Blog posts of '2017' 'August'

On a recent trip to Washington DC, we had the pleasure of touring the Capitol Building and we were able to capture some pictures of The Capital Visitors Center spiral staircase we bent years ago. The project consisted of flat and spiral bending of angle, channel, flat bar, solid square, wide flange (up to W18 x 76#) and square tubing (up to 10" x 10" x .500" wall spiral bent). [caption id="attachment_1302" align="aligncenter" width="3264"] Main Landing View of Capitol Visitors Center Spiral Staircase[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1300" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Capitol Visitors Center Spiral Staircase[/caption]

We are currently seeking an experienced Yard Manager/Lead to oversee our Shipping Department. Job duties include supervision & coordination of yard workers, organization of yard & storage areas to maximize efficiency & flow, the safe loading & unloading of flatbeds & LTL trucks. Qualified candidates will have 3+ years’ experience as a Yard Manger or Lead Material Handler. At Albina Co. we have mastered the art of steel bending, steel rolling and steel fabrication. We curve structural steel members, various sizes of round pipe and HSS material, and plate. We are a small family owned business servicing the steel industry since 1939 and we provide quality products and services that stand out from the competition. We are located in Tualatin and are able to service the entire United States and Canada from our single location! Job Description Responsible for coordination of shipping and receiving matters. Supervise loading crew and drivers. Determine work procedures, prepare work schedules and expedite material & traffic flow to optimize production efficiency. Perform inventory counts on raw material & component parts. Load, unload & check-in material and supplies with use of industrial equipment following company policies & procedures. Skill Requirements Working knowledge of Microsoft suite software products Ability to follow written and oral instructions regarding daily functions Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other employees. Expert knowledge of material flow & effective material management Ability to drive a forklift. Both standard & extended reach Ability to handle & stack material in a safe manner Familiar with crane & sling capacity Experienced using proper lifting techniques using slings, clamps & other lifting devices Extensive knowledge of pipe, tube, structural steel & component part Physical Requirements Must be able to lift 50 lbs. occasionally & 35 lbs. repeatedly Must be able to stand/walk 8-10 hours a day May be exposed to excessive noise, welding gases and fumes, and inclement weather conditions. This is a Union position. Successful applicants must be able to pass a drug test Compensation: Wage: DOE Pension Plan & 401k Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance Vacation & PTO Favorable work schedule

I would like to share a recent email that I received from a customer in response to my recent blog post titled "If You Are Persistent, You May Get It. If You Are Consistent, You Will Keep It." "Good morning. First I’d like to thank you for your recent support. I know a company’s attitude comes from the top. You have a great group of “how can we make it work” people. It’s unfortunate that there is so much road between our office and yours. I’d be glad to share a glass of wine with you. The point of your news letter is well taken. The only things I’d add is that your steel bending estimators are always available to help and frankly guide fabricators as to the best wall thickness, etc, to meet the challenges and provide the best curved steel finished product. This gives us the opportunity to include the cost of forming and shipping in the bid at the start. The other thing is pretty simple. It’s not a question of can I afford Albina Co., it’s can I afford not to?"

STEADY & STABLE I can't tell you how many times I have had a customer tell me that they are going to have to pull business from us because they found a lower price supplier, that they are new to the steel industry and want to give someone else a try, that another supplier promised them a better delivery schedule or better quality. Whatever the reason, I always justify my price and schedule to the customer and then I tell them "We appreciate your business and our relationship, and we will be here for you when you need us." The key word here is "when", not "if." I never have to justify the quality of our products or service, as both speak for themselves, and I can say with certainty that is not why we ever loose an account. A few weeks will go by, and guess what? I get a phone call that the new supplier can't meet the delivery schedule, or that the product fails in comparison to what we were providing them, or they are going to go over budget for having to repurchase material and incur additional labor costs. And my response again is "We are here for you. What do you need?" Anyone can be persistent and promise you a better price, product or schedule to get your business, but can they be consistent and keep your business? Albina Co., is consistent, steady and stable. We have an extremely loyal customer base, and in the rare occasion that someone leaves, we almost undoubtedly always see them return. [caption id="attachment_1285" align="aligncenter" width="1224"] Brian and Jaime love to explore the many amazing restaurants in the Greater Portland Metro area. They are foodies and love a good brunch or happy hour menu! This picture was taken at one of their favorite restaurants "Meriwether's." If you are in town, give us a call! We would love to introduce you to all the wonderful eats in PDX. [/caption]

Segerstrom Center for the Arts, originally called Orange County Performing Arts Center, is a performing arts complex located in Costa Mesa, California, United States, which opened in 1986. Albina Co., Inc. recently completed rolling rectangular tube steel 6" X 4" X .250" WALL A500 GR B bent the hard way to a 14’-3” center line radius. We are unique in how we bend square and rectangular (HSS) for a number of reasons. When we roll bend HSS we typically fill the material with mandrels, where we turn the hollow material into a solid. This helps minimize distortion without increasing the thickness of the material. Also during roll bending we use custom made radius corner tooling to match the radius corner of different thicknesses of HSS material. This match between tooling and material result in much higher quality bends. When we bend stringers for spiral staircases we do not fill the HSS material with permanent structural members to control distortion. Instead, we have developed methods to hot bend or induction bend HSS materials to a spiral configuration without filling the hollow part of the material. This unique process allows our customers to take HSS stringers for their staircases without added weight or inconveniences of filler materials. [caption id="attachment_1276" align="aligncenter" width="1536"] TS 6" X 4" X .250" WALL A500 GR B bent the hard way to a 14’-3” CLR.[/caption]