Honoring Warranties - Good Business Practice

How many times have you purchased an item only to have it fail just days outside of a warranty period? Or worse still, how many times have you attempted to make a warranty claim only to be denied because of an exemption clause in the small print? At Provincial Partitions we value our business relationships and honor every warranty claim. Recently, LG Electronics noticed that their smoke shelter didn't fair well during a particularly harsh winter. Rust had started to appear beneath the painted surface. Rather than attempt a quick fix we decided to simply replace the entire unit - at no charge to the client. They were pleased, so much so they wrote to tell us. For us, this just makes good business sense. It was costly, yes, but we learned a valuable lesson and are now in the process of doing all painting in house. Additionally, we now offer a new line of aluminum Smoke Shelters.

We value your opinion and input here at Provincial Partitions. Feel free to post a comment here or contact me directly. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter for a chance to win a 4GB iPod® Nano! There's one given away with every issue of Provincial Partitions Online.

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Modular Buildings To The Rescue

Every now and then the Modular Building industry really gets a chance to shine. A couple of times now, we've had opportunities to showcase the real advantages that modular construction offers. I'm reminded of when we were installing School Portables in New York City in the summer of 2001. I don't know why but Mayor Rudolph Guilianni was involved, and he knew that our Canadian made buildings were code compliant. Needless to say, after the events of 911 we were approached to provide 6-24x56 portable office units for FEMA. We had the units in stock. They were shipped and onsite in a matter of days. This is what modular makes possible.

In a less dramatic fashion there was another incident where a Hospital had been approved to go ahead with the construction of an entire new facility. Problem was, estimates to complete the brick and mortar building were going to take upwards of 5 years. Ordinarily, this would not have been an issue but patients undergoing dialysis treatment needed newer, enlarged facilities right away. The hospital was located in Peterborough and the closest treatment center for some was in Toronto. A commute that took as long as six hours for some - three to four times a week! We were approached to provide a temporary solution and in a matter of 12 weeks had finished construction of 15 modular units that when combined, provided more than 11,000 square feet of the state-of-the-art facilities needed. These units were to be installed and leased for a period of 5 years, until the new hospital was completed. Why do I mention this now? These very same units have just been disassembled and are being re-purposed in another facility in Nova Scotia.

If you have a unique solution made possible only from modular construction I'd like to hear from you. This is a unique industry and it offers many different rewards.

Modular Building Is Going "Green"
Modular building manufacturers and dealers are becoming "green" by incorporating green building products and materials into their temporary and permanent office and classroom space products. Consequently, in an effort to improve our manufacturing capabilities here at Provincial Partitions we purchased and installed a completely automated vinyl board laminating production line from BPB Canada Inc. Our decision to go with BPB Canada Inc. was largely influenced by their initiative to insure that all their gypsum product line is LEED certified. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. A LEED accreditation is evidence of a commitment to providing the very best in environmental design. We salute BPB Canada's commitment and make a similar commitment to use only LEED accredited material in our entire vinyl board product offering.

At Provincial Partitions Ltd. we have always been committed to incorporate only the very best materials that are available into our modular product offering. With an equal emphasis on corporate environmental responsibility, we now make a similar commitment to ensuring that we only use products that are environmentally friendly.

My question for all involved in the modular construction industry is this. What efforts are you making to ensure that your buildings are environmentally responsible? How do you address water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality? Any ideas and input would be greatly appreciated!

Escalating Steel Prices: A Proactive Approach

I've received a number of warnings from valued and trusted suppliers keeping me in the loop regarding the escalating costs of steel. Thanks to their efforts of keeping me up to date, this now gives my company, and staff, an opportunity to make an informed decision on how best to quote on future projects. 

The impact is immediate, too. For instance, we recently sold and delivered a singlewide trailer to a repeat customer and they have asked us to provide another. Because we were made aware of the increase in the costs of steel we will have to quote according to our new costs. Unfortunately, the increase will be significant. We've been hit with a 20% increase in steel supplies effective “today” with another 20% increase coming in June and another 20% by mid summer! Not only that - these are only estimates!

When asked why the cost of steel is going up, there is no consensus as to why. Raw material supplies are low in China, because of the inclement winter, plus higher energy and transport costs are impacting all manufactured goods. These are difficult times for those of us in the manufacturing sector. Thanks to our suppliers who have the foresight to let us know ahead of time that prices will be significantly higher, we are able to quote accordingly. The risks associated with not being informed about these increases, or worse still, ignoring them can be severe. Now it is up to us to keep our clients in the loop.

Export Inquiries: Are They Really Worth The Effort?
In our experience here at Provincial Partitions we estimate that 1 in every 100 enquiries from other countries actually result in a sale. What does that mean? Well, in a nutshell, we take them “all” seriously. I'm reminded of a client who enquired about one of our less popular product lines. Oddly, it's a product that we have struggled with for various reasons. But he persisted and has become one of our most valued clients. After we did a few shipments with the customer one day at lunch I asked him, “Why did you choose us?” His answer was “I came to Canada to find a supplier and you were the only one who took me seriously!” Anyone with a product or service can export, or at least attempt to export. But success is far from guaranteed. At the best of times exporting can be a complex and challenging process. If you're willing to go the extra mile, it often pays off. That's why we try for them all even though our ratio is still 1 out of 100! Your thoughts?

Badmouthing The Competition...

Badmouthing your competition rather than defining your strengths of service or the quality of your product usually means you do not have anything worthy to talk about. And if not, why on earth would anyone want to buy anything from you?

One thing that can kill a sale faster than anything is when you have a somewhat sophisticated buyer and you rant and rave about how bad, dishonest, over priced or what junk that your competition is selling in the market. And here's the thing. We have a competitor who does exactly that. Their main sales approach is to badmouth us, and not just once and a while, but constantly! What he doesn't realize is that this week alone we signed three new orders from customers who do not like his approach to selling.

No wonder so many people dislike salesmen, me included. It's the way they act and the BS and badmouthing they promote. Look, anyone can badmouth the competition, but if there is going to be any badmouthing of the competition let the customer do it and simply say; I understand how you feel and then move on.

Badmouthing. I don't like it and I don't do it. I wonder when our competition will catch on? Your thoughts?

Introductory Blog...

I’m Todd Frankland, founder and CEO of Provincial Partitions Ltd. I’ve been involved in the Modular Building Industry for more than 27 years now, and have lots to say. I am hoping this post will stir your thoughts and inspire you to share your experiences in our industry with me. You can learn more about my company and me by visiting our corporate website here at www.pro-part.com.

And hey, this just in: Provincial Partitions was recognized recently with two awards from the MBI during their 25th annual convention and awards banquet held in Bonita Springs, Florida. We won first place in the "Permanent Modular Special Application" for an explosion proof building and were also recognized again for our corporate website. We're proud of the work we do here and it's nice to be singled out. To learn more about the MBI (Modular Building Institute) and the good work they do to promote this unique industry, visit their website here.

So there you have it. I intend to publish this blog on a weekly basis, so come back soon. My hope is that this will be a good resource for all who are involved in the Modular Building Industry.