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, homeowner 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 consistently positive results. It will be worth your while to at least give it a shot.

Fewer 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 afterward. 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 acknowledge 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?

It’s January. Football is about done, ice fishing is getting boring, it’s so cold that hunting is out, and you’re starting to think about part one of this blog series. It would be nice to be prepared to make money every winter, but you don’t know where to start. So what needs to be done to plan ahead for next year’s winter work?

Engineer and Consultant Outreach

If you have spent any time with me, you will have heard me say that engineer outreach is the key to having a pipeline of projects. Whether it is a geotechnical or a waterproofing opportunity, if it is a significant project there is likely to be an engineer involved. Every factory, every property management company, and every hydroelectric plant has a go-to engineering firm they turn to whenever there is a situation to deal with. It might be a broken water main under a floor that has undermined concrete slabs. Or it could be water getting into a machinery pit or a containment area. Whatever it is, you can be sure an engineering firm will be called.

Alchemy-Spetec has engineering presentations for leak seal, soil stabilization, concrete lifting, and many other polyurethane applications. Most of them are approved for continuing education credits so an engineer can learn something useful and pick up some credit towards their yearly requirements. We like to do these jointly with a local contractor to connect the dots between the supplier, contractor, and engineer.  Help us get them set up and we are happy to present on your behalf.

With proper follow-up, these presentation activities often lead to small project opportunities. A successfully completed small project can lead to a bigger opportunity and so on. Remember, these engineers get called by property owners when something has gone wrong. If you are the contractor they turn to, as long as you are fair, responsive, on time, safe, and get the job done - you will continue to get work that doesn’t go out for bid.

Professional Associations

There are a million professional associations out there for every field and trade you can imagine. Joining an association is a great way to network and find out what opportunities might be out there.

Find out about your local chapter of BOMA. The Building Owners and Managers Association represents one of the largest industries in the world – commercial real estate. Members of BOMA are primarily building owners, property managers, facility managers, and building engineers. Where else could you find a better place to discuss elevator pits, parking garages, tripping hazards, etc. Look for opportunities to present at BOMA events. The very first presentation I ever gave was in front of about 100 building engineers from one chapter of BOMA in Metro Atlanta and I was already looking at a project just an hour after I finished. 

Another good one is IFMA, the International Facility Management Association. As a simple rule of thumb, think of BOMA as the “landlords” and IFMA as the “tenants”. Often it is the tenant that is reporting the issue of concern. Presenting to IFMA gives you the opportunity to let facility managers know about polyurethane technologies that can resolve issues in and around a building.

The ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) is a great place to network with professional engineers. You don’t have to be an engineer to participate in meetings and have access to what ASCE offers; they have a category called Organization Partners for non-engineer participation. Look for opportunities to present at ASCE; we can assist you with that.

DOTs and Municipalities

Sometimes there is no substitute for just grinding out phone calls, computer research, or making some stops at the local municipalities and DOTs. You can find out when projects are coming out for bid, you can attend bid meetings and lettings, and you will likely find yourself networking with general contractors and engineers in the process.

Mass transit authorities also need to be researched as well. Any city with trains/subways is going to have a transit authority. They have their own engineering departments and will put projects out for bid on a regular basis. Outreach to these engineers with offers to present on leak seal and geotech applications could very well touch on an issue they have. You can also meet these kinds of engineers at an ASCE meeting.

Winter IS the Time to Grow Your Business

If you are a contractor looking for work to do in the cold months, contact your Alchemy-Spetec Regional Manager for details on how we can help you expand your business. These efforts are great for finding that winter work but you will find that they will transform your business year-round. 

Want more information on Geotech and Leak Seal products?

Alchemy-Spetec is proud to present The Injection Connection podcast. In-depth discussions with thought leaders and professionals in the infrastructure repair industry. If you've missed any of these episodes, we invite you to review the guide below...

Episode 1- Introduction

Episode 1 is a brief intro about the intended content of the show. The Injection Connection is produced for contractors, distributors, and design professionals in the infrastructure repair segment, or broader construction industry. The podcast aims to provide unique insights through the lens of the chemical grouting industry.

Episode 2 - The QP Factor

This episode is an overview of the patented QP Factor system used to quantify chemical grout leak seal success. The presentation was originally given at the ICRI National Convention by Jim Spiegel and is being reproduced remotely for an engineering firm in the San Francisco Bay Area. This is the industry's first patented method for leak seal quantification.

Episode 3 - Interview with Kevin Earles

Guest Kevin Earles is a long-time friend of Jim Spiegel, and the National Sales Director for EPMS Supplies based in Nottingham, UK. Topics covered include how they met one another, the future of online distribution, Brexit, and more. Kevin has been in the specialty construction distribution industry for almost 25 years.

Episode 4 - Interview with Adam Tracy

Guest Adam Tracy, of A-1 Foundation Crack Repair, offers a unique perspective into the residential leak seal industry through his Civil Engineering education. Adam and Jim discuss differences in residential vs. commercial projects, as well as finding new talent, learning from contractors, and more.

Episode 5 - Helms Polyfoam

The Injection Connection welcomes two guests from Helms Polyfoam: JR Crowell, VP & COO, and Morgan Helms, President & CEO. In this episode, Jim Spiegel discusses the history of the Helms business, the future of customer support, and the importance of relationships.

Episode 6 - Jack Whitworth

Jim and guest Jack Whitworth, 26-year chemical grouting sales professional, discuss the importance of education, the mutual benefits of competitors working together, and driving our families crazy during the Covid-19 lockdown time.

Episode 7 - Ann Thaxton

In Episode 7 of The Injection Connection, Jim sits down with Ann Thaxton, from Concrete Titans, a marketing and advertising agency offering services to the concrete lifting, and residential foundation repair markets. Ann offers great insights into the most current lead capture strategies, trends in the industry, and how marketing dollars are actually worth more in the current Covid-19 crisis.

Episode 8 - Matt & Travis of Lift It Rite

In Episode 8 of The Injection Connection, Jim sits down with Matt Chittick and Travis Germick, co-owners of Lift It Rite, LLC., a residential slab-lifting business servicing the Greater Atlanta and surrounding markets. Matt and Travis offer valuable insights on how to start a lifting business, production considerations, and the under-appreciated value of showing up with a smile (and perhaps a hamburglar costume!).

Episode 9 - Charlie "The Grout Geek" Lerman

In this episode, Jim welcomes colleague Charlie Lerman "The Grout Geek".  Charlie and Jim do their best to take off their Alchemy-Spetec hats and to discuss the Leak Seal chemical grouting industry through the eyes of a Field Services Manager.  With over 16 years of field experience representing some of the most well-known brands in the industry, Charlie is a wealth of knowledge for any listener.  

Episode 10 - John Ziebell

In Episode 10, Charlie Lerman takes over as host and welcomes Alchemy-Spetec independent rep John Ziebell. Formerly the Vice President of Operations for Deneef Construction Chemicals, Inc., John has 36 years of experience in the chemical grout industry and is currently a member of the International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI).

Episode 11 - Paul Layman

Episode 11 of The Injection Connection features a landmark conversation between retired industry legend Captain Grout (aka Paul Layman) and his number one protégé and unofficial successor, The Grout Geek (podcast host Charlie Lerman).  Don't miss this info-packed discussion between these two chemical grouting heavyweights!

Episode 12 - Josh Van Hook

On Episode 12, host Charlie Lerman welcomes the 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.

Episode 13 - Erin Rothman

Episode 13. Who budgets $188 million annually to treat groundwater? The state of Tennessee does, not that they want to. A 2014 study (Kurz I/I Survey) found that roughly 45% of the water treated from their collection system was from inflow. But the treatment costs are just part of the issue. Inflow can and often does wash fines into the collection system. This has many effects. One, reduced system capacity due to these soils sitting in the pipes. Two, potential sinkholes from the loss of soils over time. A third impact is the increased wear and tear on the system, especially lift station pumps. Lastly, and the easiest to see is sanitary overflows and backups that pollute the environment and can damage property. So, with such a clear issue that obviously needs addressing, why isn’t it being addressed?  In this episode, Charlie Lerman discusses these issues with Erin Rothman, the CEO & Founder of StormSensor.

Episode 14 - Murray Heywood

Episode 14 of The Injection Connection features Charlie "The Grout Geek" Lerman interviewing veteran coatings expert (and punk rock drummer) Murray Heywood. Don't miss this info-packed and entertaining discussion!

Check out the podcast on TheInjectionConnection.com and the following platforms:

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

Want info on Alchemy-Spetec products & applications?

It's that time of year again. As temperatures drop, take a moment to review this previously posted article packed with cold-weather tips.

There are plenty of leak seal jobs that need to be done in the winter. So let's take a look at those cold-weather markets. We'll also review some special considerations for conditioning leak seal material and equipment. Then we’ll leave you with a few cold temperature leak seal application tips.

Cold Weather Markets

You have a variety of options for seeking jobs that are inside, and out of the elements, during the winter months.  Hopefully, these ideas will spark more brainstorming on your part. First up we have tunnels, both pedestrian and vehicle. Tunnels often leak, sometimes significantly enough to result in quite a big job. Aquariums are another possibility. As you can imagine, there are infinite potential leak problems in a structure holding that much water. Other possible large jobs could include mines and water treatment plants (which have plenty of interior spaces with potential leak issues). On the smaller side, there are utility vaults, lift stations, manholes, and elevator pits.

If you’re still up for working outside during the winter months, you’re in luck because concrete contracts during colder weather. The contraction makes cracks open wider. Wider cracks make leaks more apparent to the property owner and make them easier to repair.

Conditioning Materials and Equipment

One important point to understand is that cold weather requires you to make an extra effort to keep your materials and equipment warm. Cold material reacts slower and gets thicker. Be sure to store your materials and equipment in a heated room the night before the job. When on the job site, there are many ways to keep everything warm. Use an enclosed vehicle, like a box truck, enclosed trailer, or pickup truck with a camper top or bed cover. Keep as much material and equipment inside the vehicle as possible when working. Use a portable heater to maintain a warm temperature. You can also use electric pail heaters to keep your resin ready for action.

Remember that it won’t do you any good to heat the resin if you’re pumping it through cold equipment. The cold steel inside the pump and the cold hose will literally suck the heat out of the resin before it gets where it needs to be. This will increase the viscosity, making it harder to mix with the water and it will slow down the reaction dramatically. So don’t neglect the equipment side of the equation!

Cold Temperature Application Tips

If you’re using a product with an accelerator, you may need to use a faster accelerator or increase your percentage. Also, bring lots of oakum. You may have to use more if the cold temperature slows down the material or the contracted concrete has made the cracks wider.

If your job requires you to inject into a structure underwater (and the water’s cold), you can use a technique called twin streaming. In this approach, you hook two valves together in a parallel fashion – then inject warm water along with the resin to kick-start its reaction before hitting the cold water.

Conclusion

I hope this overview has helped spark some ideas on your part for finding leak seal work during the winter months. Just remember to keep your materials and equipment conditioned and you should be fine. Have more questions about polyurethane leak seal in cold weather? Call us at 404-618-0438.

Want more in-depth info on polyurethane leak sealing?

It's that time of year again. As temperatures drop, take a moment to review this previously posted article packed with cold-weather tips.

In this blog post, we will share some tips for stabilizing soil in cold weather. The two main points to remember are – to make sure the ground isn’t frozen and to condition your material and equipment properly.

Do Not Attempt Soil Stabilization Work When the Ground is Frozen

If you’re considering soil stabilization in cold weather, the first step is to make sure that the water table isn’t frozen. Iced earth is not permeable enough for the proper mixing of resin and soil. If you attempt to proceed with frozen soil, you’ll just be wasting your material. Best to wait it out in that case.

Properly Condition Equipment and Materials

For optimal results, it’s best to store any materials and equipment that are to be used in a heated environment overnight. It’s best to keep your AP Soil 600 above 60 degrees at all times. This is key because cold material reacts slower and gets thicker. The methods you use to condition your material on the job site will depend on the type of vehicle you’re using.

If you have an insulated rig, it should stay around 40 degrees warmer than outside temperatures. Most foam rigs have built-in electric heaters that require an extension cord to a power outlet at the job site or at your facility for overnight storage. Alternatively, you could buy an electric radiator heater. Other available heating devices include drum band heaters and heated drum mats (be careful not to scorch the polymers by turning band heaters up too high). For a more DIY approach, you could build a hot box around the material storage area in your rig.

If you’re using pails and a smaller vehicle, use an enclosed vehicle, like a box truck, enclosed trailer, or pickup truck with a camper top or bed cover. Keep as much material and equipment inside the vehicle as possible when working. Use a portable heater to maintain a warm temperature. You can also use electric pail heaters to keep your resin ready for action.

Using a combination of the methods described above, you should be able to keep your materials warm enough. In extreme cases when the material gets a bit too cold and thick, you may want to use AP Cat 600 to speed up the reaction time.

Conclusion

As long as the ground isn’t frozen, you should be able to stabilize soil in cold weather.  Just make sure your materials and equipment are conditioned properly.  If you have any further questions, please contact us at 404-618-0438.

Want in-depth info on soil stabilization products?

It's that time of year again. As temperatures drop, take a moment to review this previously posted article packed with cold-weather tips.

Contrary to popular opinion, as a contractor, you don’t have to put up your equipment and rigs due to cold weather. There are many jobs to be done and many ways to keep your material conditioned. Use this season to your advantage and gain valuable business.

Cold Weather Markets

Seasonal attractions such as theme parks are a great place to start looking for winter work. Many of these parks (the ones that aren’t in Orlando) shut down for the winter and this is the time they do maintenance and repairs. Think of all the concrete lifting and leveling that can be done.

Factories can be less active in the winter months with production slowing down in many industries. This is a good time for them to do maintenance and floor repairs as well.

Warehouses typically operate year-round, so there is always work available. Warehouse floors are used and abused on a daily basis and will sooner or later need some form of repairs done to keep business running at a steady pace. In addition, many warehouses have dangerous voids beneath their floors that require repair.  

Exterior concrete slabs are still worth considering, even in cold weather. These slabs experience the most wear and tear from the environment itself (think erosion) and daily traffic. You’ll need to lift concrete slabs before the ground freezes and only after your materials have been thoroughly conditioned.

Conditioning Materials

Your slab lifting equipment probably has built-in heaters and a heated hose. Each brand and model of pump has different-sized pre-heaters and different ∆T (∆ = Delta and T = Temperature). This sounds complicated but is actually quite simple.  ∆T is simply the change in temperature.  Let’s say your material has been sitting in a cold trailer all night and the temperature has dropped to 40 degrees F. If the required temperature of your B side material is 120 degrees F, then your pump better be rated with a ∆T of at least 80 degrees. However, if your material is preconditioned to 70 degrees F, then your machine only has to be rated for a ∆T of 50 degrees. As I said, every machine is rated differently based on the size of the heaters. What is important to know is that there are limitations to how much heating your machine can do.

Keeping your materials conditioned in the winter months is a lot easier than it sounds. The main point is to keep your AP Lift products above 60 degrees at all times. Keeping the polyurethane at or above that temperature can be accomplished in a number of ways.

If you have an insulated rig, it should stay around 40 degrees warmer than outside temperatures. Most foam rigs have built-in electric heaters that require an extension cord to a power outlet at the job site or at your facility for overnight storage. Alternatively, you could buy an electric radiator heater. Other available heating devices include drum band heaters and heated drum mats (be careful not to scorch the polymers by turning band heaters up too high). For a more DIY approach, you could build a hot box around the material storage area in your rig.

Heat Sink

Another consideration when lifting cold slabs is the heat sink factor. AP Lift products come out of the gun hot and get even hotter as they react. However, cold concrete acts as a heat sink and sucks the energy out of the foam as it starts to react. This can slow down the reaction speed of the foam. If you are pumping into a void, it will have little effect because most of the foam is not in contact with the concrete. If you are trying to lift a slab with little void, it will have more of an effect because more of the foam is in contact with the cold concrete and cold soil. More volume = more energy.

Conclusion

Don’t let common preconceptions deter you from slab lifting in cold weather. As noted above, there is no need to shut down completely for the upcoming winter months if you don’t want to. Opportunities still exist and one of them may just be the job you’ve been looking for all year. There are many ways to keep your equipment and materials conditioned to efficiently work in lower temperatures. Have more questions about slab lifting in cold weather? Call us at 404-618-0438.

Want more in-depth info on slab lifting?

Alchemy-Spetec offers one-hour CE/PDH accredited presentations on polyurethane concrete repair. Presentation topics offered include Leak Seal, Geotech, and Seawall Repair. Here is a detailed overview... 

Leak Seal Presentation

The Specialty Waterproofing with Chemical Grouts presentation covers sealing leaks in structures with the use of polyurethane chemical grout injection materials and techniques. 

• Chemical Grouting Primer
  • History
  • Safety
  • Characteristics
• Utilization & Applications
  • Identifying Applications
  • Selecting a Chemical Grout
  • Epoxy & Hydraulic Cement
• Installation Techniques
  • Crack and Joint Injection
  • Curtain Grouting
  • Oakum Soakum
  • Equipment Overview

Alchemy-Spetec's one-hour CE/PDH accredited Leak Seal presentation is perfect for engineers looking for information on innovative and proven leak seal repair methods for sealing leaks in structures, inflow/infiltration mitigation, and more.

Geotech Presentation

The Geotechnical Applications for Polyurethane presentation explains three types of concrete leveling and soil stabilization materials and applications. 

• Single Component Polyurethane Grout Applications
• Two-Component Polyurethane Grout Applications
• Acrylic Grout Applications

Alchemy-Spetec's one-hour CE/PDH accredited Geotech presentation is perfect for engineers looking for information on innovative and proven geotechnical repair methods for lifting concrete, soil stabilization, excavation support, controlling erosion, and more. 

Seawall Repair Network Presentation

The Seawall Stabilization and Preservation through Permeation Presentation explains and demonstrates how Seawall Repair Network contractors use polyurethane injection resin and surface-applied preservation solutions to stabilize and preserve seawalls and bulkheads. (Seawall Repair Network is a division of Alchemy-Spetec.)

• The Causes of Seawall Failure
• Stabilizing a Seawall
• Preserving a Seawall
• Stabilization & Preservation Through Permeation

Alchemy-Spetec's one-hour CE/PDH accredited Seawall Repair Network presentation is ideal for engineers who are interested in designing superior seawall/bulkhead rehabilitation and preservation solutions. This type of environmentally friendly permanent soil stabilization and seawall preservation can be applied to all types of waterfront infrastructure.

Want info on scheduling a presentation?

Alchemy-Spetec HQ in Tucker, GA

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED

$745 Registration Fee
$665 for each additional participant from
the same company.

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

Tuesday, October 4th

• Geotech Product Line Overview
• Geotech Applications & Case Studies
• MixMaster Pro Slab Lifting Gun
• Slab Lift Rig Demonstration

Wednesday, October 5th

• Pump Demos & Training
• PolyShark® / Soil Stabilization
• Deep Lift® 
• Ground Penetrating Radar

Thursday, March 31st

• PolyBadger® Mobile Slab Lifting System
• Estimating Material for Jobs

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED

Sometimes so-called "innovation" creates more problems than solutions. Have you ever needed technical support on a product, only to be faced with a maze of phone menus or inefficient chatbots? These days it can be almost impossible to get in touch with a real human being for expert assistance. 

Fortunately, Alchemy-Spetec offers industry-leading technical support for leak seal and geotechnical applications - provided by readily available experts. With over 15 decades of combined technical experience, our team will support you online, over the phone, and even in person on a job site. We never outsource work to independent technicians; our team is there for you and your project. So when you work with Alchemy-Spetec, you get Alchemy-Spetec. 

Here are three ways you can count on Alchemy-Spetec for industry-leading support and resources:

Phone Support

Get direct phone support from any member of our Technical Services team whether you're an engineer, a customer, or even a potential customer with technical questions. Call us at (404) 618-0438 and we'll connect you with an expert. We’re here to help.

On-Site Support

Alchemy-Spetec is the premier technical and field service provider nationwide. The tech support team offers multiple layers of support such as on-site training, estimating, planning/design, bid submittals, troubleshooting, and more. Call us at (404) 618-0438 for more information.

Online Training

All Alchemy-Spetec customers and engineer partners have access to our extensive online training resources. There are 12+ presentations on industry topics, 13+ product/equipment demos, and multiple video case studies accessible at any time for your team. Contact a Regional Manager today for more information.

Want more info on geotech and leak seal products?

Alchemy-Spetec HQ in Tucker, GA

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED

$745 Registration Fee
$665 for each additional participant from
the same company.

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

Tuesday, October 4th

• Geotech Product Line Overview
• Geotech Applications & Case Studies
• MixMaster Pro Slab Lifting Gun
• Slab Lift Rig Demonstration

Wednesday, October 5th

• Pump Demos & Training
• PolyShark® / Soil Stabilization
• Deep Lift® 
• Ground Penetrating Radar

Thursday, March 31st

• PolyBadger® Mobile Slab Lifting System
• Estimating Material for Jobs

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED