Enerpan Technology
Enerpan Technology has been manufacturing polyurethane metal insulated tank and structural panels for more than a decade. Its proprietary crimped joint and cable system keeps its product highly sought-after in the oil and gas industry.
The Alberta, Canada- based company supplies tank and structural panels that hold a thermal insulation rating of up to R-32 and have weathered decades of field use under the most rigorous conditions. “We pride ourselves on our high-quality product,” CEO Jakub Zielinski says. “Our products surpass our competition and keep customers coming back.”
Enerpan Technology’s crimped joint and cable system connects its insulated panels without using screws and strapping along the exterior, which is the common method used to build most tanks. “Our system gives a nice clean finish with no maintenance,” Zielinski explains. “If we used screws and strapping, every two years I would have to send guys to tighten them because the tank expands and contracts in the heat, causing the screws and strapping to loosen.”
Its proprietary system for tank panel installation uses a single aluminum face for better shape conformation and provides a seal that stays watertight while allowing thermal expansion. “Our system seals 99.9 percent of the panels so no water can get between the insulation and the tank wall,” Zielinski explains. “Water is where the old system of screws and strapping has issues. If no one checks and water is left to build up, the panel will start corroding and last maybe five years. Our system lasts 20 to 25 years before it needs to be serviced.”
The average screw-and-strap system takes about one month to complete, whereas Enerpan Technology can complete a job in less than three weeks, Zielinski notes. The tank panel division is the company’s “bread and butter,” he says. “We are going strong and are booked until the end of 2015 because there are more and more big companies picking up our system. They go site to site and see our system, like it and want it.”
Expanding Services
Although Enerpan Technology manufactures its products mainly for the energy sector – and is kept very busy doing so – it is expanding to offer its services to the global agriculture, chemical, foodservice and pharmaceutical industries.
Enerpan Technology is expanding to prepare for when the industry turns on a dime. “One week you can come to the office and the phone won’t ring, but the next week you won’t be able to answer the phone quickly enough,” Zielinski says. “It’s a volatile industry that depends on what is happening in the world.” For example, a war overseas will impact business because it causes a change in the price of oil. “If the prices go down, that’s worse for us,” he adds. “When the price is up, more clients want to buy and upgrade.”
The company wants to ensure work for its employees during down times in the oil and gas industry. “If we have no jobs, they will go find others,” Zielinski notes. Because the energy sector in Alberta is going strong, there are plenty of jobs and a very low unemployment rate, which makes hiring new workers a challenge.
To overcome this problem, Enerpan Technology is working with the Canadian government to hire foreign workers. “The Canadian government has allowed us to apply for labor market opinions to hire 15 people from almost any other country. About 75 percent of our workforce in the field is not a citizen of Canada.”
Enerpan Technology hopes that with all of its work, it will soon become the No. 1 supplier for all insulation needs in Alberta. “I want to keep growing and be the name recognized with all insulation needs,” Zielinski says.