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If you’re a construction manager or business owner in charge of a large industrial project and need to purchase equipment, Abby Industrial can help you.

For example, let’s say you’re adding a new wing to a VA hospital and one of the equipment purchases for this project is for HVAC – air conditioners, chillers, compressors, ducting, heating, water tanks, etc. We’ll look at your specs, the contract, and any other paperwork you have to help you determine exactly what you need.

We’ll also take into account the following:

• Logistics and scheduling
• Engineering specs and callouts
• Budget

We do the vetting for you

The Portsmouth (NH) Naval Ship Yard recently hired Abby Industrial to purchase equipment for a new manufacturing facility — which included a blast room. As part of the project, we vetted vendors and then recommended three companies who could meet the project specifications.

And, because we’re a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), we can help you meet government contract specifications for doing business with SDVOBs / SDVOSBs — as well as find other certified SDVOBs who have the product you need.

SDVOB Badge – A symbol of trust

Did you know that of the 50,000 companies that state they’re a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business, less than 30% completed the audit and are actually certified by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)?

It’s true. And, to retain the badge, a company must regularly re-certify. The VA keeps a database of certified companies and only certified businesses may use the SDVOB badge.

Businesses and agencies who do work with or purchase on behalf of the Federal Government are strongly encouraged to target SDVOB businesses. In fact, government purchasing contracts often state that a specific dollar percentage must go to certified businesses.

Benefits of Working with Abby Industrial

As a certified SDVOB, Abby Industrial is positioned to help you save time and money — while also providing over 20 years of industrial equipment expertise.

• • Relieve administrative burden — We free you from spending days or weeks trying to find the right company with the right piece of equipment.
  • Narrow down choices — Because we know industrial equipment, we can narrow your choices, which saves you time vetting companies and completing paperwork.
  • Provide consultative services — We can review blueprints or specs, ask the right questions, and provide recommendations for transportation, logistics, installation, and other issues.
  • Offer SDVOB preferences — We help you meet government contract specifications for doing business with a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business – as well as find other certified SDVOBs who have the product you need.

  If you have an industrial equipment requisition and need help, contact us. We’re happy to have a discussion to see if we can help you.

The EPA released its 2018 Fact Sheet: Advancing Sustainable Materials Management. According to the report, the United States generated 600 million tons of Construction and Demolition (C&D) Debris — more than twice the amount of generated municipal solid waste.

Construction and demolition materials consist of concrete, wood, asphalt, gypsum bricks, glass, etc. Materials also include salvageable building components, including doors, windows, and plumbing.

Of the 600 million tons of C&D Debris, 90% is due to demolition debris. Almost 145 million tons of this waste was sent to landfills.

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To ensure Abby Industrial projects stay on time and on budget, we regularly partner with Methuen Construction, a general contractor (GC) based in Plaistow, NH.

In business for over 50 years, Methuen Construction is widely considered to be one of the most successful large project construction companies in the industry.

We asked Cody Barnes, Project Manager for Methuen Construction, for his feedback on what makes for a good relationship between an Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) and a GC.

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Local Emergency Orders due to COVID-19 are halting construction work for metal recycling operations on the both the East and West Coasts.

What I’m hearing:
> Scrap operations are essential businesses
> Repair of existing essential machinery is allowed
> The construction of NEW work is not essential

If you’re the owner or manager of recycling operation, anticipate disruptions. If there is a cease work order, you will have little choice but to stop.

Contractors may seek to exercise force majeure clauses to cover costs of rentals, canceling subs, or orders for materials.

The terms and conditions on sales orders and contracts might become more relevant than anticipated a few weeks ago.

NOW is the time to work pro-actively with contractors and suppliers to minimize disruption and delay costs. Be clear about not letting the meter keep running on rentals, and costs that could be minimized if there is a shutdown.

Industrial sites are, by their nature, non-public and specialist workplaces. They’re often overlooked for rigorous cleanliness regarding infectious diseases.

Industry follows standard workplace regulations but they’re lightly enforced by code officials and inspectors, who rightly focus on safety. However, with COVID-19, employees and contractors are voicing their concerns and asking for action to protect them.

As the U.S. recovers from the virus and public health becomes an elevated concern in the workplace, companies will have to rethink their current and future practices to lower job site exposure to infectious diseases. But what are companies looking at now?

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In the months or years leading up to any large construction project, a great deal of work has already taken place to ensure the project complies with state and federal regulations. 

Pre-planning helps ensure your project remains on track while also alleviating unexpected and costly surprises (e.g. you learn of a threatened species within the construction zone, bringing all work to a grinding halt).

Studies, reports, permissions, and permits are long lead items and require consultation with development professional as early as possible, as any one of these things may slow the start of breaking ground, even on a site you on which you currently operate.

Lot lines, easements, and surface water issues may require real estate transactions. 

Due to the complexity of these issues, it’s highly advisable to hire a knowledgeable Owner Project Manager who can help advise and navigate the various commissions, permitting, and reviews needed. An OPM with an extensive network can also recommend or hire other professional firms, such as environmental engineers, as needed.

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The Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) acts as the owner’s representative for large construction projects. Hired at the earliest stages of a project, the OPM provides advice and guidance to the project owner on all aspects of the project (see our post, “What is an Owner’s Project Manager?” for a complete description).

The OPM will work with the project owner to choose a Construction Manager (CM) or the owner may have an existing relationship with a construction management company. Whatever the case, the OPM and CM have two separate and distinct roles, although their jobs overlap.

The Construction Manager performs or oversees the actual work of the project, including hiring and assigning workers and/or sub-contractors, requisition of supplies, and providing the OPM with budget / cost reports.

The crucial difference between the OPM and CM, however, is that as the owner’s representative, the OPM is completely independent from the Construction Manager (and project designer, sub-contractors, etc.).

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An Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) represents the owner’s interests with regard to large design and construction projects, from new public buildings to heavy industrial facility expansions.

The owner of the project can be the actual owner of a company expanding a facility or building a new one, or the owner can be a municipality overseeing a large public construction project, such as a bridge, school, or library.

The state of Massachusetts, for example, requires public projects that cost $1.5M or more, and that involve construction, reconstruction, demolition or repair, to be overseen by a qualified OPM. (Source)

The OPM provides guidance to the project owner from the earliest stages – and usually before the project designer is hired – through completion of construction. In fact, the OPM may work closely with the owner to select the project designer as well as negotiate the contract.

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“The recycling industry continues to power America’s manufacturing base, creating jobs, generating tax revenue, and proving valuable feedstock for new products,” says Joe Pickard, chief economist for ISRI.

Pickard is referring to the recently released 2019 Economic Impact Study of the U.S.-based scrap recycling industry. The report is based on research conducted by John Dunham and Associates, and published by the Institute of Scrap Metal Recycling Industries (of which our sister company, K2 Castings, is a member).

In addition to providing positive environmental benefits (e.g. fewer recyclable materials in landfills and oceans, parks, etc.), the scrap recycling industry is responsible for more than 531,500 jobs and an economic impact of nearly $110 billion in the United States.

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We’re proud to announce that Abby Industrial has fulfilled all requirements for the United States Small Business Association’s SDVOB program.

The requirements for the SDVOB program include:

• Passing the “are you a small business” test set forward by the SBA
• Being at least 51% owned and controlled by one or more service-disabled veterans
• Having day-to-day operations managed and long-term decisions made by one or more service-disabled veterans
• Having a disability incurred while in service to the United States of America

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