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Josh Lowman Posted: Jun 19, 2008 09:28 PM	Are u all busy So is everyone stayin busy. Well wish i could say i was. Been in for almost three years. Got interested in this from being a machinist at graco making parts for the guns. Things worked right that I could start sprayin on my days off. So i got all the equipment and built my rig, meanwhile keeping my full time job at graco. Still workin full time and sprayin when i don't lose work to the big outfit in town. Not sure how a one man rig can lose work to a fully staffed company. Lost some big jobs this year. If i could get more work i would stay at it. But i tore my acl this last winter and need a surgery. Hopfully i can sell my rig and take it easy for a while, in the mean time good luck to all of ya. These days are gettin tough.
D. Backes Posted: Jun 24, 2008 11:43 AM	Sorry to hear about your situation. I have 2 torn acl's and don't look forward to surgery any time soon. To answer your question - NOPE, not busy. I've been in this thing about 9 years and I've lost more than a couple of big jobs myself lately. mostly due to newbys who don't know that they aren't charging enough or they are desperate and giving it away. Or dishonest. Explain this ; I get under bid by 35% on a good size job. That's less than my cost for materials! I was extremely upset for a while there. Made me seriously reconsider this whole industry and where it's going. Went into the site in question one day to snoop around and see for myself how this "magical" price point is accomplished. What I learned there is that in order to beat the competition price by 35%, all you have to do is screw the customer and short him 35% of the material that was spec'd! What a concept! What the Hell is happening here! I work in a major city in the midwest with a glut of sprayers out there who either by ignorance or deceit are ruining the market for themselves and everyone else. Don't get me started talking about some of the sales men who think nothing of slandering the competition to get jobs. That's my rant for the day. Sorry I had to.
Greg Pruitt Posted: Jun 24, 2008 09:48 PM	Very inteesting subject. I too have been beat from out of town competetors, and then checked the job and found out that if sloppy work and less product was acceptable, then I too could have done the cheaper price. We have been in the business for two years, and do a good job. I pay my employees, and a salesman, and we are spraying nearly every day. cannot say that I have taken one dime out of that protion of the business. It has paid it's way but nothing more. ...so i ama putting together a 2nd rig. Does that make any sense? I don't know, but I love the product and its performance. I believe it will pay off. Maybe after I get the debt retired.
Bryan Kwater Posted: Jun 25, 2008 08:20 PM	It's pretty slow here, too. Not sure how some of the sprayers are makin any money at the prices they charge. If we can't cover all of our costs, including fuel, then there's no sense doing the job. There are so many things that can go wrong, you have to have somewhat of a margin included. I am honest with the customer and try to explain the most cost effective way to insulate, not just to sell them the most foam that I can. That must be my problem. With virtually no building going on here, times are tough.
Posted: Jun 27, 2008 07:25 AM	busier than a one legged man in a butt kickin contest here in the soggy cornfields... we too have had an influx of maggots into the local market...if a contractor wants cheap...they can find cheap...we keep busy by establishing relationships,,working hard to maintain those relationships,,,provide a top quality job everytime with every crew,,,show up when promised,,,get it done when promised... i have one maggot that tells the contractors to get my bid and he will do it for 10% less...i dont need that kind of work,,,nor do i need that kind of contractor...so i spend the time,,,do the education,,formulate the bid,,,and the maggot sucks the slime off the walls...god bless america and the spineless,,,amoral magotts... (we have a plan on how to squash the little maggot with our steel toe boots,,,but heck,,,i send him the crap i dont want to do..lol,,,) stay the course,, take a look see at who you are selling to and why you are selling to them,,you may need to rethink and readjust... ...more rain,,,damn
Lane Hogstad Posted: Jun 27, 2008 10:03 PM	Dude, Was going to give you a call to see if you washed south but sounds like your dry just busy. Glad your just soggy. Lane
Josh Lowman Posted: Jun 28, 2008 05:06 PM	No I am very dry nothin. Need work. I can always keep busy with something just not gettin any spray jobs.
Gerry Wagoner Posted: Jul 07, 2008 08:24 PM	We're steady and have more coming in. Picked up several new houses (3) in the last 30-days. Roofing is keeping us going as well. Roofs are not a luxury item. Being established as long as we have been helps, but the economy is pretty constipated right now. It will loosen up eventually (more fiber perhaps). I recently had a large log cabin owner give us his project AFTER he had already purchased the fiberglass for the 4000 ft² home. Forward thinking people are destined for spray foam. It makes too much sense. Some of the contractors are lowering their prices in an attempt to get work. That is financial suicide for them. There will be a lot of spray rigs for sale by January if they continue. We're just the opposite, we are building our third rig - larger than ever. Don't sell price, sell & install quality. The foam business has been good to us, and we like to give something back to it. We can do that with integrity. Go gettum, oG
Curtis Bell Posted: Aug 15, 2008 04:38 PM	With the economy the way it is, I would say we aren't too bad. Will be our second year in Sept. and its been a fight from the beginning. Our problem is cost, people want foam at "fibercrap" price, ain't gonna happen! I wish insulation didnt ride on the back burner but fancy shingles, siding and landscaping did. lol! :)
Gerry Wagoner Posted: Aug 18, 2008 04:49 PM	We are covered up with work. The last two weeks have buried us for a couple months out..
Gerry Wagoner Posted: Aug 24, 2008 10:21 PM	Another 30,000 ft² roof came in Friday. I'd say we are just about booked for the rest of the year. How is it for the rest of you guys? Is work picking up? I believe it will as winter closes in and you continue to do quality work. And don't be too cheap. We weren't, and we still have more than we can handle. Be fair, but be profitable. oG
Curtis Bell Posted: Aug 28, 2008 04:19 PM	SURE, RUB IT IN, THAT'S COOL!! lol j/k :) Nice to see you're busy, I hope to reach that point someday.
quentin Posted: Aug 28, 2008 08:28 PM	Hey Olger, you get any extra jobs that are small let me know. I get my rig in a couple of weeks and will do ya proud making sure it is right. Working on getting relationships going and have some interest building. Just need to get some of the income coming in before the cold kills the season. Also I would love to see a roofing job. I know it is a few years off so no worries there. Just working on ideas for getting some of the base contracts.
Gerry Wagoner Posted: Aug 28, 2008 10:54 PM	I assure you it wasn't said pompously. We know what slow times are like too. I sincerely hope things turn around for you. og
Gordon Howard Posted: Sep 03, 2008 01:01 AM	How many of you guys are spraying coatings... What type.. If you are not, why not... pros, cons...
Curtis Bell Posted: Sep 03, 2008 04:14 PM	We spray polyurea too(SPI), Pros= spraying something other then foam. Cons= spraying something other then foam. Olger, I was just kidding about the workload :)
Gerry Wagoner Posted: Oct 09, 2008 06:44 PM	Are things picking up for you fellows?
Linerman Posted: Oct 09, 2008 08:47 PM	Overspray Which SPI product(s) are you using and for what?
quentin Posted: Oct 10, 2008 09:06 AM	Just getting started and plenty of calls or quotes but no bites yet. Guess we shall see since the main things seems to be people's budgets.
Posted: Oct 10, 2008 10:00 AM	Quentin, We know what it's like to just get going. We scratched and clawed to get a foot hold. From the beginning, it's an education process. That doesn't stop. Later, you have help from your customers. You'll go from, I don't know, to Yeah, I saw that, or ole so, and so had that done. Just always remember, you don't manufacture foam, your service and the quality of service is what will grow your company and sustain you. Show everyone what a quality job looks like at a fair price, and you help your future prospects, and you help us too. The price of a good job will be OK, but poor workmanship won't allow the product to produce the results needed to amaze your customers. The foam, open and closed cell, is so different that you always have to lead and educate your builders and homeowners to expect something special, and then deliver it. Hope the best for you. When you get a referral from a job already working, you'll be on your way! Until Later, Talon
Melvin Chandler Posted: Oct 10, 2008 07:54 PM	We've quit bothering with insulation. We will go look at projects that we know the owner will proceed. We've wasted TOO much time trying to break into the market. The good old boys just don't get it when it comes to Foam. Doesn't help that we are charging premiums over the norm for foam but we aren't set up for volume and we're done practicing. Roofing (conventional)has been great over the last year. We are finally catching up and I just got back from Foam Material/Mechanics & Roofing Training. Plan on trying our luck with foam roofs. We primarily do single plies and standing seam. Used to do a lot of hot Mod Bits but only touch the cold Mods occasionally now. I can see things slowing down and tightening up a bit. There is good news ahead though. Everyone needs a roof.
Curtis Bell Posted: Oct 14, 2008 11:50 AM	Spraypro, We use mostly the HI-E for ponds,we have used on truck beds too,but that can be a headache(slower gel time) We have also used the VersaFlex aquavers 405 in couple of cisterns, good stuff. Now if only Fiberglass was outlawed and all containment liners had to be seamless.....
Posted: Oct 14, 2008 03:09 PM	Overspray, You mentioned that you use the Hi-E polyurea for ponds. I understand this system has certain specialty applications and has been used for containment of hard to fit areas as well as backyard water features. Would you please elaborate on your experience with the product, and is this too costly for stock or recreation pond use. I understand that the cost is in the $8 to $12 per square foot area. Is the customer request list primarily commercial, municipal, or residential. I would appreciate your thoughts on the matter based on your experience. Talon
Posted: Oct 15, 2008 10:20 PM	Phone is off the hook, fuel prices are hurting the customers pocket books. Folks is gettin' smarter, pay now or pay later. Tim