will help you stay competitive and either depict you as a confident, articulate leader in your field or just the opposite (if it's not well designed). It is also imperative to make sure that your website is Search Engine Optimized. Designing a search friendly site for your industry niche and market location will make a world of difference in the amount of leads you capture via your online presence.

Attracting Leads with a Blog

Posting blog articles regularly allows you to cast a wide net with lots of SEO friendly post pages. It's also a great way to share your knowledge and build trust in the market as an industry expert. If you offer more value (such as an info-packed brochure) in exchange for contact info, you can increase your leads dramatically. Blogs are a gift that keeps on giving, because the posts stay up and attract new leads forever. Read all about this extremely effective marketing technique in our blog post How to Promote Your Contracting Business with a Blog.

Targeted Local Advertisements

Setting up a Google Ads account to target your market and placing ads in local publications are effective ways of getting the word out in your local market. If you’re aware of a specific problem occurring in your area, such as sinkholes, you can even highlight that issue in your advertising. Read more marketing tips in the post Marketing Your Slab Lifting Business.

Advertising on Contractor Referral Sites

Because you’re putting yourself in front of customers who are actively seeking your services, you can increase your marketing ROI compared to other methods such as cold calling, print advertising, etc. In addition, referred customers are typically less price sensitive than cold call prospects. Referral sites are also a great way to build your reputation by accumulating positive reviews from customers. Read more about this approach in our blog post How to Market Your Contracting Business with Referral Sites.

Exhibiting at Home Shows

Home shows are a great place to meet potential customers and even affiliate partners. Contractors tell us over and over again that home shows are a GREAT source for leads. Take a look at our blog post on marketing at home shows. 

Presenting at Professional Associations

Giving presentations at local chapters of professional associations is a great way to network, meet potential customers and lead sources. Look into organizations serving property maintenance professionals, building managers, property owners, real estate professionals, etc. Establish yourself as a local expert and people will come to you when they have slab settlement problems. 

Estimating Materials for Jobs

Material Calculation

Through a combination of easy calculations, product information, and some site considerations, you should be able to estimate your slab lifting materials without too much trouble. Fortunately, Alchemy-Spetec has a simple estimating app that allows you to calculate the lifting material you'll need in a few easy steps. Read the blog post on our estimating app for more info.

Specific Considerations

Beyond the geometry required to estimate lifting the slab, you must take into account some job specific considerations. This is where it becomes critical to qualify the volume of material included in your proposal. And just as important, this is where you need to make sure you have included enough so you get the job done right and don’t have to go back to the customer asking for more money. Sometimes that’s unavoidable if you encounter surprises; but by keeping a few considerations in mind this can often be avoided. For help on specific considerations, contact your tech support rep at 404-618-0438 today.

Include Contingency Material

Typically for a lifting job without other considerations besides the lifting volume, we recommend adding an additional 10- 15% onto your material estimate to cover yourself. Just make sure you do a thorough evaluation of the conditions and possibilities so you don’t underestimate the job and have to go back to the property owner with your hand out. Read more in the post Estimating Materials for Slab Jacking.

Want more information on slab lifting?

 

As the Marketing Director at Alchemy-Spetec, one of the most common questions I get from contractors is how to get leads for jobs.  Since it’s in OUR interest for YOU to get as many leads as possible, we’ve put a lot of thought into that question.  In addition to the technical tips we share in the majority of our blog posts, we try to include business and marketing tips on occasion in order to help you find those leads.  This article is about a marketing method that we’ve found extremely helpful – blogging.  We know it works from our own experience and in this post, I’ll explain how you can promote your contracting business with a blog. 

Cast a Wide Net with Lots of Posts

The more pages you have on your website, the more chances there are for someone to find it when searching a specific phrase or term.  Search engines are scanning your page names, heading text and page text when someone searches a term to see if there are any matches.  So, it’s in your best interest to have as many pages full of relevant content as you can.  A blog is the perfect way to accomplish that goal. 

Say, for example, that you are a slab lifting contractor in San Pedro, California.  You can write up case studies of jobs you’ve performed in your area.  Make sure your blog titles include terms people will likely search for.  For example, a post about a warehouse floor job could be titled, “Warehouse Floor Slab Lift in San Pedro”.   You get the idea, right? 

Share Your Knowledge and Build Trust 

You can also use a blog as way to share your knowledge and experience with potential customers who are looking for answers.  Take some time to consider all that you’ve learned over the years and jot down ideas for blog posts that potential customers may find helpful.  In addition to case studies, you can write posts instructing people how to spot problems on their property, comparing your repair costs to the costs of replacing a structure, educating people about the materials you use, etc. 

You can get quite a few ideas by browsing the posts in our blog.  While our articles are aimed more at contractors than property owners, you’ll still find many useful subjects to get your brainstorming started.  The more useful knowledge you share, the more trust you can build with potential customers.  People are much more likely to buy a service from a known expert, than from a complete stranger. 

Offer More Value in Exchange for Contact Info 

Driving up web traffic is a good thing.  Establishing yourself as an authority by creating useful content is also very helpful.  If you just do those two things, you should get more people calling you and filling out the contact form on your website.  But if you REALLY want to jumpstart the leads, you need to offer something of value in exchange for your reader’s contact info.  At the end of every article, include a link to a relevant brochure – or something else of value – and ask for their contact info in exchange.   For an example, see the button at the bottom of this blog post and the form that it leads to. 

The Gift That Keeps on Giving 

The great thing about a blog post with a lead capture form at the end is that, once you set it up – it’s there forever.  We still get leads from blog posts we put up years ago.  If you consistently write articles, you can create a compounding effect with more and more leads coming in each month. 

Want more contractor marketing tips?