Blog posts tagged with 'steel rolling'

I recently ordered a comforter that was to include one comforter and two pillow shams. I only received the comforter and no shams. They couldn't just send me the shams, because they were supposed to come in a set...clearly. I had to return the original comforter at my own expense and reorder. I ordered a t-shirt for my daughters cross country team. I received the shirt and the entire bottom hem was ripped and shredded. I took it to the vendor and they offered to cut off the loose strings for me and thought I was crazy for even asking for a new shirt that was actually sewn correctly. I ordered a headboard and was told it would be one week till delivery and I also asked them to email me a receipt. It took 3 weeks, 5 phone calls and not one return call to get the answer that they have no idea when the headboard will ship and that their system doesn't allow them to send receipts. All of these experiences in just one day left me questioning how our world even functions anymore? Have we just accepted that we don't get what we pay for, that below average quality is acceptable, and that customer service and on-time delivery just doesn't really matter? Well, it matters to me. Does it matter to you? Well, guess what? We are investing in you. When we make improvements to our business, we ask ourselves if it will add VALUE to our partners - YOU. Here are some examples of recent advances we have made to give you a fantastic ALBINA EXPERIENCE: Everyone says your call is important, so why do you always get VM? We value your initial phone call so much that last month we invested in and installed a new state of the art VOIP phone system to field your calls. This phone system allows us to redirect phone calls to our cell phones when necessary so calls are rarely missed. You need your quote WHEN? Our typical quote return is 48 hours. If you have a specific date that you need the response by, please list it on the request. We always strive to meet or beat the date requested, in some cases we have even returned the quote the day of the request - just let us know. Your peace of mind via Confirmation Every order that we enter to our system has a corresponding order confirmation that is emailed to you for your review and records. What's my status? With our state of the art scheduling software we are able to provide you real time status updates as requests are made. Show me... We have installed a new camera system in our shop with 2 Megapixel cameras. These cameras offer Albina management high quality images of our production process right from our desks. We both value efficiency and quality and these cameras will allow management to better service your needs by providing real time data on what phase your job is at in our shop. When will I get it? When an order is shipped, our shipping manager sends you tracking information of the shipment (when this information is available) so you know exactly where the order is once it leaves our facility. We want you TO BE PART OF THE EXPERIENCE that we provide at Albina Co., Inc. We want to be your "go to" steel bender. I guarantee you will not be disappointed and it will be AN EXPERIENCE worth having. [caption id="attachment_1337" align="aligncenter" width="3472"] Double Day Inn Gettysburg, PA.[/caption] Thought it would be fun to let you all be a part of OUR EXPERIENCE by sharing this picture and story. On our summer vacation, we returned to the exact spot on the battlefields of Gettysburg where we got engaged. Almost 20 years later, the porch remains unchanged and we were able to recreate that special event with our two kids, and our fabulous tour guide! What a cool experience! It felt so good to know that some things never change, and that what worked 20 years ago, still works today! Here's to another 20 years!

Albina has recently started making bike racks for a new customer. No matter the size or shape this customers knows that Albina will perform as promised. Albina can make racks from pipe, tubing (square / rectangular) and flat bar. The most recent project required 446 racks made out of Flat Bar 5/8" X 2½" A36. Each rack needed to be cut, bent, trimmed to length and the ends required 1,784 pcs of welded rod to act as anchor pieces. This material needed to remain rust free to avoid the process of sandblasting after fabrication and before powder coating. Albina shipped all material to our shop tarped. All material was unloaded inside our facility with overhead cranes. Once unloaded, the raw material and finished product remained in our facility until it was time to ship to the powder coater (who is located across the street from our shop). Call us if you need a custom bike rack and need a dependable supplier that will meet your every need.

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]

If you just take the time to really study your surroundings when you are out on your next summer adventure, you might just see some great examples of curved steel applications. Albina Co., Inc. specializes in helping fabricators create architecturally appealing signs for commercial, recreational, and transportation applications. Some projects include structural steel entry-ways and signage for state parks, zoos and campgrounds. Other applications include signage for public transportation stations, recreational facilities and commercial buildings. Below are a few projects we have done over the years so keep your eyes peeled on your next adventure to see if you can spot some curved steel! Curt Gowdy State Park is in Cheyenne, Wyoming at the foothills of the Laramie Mountains. Happy Hollow Zoo is a small 16-acre zoo and amusement park in San Jose, California. Buffalo Bill Cody Stampede Park & Rodeo located in Cody, Wyoming. Centennial Center Park Platform and Amphitheater in Centennial, Colorado.

Albina Co., Inc. is happy to be part of the "Marketplace at the City" project Surprise, Arizona. "Marketplace at the City" is a 26,000 square foot single-story property located in Surprise, Arizona. Surprise is the fastest growing city in Arizona. The project represents a new trend in the delivery of healthcare, which involves bringing medical services to growing communities and placing them in retail locations. Albina Co., Inc. is providing approximately 20,000# of bent steel on this project consisting of Tube Steel 5" X 5" X .250" WALL A500 GR B and Tube Steel 12" X 4" X .250" WALL A500 GR B. A total of 46 pieces all being bent all to AESS (Architecturally Exposed Structural Steel) standards.

Albina continues to invest in capital assets to expand our capabilities and allow us to better serve our customers. Most recently Albina has purchased various tooling sets for our draw bending equipment and our roll bending equipment. This tooling will allow Albina to offer bends that we were unable to previously offer OR offer bends with a higher level of quality then in the past. Some examples of tooling we purchased include: • 14” OD round bend dies allowing us to roll bend 14” OD material on our Roundo R11 and R13 machines. • 2” Sch10 tooling (mandrel and wiper) allowing us to bend Sch10 material with no distortion (3d and 5d bends) • 3” Sch10 tooling (mandrel and wiper) allowing us to bend Sch10 material with no distortion (3d and 5d bends) Albina is always looking to add to our tooling list to increase the bending options we can offer our customers.

The steel bending world, and life, is 360 degrees - now technology is too. We will be offering a drawing for a new Samsung Galaxy S7 Smart Phone and GearVR (virtual reality) googles next week when we exhibit at the NASCC (North American Steel Construction Conference) in San Antonio. Visit our BOOTH #8130 and see for yourself how awesome this new technology is and step into our virtual shop to experience the bending process first hand. One lucky winner will win a new phone and the virtual reality googles! Don't miss out on this opportunity. Sign up today!

We are continuing our efforts to reduce our collective dependence on fossil fuel and we are installing a solar power system on our shop roof to derive clean, pure energy from the sun! We are doing our part to go green and reduce our carbon footprint. Here is what we are doing: • We are installing a 135kW (kilowatt) system. • The panels will be covering the roof of our 4th bay (this bay is 12,500 square feet)….that is a lot of solar panels. • Our building is perfect for solar as we have no shading and the panels will be southern facing for optimal efficiency for all seasons. • One array of solar cells will be 45 ft x 106 ft and the second array of solar cells will be 45 ft x 113 ft. • We will generate our own power for use. If we have excess power it will go back to the grid. What are you doing to reduce your carbon footprint? Do you consider the what your vendors or suppliers are doing to combat greenhouse gas emissions and global warming? People who are continuously looking for ways to improve their output without having an adverse effect on the environment is the type of vendor you want working for you. Vendors who look for new and innovative ways to improve their business will be the same ones that will give you a quality product and care about the outcome of your project.