It is impossible to predict when an emergency will crop up, but it always seems to happen at the most inconvenient moment — for you and for everyone else. That’s why it’s a relief to know there’s someone who will drop everything to help you out of a bind, even if it means more work and longer hours.
For Kentucky Utility, that “someone” came in the form of Selena Carli, General Manager of The Macomb Group’s Carrollton, Kentucky, location. The coal-fired power plant is a long-time customer of The Macomb Group, and they called Selena at 3:30 one afternoon with a big emergency.
The plant, which uses water from a nearby river to cool the production units, had a 15-inch crack in one of the pipes used to transfer the water to the cooling towers. “If they were to shut that line down, it would take down two units,” Selena says.
To make the problem more complicated, the pipe is far from ordinary: It’s a 42-inch line capable of handling high pressures of up to 150psi.
Getting a fix, fast
Selena got on the phone immediately. The Macomb Group’s usual suppliers could provide a fix, but no one could offer a lead-time of less than 10 days to several weeks — which wasn’t going to work.
Selena went outside of her normal network and got in touch with Chicago Cascade Manufacturing. The company understood the urgency of the situation and was ready to go above and beyond to make sure The Macomb Group and Kentucky Utility got what they needed, fast. “They stayed late and came in early the next morning to beef up a product that was able to withstand the pressure of the water coming through the pipe,” says Selena. “They had to go through engineering and manufacturing to make sure they could do it — they did a lot of legwork.”
Their hard work paid off. In just over 24 hours after the client’s call, the full-circle repair clamp was delivered to the job site. “Chicago Cascade did a wonderful job. They had it done by noon, we had a hot-shot courier there, and the repair clamp was delivered to the site by 6 p.m. the next day,” Selena says.
A vote of confidence
Both The Macomb Group and Kentucky Utility are pleased with the experience’s fast turnaround time and the end result. Getting there wasn’t easy, but it’s the kind of service that customers can expect from The Macomb Group.
“When a customer calls, they’re stressed,” Selena says. “It’s my job to make it all go away and fix it so they don’t have to worry. They just know that they’ve given it to us, and it’s done.”
That kind of trust is hard to replicate — especially when a client’s business is on the line. But Selena, and the rest of The Macomb Group team, thrives in these high-stakes situations: “I think I was made for this. I just dig right in and get the job done!”
Her enthusiasm is a great example of why clients can always expect the level of service they need, right when they need it.
What do you need today? With Macomb, you know you’ll get it! Contact us by email at [email protected] or by phone at 888-756-4110. For a complete list of Macomb Group Locations and Numbers, visit our website.
