Dave Alexander has found one competitive edge after another since launching Alexander Industrial Services in 2010 with one pickup truck and a power washer. Located in Phenix City, Alabama, the company sees a growing demand for its services among large industrial customers, land developers and local governments.
“We’re between the larger markets, so there’s not as much competition,” Alexander says. “And we’re able to serve customers throughout most of Alabama, Georgia and northern Florida.”
Another edge that has added to Alexander’s growth is a rock-solid group of employees. “A good number of our staff is retired military,” Alexander says of his company’s 100-plus workforce. “They have a tremendous work ethic, they are very safety conscious, and they find a way to get every job done to the customer’s satisfaction.”
Choosing the right equipment
One key edge keeping Alexander competitive is the company’s strategy in selecting and deploying the right equipment to ensure the success and profitability of each project. For example, Alexander recently acquired three Vactor Paradigm vacuum excavator trucks that offer a variety of operational advantages.
“We bought the Paradigm units on Class 6 truck bodies, which don’t require commercial driver’s licenses to operate,” Alexander says. “It may seem like a small thing, but it gives us a lot of flexibility in terms of assigning the crews we send out on jobs. Not all our guys have a CDL, but they’re totally capable of operating the Paradigm excavators.”
The company first used the Paradigm excavators in a utility-locating application as part of a Google Fiber installation project in Nashville, Tennessee. “Depending on the job, we can use one- or two-man crews, and if we’re using two machines on the same job, we can have a ‘floater’ laborer that can help with both trucks,” he says.
On a typical utility-locating project, the company uses its Paradigm trucks to map the depth and location of all underground utilities for a new subdivision of single-family homes. “Depending on the acreage to be mapped, we’re usually done within a week,” Alexander says. “With the information from the map, the other contractors on the project can be confident about excavating or drilling without worrying about hitting anything underground.”
Designed for installing, maintaining and repairing underground water, sewer, gas, electric and telecommunications lines, the Vactor Paradigm is well suited for subsurface utility engineering projects, typical of the work Alexander Industrial Services undertakes.
Keeping the competitive edge
While utility locating and hydroexcavation are among Alexander’s leading services, the company also handles a range of industrial cleaning and environmental remediation projects for large companies in various manufacturing industries such as paper products and food processing, as well as for nearby Fort Benning in Georgia. “The military training operations at Fort Benning result in the need for a variety of environmental services,” Alexander says.
The company recently launched a horizontal drilling division, focused on hard-rocking drilling applications. “We see growing demand for horizontal drilling, and most of the contractors providing this service don’t specialize in horizontal drilling through hard rock, so that’s where we’re developing a competitive edge.”
Vactor Mfg. is an industry leader in sewer and catch basin cleaners, industrial vacuum loaders and vacuum excavators featuring innovative technology and custom configurable designs. Based in Streator, Illinois, Vactor has authorized dealers across North America.
800-627-3171 | sales@vactor.com |www.vactor.com
