MARCH 31, 2026 #009 M.SIMPSON/L.SALYER/J.PALMER (WRIGHT INDUSTRIAL GROUP-SOUTH)

REPLY/COMMENT 

 In this episode of Talkin’ Grit, M. Simpson sits down with L.Salyer and J.Palmer to spotlight Wright Industrial Group South—diving into the work they do, their impact on the industry, and how they continue to support growth and innovation across the region. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

From the job site to the office, from lessons learned to stories worth telling, this is Talking Grit, brought to you by Wright Brothers. Here's your host, Jared Walger.

SPEAKER_01 0:12

Hey, and we're back on Talking Grit. And this is an internal Wright Brothers podcast. And hey, it's a great way to stay up to date and learn about what's going on in the company, hear different voices, different stories. And today we've got a conversation with Lucas Sawyer and Jason Palmer from the Wright Industrial Group. And it's going to be a great conversation. But before we get started, one more reminder send some feedback to podcast at wbccci.com. Get your name in a drawing for a gift card that we're going to hook you up with. So don't forget to do that. You've got another week to do it. And we'll be announcing the winner of that the next time around on the podcast. So make sure you get uh your name in the hat for that. Um but hey, let's dive into this conversation. Mitchell, why don't you take it away? Let's uh let's get into this.

SPEAKER_03 0:58

Yeah, thanks, Jared. So, guys, Industrial Group, just so for some background, really came out of all of our work at Vocker. Um, you know, at Vocker we had amazing opportunities, amazing things happened there. The organization really grew. And that work started at the end of December 2010, and it went on three or four years. And as we wound down, one way or another, we just kept doing industrial work. So here we are now in 2026, and it's really evolved. We got two different divisions now in the industrial group. Well, we got more than that. I'll let Lucas explain that. But we we have a clear delineation geographically between the North Group and the South Group, and we're talking to the South guys today. And Lucas is the dude that's leading the whole charge on industrial group. Lucas, you showed up here in 2022. Can you kind of give everybody your background and how you ended up here and what you're doing today?

SPEAKER_02 1:59

Yeah, absolutely. Glad to do that. So as you mentioned, Mitchell showed up in September of 22. Um, prior to that, I had I had been in the construction industry since uh graduating college. So I graduated from East Tennessee State University, Go Bucks, um, and immediately went into uh working for a brick company, uh General Shell, for about nine years. Um, left that job out of Knoxville and uh went into the precast concrete industry. So worked actually with a lot of our vendor partners, different logos, but they're all the same core company, what what is now Foley Products. Uh or yeah, is now Foley Products. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:40

So you went through a whole bunch of acquisitions when you were in that end. Oh man, it I mean you started out and it was Sherman Dixie, and then who did it turn to?

SPEAKER_02 2:47

Yeah, so exactly. Started out, it was a sole proprietor, um, Pete Delay, who owned Sherman Dixie. Great guy. Went to work for him as a technical marketing rep. And it's very simple. I uh I called on engineers to help get products specified. So if you were gonna have a project with a box culvert, I helped you size that. We helped put concrete pipe in the spec, those kind of things. Learned a lot there. And then Sherman Dixie was uh purchased by uh Forterra. Forterra was owned by a private equity group. Um, and the goal at that time was to take Forterra public. So we went through the whole process of going from private to public, um, kind of was able to advance through their system and wound up becoming a general manager um over um seven facilities in six states Ohio, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, West Tennessee. And um then uh Fortra um went public, built themselves up, had uh had a nice run, and then in 22 they were purchased by Quick Creed. And um that was a point I stayed uh a short time there, but um they Quick Creed already owned Rinker, so it was gonna be a merger of some things that already happened. Um the position I was in was nationwide, and honestly, I wanted to get home and see my kids grow up. Yep. So so that's how you ended up here. That's how I ended up here. Um opportunity came along, talked to you and Steve. Yep. Um I had done some work in and trying to had some experience in taking things that maybe needed a little organization and and an effort and and putting that into it. And um so was able to do that. And we've been incredibly fortunate with uh the run we've had. It's it's an ama been an amazing ride.

SPEAKER_03 4:37

Um so when you showed up in 22, let's go down memory line here for a second. So, you know, we had the North Group going and they were doing some mechanical work, they were doing a lot of service work. Correct. We also had the paint group going on. What else did we have going on?

SPEAKER_02 4:54

So those were the two main things. We had a little bit of remodel type stuff going on in that general construction, but uh the main the industrial group was primarily driven by the loud and mechanical team. Yep. And so their um kind of identity was what we call continuous presence. They were working in facilities every day with a small group of clients, less than 10, um, just there showing up, assisting maintenance. And it it's everything from pipe welding and pipe fitting to, you know, it might be painting handrails. Might be serving the client. Correct. And so for me, it was a great learning experience because the the obvious weakness for me uh coming to this this position was I didn't have a lot of technical knowledge about mechanical stuff. And um, so the obvious way to do that is to get out and get on the jobs. Um, it's something I need to get back to, which has come out of my recent 360 review. But um anyway, so that's where we were. The the codings group was led by Tony Davis. That was the Davis painting company. Uh, and they were kind of a word of mouth, um, didn't do a lot of marketing or or anything like that, but Tony had a good reputation for quality. Great reputation. And um Tony knows everybody. So um That is an understatement.

SPEAKER_01 6:18

That helps.

SPEAKER_02 6:18

That is an understatement. Yeah, I mean, he's there's not anybody in Cleveland Jadinoga he doesn't know or doesn't know him. And um, so that carried us a long way. Um, and is actually still carrying us. Uh Tony retired in August of last year, but um we're still living off of that. So yeah.

SPEAKER_03 6:36

So you and I, after you were here for a few months, you know, we started talking about, hey, what we're going to do, how we're gonna grow this. And then you connected with a guy by the name of Jason Palmer.

SPEAKER_02 6:46

Yeah, it's um it's funny how things happen. Um, you know, I I saw the need that um we wanted to grow loud and obviously, but recognizing that there was a huge opportunity in the Chattanooga market and and we just didn't have a lot of presence. And um the Knoxville and Chattanooga market are so different. Um, and you're gonna hear some of that through these sessions, but um the primary difference is the the uh labor that is available in Chattanooga comes through the local 43 union. Um so the union um labor is the the best of the best. They're very well trained, they have an excellent program, and so the the leading contractors employ the union workers in in Chattanooga. And Loudon is just it's just different that way, right? So it's non-union. So um, but as uh as it came to it, and we're trying to talk about growth plans, um, it's just good people recruit good people. And um uh Barry Wynne actually reached out to me and said, Hey, I've got a guy that um uh his name's David Myers. He might be looking to make a change. We interviewed him actually for a position in Loudoun. And um talking through it, I've it's funny, I told David as I listened to him, I said, You're overqualified um for what we're trying to interview for. Like, I don't this would be a waste of your time. And through that conversation, he said, Well, what about Chattanooga? And what about Valker? And I said, What about Vocker? You know, and uh so he told me about all his experience there and his knowledge in the industry. And um, and he said, I've got another guy that um, and this is the only time I've ever had this happen in my career where someone said, I've got somebody I'm gonna bring that I that I would like to work for. This is the person that I want to be my supervisor, right? Which is different. So credit to David for that. Um, and that's when I met Jason Palmer. Um, and so Jason had a long career um with uh a company called Jake Marshall. I'll let him speak for himself in a minute, but um great reputation. He was familiar with Wright Brothers through Barry, had come to the cafeteria. Um, and it was just an immediate match in terms of of moral compass and and just the the things, the values and everything. He shared those with us. And it was pretty simple. There, the company that he and David were working for had been purchased by a public company and things were starting to change. The the owner that they beloved was exiting, and um I had been through that. So I understood kind of what those feelings were and and it was a good match. And so we were able to bring Jason on board in in July, um, and um and and just ran from there really. It just it just picked up pace.

SPEAKER_03 9:42

So Jason, you showed up July 23 then. What what was your background? How did you get to where you were at, and how did you get to Rife Brothers?

SPEAKER_04 9:50

So in 2021, or I'm sorry, 2001, I got in the local 43 Pipe Peters Apprenticeship.

SPEAKER_03 9:58

Wow, you're an old man.

SPEAKER_04 10:00

So yeah, yeah. So I spent the five years there working, uh going learning, going to school two nights a week for the five years training.

SPEAKER_03 10:10

And I went so that that's typical for everybody that goes through local 43. It's a five-year apprentice apprenticeship program. Yes, sir. And then there's two nights a week. Two nights a week. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 10:21

Three hours a night.

SPEAKER_03 10:22

Three hours a night. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 10:24

So you do that along side working day daytime, regular job. Yep. So I went through the apprenticeship as soon as I got out of the apprenticeship. Um four months outside apprenticeship, I was asked to be the welding teacher at local forty-three. Oh, that's cool. So I did that for four years. Okay. Um moved up to the ranks at work from you know, apprentice, journeyman, foreman into superintendent and went to Valker in 2013 during construction.

SPEAKER_03 11:00

And you never left.

SPEAKER_04 11:01

And uh that was my intent was to hey make this home, you know, be here. So stayed there for a year and a half through construction, a couple years through construction, and then uh spent the next eight years till 2023 there as site manager, stayed on his maintenance. We would have anywhere to 100, 120 people uh daily activities.

SPEAKER_03 11:28

Yeah, so you were there similar to us during the construction of Valker. What an amazing deal, right, Jason? Yeah, it was. I mean, there was everything in the world going on there. We'll have to have another podcast just to talk about all things Vokker one of these days. It would be right. Yeah, I mean one of the larger projects in Southeast Tennessee that's ever happened, right? They started out and said the budget was what, two billion dollars, two and a half billion dollars, and what it ended up being, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_04 11:54

A little over three, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_03 11:55

Yeah, it was a little over three. I mean, uh, and they just continue to do stuff too. So great, great, great client, great partnership between Wright Brothers and Vokker. Appreciate those guys, appreciate all the opportunities they've given us. So you showed up here then in 23. You'd been at Valker, you and Lucas had the conversation, you came on board. What did you expect when you showed up here?

SPEAKER_04 12:21

Well, we pretty much knew we were starting from scratch. You know, I come home bringing the union force, which was something new to the whole group. You know, bringing union labor was a different challenge. There had been other incidents, I think, in the prior to that, you know, everybody was kind of didn't know what to expect.

SPEAKER_03 12:46

Well, I mean, you know, Wright Brothers is a non-union company. Right. Uh had been for 60 years. Right. And the union was a different deal for us. It was a different way of doing business. But we quickly figured out that similar to what we're trying to do at the Pi Center, what Jared, you and your folks have done over the years at the Pi Center, training, teaching, growing people, the union does a really good job at that.

SPEAKER_02 13:12

Does a great job. And we're fortunate to have a great partner in Matt, who is the business agent down there, does a great job, but it's just a really good force. And they're known all around the country for being a very strong local, uh, very good local.

SPEAKER_03 13:29

Yeah, I mean, uh you got people that show up that are well trained, that show up and put out a really good quality product, right? Yes. And that's the blessing for being involved with local 43. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 13:43

Right. And that was the challenge at Vokker, right, Jason? I mean, was they had the highest welding standard. Yep.

SPEAKER_04 13:49

They did.

SPEAKER_03 13:50

Yep. So you you showed up, you brought some of the union guys over. What were some of the first projects you guys tackled whenever you showed up here?

SPEAKER_04 13:58

Well, like I said, we started from scratch, you know, David and I, we we joke at times about buying the first staper we had. But lit literally we we opened the door and you know, we let uh Burdo or we let but we agreed, you know, we're amongst ourselves to let the the Loudoun group take whatever they wanted from the existing tools and equipment and whatever, and we just started from scratch.

SPEAKER_03 14:24

Yeah, so it was pure expansion for right, brother. Yes, one hundred percent. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 14:29

So we started off, you know, we're we're of course I brought the the the Valker reputation with me. So we had to get requalified from that as a as right industrial group instead of my prior employer. Right. So we had to build the workforce. We were getting other small jobs, just trying to build that reputation, finally got in, got a few jobs at Valker, wound up getting back in, getting signed up on the maintenance agreement. So which put us in the same standings with other competitors.

SPEAKER_03 15:03

How long did it take you to do that?

SPEAKER_04 15:06

I would say about close six months.

unknown 15:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:10

Just towards the end of the year. It was so funny because um when just not knowing where it was gonna go and and really, you know, understanding, again, my weakness and technical, Jason's strengths is technical, right? And I remember we when we were at the 20th Street office first week, we walked out back and he said, Let me see the shop. And I showed him this little garage, and he said, That's not a shop. We gotta have a shop. And uh I said, Okay, and I said, Literally, tell me what we need. Um, but it it took probably three or four months to get things rolling where we were getting some good work. And we spent a lot of time at the beginning trying to capitalize on that by Jason and David getting some licensure and and working through some some certifications and stuff was kind of really where that started. So about six months?

SPEAKER_04 15:59

Yeah, I think six months where we really got dug in at Valker, got signed up on the agreement, it was toward the end of 2023. And at that time we were in August, we hired the first six employees around the first, second week of August.

SPEAKER_03 16:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 16:16

And I think by the end of the year we were in the twenties on our employee manpower list and working regularly at Valker. Yep, yep. Uh got her foot back in the door at Olin. Uh there were some of the local places. Some others here around uh Cleveland that we got in.

SPEAKER_03 16:34

So 2024 then, you know, you showed up in 23, that was getting it off the ground. 24, you really just kind of maintained what you got, right? You got the Valker relationship, you got the Olin relationship, you were doing some of the local stuff. And then the way I remember it, in 25, some stuff started opening up, right? Some larger things. What were what were some of the things that you guys started jumping on in 25?

SPEAKER_04 16:58

Well, another thing, in the middle of 24, we also picked up the Lynchburg project for the first time.

SPEAKER_03 17:04

Uh Lynchburg Lynchburg number one.

SPEAKER_04 17:06

Yep, Lynchburg number one, uh the Jack Daniels distillery. That's all.

SPEAKER_03 17:10

So what did you do the first time over there?

SPEAKER_04 17:12

We uh teamed up with another uh GC and um we installed piping systems and a pipe bridge, pipe rack.

SPEAKER_03 17:23

Yep.

SPEAKER_04 17:23

For their that's all we did was do the installation of it.

SPEAKER_03 17:27

So for anybody that keeps up with the news, that first project didn't turn out like it was supposed to, right, Jason? No. Um so project number one, didn't they have a tank failure? Yeah, no.

SPEAKER_04 17:39

They had a tank implode over there with 2.2 million gallons of water in it during the commissioning stage. Um, thank God nobody was there. They had two maintenance persons there, but nobody was hurt. Um, but it washed half that side away.

SPEAKER_02 17:55

Yeah. So wiped out 95% of what we had completed.

SPEAKER_04 17:58

Yeah, what we had done, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 17:59

Yeah. So the first GC nowhere to be found now, right? Correct. Or gone. So that was 24. When did when did we finish up that first round of work?

SPEAKER_04 18:09

We finished over there in August of 24.

SPEAKER_03 18:11

Okay. Okay, so you know, look, we were trying to get paid, right? Yeah. Total disaster. It was a mess. And then Jack Daniels, they had to get the project online, right? So they picked up, they knocked the dust off the project, and they started again, and y'all got in the middle of that, right?

SPEAKER_02 18:34

We we did, and it uh it was amazing because they basically reverse engineered the project because of of some legal matters that they were taking against the the people that had ruptured the tank, they couldn't get a hold of all the plans. So we happened to have still our sets. Yeah. And so we were able to provide some value there to say, hey, we we still have this, and and if you're gonna do this, you know, Jason kind of said, We we got to do it right this time. And um so the second time we went back, we as part of you what you're talking about negotiating payment, it was we're willing to take, you know, weight on our money if we can have a shot at this at this work, but we want to work directly for the owner this time. So when did y'all go back over there?

SPEAKER_04 19:20

May of 2025.

SPEAKER_03 19:22

Have you left yet?

SPEAKER_04 19:23

No.

SPEAKER_03 19:24

When are you gonna leave?

SPEAKER_04 19:25

Scheduled to leave, finished this Thursday.

SPEAKER_02 19:28

Okay. Yeah. Yeah. But it's been uh I I told Jason I joke, I said it's the most unique project I've ever been a part of because I don't know any project in your career where you get to do it twice and hopefully get paid both times. It's a pretty good deal, yeah. So um so it'll be interesting, but it was it's great, just just a great experience for us and and really getting these guys to be able to see what they could do, you know. John Hancock, um, Casey Trahan, everybody that's been over there has just really, really done a fantastic job.

SPEAKER_03 20:03

So that's been a cool opportunity. So the second time around, didn't we fabricate some of the popping that went over there? So we fabricated everything. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 20:12

Everything that it was torn out. We also rebuilt the whole upper side that a different contractor did on the first part of the project that was found below standards. Yep, yep. So Lance Burke Renewable Fuels had us to rebuild every bit of that. So we demo uh demoed every bit of that pipe, refabricated it, and reinstalled it.

SPEAKER_03 20:41

So to be able to fabricate the pipe, you know, Lucas, you talked about Jason's first opinion of a fab shop down on 20th Street, right? Yep. He was honest. Yeah, he was honest. And between the beginning of the first Jack Daniels job and where we're at now, we've moved locations for industrial south, right? Where are we at now?

SPEAKER_02 21:02

Yeah, we're over on Old Laurel River Road, which is less than five minutes um from the headquarters. And it and it was really interesting when when Jason identified that, hey, we need a shop, and in order for us to even get certified to work at places like Bokker, we gotta have a shop that's certified. So um you hear the word certification a lot with us, but um, as as you know, I came to you and Steve and um with a capital expenditure request of hey, we need to either build something or buy something. And first of all, let me say the good Lord has guided everything that we have done. He has always provided exactly what we needed when we needed it. And it's been incredible to watch. Um but lo and behold, you know, we there was a facility on Old Lower River that had had long been sitting, but it was formerly used by a company similar to ours. And uh had all we needed high ceilings, overhead cranes, plenty of electrical. Um and, you know, when we bought it, it we bought the bones, basically. We we put a ton of money into redoing it. Um Ian can still tell you how much that was. And um but we did it right. And that's kind of what what helped us take a big leap forward with Jason's group and that's what allowed us to be able to fabricate Lynchburg.

SPEAKER_03 22:25

So when did we officially move in over there to the new shop and uh when we could start fabricating pipe?

SPEAKER_02 22:30

April of twenty twenty four.

SPEAKER_03 22:32

April of twenty twenty four.

SPEAKER_02 22:33

Yeah. Yeah. And I think we started fabricating a few weeks later.

SPEAKER_04 22:37

We did.

SPEAKER_02 22:38

Yeah. It was not long at all. Again, fortunate to have a job to be able to start with. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 22:43

So first job was Lynchburg number two. Right. Yep. And y'all started fabbing pipe. So since then, I mean the fab shop really hadn't slowed down a whole lot. Right. I mean it's been a little bit up and down, but it's right. You got a pretty steady clip of work in the fab shop now, right? Yes. Right.

SPEAKER_02 23:01

We are um and I guess Jason you should talk to that more, but we have an abundance of work.

SPEAKER_03 23:06

Yeah so just scope scale, can you kind of give everybody a layout of what the fab shop is, how many people are in it and what what you guys are doing?

SPEAKER_04 23:15

So at full capacity we run about 35, 40 people at both fab shops to carbon stainless. That's at full capacity. We have work there. We can do anything from carbon stainless nickel, titanium, asteloy, incon L copper, PVC, we can we can do about anything. We have all the qualifications for it. All the guys to do it. And we have overhead cranes. We had Jib cranes at Equif Station.

SPEAKER_03 23:51

So let's talk through your workstations. I mean I've been back there a few times. I think it's just amazingly interesting. I mean it's it's it's pretty cool. It's a linear process, right? So you got the raw material, you shove it through the door and it comes in and you got your first workstation. What what are you doing there, Jason?

SPEAKER_04 24:07

So we come through uh the conveyor end of the building you're coming to a cut table.

SPEAKER_03 24:12

Yep.

SPEAKER_04 24:12

And it's a it's a bandsaw that's cutting your pipe spools into lengths.

SPEAKER_03 24:17

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_04 24:17

So you're cutting them in lengths and grooving or beveling the ends.

SPEAKER_03 24:21

Getting it ready for welding.

SPEAKER_04 24:22

Cut and prep.

SPEAKER_03 24:23

Yep.

SPEAKER_04 24:24

Uh the fittings you're prepping them there, getting them cleaned, getting them ready, then they'll go to the fit up station. Yep. Where you've got a welder and a a pipe fitter that are fitting them up and making a spool. Yep. From there it goes on over into the weld out stations. Mm-hmm. And you going in we've got uh eight weld stations. Yes. They go to a weld station they go first go through a QC, check dimensions. Then the weld out after everything's welded out they're checked again by QC make sure everything's still square plumbing level.

SPEAKER_03 24:55

Yep.

SPEAKER_04 24:56

And from there they either go to hydro testing if it requires it.

SPEAKER_03 25:01

Right.

SPEAKER_04 25:02

Or it goes out to the to the field to be X-rayed.

SPEAKER_03 25:05

Yep.

SPEAKER_04 25:05

If it takes that and uh from there on out to delivery.

SPEAKER_03 25:10

So there's one thing that I omitted when we started you know really the first process is your engineering design process. It's your shop drawings and everything. I I found it really interesting that anytime the material comes in you got a shop drawing and a laminated folder and it stays with that piece all the way through so everybody knows what's going on. Really good communication you know communication is one of the things we've been talking about in that pipe shop in that fab shop you guys do an amazing job of communication to make sure everybody's on the same page.

SPEAKER_04 25:44

Yes it's definitely a group effort.

SPEAKER_02 25:46

Yeah we a lot of those too a lot of those processes came developed from from the people um that we were that that came to the group so John Wilford was key in that um Aaron Palmer, Clint Thomas Graham, just so many different people and uh but you're right we have a QR code on that as well so it can be scanned and QC'd uh we have some electronic trackers that are everybody can collaborate and share and see where everything is and and we should mention also in it that an element of this uh is we're able to tie the codings team to a lot of this work. So they the pipe that needs to be painted for certain projects they have done. Josh Richards and and and Grant and when Tony was here, Eric and and Omar Nyers just everybody on that coatings team has participated in this and it's been um a a lot of work to learn how to paint pipe but they've done a good job with it.

SPEAKER_03 26:42

Yeah I mean you guys got a pretty sophisticated process and I think it's pretty cool to see how you vertically integrated everybody where you got the paint right and the pipe and the welding guys all able to work together. Yeah. Maximizing resources, maxim maximizing our people. So with everything you've talked through right now, what what are the big projects you got going on right now? What's on the horizon? What are we all looking for?

SPEAKER_04 27:05

So for the fab shop we've got we're working with Icon Mechanical it's a Dalton in based out of Dalton it's a data center going up.

SPEAKER_03 27:14

Data center the big thing going on in America right now. Data center.

SPEAKER_04 27:19

We're we're we have completed uh two projects with them. Awesome. We we just receiving the third coming in this coming week and uh planning on hopefully for the next year. This should just keep package after package after package.

SPEAKER_03 27:34

So just keeping that trying to roll keeping that fab shop busy.

SPEAKER_04 27:37

That's that's one thing. We've also picked up a large project out of uh Bridgeport uh the Omaha Bridgeport Alabama clearing some metals and getting the CAD done on it working with the BIM we've got to collaborate it with the elect the electricians the insulators and make sure there's no clashes but we've got I forget how many feet of pipe it is laying on the yard ready to fab once approved drawings are made for it.

SPEAKER_03 28:07

Yeah so cool thing about that project is you guys landed the fab but before you landed the installation on that one right so you landed the fab and then you were able to work out the deal to get it the installation after that. So you had a a pure fab shop project. Similar to what you're talking about Icon right yes so that that's that's a cool opportunity.

SPEAKER_04 28:27

Yep we just finished uh the metal branch landfill up in Athens. Yep so we did a large project there that did you see there on a project we teamed up with to do the fabrication on it. So we've been probably six months fabricating on their systems.

SPEAKER_03 28:46

So Meadow Branch landfill, you know everybody that's in Wright Brothers contracting that's a place that a lot of people have been several times. We've worked on that landfill numerous times. So very familiar with that location.

SPEAKER_02 28:58

Right yeah that's it's cool to be able to say that we worked in the same place too so we we were able to utilize the codings group on that as well.

SPEAKER_04 29:06

They painted all those pools to come out of there you shipped we actually shipped the last and final load last night.

SPEAKER_03 29:13

There you go.

SPEAKER_04 29:14

So that's that's been a testament to us.

SPEAKER_03 29:17

And then you got the big job down at Chattanooga that we've talked about for a long time the project that's gone on for forever in Chattanooga that everybody's seen. What is it Jason? It's a shimic stalok expansion Chickamauga lot Chickamauga down there.

SPEAKER_04 29:31

For we're gonna do it at Chickamauga So we've got six systems of piping that we will install in that uh for the gate spray, hydraulics and some other utility stuff going in there. It's uh was scheduled to start last year but yeah we're still uh working through some metals and hopefully get started here in a month or two.

SPEAKER_03 29:51

Yeah you know for all of us that are local here at Chattanooga we see in the paper every once in a while somebody's talking about how that job might be slightly behind schedule. Right. Slightly behind schedule. You know I think that job's been going on for over 15 years now. You know uh interesting trivia question for everybody. Brian Charlesworth when he came to work here at Rot Brothers his first job was working at the Chickamauga Lock. Wow out of uh look at him out of college that's amazing. Yeah so that that's how long that project's been going on. It's been going on a long time.

SPEAKER_02 30:24

Yeah well it's funny too because I can remember when I was um in the pre-cast concrete world and I was actually the state president for the American Society of Civil Engineers, I went to Washington and lobbied for funding for that years ago. And how many years has that been? That was 2014. 2014.

SPEAKER_01 30:42

So yeah it's wild yeah amazing to to hear you guys talk about um just the growth and expansion of uh the industrial group and just it's amazing how when you get the right people in the right places how you can pivot and and then all of a sudden all of a sudden things just start clicking and going in in place and it's just cool to hear about how hey we've got the right team and now boom here we go.

SPEAKER_02 31:07

Well that's it you said the keyword pivot because um in the middle of this you know we had we had been strong with Bacher and and we had needed that installation work out in the field and maintenance and then all of a sudden that business started declining. And um like I said God provides we knew we had to pivot to really focus on getting this fab shop fed and um so we we were able to do that and you know and then in the middle of that and and we just touch on this for just a second if you don't mind um you know we've got a a project management arm that does general construction is does build outs for um for government municipalities and stuff and and Bo Ramsey um kind of heads up that division and grants uh been a big part of that and so we've we've got that service that no one knows about um but one of the big turning points for us last year with Jason's group was um we were able to hire a business development person a very experienced person um great personality just that role fits him like a glove his his name is Darius Fugit um but he was able to to help uh expand our knowledge even more and kind of open some doors for us um and he had come up through the 43 had had known Jason worked with Jason so like I said it's like you said Jared it's it's a hundred percent the people and good people recruit good people.

SPEAKER_01 32:31

Right. So it works great for us. Right the power of the team and then you were the shop location you couldn't ask for anything better.

SPEAKER_03 32:38

Oh it was right down the road from headquarters it was a godsend it was perfect amazing yeah yeah so one other cool thing that we've seen over the past year with industrial group here in the South is there's been a lot of collaboration between traditional Right Brothers work and doing industrial work. So just shout out to everybody that's been able to work together on the Navonics project. Yeah you know we started out down there with some civil work doing concrete and then we had you know we had some structural steel that had to go in we had painting.

SPEAKER_02 33:10

We yeah we have done a lot of things in scaffolding scaffolding yeah even got Bertos group did scaffolding down there. Everybody's hit that one and uh hopefully those guys will continue um and there's obviously a lot of opportunity out there with that that client but yeah shout out Chris Curtis man he he and his group Austin and those guys have been great to work with they and they have really fed us work and and the estimating team here dean you know we've kind of started to collaborate with with your mission of of one Wright brothers and and that is paid dividends for us.

SPEAKER_03 33:44

Well then you got another one you got the one at Olin that we did last year where we had the line that went out in the river what was that is a discharge line is right discharge line um there for Olin's uh I think it's Salinas is actually the partner there but um even before that if you and I know we've got another podcast for for Bertha's group but Chris Curtis did a stabilization project up at Kimberly Clark.

SPEAKER_02 34:10

Yeah there you go that was a home run for them.

SPEAKER_03 34:12

So yeah I mean that collaboration right there between everybody is pretty amazing and it all started back at Wokker. Yeah it all started back at Vocker Chemical and once again great partnership with those guys and it's pretty cool to see how it's all evolved over the years. So guys appreciate the conversation thanks for coming on the podcast today. It's been a great conversation and appreciate everything you're doing.

SPEAKER_04 34:35

Yeah thanks for having us yeah thanks for the opportunity all right well thanks for tuning in to Talking Grit.

SPEAKER_01 34:40

That's gonna do it for today. Have a safe day.

SPEAKER_00 34:43

See you next time that's gonna do it for this episode of Talking Grit. Thanks for listening and thanks to everyone out there putting in the work day in and day out. If you liked what you heard be sure to follow the show and share it with someone who knows the value of hard work. We'll catch you next time right here on Talking Grit