Building Long-Term Relationships and Keeping Them

Posted on by TP Mechanical

A business is only as good as the clients it serves. No business gets far by losing clients. One key to our success is building relationships that go beyond one-time projects to provide value to clients on a consistent, ongoing basis.

After 15 years in the Mechanical trade, I have personally learned several factors that make a business successful. Among them, I have learned to broaden my wisdom of knowledge on building and maintaining relationships. This starts inside the business as well as when we interact with clients.

Communication bigstock-Developing-relationship-concep-46350586

Clients depend on you to keep them informed. Providing regular communications with them is one of your priorities. This includes updating them on various projects, as well as letting them know about any bumps in the road you encounter. There is no such thing as over-communicating.

Be Useful

The more value you offer, the more a client comes to depend on you. Don’t hesitate to share information clients may find useful, whether or not it benefits you in any way. In the same respect, refrain from bombarding them with irrelevant news or gossip, and don’t bother them with offers that won’t interest them. Sometimes, you should only speak when being spoken to, but be careful when applying this method. But speak up to identify issues and share solutions with the client.

bigstock-Building-up-trust-concept-Bla-43061644Be Honest

No long-term relationship survives if the two parties aren’t honest with each other. Your chief responsibility is to be open and honest in all of your dealings. Today, the client is more educated than ever. You must build a reputation of integrity, or you’ll never be able to cultivate the kind of long-term relationship your business depends on.

Reward Loyal Clients

Clients should be honored for their loyalty and receive the preferential treatment they deserve. Be free with your expressions of gratitude and look for new ways to say “Thank you for your valued business.”

Win with the Client

A client who determines you’re in it for the long haul and motivated to help him or her succeed soon begins to see you as more than just a vendor or supplier. You become a partner in their enterprise and someone they can grow with today, tomorrow, and in the years to come.

Zig Zigler once said, “When your alarm rings in the morning, consider this as another opportunity for you to become successful and to build relationships that benefit your business and yourself.”

The ingredients in “Building Long-Term Relationships and Keeping Them” are communication, being useful, being honest, rewarding loyalty, and being a valued partner to the client. We should all take the time to include them in our work – every day and with every client.

By: Tony Pate, Regional Representative Service Division, TP Mechanical

Mentoring relationship growth article featuring TP Mechanical and Sure Mechanical

Posted on by TP Mechanical

TP Mechanical and SURE Mechanical leverage mentoring relationship for growth

TP Mechanical, a regional leader in mechanical, HVAC, plumbing and fire protection contracting, service and fabrication, recently announced it has entered into a mentoring relationship with SURE Mechanical, of Cincinnati.

via TP Mechanical and SURE Mechanical leverage mentoring relationship for growth | Business Development content from Contractor Magazine.

Many Hands Make Light Work

Posted on by TP Mechanical

When we were brought on to the Ohio Wesleyan Stuyvesant Hall Renovation project, we needed “all hands on deck” so to speak.

Stuyvesant Hall, a campus icon, is considered to be an architectural jewel and is one of 11 Ohio Wesleyan buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1931, the 74,000 square-foot dormitory was considered to be state-of-the-art; a model for residence halls of the time.

After nearly a century of housing over 200 college students a year, the building needed a little face lift as well as extensive internal updates to offer current and future Ohio Wesleyan students state-of-the-art accommodations by today’s standards.

TP Mechanical was brought on to the job to collaborate on converting the existing rooms into suites with brand-new, private adjoining bathrooms as well as the demolition of the building’s existing mechanical and plumbing systems and the installation of all-new:

  • Plumbing
  • HVAC
  • Fire protection systems
  • Air devices
  • Boilers
  • Chillers
  • Hydronic pumps
  • Fancoil units
  • DOAS units
  • Unit heaters
  • Public restroom facilities
  • A new all-campus health center

We loved this project because there are few things more rewarding than breathing new life into an old building, and it really brought our company together because it required the collaboration of all departments to get the job done. From design to prefabrication to install, the men and women of TP Mechanical worked together to deliver the intricate mechanical systems to get Stuyvesant Hall up and running under budget and on time. As always, our high safety standards were in place to protect the workers on the job site while keeping campus activities in motion with minimal disruption.

Having the opportunity to participate in a renovation project on a building with such a rich history was a treat. The ABC Central Ohio Excellence in Construction Award we earned on the project was icing on the cake so to speak. We couldn’t have done it without the internal collaboration and the valued partnerships of the industry peers, craftsmen and tradesmen we worked with throughout the duration of the project. Thank you one and all.

To read more about this project and view pictures taken while it was in progress, click here.

Safety Matters!

Posted on by TP Mechanical

As participants in OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) we’ve implemented meticulous safety and health management practices that address hazard prevention and control, worksite analysis, training, management commitment and worker involvement. We voluntarily submit to rigorous evaluations to identify ways that we can continue to improve our system. Our first core value is “Safety First, Always First,” and we will relentlessly pursue the highest standard so that we can send each of our employees home to their families every night, injury-free.

This is why as of today April 19, 2013 TP Mechanical has worked 2,329,627 hours without a lost-time accident.

TPM-SafetyFirstAlways2_1-30-13

Safety is a team effort

Posted on by TP Mechanical

bigstock-Safety-First-Vector-7506065Superintendents can’t be everywhere at once. That’s why TP Mechanical works tirelessly to empower our employees to protect themselves and each other.

Safety is a team effort

One of the most effective strategies contributing to our safety success is our Job Safety Analysis (JSA) procedure. Recent reports indicate that 76% of injuries on the job are caused by inattention and complacency of workers on the site. The JSA is a critical tool in combatting inattention.

The TP Safety Department, in conjunction with Superintendent and Project Management, helped create a streamlined, user-friendly JSA document to help save superintendents valuable time. Together with intensive employee education and open lines of communication between team leader and team member, our JSA procedure is swift, thorough and effective.

The conditions on any given job site are constantly changing, requiring relentless vigilance on the part of every man and woman present. It’s our belief that the responsibility for safety rests with every team member in the field.

Heightened environmental awareness means workers take the appropriate precautions to keep their areas hazard-free. TP Mechanical trains all employees on every aspect of jobsite safety, while emphasizing the fine points of their specific trades or assignments. When TP Mechanical is on the job, the workers know their areas as thoroughly as their supervisors, allowing them to take ownership of their protection.

Before daily work begins, superintendents walk the job site, reviewing a checklist specific to every trade or specialty present. They then meet with team members in every area to discuss the hazards and safety procedures related to the work they will do that day. Workers are asked to communicate any issues they have identified. This back-and-forth communication ensures that every individual is on the same page and working to eliminate potential hazards before they can become accidents. Last but not least, every team member in a designated work area must sign the JSA at the beginning and end of every work session.

The TP Mechanical commitment to safety begins with the belief, dedication and unwavering support of upper management and the true abilities of all TP employees to embrace our company’s first core value of “Safety First, Always First.” With a strong belief in this, all TP employees exemplify how safety should be conducted throughout the industry. The ongoing evaluations and feedback provided by TP employees allows our company to be a front runner in safety.

TP Mechanical hours worked without a lost-time accident are..

Posted on by TP Mechanical

TPM-SafetyFirstAlways2_1-30-13As of April 5, 2013 our employees have worked 2,301,885 hours without a lost-time accident.  Congratulations for your continued success for upholding our first core value Safety First, Always First!

Celebrating 60 Years!

Posted on by TP Mechanical

TPM-325_60thAnniversaryLogo_FinalArt_Large_HighRes_TransparentBackground_RGB_3-22-13In 1953, our founder started a small plumbing business – William J. Teepe, Inc.

In 60 years, we’ve grown. As we celebrate this milestone anniversary, we plan to take a few moments to remember our history.

Nathan “Denny” Dennison used to help with the books and office work for the company. He still remembers running across the company’s first invoice – for $14.47. In those early days, Bill did most of the work himself, carrying a bucket of tools and taking a lot of work installing water heaters and fixtures ordered through the Sears catalog.

“Then, all of a sudden, we got a couple of bigger jobs and things just took off,” he remembers.

Today, with offices in Cincinnati, Columbus, Lexington and Louisville, this second generation company employs more than 350 people and tackles some of the most complex HVAC/R, plumbing and mechanical projects in the region. Known for its expertise in prefabrication and value engineering, TP Mechanical serves a wide variety of industries – medical, hospitality, education and government.

In each newsletter in this celebration year, we’ll share history and memories from the company. Be sure to check out the next issue to learn how TP Mechanical grew out of its early days into an important business in Greater Cincinnati.

Follow the Arrows | Flow Direction

Posted on by TP Mechanical

As you go about fulfilling your daily job responsibilities, it can be easy to fall prey to a sense of routine causing you to lose your focus and attention to detail.  This can happen to the most experienced employee or the new guy on the block.  Our workforce has installed miles of pipe and thousands upon thousands of piping specialties and devices.   However, through many of our client’s eyes, our company is only as good as the last project we completed or the current project we are performing for them.

Losing that focus and attention to details results in the cost of troubleshooting and rework to correct a problem.  This impacts not only the bottom line for the profitability of that project but can also cost us long-term by damaging relationships with owners, end-users, general contractors, architects, engineers, etc.

flow1For example, even though it seems like a pretty simple concept, piping specialties and devices get installed backwards more often than most would think.  First and foremost, it is important to understand the flow of the system.  If unsure of the correct system flow, check the drawings or check with the superintendent. flow2

Check valves, strainers, balance valves, control valves, etc. generally have the required flow direction indicated on them.  For example, while some strainers and balance valves look the same, the required flow through them is opposite.  If the installer is not paying close attention, the valve can get installed in what would appear to be the correct orientation, but once you look at the flow designation on the valve, it clearly indicates the opposite flow direction.

flow3The cost of troubleshooting and rework to correct the problem could be easily avoided by simply following the arrows.  If direction of flow can’t be found, or is not indicated on the device, you can refer to the submittal for installation details.  And again, it never hurts to ask, we are surrounded by a wealth of knowledge and experience in our workforce.

Think a custom design will cost you more money? Think again.

Posted on by TP Mechanical
We’re in the business of delivering custom designs that do more with every dollar. TP Mechanical has the capability, expertise and resources to provide design/build, design/assist and other pre-construction services. We pair comprehensive design services with state-of-the-art fabrication capabilities to coordinate every step of the process, reducing costs at every stage.
BIM and Design|Build
We’re in the business of delivering custom designs that do more with every dollar. TP Mechanical has the capability, expertise and resources to provide design/build, design/assist and other pre-construction services. We pair comprehensive design services with state-of-the-art fabrication capabilities to coordinate every step of the process, reducing costs at every stage.