Learn how Schad Refractory responded to two emergencies in less than 24 hours, and helped customers resume operations.
In February 2019, Schad was challenged with the task of mobilizing two emergency jobs in the same weekend.
As the week wound down and Schad’s employees began thinking of how they would spend their upcoming weekend, the phone rang. When the phone rings on a Friday afternoon in the refractory industry, the voice on the other line only has one question: “How soon can you be here?!”
Emergency car bottom furnace repair
The first call came on Friday at about 3:00 PM. A heat treat facility in the eastern suburbs of Detroit had a problem with a car bottom furnace that they needed to be returned to service ASAP. Schad immediately sent employees from another job-site over to the facility to survey the situation while the team back at the warehouse began loading materials and equipment.
By 5:00 PM Schad’s project manager and foreman were already getting the work started to remove and replace approximately 100 square feet of ceramic fiber modules in the roof of the furnace. Schad’s crew worked through the night and turned the furnace back over to the customer the very next day.
Boiler repair at a paper manufacturing facility
By coincidence, at about 2:30 PM on Saturday, Schad’s 24 hour answering service took a call from a paper manufacturer on the westside of Michigan. Schad answered the call and immediately began loading materials and equipment on a truck and calling their crew members to prepare for a 7:00 AM Sunday start time.
What was originally perceived as a job for a few crew members for a couple of shifts, quickly turned into a several–day-long project as Schad worked to replace an entire back wall, knee-wall, and complete other miscellaneous repairs throughout the boiler.
The biggest challenge with this project was not the quick response, but the shifting of company resources as the dust settled on the weekend and the regularly scheduled repairs for the upcoming week came into focus.
“It was a big challenge to reallocate resources from ongoing work to emergency work. It was especially challenging because the scope of emergency repair work can be a moving target.”
Matt Kuderik, Schad Project Manager
“We are lucky to have a dedicated team. From the guys loading the trucks back at the warehouse to the guys mobilizing in the field at a moment’s notice, it takes a to deliver for our customers in these circumstances.”
Ross Lee, President of Schad Refractory
To make sure Schad is ready for your next emergency, or better yet, to get help avoiding emergencies in the future, give Schad a call today!