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The following is an interview with Mark Moroney, VP Operations, founder and inventor of Hex-Hut Shelter Systems.
Mostly self-interest. I was welding at the time and I was sick to death of the types of shelters they would put us in to weld big inch pipe, with no consideration for my comfort or proper ventilation. We were always dependent on heavy equipment, heavy machinery and in some situations it was almost unbearable to weld for hours on end in some of the jury rig structures that they would put together. The company that I was contracting to at the time demanded 100 per cent coverage no matter the weather because they wanted to make sure that welding was being performed in a controlled environment. No dust, no wind and no moisture. There was no consideration for the people and the risks associated with environment inside the structures that we were using at the time, grinding dust, welding smoke and heat were major concerns not to mention the exposure to a lot of heavy equipment in very close quarters.
So to answer your question, there had to be a better way then how they were doing it and that’s when I started to think about what I could do to provide myself a shelter that would improve the working conditions. It had to work for the client at the time, improve safety, be efficient, portable and flexible. In other words, my helper and I had to be able to manipulate and deploy (set up and take down the structure). That also meant it had to be light, a fair size and collapsible. In the summertime I would be able to control the ventilation or even button it right up depending on the weather conditions. Another issue at the time with other types of shelters (pre-Hex-Hut), depending on the weather conditions and the type of work we were involved with the work would be shut down. So on average we would lose about four to five days per month. I wanted to make sure I had something I could use so that I didn’t get shut down as well as ensure the integrity of the process and minimize exposure to a very harsh environment while the welding process was taking place.
Hex-Hut is a novel idea. The parasol (the roof is an umbrella) allows it to collapse in a very small space. The main advantage is that the structure is clamped to the steel or the pipe, no matter where that work is in relation to the ground. You’re always going to get the same setup, same size, same overhead clearance and same width on either side of the pipe. So it’s a very consistent and very symmetric configuration. When people are working in a comfortable environment every time, that helps lower the risk associated with fatigue, boosts production because people feel good and are more inclined to be more productive no matter the temperature around them. Look at it this way, at -30C people probably spend a lot of the time in their truck and don’t get much welding done sitting in your truck trying to stay warm.
It’s funny you ask that because we have shipped units to customers where we were unable to give them that safe use/orientation demonstration of how to set it up due to the distance. And in 99 per cent of those case they would call us for help with setting up the unit. We’d give them the online instructions and all of a sudden a light bulb would go off because they didn’t realize just how simple it is to set them up. It was designed by a guy who was welding for a living and understood the challenges of welding in an outdoor environment. A lot of the customers who use it now swear by it and they are impressed with it. We have great testimonials from some pretty big name contractors. Bannister Pipelines. Michael’s Canada used them on the Enbridge’s Clipper project. Aecon/Lockerbie used them on Trans Canada Pipeline Ltd’s Keystone pipeline converting the compressor stations to pump stations. We supply systems to Flint Energy Services for their work at Imperial Oil Cold Lake they have been using our systems for 7 years now. RevCon Oilfield Constructors Ltd. used them for Statoil hydro SAGD install with great success, There is a reason why these companies are repeat customers and that is because our systems actually do what we claim they do. Hex-Hut is proven to reduce long and short term risks to workers at the same time ensure the integrity of all welding processes and increase productivity. In our experience thus far we have found that companies that are serious about worker safety, productivity and delivering quality to their customers keep coming back.
They’re not a consumable. Hex-Hut is not built to throw away. It’s a piece of equipment. We have some units that are still active in our rental fleet that are about 6 to 7-years-old. Of course there will be wear and tear, but it’s minor repairs here and there. For the most part we’re experiencing only about two per cent of our revenues goes back into maintenance. So they’re pretty low maintenance items.
We have done a redesign of our standard T24 unit and it’s now called the T12. We’ve shrunk it down in overall dimension so T12 covers roughly 45 square feet and is approximately 7-feet across and have also lowered the overall height by about a foot. This makes it pretty attractive for work in tight spaces. We’ve got some customers that are looking forward to being shown the T12. Some pretty big players.
We’ve also developed what we call our T24 Vertical Pile Unit – VPU. It allows a piling pipe or piling beam… When they’re driving the steel into the ground, if they don’t hit refusal (the amount of resistance they get as they’re driving the steel in) they have to add on to those vertical pieces. Traditionally, they’ve shut down during poor weather because they can’t weld without suitable cover. We have designed a unit that will strap onto the side of a vertical pipe or beam and it will allow that piece to penetrate the roof and still be tightened down by means of an expandable/collapsible boot in the ceiling of the shelter. Now people can continue to do these pile add-ons during all weather. I think this is pretty beneficial.
We plan to double in revenues and then double again in five years. In order to get to the level we want to reach we’re looking at a rental fleet of about 300 units. About double of what we have now. And keep in mind, the hallmarks of the Hex-Hut Brand are safety, quality and efficiency.
