February 2021 Vol. 76 No. 2
Rehab Technology
Rehab News
Family Business Celebrates Milestone
The Schlachter family of Bryan, Ohio, celebrated the opening of a new, expanded headquarters, housing its three trenchless technology firms involved in the potable water and wastewater industries – and maybe a little more.
It started in 1999, when father and son, Tod and Dustin Schlachter, founded S&S Directional Boring Ltd. This trenchless approach to installing underground infrastructure (pipe, conduit or cables) eliminates the surface disruption of traditional open-cut excavation, allowing the customer – often a municipality or large utility – to avoid halting commerce and normal activity at the surface, and all the associated costs.
Serving their drilling customers over the next eight years, they became convinced that trenchless technology could be extremely forward-looking and potentially profitable to infrastructure rehabilitation. In 2007, the second business, Advanced Rehabilitation Technology (ART), was established to provide lining and coating solutions that address the needs of municipal and industrial customers requiring repair, rehabilitation and modification of water and wastewater projects.
With most cities’ original water and sewer systems aging out, the venture also offered sustainability for the foreseeable future.
Expansion
Ten years later, growing frustration with glitches in the supply chain for ART’s raw materials led to further expansion. OBIC – the root word, in Latin, for barrier – was established in 2007 to manufacture and distribute its own polyurea and polyurethane lining/coatings, thereby ensuring timing and quality. It quickly built a reputation for offering an exceptional product and installer network.
A third business meant the companies had outgrown their existing 1,200-square-foot office. Also, the nature of OBIC’s business required warehouse space, and created the desire to train customers (contractors and other rehabilitation firms) in how to correctly apply and service the products.
Opened this past summer – amidst the COVID-19 pandemic – the 48,000-square-foot building not only encompasses all business needs but is versatile and offers plenty of room for the future. The 24,000-square-foot, eastern section includes 5,000 square feet of office space, plus a fully equipped training facility and state-of-the-art technology area (dubbed the “Zoom Room” for its ability to serve as a closed, remote conference room), and truck and equipment maintenance and storage.
The upstairs training facility accommodates 52 people, and once the immediate COVID threat has passed, and people can freely travel again, it will host contractors, distributors and other representatives. When not used for training sessions, it will serve as a community gathering place, for local businesses’ off-site meetings and to provide community organizations with access to a spacious, modern, well-equipped event location.
“We’ve done well here, and we figured it was time to turn the tables and invest in Bryan,” said Dustin. “Bryan is a small, rural community and hasn’t had a place like this to meet before.”
The western half of the facility was equally – and generously – well thought-out.
“We intentionally overbuilt,” added Schlachter, designating the other 24,000 square feet “as a small-business incubator space.
“There are a lot of widget builders out there who just need space. They’ve outgrown their barn or garage where they started, and we’d like to help them have room to grow to their full potential. There’s a shortage of affordable startup space in all of northwest Ohio, so the other half of our building is now available for rent or lease. We want this opportunity to be a blessing to our community.”
An Open House for customers and community members, in November, prompted discussion about possibly partnering with area educational programs in technical skills training. Local dignitaries and neighbors in attendance learned about infrastructure rehabilitation and got a look at the space they may very well call “home” for their own businesses in the not-too-distant future.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
OBIC, (419) 633-3147, obicproducts.com
S&S Directional Boring Ltd.., (419) 630-0726, ssdirectionalboring.com
Advanced Rehabilitation Technology, Ltd., 419-636-2684, artcoatingtech.com
Dustin (left) and Tod Schlachter
Vortex Streamlines, Enhances Operations
In a move to streamline its operations, Vortex Companies, LLC has divided its products and services businesses into separate operating divisions.
“We have experienced tremendous growth over the last 12 months, due in large part to exceptional leadership from our team,” said Mike Vellano, CEO, Vortex Companies. “This reorganization gives us the flexibility to generate more growth and independently pursue additional product and service businesses.”
To lead this change, Andrew Gonnella, executive vice president-Products, and Wes Kingery, executive vice president-Services, were promoted to president of their respective new operating divisions.
Both new presidents will expand the divisions’ portfolios by continuing to develop new products internally, integrate key acquisitions, and cultivate strategic industry partners. They have also assembled outstanding teams – from sales and technical support, to operations leads and installation crews – dedicated to innovation and excellent customer service for the company’s long-term success.
“We’ve had a great working relationship with Vortex Companies over the years and share the same vision of delivering high-level service and permanent repair solutions through our trenchless products and applications,” said Tom Mullen, owner and managing partner at NAP. “As part of Vortex, we will have added resources and experience that will allow us to further expand our service offerings to support our commercial and municipal customers’ needs.”
In other news, Vortex has again added proven technology to its suite of trenchless infrastructure rehabilitation products by partnering with BKP Berolina to distribute and sell its industry-leading cured-in-place-pipe (CIPP) liner, in North America.
“BKP Berolina has been looking to enter the U.S. UV-CIPP market for a long time,” said Vellano. “We have the experience and resources to deliver this product, allowing us to provide an alternative CIPP solution to our customers. Berolina-Liner offers a measure of quality and performance yet to be matched in the UV (ultraviolet) category, which is good for both the end customer and the installer.”
Developed for gravity sewers ranging from 6- to 63-inch diameter, Berolina-Liner is precisely manufactured using resin-impregnated glass fiber complexes between two watertight film tubes equipped with styrene barriers.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Vortex Companies LLC, (281) 750-9081, vortexcompanies.com
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