Alchatek Blog

Last year in Florida alone, I gave over 30 lunch and learn presentations on the subject of polyurethane as a method of filling voids and stabilizing soil behind bulkheads and seawalls.  These presentations were done at various engineering firms from the panhandle down to Miami.  Besides serving as an opportunity to feature polyurethane in a specific application, it is also a forum to explore other applications that may arise.  I can’t tell you how many times I would be discussing permeation of soils behind a seawall and an engineer would ask, “Hey could that be used in this other situation that I am dealing with?”  At the very least it is an opportunity to plant seeds for projects down the road. 

A lunch and learn is a training and development event that is scheduled during a lunch hour in a work day. This is a great way to give a presentation to engineers, municipalities, or contractors on the latest advancements in polyurethane technology for geotechnical and infrastructure repair applications.

Our lunch and learn presentations are designed to facilitate conversations about the benefits of using polyurethane technology on geotechnical, structural, and civil projects. We aim to be your go to partner and that includes bridging the gap about what tools to use, how to use them, when to use them, and how to market yourself in your field.

We schedule lunch and learns every month at various engineering firms, contractor offices, and municipalities. These sessions are a great way to meet our technical experts in person, ask questions, and even demo a product. And who can turn down a good lunch? We take care of that as well. 

After most presentations we will have contractors or engineers who show interest in our products. Many times we will have engineering consultants approach our team and ask for a private demo to specify our products for future projects.

Benefits of Attending a Lunch and Learn

• Learn about the latest polyurethane technology and tools available.
• Ask first hand questions and receive immediate feedback.
• Networking opportunity and private demos available.
• Complimentary lunch may be provided.
• Sessions are usually kept under an hour

How Do I Get on the Schedule?

Contact us and we’ll have one of our regional managers reach out to set up an appointment.  Let us know the product line you are interested in, and any additional information about possible projects. We will formulate a presentation tailored to your needs. If a presentation on short notice is required, we can even have pizza delivered and give the presentation remotely via a screen sharing program.

Want information on the products we offer?

Alchemy-Spetec will be at World of Concrete 2018 in Las Vegas. Be sure to visit us: Silver Lots - O40551. Click here for a discount on Exhibits-Only Admission.

While there's certainly lots to see and do at the concrete industry's premier trade convention, don't forget to check out some shows while you're there! To make it easy, we've done some research for you. Here's an overview of some of the best entertainment events in Vegas during World of Concrete.

Adam Sandler at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

January 27

Adam Sandler’s films have grossed more than $3 billion worldwide and include box office hits such as Grown Ups, Just Go With It, Bedtime Stories, You Don’t Mess with the Zohan and I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry. In 2014, Sandler signed a deal with Netflix to produce and star in four original movies to premiere on the streaming channel. The first three films, The Ridiculous 6, The Do-Over and Sandy Wexler, are the most-watched movies on Netflix to date.

Click here for tickets and more info...

An Intimate Evening with Santana

January 24, January 26 - 28

He's one of the greatest guitarists of all time, and now you can see Carlos Santana up close. Rock out to an evening of greatest hits live when Santana returns to the Las Vegas House of Blues.

Click here for tickets and more info...

The Eddie Griffin Experience

All Shook Up: A Tribute to the King

January 21 - 27

Elvis is definitely in the building — every night to be exact. If you love the King, you’ll love the only All-Elvis show on The Strip, featuring hits that made him the best-selling solo artist in the history of recorded music. 

Click here for more info...

Blue Man Group

January 21 - 27

Blue Man Group will rock your world. Blow your mind. And unleash your spirit. Leave your expectations at the door and let three bald and blue men take you on a spectacular journey bursting with music, laughter and surprises. Electrify your night at the specially designed state-of-the-art Blue Man Theater at Luxor Hotel and Casino. 35 million people of all ages, languages and cultures know what Blue Man Group is really about. Now it’s your turn.

Click here for tickets and more info...

Learn more about Alchemy-Spetec products, so you're fully informed when you visit us at World of Concrete!

Alchemy-Spetec has a reputation for the best technical support in the business. Our technical consultants have years of on-the-job experience and give the best guidance and training you'll find anywhere. No job is too challenging when you know we've got your back.

But what about getting those jobs in the first place? Did you know that we also offer marketing support? If you want assistance finding and reeling in the best, most profitable concrete repair jobs out there, give us a call. The Alchemy-Spetec Marketing Department is very proactive in assisting customers.

Some of the materials and services we offer include:

• Referrals to professional consultants on web design, search engine optimization, online advertising campaigns, etc.
• Illustrations depicting infrastructure repair processes.
• Photographs of jobs, products and/or equipment.
• Videos and/or animations depicting infrastructure repair processes.
• Customizable slab lifting graphic files for large format signs.
• Customizable marketing brochures.
• Guidance in creating sales presentations.
• Ongoing advice on any marketing issues that arise while you’re doing business with us.

These are just a few of many marketing offerings available to our customers. If you have any further questions in this area, please contact our Marketing Department for assistance at 404-618-0436.

Want more information on how to market your contracting business?

As I wrote in a previous blog post The Benefits of Buying Through Distribution:

1. A distributor can serve as a one-stop shop.
 
2. Local distributors serve as experts in their area. (They often have the scoop on new projects, change orders, supplemental materials, and emergency repair needs.)
 
3. Having a distributor on hand is extremely convenient. Nothing is worse than having to call the factory again to have more product shipped after a mis-calculated estimate.
 
4. Many distributors actively work to get products specified for local jobs. That in itself can be a huge benefit. The distributor in a sense can sometimes be an extended part of your sales force.

With those benefits in mind, we publish a semi-regular Distributor Profile Series to provide more information on Alchemy-Spetec's distribution network.

In this article, we feature Indcon Inc.

They are an industrial maintenance solution provider, supplying repair materials to the industrial maintenance and construction industries.

Established in 1998, Indcon was formed in Lexington, South Carolina by Tony and Jean Atkins as a small family-run operation. The company grew quickly through their combined efforts and soon outpaced their limited capabilities. As business opportunities grew, so did Indcon, spreading its footprint first across the Southeast and later into the rest of the country. Indcon quickly outgrew its original office and eventually established a warehouse operation in Columbia and moved the company headquarters to Greenville, South Carolina.

Today, Indcon’s reach is nationwide. With sales professionals and locations placed strategically throughout the country, they are able to assist customers throughout the country to quickly get exactly the expertise, products, and services they need to reach optimum performance.

Indcon offers next day delivery to most locations on the East Coast!

A few Alchemy-Spetec items you'll find at Indcon Inc:

As my colleague Andy Powell wrote in his blog post The Benefits of Buying Through Distribution:

1. A distributor can serve as a one-stop shop.
 
2. Local distributors serve as experts in their area. (They often have the scoop on new projects, change orders, supplemental materials, and emergency repair needs.)
 
3. Having a distributor on hand is extremely convenient. Nothing is worse than having to call the factory again to have more product shipped after a mis-calculated estimate.
 
4. Many distributors actively work to get products specified for local jobs. That in itself can be a huge benefit. The distributor in a sense can sometimes be an extended part of your sales force.

With those benefits in mind, we're starting a Distributor Profile Series to provide more information on Alchemy-Spetec's distribution network.

In this article, we feature Metro Sealant & Waterproofing Supply.

They are family owned and have been in business since 1989. They currently operate in Washington, Richmond, and Baltimore. They stock a full line of waterproofing products and their motto is: “We deliver more than material”.

Not only do they offer competitive pricing to their customers, they also offer unparalleled technical support.

A few Alchemy-Spetec items you'll find at Metro Sealant & Waterproofing Supply:

• Spetec H100
• Spetec F400
• Packers
• Pump Cleaner

Want more info on Alchemy-Spetec products?

As contractors who are on the road a lot, there is something you definitely need to be aware of: if you're involved in an accident, an attorney may summon your phone records to look for evidence of distracted driving.

My brother-in-law Eric was driving through an intersection in Tucker when a car pulled out in front of him. He hit that car, which in turn hit another car. Eric was not ticketed as the other driver was at fault.

Just last week Eric was served papers at home. He is being sued by the driver he hit. The only thing the attorneys want are his cell phone records to see if he was emailing or texting while driving. If he was, even 30 seconds prior, they have a case for distracted driving.

Fortunately for Eric, he was not on his phone at anytime during that drive so he'll be okay. It's a shotgun approach for the lawyers; go for the phone records and hope to get lucky. I suspect they get lucky quite often.

If you do not know the distracted driving laws in your state, be sure to check out Idrivesafely.com for more information. The minute I heard this story, I knew it would be an important safety and business tip to share with you - because we've got your back!

Want information on Alchemy-Spetec products?

At the very bottom of each Alchemy-Spetec blog post, you'll see what we in the blogging world call "category tags". These indicate the general subject matter covered by the blog article. Clicking on the tag will reveal a list of every blog post that has fallen under that category. Sometimes you'll a few category tags on the same post, because the article covers a variety of subjects. Today I want to shine a spotlight on our Business Tips category.

Blog articles falling under the Business Tips category are meant to help you, the contractor, optimize your business in a variety of different ways. For example we've recently posted articles on the following subjects...

How to Market Your Contracting Business

Armed with the right approach and the right tools, you can increase your market presence significantly while attracting more and more leads. I'll briefly mention a few basic points in this article. First and foremost, your website design should be user friendly. A frustrated website user often becomes a lost lead. In addition, your website text should be optimized 

for search engines. Find a specialist to research relevant key words most often searched in your city or state. It's important for site to be well designed, easy to navigate, and easy for search engines to find.

Read more... 

Benefits of Buying Through Distribution

On a really busy job, it is much more convenient to buy from a distributor that can deliver product directly to your job site, as opposed to depending on a freight company to deliver it from the manufacturer. To make it simple: a distributor already knows the local job site, the area, the traffic patterns, and the key people to make seamless drop offs.
 
We have experienced first hand the frustration of trying to get materials to a project address. The logistics, the timing, the limitations of a freight carrier's route and schedule can drive someone mad. Having someone else handle that can be a no brainer.

Read more...

Finance Your Contracting Business

We're happy to annouce that equipment financing is now available through Accord Financial Group. Accord has been helping countless businesses finance their equipment since 1992. They are a small, family owned business with an emphasis on taking care of their customers. Check out the interview below with Dough Richter of Accord Financial Group.

Read more...

We hope you find the tips we share to be useful as you scale up your business. If there are any subjects you'd like to see covered, or if you have any questions about the articles linked above, please call us at 404-618-0436. We're here to help!

Want information on the Alchemy-Spetec product line?

As mentioned in the previous blog post Stop Erosion Through Your Seawall with Polyurethane:

When it comes to seawalls, there is a lot more to learn than meets the eye. A seawall is like a living, breathing thing: especially in the way that they are designed to function. But like all living breathing things, they have a finite lifespan. For many of them, it's a mere 20 – 30 years. For many seawalls, their lifespan is a mere 20-30 years and depending on where you live, replacing a seawall can cost anywhere from $150 to $500 per foot. Today however, signs of seawall distress can be solved before they get too bad through the application of polyurethane grouts to seal leaks, fill voids, and stabilize the surrounding soils.

Now that you're armed with this information, let’s take a look at a few advantages of pursuing large industrial seawall projects over residential projects.

Higher Budgets/Larger Areas Needing Repair

Additional Properties

Industrial property owners and managers are more likely to have additional properties needing repair. After you complete your first job for an industrial customer, keep in touch with them regularly so that you're top of mind when their next seawall repair problem arises.

More Bang for Your Buck

Think about it this way. You have to spend a certain amount of your marketing budget per lead anyways. Why not focus that money on industrial sized customers? You're more likely to get a higher return on your investment in the short term and seriously scale up your business in the long term.

Want more information on industrial seawall repair?

Armed with the right approach and the right tools, you can increase your market presence significantly while attracting more and more leads. I'll briefly mention a few basic points in this article. For more details, make sure to download the brochure linked at the bottom. 

First and foremost, your website design should be user friendly. A frustrated website user often becomes a lost lead. In addition, your website text should be optimized for search engines. Find a specialist to research relevant key words most often searched in your city or state. It's important for site to be well designed, easy to navigate, and easy for search engines to find.

One of the most effective ways to capture leads is to maintain a frequently updated blog. Pack it with articles that your customers might find useful. Make sure to incoporate search terms into your blog post titles so they're easy to find via search engines. Offer something of real value at the end of each post in exchange for contact information. If maintaining a blog sounds like a lot of work, then hire an assistant or freelancer to assist you. Done correctly, this approach can have an extremely positive impact on your lead volume. For more on this subject, read this excellent article.

It also helps to maintain active accounts on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Refrain from clouding your accounts with sales pitches. Instead, share useful information such as links to your blog posts, helpful tips for customers, etc. With this approach, your followers will be more likely to stick around and your content is more likely to be shared. You can also join industry groups on some of these platforms to share and receive tips, leads and helpful info.

Other effective approaches include giving presentations at professional associations, signing up with referral sites and exhibiting at home shows. The possibilities are endless, really - but hopefully that's enough to get you started in upgrading your approach. Feel free to give us a call for marketing advice at 404-618-0438. 

Want more detailed information on how to market your contracting business?

The other morning we were sitting in our sales meeting, and our Western Regional Manager mentioned something about running a small order through distribution, even though the contractor is huge and is probably used to dealing directly with suppliers. Thad's point was that on a really busy job, it is much more convenient to buy from a distributor that can deliver product directly to your job site, as opposed to depending on a freight company to deliver it from the manufacturer.

Spelling Out the Advantages

Want help finding your local distributor?