Neville Galvanizing Inc.
As the only hot dip galvanizer in the Pittsburgh market, Neville Galvanizing takes its responsibility to the local business community very seriously.
To succeed, owner David Geisler emphasizes two major customer requirements: speed and cost. “We are a job shop,” he says. “Our customers are under tremendous pressure to get steel to the jobsite. We are usually the last step before it gets to the job site, so we have to understand and respect the customers’ needs to complete their work quickly.”
Therefore, time management is critical. “We have built strong relationships with our customers because we recognize their needs,” Geisler says. Many galvanizers refuse to accept rush orders and don’t prioritize orders based on the needs of customers.
“We take a different approach in the way we manage our workflow,” according to Geisler.
This customer service focus of Neville Galvanizing helps it build strong, lasting relationships. “We understand our customers’ short timeframes and will do whatever we can to help them,” Geisler says.
A second major concern of Neville Galvanizing’s customers is price. “Our customers are under constant pressure to reduce costs and remain competitive in today’s market,” Geisler states. Therefore, Neville Galvanizing fights to keep costs down on all fronts. “We keep our margins tight and pass savings through to the customers,” he says. The company’s Pittsburgh location is a major competitive advantage in this regard because the cost to ship steel can be expensive. Being closer to the customers’ shop helps keep prices competitive.
The company serves many sectors including oil and gas, electrical and infrastructure, metal fabricators, manufacturing and utilities, among others. Increased drilling activity in the Utica Shale has been a spur to more business along with new natural gas plants. An increase in local infrastructure work on bridges and roadways is also creating new business for the company.
Neville Galvanizing routinely handles:
+ Gratings/treads
+ Cast steel
+ Plates
+ Tubular fabrications
+ Hot/cold rolled steel
+ Ductile and cast iron
+ Stampings
+ Hollow structural shapes
+ Structural steel shapes such as I-beams, channels and angles
New Leadership
Neville Galvanizing was founded in 1977, and Geisler purchased the company three years ago. In addition to his customer service focus on speed and cost, he has also spearheaded several other initiatives including an acid-recycling program and small in-house truck fleet.
“We have implemented an acid-recycling system to reduce our expenses and reduce our impact on the environment,” Geisler explains. Previously, sulfuric acid was hauled offsite once per month. Now, however, it is recycled by cooling, thereby creating a usable byproduct for the agricultural industry.
The internal delivery truck program began two years ago. “We invested in flatbed delivery trucks which are especially helpful for smaller galvanizing customers,” he says. “They can avoid having to retain a third-party trucking company because that can be expensive.” In addition, the internal trucks have the capability for immediate stand-by action, which is not always the case with others. “If they need it moved today, we can get it today. It has been hugely successful; both of our trucks are busy all day long every week.”
In addition to these improvements, the company continues to move forward in increasing its efficiency and capacity. It is planning to replace its 21-foot kettle in the next 12 months. “There is a need for a more galvanizing capacity in this market,” Geisler explains. “We have seen it again and again.”
This investment is just another example of how the company prepares for future success. “We have grown from a small nuts-and-bolt galvanizer to what we are today,” Geisler says.