Company News Archives - Thomas Industrial Coatings

Talking industrial painting jobs with a project manager at Thomas Industrial Coatings

Ricky Simpson is a project manager at Thomas Industrial Coatings. Here he talks about growing up around industrial painting, the Thomas family and his career with the company so far.

What is your official job title at Thomas Industrial Coatings?

I’m a project manager.

When did you begin working with the company?

I began in March of 2006.

Was this your first job in the industry or had you worked with other companies before this?

Well my dad had his own sandblasting and painting company. So in high school and in college I would help out with his business in the summer. So I had been around it for a while before I came here. I left for college, and then out of college I came straight to Thomas.

What position did you hold when you joined Thomas?

I was a painter. I’ve only been a project manager for about three months now. I was blasting and painting for about six years before.

What sort of training did you undergo when you arrived at Thomas?

I went through an apprenticeship. I came in as a second-year apprentice, learning everything from residential to commercial to industrial. Then I took classes in respiratory safety, rigging, brushing and rolling and all the rest.

Do you learn to specialize in an area, or do you learn various disciplines?

You basically learn it all in the apprenticeship program. Much of what you learn as an apprentice doesn’t directly apply to the industrial side of the business, until you get into the second and third years.
When I first started out it was paintbrushes and latex paints, stuff that we don’t normally use, but it’s great practice for working in other areas. It gives you a taste of a little bit of everything in the painting industry, so I think it’s good.

Are you currently on a job?

Yes. I’m at the Eads Bridge and I’ve been here for a little over a year. It’s nice because I’m from St. Louis.

Are you traveling often?

Not too often. I would say that in my six years with Thomas I’ve been traveling for about one. I have some little ones at home so staying in town works well for me.

Given the types of situations in which you work, how doe Thomas Industrial Coatings demonstrate that they take your safety seriously?

Well it’s definitely something that’s communicated to us on a daily basis, the importance of safety. It’s always a part of the conversation. Whether it’s when we switch gears on job-site and we’re talking about new safety considerations, or it’s the equipment that we’re provided. Our equipment is always top-notch. We’re not being slighted on that. It’s definitely a high priority.

Did you know anything about the reputation of Thomas Industrial Coatings before you began working for them?

Yes. I’ve known Donnie Thomas since I was six years old. I graduated from school with a lot of the guys who now work here. My dad started out working for Donnie, and he’s working for Thomas again now. It’s a bit of a family thing.

Knowing their reputation like you do, what do you think general contractors expect from Thomas when they’re on the job-site?

Well you’re going to get a quality product and your job will be done on time. We stand out as far as the safety numbers we put up, and the precautions that we take as well. We go above and beyond what most companies do. We set the bar pretty high.

If someone were to ask you why they should work at Thomas Industrial Coatings, what answer would you give them?

Well it’s a great opportunity to provide for you and your family. Also, you come to work and the number one concern is that you leave unharmed. It’s a really safe place to work. And if you like physical labor and teamwork, this is the place to be.

Check out some of the reviews our employees have given us on our Facebook page to learn what others are saying about working with Thomas Industrial Coatings. When you’re ready to take the next step, visit our careers page to browse open positions.

Why an industrial coatings job at Thomas Industrial Coatings?

Josh Teddleton is a senior project manager at Thomas Industrial Coatings. Here he talks about why he thinks Thomas Industrial Coatings is a great place to work.

Josh Teddleton is a senior project manager at Thomas Industrial Coatings. Here he talks about why he thinks Thomas is a great place to work.

You started with Thomas in 2006 is that right?

Yes, I did.

What was your job title when you were first hired on at TIC?

I was hired as a project manager. At, least that’s the position they wanted me for. I went through a lot of training to get to the point where I was comfortable managing projects.

So you were groomed with Thomas?

Yes.

And you’re a Senior Project Manager now, correct?

That’s correct.

You have a better idea of what you’re doing now, right?

I think I have a handle on things at this point. I’m responsible for a couple project managers now. I’ve got a few guys working under me, doing what I used to do.

I took on more projects by virtue of building a team and working it from that angle. Instead of me working five or six projects by myself, I have six to ten with a team.

Did you know much about the company culture before you began working at TIC? Does TIC have a reputation amongst people in the industry who don’t work there?

I think, within the coatings industry, everyone looks at Thomas as the company out in front of everyone else. We’re the ones they’re chasing.

I don’t know that it was that way when I started here. That’s what we had always strived to be, but we hadn’t yet set ourselves apart from anyone else. Over the years that’s what we’ve been able to do, and that’s what we hope to continue to do. We want to be setting the trends for the industry rather than following them.

What would you say are the qualities found at Thomas that helped them to take the lead?

Well first and foremost it’s the people. From management to the field, the people make Thomas what it is.

The next thing is safety. Because everyone here takes this commitment to safety seriously, we’re committed to the continuing evolution of our safety program. That affects the thought process of everyone, from management all the way through to field personnel.

Lastly, it’s our ability with and our passion for technology. We’re committed to investing in technology, learning it and employing it successfully.

You’re traveling to different job sites often, do you like seeing all these new places?

I love it. I made up an unofficial Thomas motto, “Thomas Industrial Coatings: see America one structure at a time.” We have a beautiful country.

It’s always nice to see new places and to meet new people. I’ve been fortunate enough to meet some quality people in my travels. That’s something I really enjoy.

What are other aspects of your job that you especially enjoy?

Oddly enough I like it when things are going wrong. I like when I have to think on my feet and make adjustments on the fly. I tend to think I work my best when I have things coming at me from all angles.

When I have a lot going on, I’m more dialed in and task oriented than when I just have enough work to get me through the day. I operate better when I know the work never ends, when things aren’t going according to plan and we need a new one.

What is it that you like about managing other project managers?

I didn’t necessarily have a mentor when I started as a project manager, because I was one of the first ones hired to fill that role. I learned on the job.

Now that the protocol for the position is in place, I get to be a mentor for the guys who are in the position I was in. I like filling that role.

Given that your job puts you in situations with heavy machinery, moving parts, high places, etc., how does TIC demonstrate that they take your safety seriously?

It starts with the training. We train, and we train and we retrain. We make sure we’re covered for any exposures we could potentially face. That’s a big part of it.

Another part of it is, if you ask the budget for our safety department, the answer is there is no budget. They have an open checkbook. They’re going to do whatever they have to in order to make sure their crews come home safely. A lot of companies don’t operate that way. It’s an area where some contractors are willing to cut corners.

It is the top-down belief at Thomas that, if you make safety your top priority, quality and productivity will follow. That’s the mantra around here.

Are there certain aspects of the management’s values you especially identify with?

Absolutely. The relationship between the management side of this company and the project delivery side is so strong. That’s not something you get in every industrial company.

A lot of times manpower is moving around so often that those relationships don’t get built. For whatever reason, Thomas’s guys tend to stay with the company. Once they get here, they want to be here. You start seeing the same faces over and over on different projects. Thomas retains field personnel better than some of the others in the industry, and there are good reasons for that.

If you’re interested in learning more about working at Thomas Industrial Coatings, check out some of the reviews our employees have given us on our Facebook page. When you’re ready to take the next step, visit our careers page to browse open positions.

Two more first-place Finishing Touch Awards for Thomas Industrial Coatings

We’re excited to announce that the St. Louis Construction News and Review has recognized two of our projects as first-place Finishing Touch Award recipients, and one as a second-place finisher.

In association with The Painting & Decoration Foundation and the Wall & Ceiling Advancement Fund, nine projects were honored based on six categories. They include craftsmanship, creativity, execution, level of difficulty and use of color as a design element.

The two projects for which Thomas Industrial Coatings won first-place Finishing Touch Awards were the Huey P. Long Bridge Section 6, and the Fon du Lac Hydroelectric Station. In the industrial structures category, Thomas Industrial Coatings also took second place for its work on the Hurricane Deck Bridge over the Lake of the Ozarks.

These awards belong to the crews that earned them. We would like all of you who performed above and beyond the call of duty on these two jobs, and congratulate you on the recognition from a respected industry publication.

A big thanks also to the folks at the St. Louis Construction News and Review, The Painting & Decorating Foundation and the Wall & Ceiling Advancement Fund for the acclaim.

Ship painting on the clock: The M/V Dan Jaworski

Sometimes the fun of a job lies in the challenge, the kind of job where you get to show off a little versatility to go along with your expertise. We’ve completed numerous ship-painting jobs at Thomas Industrial Coatings, along with just about any other vessel worthy of a good marine coating, but the Motor Vessel Dan Jaworski presented a unique set of challenges, the kind of challenges that ultimately made the job a memorable one.

The job

“Time is money” goes the old cliché. Chances are that saying has stuck around because it’s often true. For that reason, when many marine captains dry-dock their vessels for mechanical overhauls, “repowers” as they’re often called, they use that time spent off the water to apply a shiny new marine coating application.

The owner of the Dan Jaworski, knowing full well that time spent on the dry dock is time not spent pushing barges on the river, decided not to take his vessel out of commission for the five to six months usually necessary to perform a complete repower. Instead, he contacted a Thomas crew working in the area hoping to have his vessel recoated and back on the river quickly.

In order for the vessel to make it to Louisville’s famous “Derby Days,” an opportunity for the Ohio Marine Industry to show off the towboats that make up the pride and joy of their fleet, the work would need to be completed in a mere 20 days.

The execution

Containing the vessel is the first step in a ship painting operation. Once that was completed, crews began UHP water jetting the exterior in preparation for the application of 420 gallons of epoxy. Next, an outer layer of 520 gallons of acrylic polyurethane was added. The eave was painted green to reduce the glare for the pilot, and yellow safety striping was painted along deck perimeters, hatch openings, tie downs and stair treads. The finishing touches on the exterior were decals signaling the vessels name and company logos.

After coating the exterior of the Jaworski, Thomas crews began water jetting on the mechanical rooms, including the shaft alley, generator room, rudder room and the engine room. The piping on the entire ship was color coded according to the contents contained within. All these features were coated with the understanding that, although time was short, damage to these mechanical parts could require hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of repair.

Finally, crews began work on the two-leveled interior and pilothouse. This portion of the project was complicated by the fact that the ship was still acting as home to the ten members of the ship’s crew who reside there for a large portion of the year. Both crews collaborated throughout the interior painting portion of the job to move furniture and personal belongings between rooms in order to complete the work by the deadline.

The result

After 2,000 man-hours and 20 days the Dan Jaworski was on the water once more. The job was completed safely and on time, allowing the vessel to take its place among the other barges on the Ohio River to celebrate “Derby Days,” proudly sporting its new paint job.

Thomas Industrial Coatings was awarded a Finishing Touch Award for their ship painting work on the Dan Jaworski.

ENR Top Specialty Contractors issue once again features Thomas Industrial Coatings

The Engineering News-Record recently released its annual list of the Top 600 Specialty Contractors, ranked according to revenue. Every year, ENR conducts a survey of large subcontractors based in the U.S. in order to “bring structure to an otherwise huge and chaotic industry.” Thomas Industrial Coatings was once again named among these ENR top specialty contractors.

The issue also breaks specialty contractors into subsections based on company specialties. Thomas Industrial Coatings is proud to announce it ranked 5^th out of the Top 20 Firms in Painting, and 296^th among all U.S.-based specialty contractors.

Thomas Industrial Coatings would like to congratulate all the fine contractors who made the list this year.

TIC crew members assist with emergency gasoline leak containment

One of the greatest benefits of the safety culture we’ve created here at Thomas Industrial Coatings is knowing that, in case of an emergency, our people have the knowledge and tools necessary to handle the situation. That’s why we were incredibly proud to hear that members of one of our crews recently played a key role in preventing disaster at a job site.

When a crane operator on our J. E. Roush Dam project in Huntington, IN alerted TIC’s Greg Perry to a report of a 300-gallon container filled with gasoline seemly abandoned on the dam’s roadway by a passer-by, he collected other members of his crew, Frank Henriquez and Matt Shannon, to address the problem. Fire extinguishers in hand, the three stopped all traffic at both ends of the project and assessed the situation. With fluid leaking from the container, emergency services were called and a spill kit was put into use in an attempt to keep more gasoline from escaping on to the road. Once the Fire Department and Homeland Security arrived, Greg, Frank and Matt assisted in containment by using buckets and an empty 55-gallon drum they had on hand until the original container could be drained enough to be secured and hauled away.

Thanks to their quick thinking and reliance on their knowledge of safety procedures, Greg, Frank and Matt were able to prevent any damage or injury that could have been caused by this spill. Their handling of the situation speaks volumes of both their dedication to safety and TIC’s commitment to hiring and training the most capable people we can find for our crews. Thanks, fellas, for a job well done. We couldn’t be more proud.