Time is tight in the fire suppression business. And we don’t just mean the need for speed in extinguishing a blaze. Timely availability and delivery of customized pipe and fittings are critical to successful fire-suppression system installations during construction projects.
When time and quality are of the essence, hundreds of customers across Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana rely on The Macomb Group’s Fire Fabrication Division at Sterling Heights to deliver the goods.
“Our contractor customers want us to be on site and unloaded exactly when they need us,” explains Macomb Fire Fabrication Supervisor Jeff Sancricca. “Then they need us out of the way so we don’t disrupt what is normally a critical and busy stage of construction.”
In pursuit of that speed and efficiency, customers want ready-to-assemble systems — sized, cut, threaded, grooved, shaped, and good to go as soon as they’re on-site. That’s all part of the Macomb service.
“We set it up systems for the customer so there are only a few steps needed to install,” Jeff says. “Everything is how it’s supposed to be and all the customer needs to do is assemble it.”
Expectations
Jeff says that in this exacting environment, customers have high expectations for fire systems.
- Clean product -Pipe and fittings must not be oily or rusty, including special materials like copper and stainless steel.
- High-reliability welds — With up to 1,600 welds on a single job, customers expect a failure rate of less than 1%.
- Simplicity — Setups must be expertly executed to ensure assembly is easy.
- Compliance — Fabricated systems must adhere to the industry standard NFPA13.
- Timeliness — Prompt delivery is the minimum; orders must also be complete./p>
Fortunately, these demands take advantage of the best strengths of The Macomb Group. We offer state-of-the-art processing and handling equipment and an unbeatable team of experts at every stage.
“Fire fab encompasses The Macomb Group as a whole,” Jeff says. “Everyone is invested in the success of the project, from purchasing the best-quality materials; to the guys in the warehouse who get materials to the fab shop; to the team who do the welding, threading, and grooving; to the transportation people who deliver. And behind the scenes, our clerical teams support the entire process.”
Put to the test
That coordinated approach was put to the test this winter with a big job that required a tight, four-day turnaround and delivery deadline.
“The job was a huge endeavor that also required creativity for our teams,” Jeff says. The system design required a large quantity of 21-foot lengths of 8- and 10-inch pipe. It was cold, raining and snowing, but to accommodate the special length, we had to take the machines outside to groove both ends.
“We had men in four or five layers of clothing, working two 12-hour shifts each. Everyone in every department pitched in to make sure the customer had the order on deadline, and they did — we got it there,” he says proudly.
And it’s not as though this was a slack time in the Fire Fabrication Division, either. With a healthy order book, all other operations had to continue completing other orders on schedule. It was truly a team effort.
Busy is good
“As the central hub for Macomb fabrication, we’re always busy and that’s the way we like it,” Jeff says. “We’re a team. We all know what good fab looks like and we always make sure the product the customer gets is the one they want.
“Because everybody is on the same page, we can deliver excellent fire-suppression systems in a timely manner and with a top quality result,” he says.
The Macomb Group works with customers and contractors to be sure every job is the best it can be. Learn how we can use our expertise to provide the solutions you are looking for. Contact us by email at [email protected] or by phone at 888-756-4110.
