Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/247741
50 Tu e sd a y, Fe b ru a ry 4 , 2 0 1 4 GENERAL SHALE'S NEW PRODUCT OFFERINGS EXPAND CUSTOMER BASE An interview with Charles Smith, President and Chief Operating Officer, General Shale. CM: Tell us about your company. What would you say makes General Shale unique? CS: As one of the nation's leading manufacturers of brick and masonry products for more than 85 years, General Shale has, in recent years, expanded our product line far beyond traditional brick. Our product selections also include thin brick and thin rock selections, Arriscraft building stone, as well as popular outdoor living items such as fireplaces, fire pits, pizza ovens, water features, clay and concrete pavers, landscaping stones and more. Beyond our products, General Shale employees provide exceptional customer service. Regardless of the customer's need – whether it's determining the right color of brick for a new home or discussing how to assemble one of our do-ityourself Outdoor Living kits – our team works with each individual to offer customized solutions that will assist them in accomplishing their goals. These factors, combined with the outstanding support that we receive from our parent company, Wienerberger AG, give us a unique and strong position in the marketplace. CM: Who are your target end-users? CS: General Shale's high-quality, professional-grade materials are geared for expert homebuilders, architects and contractors, as well as the do-it-yourself homeowner. As we have dramatically expanded our product line, we have broadened our customer base as well. While brick will always remain our core product, our new product offerings have given us an opportunity to target a new HUFCOR INTRODUCES RG DESIGNER FAUX WOOD HIGH PRESSURE LAMINATES Hufcor, the world's most installed brand of operable partitions, introduces RG Designer faux wood laminate finish for use on Hufcor operable partitions and/or FLIR Systems (Cont'd. from p. 1) it detects – powerful images that can help show you where potential energy inefficiencies are that impact utility bills. E4's IR resolution does an impressive job of revealing and locating where poor or missing insulation is hiding and where drafts are leaking from. Easy to use, the E4 is part of FLIR's newest line that also offers higher resolution choices if you require more detailed, subtler thermal imagery. All come with a built-in visible light camera and include FLIR's exclusive MSX® enhancement that overlays key visual highlights onto the thermal image to help you instantly recognize locations of heat issues. They also feature a wide 45-degree field-of-view for capturing more of the scene in one shot. While these thermal imagers are simple to operate, there are some principles of heat transfer and building thermoAutomated Trackers (Cont'd. from p. 1) instead of struggling with software. SAM is very simple to use, combining the latest technologies of the computer, tablets and smartphones. Automated Trackers, the company behind the software, does all the set-up for it at no additional cost. Once it's set up, you'll get a simple training class that'll have you up and running in minutes. Best of all, this is the one construction management software package that truly is designed specifically to meet the needs of construction managers, and it isn't cluttered up with a the permanent walls. The RG Designer wood laminates provide abstract, textured prints that are richly detailed and easy-to-main- dynamics you need to know, and training can help you get considerably more value out of the technology. As a preview, here are five basic but essential steps to thermal building inspections: 1. Define the task. Interview the customer about the conditions of the building. For example, has there been a recent increase in energy usage? Are there noticeable drafts? FLIR advises at least an 18°F (10°C) difference between indoor and outdoor temperature for a reliable energy performance inspection. 2. Start from the outside. Begin the thermographic inspection outside where missing insulation or thermal bridges can quickly be located. Take thermal images of areas where conditions appear adequately weatherized to com- lot of other accounting and customer relations management modules that do nothing to simplify construction scheduling. "I have built houses for years. This software looks and feels exactly like the paper schedules that builders use out in the field," said Automated Trackers Owner Danny LeBlanc, who will be in the Automated Trackers booth #C8409 during the International Builders Show. "What you hear over and over again from my competitors is that it was built by builders for builders. That's hogwash. It's usually a standard accounting program that doesn't operate the way builders need to operate. C o n stru c tio n Ma rke tp la c e segment of customers. CM: What corporate philosophy sets you apart from the competition? CS: A cornerstone of General Shale's success has been its ongoing commitment to reclamation, and we are proud of our award-winning reclamation record. We take this commitment very seriously, and work hard to ensure that areas we reclaim at our manufacturing sites look as good as, or better than, they looked prior to excavation for manufacturing. CM: How do you see the next year in terms of the economy and sales? CS: During the recent economic downturn, we made adjustments to our operations and strategic plan. We took our core product – brick, the most durable, most attractive and most eco-friendly building material on the market – and expanded its use significantly to have a greater quality-of-life impact on consumers. Going forward, General Shale has strategically positioned itself to create expanded design uses for our product tain. The base paint coats, precision wood grain prints and melamine top layer (five coats total) provide a durable, lush finish perfect for use on Hufcor movable panel partitions. The wood grains are beautiful and look just like real wood. RG Designer faces combine ½-inch medium density fiberboard (MDF) with a custom rotogravure paint process. The rotogravure painting process was perfect- pare with those where anomalies are obvious. Be aware of the effect of wind and direct sun on the surfaces you're imaging. 3. Continue inside. If possible, prepare the interior ahead of time by moving furniture away from exterior walls and removing drapes, preferably at least six hours beforehand so the insulating properties of furniture won't influence the thermal readings. Remember, be sure there's at least an 18°F difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures. Also, let the camera acclimate for several minutes before you proceed. 4. Schedule an air tightness test. Unsealed gaps in framing, floors and cabinets, etc. can cause air to leak through electrical sockets and switches, under doors and around small openings, With SAM, you have a complete tactical view of your organization and you can send hundreds of scheduling notices with a mouse click and know that everyone got the message you intended to deliver." Now in its tenth year on the market, SAM is widely used throughout the construction industry precisely because it's easy to use and it eliminates construction delays and excuses. "SAM gives you the complete tactical view of your organization," LeBlanc said. "No more, 'He said, she said,' in the field." SAM even includes real-time reporting, which eliminates the need to involve multiple people lines, and is favorably positioned to meet increased demand for our traditional products and outdoor living items. CM: To what do you attribute your company's success? CS: For the past 20 years, General Shale has been fortunate to have an exceptional leader in Dick Green. Having spent his entire 40-year career with General Shale, Dick has developed and mentored a quality executive team that is accustomed to thinking outside the box, while dedicating itself to the company's persistent, sustainable growth. Under Dick's leadership, General Shale has made it a priority to stay ahead of and be responsive to consumer trends and preferences within the industry, while remaining committed to the ideals of quality, service and stewardship that are the foundation of the company. For more information, visit www.general shale.com, call 800-414-4661, email dawn.henning@generalshale.com or stop by booth #S1618 at the International Builders' Show. ed decades ago for use on MDF materials and is much less expensive than wood veneer or laminate. National retailers and restaurant chains have been using these rotogravure faces for years in heavy traffic areas to add the natural look of wood grains to their interiors. Visit www.hufcor.com for additional information about RG Designer wood laminates or its entire line of finishes. accounting for up to half of the energy consumed. Consider a Blower Door Test (performed by an experienced contractor) that alters the interior pressure to accentuate where drafts may be coming from. 5. Analysis and Reporting When done, analyze the images and summarize the findings in a professional report. Software programs allow you to further adjust contrast and color and add measurement tools to saved thermal JPEGs, which can be pasted into reports, complete with notes, to validate where problems exist and repairs are recommended. Learn more with ITC certification and building application courses available at www.infraredtraining.com. See the E4 at www.flir.com/thg. Also be sure to stop by booth #S1570. handling the data to produce the reports that construction managers need to direct projects efficiently. "We give them the eyes they need to do their job," LeBlanc said. "They're building houses blind if they don't have software in place. SAM can decrease build times on homes by 10 days, just by giving the project manager the tools to stay on schedule through every step of the construction process." For further information, visit Automated Trackers in booth #C8409. After the Builders Show, visit www .automatedtrackers.com.