Foundation Repair Companies Attend Accounting Training
Nearly 30 owners, managers, and accounting personnel from throughout the Foundation Supportworks dealer network participated in accounting training in Omaha, Nebraska on December 6th and 7th. The training covered many different topics during the two day event, including how to effectively analyze financial statements, measure key performance indicators such as inventory turns and days in accounts receivable, employ successful inventory control methods, implement processes for receiving and stocking products and materials properly, and apply strategies for collecting money due.
In addition to classroom discussions, those in attendance observed a presentation by the Vice President of American National Bank, who spoke on the importance of having a strong relationship with your local banking institute. The presentation focused on banking issues that are relevant to foundation stabilization companies, including revolving lines of credit and regulatory requirements.
The training included many hands-on activities to provide real-world applications for the attendees, as well as a panel discussion where participants had the opportunity to “ask the experts” questions related to the accounting side of their business.
Foundation Supportworks Employee is Honored as a “40 Under 40” Award Recipient
Amanda Harrington, Director of Training and Development for Foundation Supportworks, was honored as a recipient of the Midlands Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Award. This award honors 40 of the greatest entrepreneurs, executives and professional men and women under the age of 40 in the Omaha metropolitan area.
This year marked the 10th anniversary of this award and Jill Micek, Editor of the Midlands Business Journal, was quoted as saying, “Throughout the 10 years, one thing remains little changed by time – that is the high quality of young leadership of Greater Omaha.” Micek goes on to say, “…judges were mindful of examples of innovation and risk-taking by entrepreneurs. Judges searched for examples of effectiveness and leadership shown by men and women working within the framework of bigger organizations.”
Amanda received her award on Friday, December 2nd at an awards ceremony held at the Embassy Suites-LaVista Conference Center. In attendance were more than 475 business and civic leaders from throughout the Omaha community.
Foundation Supportworks is proud to employ such a great leader in the Omaha business community and remains committed to our mission: “To be the industry leader, relentless in our pursuit to be extraordinary with support, service, training and products that inspire success.”
Foundation Supportworks Products Receive Code Approval in Canada
Foundation Supportworks is proud to announce that it has received an evaluation report from the Canadian Construction Materials Centre (CCMC), certifying that Foundation Supportworks products comply with the requirements of the National Building Code of Canada.
The Canadian Construction Materials Centre is a part of Canada’s National Research Council Institute for Research in Construction (NRC), and offers the Canadian construction industry a national evaluation service for products that are covered under the scope of recognized standards, as well as innovative non-standardized materials, products, systems and services in all types of construction. As part of NRC’s Institute for Research in Construction, the Centre has vital technical support, access to the most up-to-date information on construction technology, a direct liaison to the Canadian construction regulatory framework, and model national code development.
Obtaining this evaluation report from the CCMC ensures that Foundation Supportworks products are recognized as acceptable solutions by all provincial and territorial building regulatory bodies across the country. Foundation Supportworks is committed to being the leading manufacturer of foundation stabilization systems in both the United States and Canada and is proud to have completed this important phase in verifying code compliance of our products.
Engineering Seminars in Virginia Educate Design Professionals on Deep Foundation Solutions
Seminar in Manassas, Virginia
JES Construction, a foundation repair and stabilization company with multiple offices throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, hosted three 5-hour engineering seminars during the week of October 24th. JES Constructionis a leader in the foundation industry, and has been serving commercial and residential clients throughout Virginia and Maryland for nearly 20 years.
The 5-hour seminars, which took place in Richmond, Manassas (near Washington, DC), and Norfolk, Virginia, were facilitated by Jeff Kortan, P.E., Director of Engineering for Foundation Supportworks, and Don Deardorff, P.E., Senior Application Engineer for Foundation Supportworks.
Seminar in Richmond, Virginia
A total of 212 design professionals attended the presentations, allowing them to expand their knowledge about design considerations, typical applications, and capacity calculations associated with helical foundation systems, helical soil nails, and push (resistance) pier systems.
The engineers in attendance were able to participate in general discussion with their colleagues as it related to the various deep foundation solutions offered by JES Construction and Foundation Supportworks, while also earning 5 Professional Development hours.
Seminar in Norfolk, Virginia
Deep Foundation Systems Training Course Takes Place in Omaha, NE
During the week of October 10th, over 20 foundation repair contractors from all over North America attended commercial sales and marketing training at Foundation Supportworks in Omaha, NE. The training focused on various sales and marketing strategies associated with commercial construction as it relates to deep foundation solutions, as well as understanding the commitment and realities of commercial foundation work. A variety of topics were covered during the 3-day training, including helical pile and tieback installation procedures, communicating effectively with engineers and architects, technical knowledge, reading project specifications and plans, and out-serving the competition, among others. Aside from classroom discussions, the participants also spent time in the field
observing a helical pile load test to better understand the correlation between product capacities and soil conditions.
Those in attendance enjoyed the opportunity of networking with other foundation repair companies from across North America, while also sharing best practices on the most effective ways to grow their commercial divisions.
Engineering Seminar in Springfield, Illinois is Attended by more than 250 Professional Engineers
Jeff Kortan, Director of Engineering for Foundation Supportworks, was invited to speak at an engineering “boot camp” in Springfield, Illinois during the week of October 4th. The 4-day event, sponsored by the Illinois Society of Professional Engineers (ISPE), was attended by over 250 professional engineers from the state of Illinois.
The attendees were allowed to choose from a variety of break-out seminars during the week, with each seminar earning them professional development hours towards their registration requirements. Foundation Supportworks was asked by the ISPE to facilitate presentations for three of these seminars. Maintaining a focus on deep foundation solutions, Jeff presented on the following topics: Helical Systems 101 – Applications and Case Studies; Helical Systems 201 – Getting Technical; Hydraulic Push Piers – Retro-Fitting Foundations.
During intermissions, the attendees were able to spend time in the exhibit hall and meet with companies from around the area to learn about the different products and services they provide. Ben Good of Foundation Supportworks by Woods, and Josh Wennmacher of MidAmerica Basement Systems had a booth in the exhibit area displaying the foundation stabilization systems they provide.
Crawlspace Support System from Foundation Supportworks Wins a Gold Innovation Prize
On September 20, 2011, the Foundation Supportworks SmartJack™ System was awarded with the Gold Innovation Prize by the Connecticut Quality Improvement Award Partnership. The SmartJack™ System is a supplemental support system used to stabilize and level sagging floor joists and girders within a crawlspace and over 21,000 systems have been installed in the United States and Canada since 2009.
The Connecticut Quality Improvement Award (CQIA) recognizes the most innovative manufacturing and service companies that excel in managing quality improvement for business success and growth. Since beginning in 1986 as America’s first state level quality award using the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for Performance Excellence criteria, the Connecticut Quality Improvement Award Partnership’s mission has been to improve the economic vitality of manufacturers, service companies, health care and educational institutions, and non-profit organizations.
Foundation Supportworks is honored to be recognized with this award and is committed to our pursuit to be extraordinary with support, service, training and products that inspire success.
Foundation Repair Contractors Attend Training Seminar in Omaha, NE
During the week of September 19th, more than 50 foundation repair contractors from throughout the United States and Canada attended training at Foundation Supportworks in Omaha, NE. Throughout the week, attendees were trained in the areas of marketing, sales and installation of Foundation Supportworks products. In addition to classroom and field training, the attendees also benefited from the opportunity to network with other foundation repair companies throughout North America.
The four-day installation training included hands-on training at several different jobsites, where the attendees received firsthand experience installing push piers, helical piers, slab piers, Geo-Lock™ wall anchors, and PowerBraces™. The installation training also included 5 hours of classroom training where the attendees learned about the more technical aspects of the product installation.
The three-day sales training covered topics such as product features and benefits, interviewing the customer to learn about their wants and needs, proper diagnosing and inspection, and presenting solutions to the customer. Sales training attendees were also encouraged to bring their laptops to receive hands-on training on the exclusive Foundation Supportworks sales presentation and proposal generating software program.
Foundation Supportworks Annual Convention is Attended by Nearly 800 Foundation Contractors
Nearly 800 foundation repair contractors from throughout North America attended the Foundation Supportworks annual dealer convention during the week of August 15th. The Foundation Supportworks convention is an outstanding opportunity for Foundation Supportworks dealers to network with other foundation repair contractors, celebrate their achievements, receive ongoing training and renew their energy and excitement about their business.
In addition to rolling out many new products, marketing tools, sales tools, and production tools, the 3-day event included more than 80 unique training sessions to provide continuing education opportunities and enhance the knowledge and abilities of each Foundation Supportworks dealer. Dealers were also treated to an entertaining keynote speaker, Larry Winget, who is known as the “pitbull of personal development.” Larry’s energizing speech and direct approach spoke to the importance of personal responsibility while providing an evening full of laughter and fellowship.
Foundation Repair Companies Attend Sales Management Training
Sales managers from throughout the Foundation Supportworks dealer network attended a training event on July 13th and 14th in Omaha, Nebraska. Approximately 30 sales managers and business owners from throughout the United States and Canada were in attendance. The event included round table discussions, large group discussions, team building activities, networking opportunities and social interaction. The attendees helped set the agenda by determining which issues were most common in their day-to-day activities. Some topics discussed included: hiring new employees, training new inspectors, keeping sales people motivated, setting goals, running effective meetings, and more.