MODEX 2024 was held earlier this month in Atlanta, Georgia. This bi-annual tradeshow is hosted by Material Handling International (MHI) and occurs in even-numbered years. Its sister event, ProMat, is held on odd-numbered years in Chicago. These events are part Sales and Marketing and part Education, offering a crucial opportunity for our MH team to connect with clients, partners, and prospects, and keep up with trending technologies.

Attendance at the conference was 48,733, an increase of 37% over 2022 rivaling the numbers achieved by ProMat, underscoring the necessity of SilMan’s presence. Stay tuned as we continue to deepen our association with these conferences in upcoming years.

SAPS has recently reached two notable milestones

First, we received a Design-Build RFP where the mechanical parking 3-part specification was largely based on the SAPS 3-part specification. The quality and detail of the document have been noticed and adopted by a new architectural partner, Leddy Maytum Stacey Architects. Hats off to the engineering team for embracing this effort in 2023 and to our team members and partners who have supported client visits to existing systems. In March we submitted our first proposal on a project where SilMan Automated Parking Systems was listed as the only qualified supplier!

Secondly, our new continuing education course for architects “Mechanical Parking is a Catalyst for Innovation in Building Design” is available online. We have partnered with  AEC Daily to help reach this market and to manage course credits with the American Institute of Architects (AIA).  This course is our primary conduit to introduce SAPS to new architects.

SilMan Industries has recently accepted the caretaker role for a classic American industrial complex. The Asset and Property Management project for US Steel, aka UPI, is perfectly matched for our company. The Pittsburg, California property is steeped with ingenuity, organization, and productivity and is embedded in a community, forming the bedrock of sustenance for generations of families. Some of our team members working on this project reside in Pittsburg today.

We were first called to the premises in 2009 to replace a wood floor with modified concrete, back when the company was called USS-POSCO. Over the next 15 years, our visits spanned repair, maintenance, and installation of production equipment and facility support.

This time, however, we have been asked to help our client close the plant with care to be passed to a new 21st-century enterprise as a valuable asset.

Scope of Work

For various reasons, the owner is not immediately proceeding with Decommissioning the plant. Instead, the production line will be Idled for the near future. Nonetheless, the Idling process requires a complex process to ensure team member safety, equipment integrity, and communication with all stakeholders.

Beyond the civil-mechanical-electrical aspects, SilMan is also responsible for managing 500+ acres of land. But our responsibility doesn’t end at the fence line. The neighboring communities are built over the water system that serves the plant, which was established over a century ago.

Build the Team

One of the bright rays of light of the plant’s closure is the opportunity to hire five previous UPI employees with extensive experience and depth of knowledge about the UPI operation:

“Community support and involvement are the pillars of our success. We believe in creating opportunities that allow others to contribute their expertise and enrich our team. It is truly remarkable that being awarded a job from a favored client not only expands our business but also enables us to welcome five new team members with an intimate understanding of the property, each with over 20-30 years of experience. This not only ensures the continuity of care for the assets and facilities that have been a staple of our community for over 100 years but also reinforces our commitment to fostering a thriving and inclusive community.” – Rick

All of us work very hard and long hours, not only for SilMan but also for our families. But while we are very fortunate to have such a fantastic Team that values Safety, we can easily overlook the core elements that keep us safe: personal health. So here is a reminder for us all that we also need to take care of ourselves. Personal health is at the heart of making it home safely to our families, each and every day.

And here is a bonus for our traveling teammates.  

These items may not always be at the top of our minds each day, so I hope we can all benefit from a friendly reminder.

– Tyler Tanner (Fleet Management)

We recently took a deep dive into an acronym that has helped us form the culture we all enjoy. Three simple letters guide us on our path to building and maintaining meaningful relationships;

A.C.T

Accountability promotes Trust, respect, and mutual understanding, which is essential for fostering a meaningful connection.

Open and honest Communication allows individuals to express their needs, concerns, and aspirations, fostering a deeper understanding of each other and working towards a common goal.

Teamwork encourages a sense of unity, belonging, and shared responsibility, fostering a stronger and more meaningful relationship.  By working as a Team, we can pool our strengths and skills, complement each other’s weaknesses, and achieve far more than we could individually

Accountability, Communication, and Teamwork are essential for a meaningful relationship as they promote Trust, understanding, collaboration, and shared responsibility. These elements enable individuals and teams to build a solid FOUNDATION. They also allow us to navigate challenges together and create fulfilling and lasting connections.