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Clay & Lorisa |
Greetings!
Welcome to our Fall 2010 edition of our newsletter. The general consensus is that since we missed having enough awesome summer weather, we would get a tremendous fall, and up until a few days ago that held true. Business-wise, we have had a great summer, with a record amount of building, and we have added some great staff with in-depth experience.And it doesn't look like it is going to slow down anytime soon!
Summer is when we typically find ways to deal with the industry slow-cycle. Holidays, training, re-tooling, expansion and community projects are just some of the ways we keep busy and prepare for the inevitable turn-around. This year was a little different in one respect - it didn't slow down! But we still managed some internal initiatives, took some holidays (probably not enough!), and completed a major community donation project.
Just east of Stettler is the small community of Gadsby. For many of our employees, Gadsby is the central hub of community activity and a major point of congregation. With an audience spanning tens of miles in all directions, Gadsby is always looking for ways to accommodate youth and adults alike. Our efforts this year focused on the new Gadsby Ball Association's Community Hall. The completion of this venue was long overdue, but just in time for the village's 100th Anniversary celebration in August.
What a whoop-up that was!
 | | Gadsby Hall after Metalex |
 | | Gadsby Hall before Metalex |
whoop-up, particularly for those Metalex employees that helped make the tight deadline. And just for the record, Metalex helped make it happen with donations of time and some at-cost materials.
About 10 of our staff spent anywhere from a couple of hours to 2 weeks, much of it after regular business hours, working with volunteers to complete this facility on time. While much of the work was metal panel fabrication and installation, we also chipped in and helped with framing, electrical and moving in appliances.
We're pretty proud of our little "Pole Shed" and we believe there will be many a festive event held there before it wears out! If you are ever in the Gadsby area, stop by and check it out. And don't forget to bring your ball team!
OK, this hall wasn't a tremendous challenge for us technically, but just think - If we were already busy, and we still managed to pull this project off on time with nary a profit margin, JUST IMAGINE what we could do for our regular paying customers!
Feel free to give us feedback anytime! And not just on our newsletter, but our products and service too! Send your comments in total confidence right to the top - Lorisa@mmbi.ca or Clay@mmbi.ca.
Please visit our updated website and meet some of our staff, view some of our products and let us know what you think. |
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RECOGNITION
"I want to put a ding in the Universe"
- Steve Jobs
 | | Gimme dat ding! |
Well .... maybe a ding in the Universe is a pretty lofty goal. But, I think its safe to say that most of us would like to garner some recognition throughout our career. Some of us are content with a simple pat on the back every few weeks, some of us have greater expectations. And some of us, well, want to "put a ding in the Universe".
At METALEX, we're no different. We work hard, we try to do the best possible job, in the shortest possible time, for the most reasonable price. But most of all, we love to get recognition. Not the "gimme a parade, streamers and a star on the walk of fame" recognition. Just the "thanks, you guys (and gals) did a great job". It feels good, and it feels great to be able to pass it onto the team that made it happen. The team that worked the long hours, drove who knows where in who knows what kind of weather, and actually made it all come together. But we also strive for a different kind of recognition. The recognition of our peers and the official organizations that govern our industry. One way to achieve that is through pursuit of a CAN CSA Certification. In our industry, one of the hallmarks of recognition by CSA is to achieve CSA A660-10 Certification, and that is exactly what we have done.
 | | Certified Pre-Engineered Metal Building Manufacturing |
So, this is us feeling recognized. And the amazing part of it is that we were really ready for this. There wasn't a whole lot of legwork involved because we knew we were ready. So, we had to pass the "back-pats" on to staff who helped us get here, and we also want to share it with you, our loyal customers, for working with us as we developed procedures and quality measures that are all key components of such an achievement. By the way, you'll be happy to know that METALEX is one of only a select few metal building manufacturers in Alberta that have achieved this standard. And maybe the only that offers self-framer AND foam panel engineered solutions. So the next time you order a metal building solution from METALEX, you can rest assured it is made to the highest standard possible, and governed by a Quality Assurance program that has been CSA approved! At METALEX, we feel it is important for manufacturers to be recognized or acknowledged in some manner. This provides a measure of security that someone from a governing body has poked around and helped you to be a competent and fair provider of a certain service. Let us know what you think.
METALEX Metal Buildings is anxious to hear from you. Call us to experience service and project execution evolved from years of fine-tuning. Or let us know what we could be doing better. Consider us for your next bid request for any Metal or Steel structure requirements, and put our dedication to "quality-first" to the test!
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COMPETITION
Is usually healthy ...
COMPETITION: -noun - the act of competing.
Competition almost always benefits the consumer. It keeps vendors watching their price and quality. It keeps marketing staff looking for that extra edge. And it is usually done on a fairly level playing field:
- In sports, rules and referees make sure both sides are as close as possible, except for the actual talent on the field.
- In law, both sides have to follow a strict procedural regimen, where the "T"s must be crossed and the "I"s must be dotted (although I think some lawyers have their "eyes" crossed, and their "tea" is, well, ... laced with something).
- In politics,... well, ... I won't even go there! - In business, governing bodies try to make certain standards applicable across the board. But there are often ways around following all the rules. And sometimes, a business will offer something at a loss for a variety of reasons. Maybe to keep staff busy, or open a door, or simply to get rid of old inventory. That's almost like the Flames losing a game to get a better playoff position!
Some of the big industry players can afford to operate at a loss for months and months simply to capture a client base or quash a competitor. There's supposed to be laws against that, but it can be hard to prosecute a company for slashing prices. However, sometimes quality or delivery can take a hit to try and recover some of the loss, before slowly inching the price back up again. As a consumer, it is important to understand what you are buying and to be able to compare apples-to-apples.
As a vendor, I also think it's important to read and understand what a customer is requesting, and to quote it exactly as specified, or get permission to deviate from the specifications. Leaving out an item to drop the price and then expect it to be paid extra later is lacking integrity. Most of our customers appreciate that they get what they pay for, and that at METALEX, Value is guaranteed.
We won't cut corners to reduce the price, because that is not what our customers have come to expect from us. And we won't use inferior components to reduce the price, unless a certain brand of component is specifically requested. And we won't grind our staff and expect them to work for nothing - they appreciate the work, we appreciate their dedication, and that relationship serves us both well through growing market share. We like to think our processes are pretty streamlined. Our little shop may not look like NASAs, but then again, neither does our budget! We liken ourselves to a finely tuned engine, and we are always ready to meet the competition. As long as the playing field is level!
Bring us your challenges, and make competition a part of your standard operating procedure!
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Western Canada Drilling Stats
If you draw any relation between your business, the economy, and the amount of drilling activity in Canada, these drilling statistics might interest you. Below, you will find the latest week this year compared to last year.  | | Improving! |
Comparing a single week, year to year (2009 to 2010), Alberta is up more than 100% over last years activity. BC and Saskatchewan are both up almost 50% over this time last year. Manitoba is up 200%, while NWT remains unchanged. All in all, things are much busier now than this time last year in Western Canada, and despite natural gas trading at around $3.30, demand is set for record growth.
(Drilling rig activity statistics courtesy of CAODC and Divestco) |
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Absolutely Trivialicious
Hershey's Kisses are called that because the machine that makes them looks like it's kissing the conveyor belt.
Happy Halloween! |
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CUSTOMER TESTIMONIAL -
Metalex Metal Buildings have been a great asset to our business since it opened its doors. The whole company has the same values that we at Tankstore strive for; promise a doable delivery at a fair price and stick to it. It is very nice that when they tell you something that they intend to do just that. There are always things that happen that we cannot foresee, but how they deal with these interruptions sets them apart from other builders.
Colin Turigan
General Manager
Tankstore Ltd. |
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Come see us!
(and don't forget to bring donuts!) METALEX Metal Buildings Inc.
Box 1058 4204 - 46th Avenue Stettler, AB T0C 2L0 Phone: 403.742.1300 Toll Free: 866.913.1300 Fax: 403.742.1308 info@mmbi.ca |
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