“We service every corner of the United States with the majority
of our work happening in the denser urban areas of the country,”
said Nick. “However, our products can be used for many applications
that can be found in rural areas, as well, including pipeline,
rail, utility and solar work. Our branch office in Quebec allows
us to serve that market particularly well in Canada. We also service
other parts of Canada from that branch, as well as from the
U.S. branches.”
Hammer & Steel’s top products include the ABI Mobilram piling
rigs, Delmag drill rigs and diesel hammers, Comacchio small
diameter drill rigs, tooling for small diameter machines and
Scheltzke grout plants.
“In addition to this, we maintain a fleet of excavator-mounted
and crane-suspended vibratory hammers, as well as other miscellaneous
products,” said Nick. “Each of our suppliers produce the
highest quality machines in the industry, and our client base has
come to expect the best performance from us and our products.”
Armed with a sales staff that has extensive knowledge in the
applications and specifications of the products that Hammer &
Steel offers, Nick says they know the questions to ask clients in
order to lead them in the right direction to the proper solution.
“There have been many instances where our clients aren’t
exactly sure of the best method or how to proceed for a given project
and call us for consultation,” said Nick.
“We also have full-service fabrication shops at several of our
branches to build specialized tools and accessories for our equipment
fleet. We know our success depends on the success of our
clients, and we go the extra mile to make sure they are completely
satisfied with our services.”
Notable projects and more
Over the past 30-plus years, Hammer & Steel has been involved in
numerous noteworthy projects. At present, the company has an
ABI Mobilram TM 20 on rent to Goettle Construction (d.b.a. Axiom
Foundation) for a project at the Charlotte Douglas International
Airport in Charlotte, N.C.
“The piling foundation is for a terminal lobby expansion of glass
enclosure over arrival and departure travel lanes for passengers,”
said Nick. “The client used the Mobilram to drill 16 inches CFA up
to 55-foot depths. The scope of work for our portion of the project
is estimated to last one month.”
When asked how Hammer & Steel differs from its competitors,
Nick doesn’t miss a beat.
“First and foremost, we have a far wider range of products than
our competitors. Many companies specialize in one particular
space, such as piling rigs, drill rigs, vibratory hammers or piling
products. Hammer & Steel is heavily invested in all of these types
of equipment, plus many others. This makes us a one-stop shop for
deep foundation products, in a sense. We often have clients that
might be venturing into a different type of work than they’re normally
accustomed. While they may have used us in the past for one
particular product, they know we offer a wide range of products
that may be able service them in new areas.”
In addition to this, the company also invested significantly in its
technical support. Not only does Hammer & Steel maintain a fleet
of service trucks, but it also owns a company plane, which can get
staff to clients’ job sites as quickly as possible.
As to what the company attributes its success to, Nick says a
big part has come from Bob Laurence and Joe Dittmeier’s ability to
partner with great suppliers.
PDCA ASSOCIATE MEMBER
Bob Laurence, president of Hammer & Steel and one of the original
company founders
“There have been
many instances where
our clients aren’t
exactly sure of the
best method or how
to proceed for a given
project and call us
for consultation.”
– Nick Laurence
“They took several big risks along the way but, more often than
not, they found success in adding new lines of equipment over the
years, which we continue to do to this day,” said Nick. “We work
hard to provide our clients the best possible equipment and service
that we can. While we acknowledge our past success, we know
nothing can be taken for granted, and continue to work hard to
earn the repeat business from our clients.”
Hammer & Steel also prides itself on a being a great place
to work.
“We try hard to maintain a family-ownership atmosphere,” said
Nick. “We treat our employees with respect, promote from within
when possible and have a very competitive pay and benefit structure
for our employees. Because of this, we have enjoyed very little
turnover. We’ve had several employees stay with us for over 20
years – some from the very beginning.”
52 | ISSUE 5 2020 www.piledrivers.org
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