Meet Our Shoring and Forming Specialists
Meet a Few of Your Specialists
Gary Rainey, Forming, Shoring and Tilt -Up Sales Specialist, Louisville, KYDuring my 50 years working in this industry, I’ve been involved with just about every kind of project you could imagine. And I’ve physically formed and poured thousands of yards of concrete. I’ve worked my way up from Laborer, to Carpenter, Foreman, Superintendent and then Project Manager. Those experiences and my Civil Engineering degree give me the ability to understand what my customers are doing and going through every day.
Relationship building and earning trust are two extremely important aspects of being successful in this business. Every customer is different, and each one has their own way of approaching a project. I make a point of learning how each contractor I assist works, and then adjust my method so that it works best for them.
Saving the day for a customer is a frequent occurrence in these types of projects. Not long ago, I got an emergency call at 10:00PM on a Friday night. A concrete beam had fallen on a nurses’ station in a hospital (with no injuries, thank goodness). I met the contractor at our store, loaded the sketch, shoring and products to repair the beam at 2:00AM Saturday and had the job completed Monday morning. At White Cap we go above and beyond expectations to help our customers succeed.
Mark Fernandes, Forming and Shoring Sales Specialist, Plainville, MA
Thanks to the experience I’ve gained from my many years in the industry, I’ve learned that it’s best to review contract plans up front to understand how the formwork and shoring will apply best to each job. That way, once we set foot on the jobsite, we’re better able to talk about the key points and features of our systems and identify areas where our customers might need some assistance.
Every day, my number one goal is to help my customers be more successful. I take extra care to clearly bid projects so it’s easy to understand the costs and avoid surprises. When the job begins, I meet with the team on the jobsite to answer their questions so the project can start off on the right foot. During the life on the job, I continue to stop by and check in to be sure everything is on track. That way I can head off problems or issues before they become major headaches.
At White Cap we’re very hands-on in supporting our new customers by providing on-site training with systems they haven’t used before. We work with them until they’re comfortable with the equipment they’re renting. With our regular customers it’s more about checking to be certain they have everything they need to start the job off without a hitch.
Matt Finkle, Forming and Shoring Sales Specialist, Albany, NY and Allentown, PA
On every project where I’m shipping heavy forming or shoring to the site, I typically visit to count material in and provide technical assistance that might be needed. Just last year, one of my customers was using our Harris 1500 system for the first time, so I spent a day with them reviewing our drawings, going over all the parts and pieces and helping assemble the forms. We’ll always go above and beyond the level of service customers expect to make sure they are comfortable and confident with using the equipment.
At White Cap we’re frequently called on to save the day on forming and shoring jobs. Recently, a customer called needing extra forms in a hurry for an afternoon pour. I took my own truck and drove the two hours to one of our forming locations to pick up what he needed and then delivered it to the site so they could complete their pour on schedule.
Another thing that sets us apart from other construction industry suppliers is the strong relationships we’ve developed with product manufacturers. We receive expert training and notifications when new products are hitting the market. And when highly technical questions come up, we have direct access to get those answered quickly too.
Rob LeClerc, Forming and Shoring Sales Specialist, Newington, CT
My 20 years of experience with forming and shoring jobs makes me go-to resource for contractors that are new to the larger gang systems or shoring.
“Saving time is saving money. And when I’m able to get involved early in the process to help plan the forming sequencing, I can help customers save plenty of both.“ (designer: make this a pull quote)
Once the job gets underway, I typically start with them or their crews in the field to show them the tips and tricks so they don’t have to waste time trying to figure out the best way to do things. I usually dedicate a half or full day for this because things always pop up.
Although it’s better to be involved early to help avoid surprises, I’m also prepared to jump in and help when designs change on the jobsite and more equipment is needed last minute. In fact, my latest vehicle is a one-ton pickup I purchased so I can deliver a large amount of equipment to a contractor on a moment’s notice.
Customers appreciate my ability and willingness to be on-site quickly to resolve issues or bring them equipment. It helps me earn their trust and usually more of their business. I try to deliver service that’s above and beyond my customer’s expectations every day.
Tom Conlon, Forming and Shoring Sales Specialist, North Carolina & Virginia
During my 30+ years in the industry, I’ve spent time working in several roles from carpenter’s apprentice to journeyman, foreman, field supervisor and then sales specialist. That kind of experience gives me the ability to better relate to and help anyone on a jobsite, from the most inexperienced laborer to the company’s owner.
Emergency calls from customers happen frequently with forming and shoring projects. Layouts can sometimes be misinterpreted resulting in a shortage of widgets or the need for a field revision. When something like this happens, I grab a bucket, pallet and revised drawings of the necessary changes and head to the jobsite immediately. I know that handling these calls with a sense of urgency can save my customer hundreds of man-hours.
At White Cap, we match the services we provide to the requirements of the job. Sometimes it’s a five-minute meet-and-greet with extremely experienced contractors – sometimes it’s two days of training. And other times, its an extremely technical application requiring weeks of field instruction and supervision. A few years ago, we assisted with a KLK roll-back platform wall job at Emory & Henry College in Virginia unloading the equipment from several flatbeds in 5-degree weather. Our customers know they can expect above and beyond services from us.