A WAY OF LIFE

Posted on by TP Mechanical

Our first core value is “Safety First, Always First,” and we relentlessly pursue the highest standard of safety so we can send each of our employees home to their families injury-free, every night. Achieving and maintaining the safest environment possible takes teamwork, employee involvement and commitment from all levels of management. Here’s how we do it: 

STRONG FOUNDATION  

  • The foundation of our safety culture is employee buy-in and management support, which creates a safety-first environment at all levels of the organization.  

 DAY ONE IMPLEMENTATION 

  • All employees, office and field, must complete the OSHA 10-hour training before new employee orientation. 
  • Once this is completed, we outline our policies and procedures, which exceed OSHA standards, during our half-day orientation. 

CONTINUOUS TRAINING 

  • Field team members participate in weekly safety meetings, Toolbox Talks, Job Safety Analyses and receive 30 hours of OSHA training per year. 
  • Office staff complete 10 hours of OSHA training per year and participate in weekly safety meetings. 

APPLY AND EDUCATE  

  • When a question of safety does arise, the safety team has a discussion with those involved, gathering information about the circumstances and asking employees what could have been done differently to make the task safer.  

OPEN-DOOR POLICY  

  • Employees are empowered to bring concerns, questions, suggestions and accolades to their superiors.  

IMMEDIATE REPORTING 

  • All safety incidents are reported immediately to President and CEO Bill Riddle, as they occur, to keep him informed of what is happening at the ground level. 

BE YOUR BROTHER’S KEEPER  

  • We foster the mindset that we look out for one another and ensure everyone is following proper safety protocols. 
  • We want all our employees to return home to their families injury-free, every night. 

TEAM MEMBER BUY-IN  

  • Safety at TP Mechanical is not just a standard we uphold. It is a way of life. Our apprentices, our field and office team members and our leadership believe in our safety culture and relentlessly pursue the highest standards of safety. 
  • Our team’s commitment to safety is contagious and often spreads to other organizations working on the same project.   

Save Energy (And Money!) This Winter

Posted on by TP Mechanical

With the rising cost of energy, conservation has become a hot topic. Everyone can do their part to lower energy costs and become more energy efficient. 
 
What Can YOU Do Today to Save Energy? 
    – Change HVAC filters 
    – Invest in smart thermostats and set a schedule 
    – Make sure all windows are sealed 
    – Unplug chargers when you are not using them 

Now Think Big Picture Energy Savings! 
Our service team at TP Mechanical is committed to helping our customers save money when it comes to repairs, replacements and energy efficiency. As part of our preventative maintenance contracts, our service team will look at a customer’s existing piece of equipment, take the number of estimated cooling hours in a year and factor in the kilowatt rate to give an estimated usage cost. Using the same formula, usage cost is then estimated for a new piece of equipment. Comparing the two estimates to show energy savings, the team can determine whether the best course of action is to replace or repair a piece of equipment.  

Call our service team today at (800) 829-1989 to discuss customized energy savings options.   

TP’s Service Team Invests in Safety Measures for a 20-acre Chemical Manufacturing Customer

Posted on by TP Mechanical

Thanks to TP’s investment in company safety and our initiative to take safety training to the next level, our service team was awarded a sizable preventative maintenance contract for a chemical manufacturing client in Addyston, Ohio. Located on the Ohio River, the manufacturer’s 20-acre campus houses over 60 buildings, ranging from administrative spaces to large warehouses.

With a facility of this size and the environment of manufacturing chemicals, our team needed to be thoroughly prepared to safely begin work. Thirty days before setting foot on the premises, TP’s 22 team members underwent chemical mask fittings, background checks and drug testing. Additionally, they earned Kentucky Journeyman’s license certifications to prepare for working on the customer’s campus.  

TP’s team completed the manufacturer’s in-house safety course required for those working in a chemical plant. This one-hour course consisted of training on different emergency horn blasts and lights one may hear or see while working in the plant. Our team also participated in an odor test because chemical spills and the resulting smells can arise before the building sensors signal there was an incident. Lastly, they reviewed standard plant procedures, including confidentiality and cell phone use policies and the requirement for every person to have a partner while on the floor.

TP’s number one core value, “Safety First, Always First,” made this project possible. TP’s commitment to safety before, during and after the work made our team an ideal choice for a chemical manufacturer which values safety as much as we do. 

Replace versus Repair? TP’s Capital Assessments Guide Our Service Customers

Posted on by TP Mechanical

TP’s service team is committed to helping our customers save money on costly equipment repairs and unnecessary replacements. For this reason, we have developed a unique capital assessment and planning program for our service customers. 

Our capital assessments are developed annually using equipment data paired with real repair costs tracked within our service software program. We use color coding methods to categorize equipment based on type, age and typical lifecycle. This data, coupled with the service logs, provides our customers with an educated projection of the equipment’s lifespan.  

Armed with this information, the TP service team advises customers on an annual basis on the most cost-effective options and guides budget planning for replacement or repairs for the coming year and beyond. 

While we cannot predict the exact day and time equipment will fail, our capital assessments provide customers with a comprehensive equipment overview so they can make informed decisions and save money. 

To learn more about our capital assessment and preventative maintenance services, contact a TP representative at 513-851-8881. 

TP Implements New Fabrication Method – Fully Prefabricated Mechanical Rooms

Posted on by TP Mechanical

In today’s ever-changing construction environment, TP Mechanical continues to adapt and innovate. We know the challenges of large-scale construction projects, and for over thirty years we’ve answered them with our market-leading, quality-driven fabrication division. As a leader in the fabrication industry, TP continues to push the envelope with new technology and capabilities. We are proud and excited to announce we are now building and pre-assembling entire mechanical rooms in our fabrication facilities.

There are many benefits to pre-assembling a mechanical room offsite. TP’s Distribution Center is an extremely safe and controlled environment where production continues even when there is inclement weather. With a portion of the project’s manpower shifting from the jobsite to our distribution center, onsite assembly requires less time while still achieving a seamless installation process. This strategy also ensures we have eliminated any and all issues before the field installation occurs. This high-level prefabrication allows for us to avoid jobsite delays and meet strict deadlines, which is a continued priority for all our projects.

TP Mechanical was thrilled to utilize this strategy for a new central energy plant at Big Walnut Schools with general contractor, Gilbane Building Company. This energy plant is equipped to provide a total of 1500 tons cooling capacity, twenty-four million BTU’s of heating, which supports the over 350,000 square feet for the new Big Walnut High School and Prairie Run Elementary.

To ensure the installation of piping and equipment went as effortlessly and fast as possible, TP built the entire mechanical room in our 100,000 square foot distribution center. This energy plant consists of (4) six million BTU boilers, (3) 500-ton chillers, hydronic pumps, (2) air separators, (2) expansion tanks, a chemical feeder, (3) 1500-gallon cooling towers, a makeup water system and more.

The mechanical room was completely pre-assembled while the energy plant structure was simultaneously being built.  Once the building was dried-in, the pre-assembled portion of the mechanical room was broken down into segments, then shipped to the jobsite to allow for an efficient and expedited installation. From disassembly to reassembly on-site, the process was performed in a period of four days.

To learn more about TP’s fabrication division, visit https://www.tpmechanical.com/fabrication/. Discover how our team offers unparalleled skill with sophisticated software to generate innovative, customized solutions for your primary challenges.

Cincinnati Service Team Completes Entire Turnkey VRF Installation

Posted on by TP Mechanical

TP’s Cincinnati Service Team just completed a unique turnkey project for a school in Fort Thomas, Kentucky. Installation of the brand-new Daikin VRF system took only months for the entire process from bid to completion. This quick pace was crucial to ensure the school’s opening date remained on schedule. TP Mechanical also partnered with Denier Electric to change the service in the building to accommodate the added equipment. This scope of work was conducted and managed under TP Mechanical’s contract with the client.

VRF or Variable Refrigerant Flow systems are a completely state-of-the-art, modern, and efficient option perfect for commercial spaces or school classroom settings. The main benefit to utilizing a VRF system is that it allows each room to run heating or cooling – at any time – depending on the load in each part of the building. This system consists of multiple groups of indoor units where each group runs off a pair of condensing units. There was also a section of the facility where an Energy Recovery System was installed to meet outside air requirements and guidelines. Though these systems are complex, our service team is equipped with two fully certified technicians capable of installing, commissioning, and repairing the equipment.

Following proper procedures for startup was crucial to ensure the validity of the manufacturer’s warranty. Each part of the system had to go through a series of tests, as well as requiring a recorded run time of 72-hours total to complete the start-up. Our certified technicians were able to successfully finish the start-up process virtually with a Daikin representative.

A big thanks to our team, including Project Manager Scott McEvilly, Sales Representative James Hatfield, and Project Lead Dennis Meredith for all their hard work to make certain everything was up and running in time for the first day of school.

Other Team Members:

Denier Electric

TP Team:

Scott McEvilly, Project Manager

James Hatfield, Sales Representative

Dennis Meredith, Project Lead

James Johnson, Startup and Commissioning

Tony Schroeder, Piping

Mike McGaha, Piping & Controls

Zach Meister, Sheet Metal

Greg Deardorff, Helper

Carson Cagle, Helper

Unique Needs Call for Custom Solutions through Retro-Commissioning

Posted on by TP Mechanical

Shortly following a remodel of Indiana Farmers Insurance office, located in Carmel, Indiana, the need arose to upgrade the building’s dated HVAC equipment. Due to the enormous size of the existing air handling units and the expense associated with removing the units, TP Indiana’s General Manager, Mark Hunter, and the TP Mechanical Indiana team, worked to propose a creative solution through Retro-Commissioning.

“Taking something old and making it new is an excellent option to avoid unnecessary time and expense,” says Hunter. “Re-purposing older air handling units and re-engineering major components provides an efficient system that operates like new.  Additionally, this retro-commissioned equipment is covered under a new equipment warranty and helps with lowering maintenance costs for the coming years.”

For Indiana Farmers Insurance, TP completely replaced the system components on (4) air handling units to include a new blower motor, blower wheel, bearings, blower shaft and pulleys. Additionally, the old R-22 evaporator coils were replaced with custom built R-410A coils and the (4) old roof mounted condensing units were replaced with new energy efficient condensers as well.

TP Mechanical’s team was able to save Indiana Farmers Insurance time, frustration, and a large sum of money by eliminating office demolition which would have been required to entirely remove the old units.

TP Mechanical Completes HVAC Rooftop Unit Installation at Pivotek

Posted on by TP Mechanical

Pivotek – a prefabricated, modular bathroom manufacturer – recently turned to TP Mechanical to replace 30 rooftop HVAC units at its Milford, Ohio location. Pivotek has partnered with TP’s commercial construction division for several years; however, this installation marked Pivotek’s first project using our service division.

Having just moved into the facility six months prior, Pivotek leadership hoped to replace all of the aging rooftop heating and cooling units – which were original to the plant – at the same time. To provide a seamless installation, TP account manager Russ Shively, project manager Scott McEvilly and Clay Smith, operations leader for TP’s Cincinnati group, worked to ensure correct measurements for the new units were taken and curb extensions – required for some units due to new roofing which had been installed – were utilized when necessary.

All 30 units were strategically placed on the rooftop in a single day using a crane and then systematically installed. Because the units varied widely in size, TP team members were careful to tag and match new equipment with existing equipment, to ensure proper placement in the appropriate rooftop locations. “Every unit had some customization to it, so every unit had to go into a specific location,” explained McEvilly. “We worked to make sure every item was carefully labeled and identified.”

TP Mechanical team members completed the placement and installation of all 30 units within one month, operating only on Sundays to avoid disrupting the six-day-a-week manufacturing schedule at the plant.

TP Mechanical’s Indianapolis Office Provides Maintenance and Service to Avalign

Posted on by TP Mechanical

Avalign Technologies, a leading manufacturer of surgical instruments and medical implants, has turned to TP Mechanical for trusted preventative maintenance and service at its nearly 200,000-square foot facility in Greenwood, Indiana.

Avalign recently requested TP Mechanical for their next sizable project – air conditioning the entire plant and installing duct work for machinery exhaust.  Earning this project is a testament to the company’s satisfaction with the ongoing preventative maintenance and service they are receiving from TP.

The TP Mechanical office in Indy is just five years old, but under general manager Mark Hunter, the office has grown to a dedicated team of 15 employees. Already, the office has a substantial regional reach throughout Indiana, servicing clients across an array of industries from manufacturing and industrial to heavy commercial and assisted living.

The Indianapolis office – like our offices in Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, and Lexington – provides preventative maintenance, service and installation for mechanical equipment.  With a full-time electrician on staff, the Indy office uniquely delivers a full scope of electrical services as well.   

Please contact TP Mechanical if we can help you with your upcoming service or installation needs.

 

TP Mechanical Repairs Challenging Leak at School Employees Retirement System of Ohio

Posted on by TP Mechanical

Around 6 p.m. on a Friday, water flooded the School Employees Retirement System of Ohio (SERS) offices due to a broken drainpipe which was unable to handle rain from a thunderstorm rolling through downtown Columbus. Facing a forecast of more storms over the weekend – and a threat of even more severe leaks – senior SERS maintenance technician Jason Chenault called TP Mechanical’s Mike McAllister for help.

Despite the call coming in after-hours – on a Friday no less – Mike gathered a team from TP Mechanical to respond immediately. Under the project management of Jared Christman and general management of Tony Marple, a team of TP staff was onsite, starting repairs at SERS in under an hour. Mike McManaway, SERS assistant director of administrative services, commended the team’s fast and dedicated response. “Tyler Wentz, Jessie Herring, and Ian Perry responded to the emergency call without hesitation. Tyler was onsite within the hour, while Jessie and Ian worked to gather materials to repair the approximately 15 feet of broken drainpipe.”

By 10 p.m., the TP Mechanical crew had replaced all the faulty pipe and assessed and repaired all exposed leaks. In just four hours’ time, they’d gotten the SERS offices back to normal and able to withstand any future downpours. “I cannot express enough my appreciation for the professionalism, response, and expertise exhibited by your staff,” said McManaway about TP.

Hopefully, your company won’t face an after-hours emergency like SERS did. But if you do, our dedicated 24-hour emergency service crews at TP Mechanical will be there to help. Our emergency services teams have a guaranteed response time of four hours and can respond to your emergency 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.