C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
When asked what her greatest professional
accomplishment is, Shealy answers
with a chuckle: “Saving money!” But she’s
quick to speak seriously about financial management
and success in business.
“I believe if a company doesn’t manage
money properly, there won’t be a company,”
she said. “One thing I’ve always done is put
money into savings for a rainy day. I think
a lot of companies don’t do that and that’s
where they get hurt.”
Taking pride in her work
Shealy prefers to be called a partner in the
company that she holds majority stock in, just
as her mother did. Being a woman-owned
company has its advantages and she is proud
of what they have accomplished with that title.
“Contractors actually like it when they
find out we’re a woman-owned business,” she
said. “If they’re doing a government contract,
they’ll get a break for using a women-owned
business like ours. So it could actually wind
up being cheaper for them if they hire us.
Plus, they’ll get a good job done!”
PDI has been a member company of
the PDCA of South Carolina chapter since
its inception.
“The very first meeting we had in
Charleston about starting a local PDCA
chapter, several of the pile drivers got together
and were talking. They were asking for
volunteers to be on the board. So I volunteered
John (King) and one of the other folks
seconded it!” laughed Shealy.
She also makes note of how important
it is to be part of PDCA, making sure clients
know who to go to for a quality product.
“On a local issue, we have inferior foundations
coming in and saying they’re as good
as driven pile,” said Shealy. “In the majority of
cases, they are not. Sometimes, they’re even
more expensive. We have to band together
and show our customers that we are the best
product. PDCA helps us do that.”
Things have certainly changed a lot
since Shealy’s parents started PDI. But one
thing that hasn’t changed is how she feels
about her life’s work.
“I’m just very proud of my mom and
dad, and what they did with this company
and the integrity they brought along with it,”
she said. “If nothing else, the one thing they
had was integrity. If they said something, it
would happen and you could count on their
word. When they started out, it was with
a handshake. And that handshake meant
everything to them.” t
TRAILBLAZER
• Pile Hammers - new / refurbished
• Custom Leads - all tubular, pinned style, boom point, fair
leads, fixed / swinging, onshore / offshore
• Accessories - drive caps, cushion material, air line oilers,
air hose, replacement parts
• Sales and rentals of pile driving equipment
• Repair and service of pile driving equipment
Phone: 706-398-1178
Fax: 706-398-1188
www.vulcanhammer.com
Far left: George F. Geiger standing by one of
his older cranes
Middle: George and Louise Geiger, pictured
around the time they started Pile Drivers, Inc.,
partners in business and in life
Above: Louise Geiger, better known as Moma,
pictured on a cruise with Kay in
November 2013
Photos courtesy of Kay G. Shealy
106 | QUARTER 4 2016
/www.vulcanhammer.com
