springfield smart anchor group

Springfield Inc. – “Put your Life on our Line”

Kingsley, Michigan. July 7, 2016.

Springfield Inc.™ has acquired 3 commercial buildings in Grand Traverse County, next door to its company Headquarters.  The buildings were acquired to house the rapidly expanding Springfield SmartAnchor division.  Contact Scott Pryde, Springfield SmartAnchor general manager for assistance with cost effective solutions to your fall prevention needs.  Scott works closely with Tim Korson, Head Engineer, for SmartAnchor  to assure your facility safety requirement are met and that your rooftop safety plan is compliant.  Our products are designed to meet your needs – both indoors and outdoors.  Jobsite training is also available for your employees.

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springfield no smoking policy

“BUTTS” on the Roof

Recently a rooftop fire consumed a restaurant in Grand Rapids Michigan that was caused by a roofing contractor smoking while handling combustible materials.

When you hire Springfield, the only “BUTTS” you will see on your industrial facility rooftop are those of the hardworking men and women of northern Michigan who are hustling around and getting things done for you, our valued clients.  We have a strict “no smoking” policy.  The lack of cigarette “butts” on your rooftop will enable our Springfield crews to cover your “ASS-ets” in the best, safest method possible.  The “butts” we bring to your rooftop are not flammable and will not damage your facility.

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Springfield Team

Building Trust with Clients in Michigan

Springfield Inc.™ started as a roofing company and over time “morphed” into a full service industrial contractor by expertly solving building envelope problems, building relationships and building your trust.  Here is what you can expect when you hire Springfield Inc.™

  • We show up when we say we will and do the work as promised.
  • We prepare our bid proposals with extra care to fully analyze the issues and concerns UPFRONT so there are no hidden up-charges and big scary expensive surprises for you, the customer.
  • Our clean up after job completion is stellar
  • Our warranties are the best in the industry.
  • We depend on your referrals and recommendations to further our services
  • Your job will be completed by homegrown local northern Michigan men and women.  We do not subcontract crews from out of state.
    Springfield-Group-photo

Please give us a chance to “dazzle” you with our industrial problem solving abilities.  We are available 24/7 to help!

 

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Traverse Bay storm clouds taken by Springfield

Roofing in Michigan: Performing Re-Roof Jobs in Windy Conditions

Storm from Traverse City
Michigan Storms come on quick and Springfield is ready! This picture is of a storm in Traverse City Michigan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We love performing re-roof projects in Cadillac, Michigan.  The spring weather does bring some very strong WINDS to northern Michigan. Here are some items to consider for windy day roofing.

  • Double and triple check all trucks and trailers to make sure the load is securely fastened to the vehicle.
  • Tie off your ladder – – attach it to the Springfield Ladder Anchor to ensure the ladder doesn’t slip, slide, or kick out on your employees
  • Only load the rooftop with materials that are absolutely essential for that day’s work – – keep those items secure on the rooftop
  • Use caution when opening bunks of ISO – – whether on the ground or the rooftop, a single piece of ISO can quickly blow away.
  • Is there an area of the rooftop that is sheltered from the wind? Perhaps the rooftop materials can be stored there?

It is important to consider the project when doing a windy day risk assessment.  Most of all, weight down your skinny employees by putting some heavy rocks in their tool belts.

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springfield ladder anchor 1

NORTHERN MICHIGAN INDUSTRIAL CONTRACTOR INTRODUCES SMARTANCHOR™

When a construction worker who is the head of the household is seriously injured or killed, there is a tremendous burden placed upon the entire community.  On average 400 people die each year and 135,000 people are injured as a result from scaffolding and ladder-related injuries.  Even if only 1% of those injured people become disabled that would equate to roughly 54 Million dollars of subsistence needed compounding each year to support the injured worker and their family.  The portable ladder is the most dangerous construction tool – 34% of all deaths on construction sites were from falls!

Further, there is a prevalent mindset accepted by the general population that construction workers have accidents and get hurt.

We honor our tradesmen and created the Springfield Ladder Anchor to address fall related deaths and injuries, which in turn, reduces the strain on the social infrastructures in our communities and throughout the state.

The Springfield Ladder Anchor safely secures an extension ladder to the roof of a building in order to keep the ladder from slipping sideways along the roofline or slipping out from the wall at the ground level. The product was invented through collaboration between Springfield, Inc., our related commercial roofing enterprise and Great Lakes Stainless (GLS), one of the country’s top stainless steel manufacturers. The Springfield Ladder Anchor is the result of decades of experience in the field, safely and effectively climbing ladders to reach rooftops of every imaginable dimension and grade.

OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration) has a mission to help employers and employees reduce job related injuries, illnesses and death. As such, they provide safety standards and guidelines for multiple industries. The Springfield Ladder Anchor fully complies with the safety requirements for properly securing an extension ladder set forth by OSHA.

Below is a brochure of the LadderAnchor™

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traverse city business news

Springfield Inc. Makes The Business News

Traverse City

Thank you Ross Boissoneau and TC Business News for capturing the essence of what we do!

View the article on the TCBN website

Roofing Company Keeps On Top Of Safety, Innovation

Springfield photo of leg and ladder to roof

Most roofing companies do fine work, but they just put on roofs. They don’t concentrate on insulation or have a safety division that works with clients to provide them with dependable and reliable access to roof areas. And they probably don’t receive patents for their solutions in either area.

Of course, most companies don’t have a CEO who lives off the grid, either.

Springfield in Kingsley focuses on innovative solutions for its clients, whether that means simply roofing or providing insulation that keeps refrigerant tubes from icing up or leaking.

“We do a lot of work for food and fruit companies,” explained CEO Terry Umlor. That included trying to find ways to prevent ice buildups in freezers, or refrigerant lines filled with ammonia from being contaminated by water from leaks.

“We weren’t trying to create a widget (to) patent, but to solve a problem,” he said. “We struggled to find anything (that would work).”  cropped ladder bracket

But a search for a solution proved, well, fruitless. So they created their own. It took two years of research and development for the company to develop a product that would prevent contamination and protect against ammonia vaporization inside the pipes and the subsequent degradation of the insulation. It began using the process in 2008, and in 2012 was granted a patent for it, which it dubbed SmartShield™ technology. Not only do company clients see a return on their investment due to savings on energy and maintenance costs, they no longer face the specter of replacing the insulation every few years.

That’s not the only area where the company stands apart. It recently received a second patent, this time for its SmartAnchor™ Fall Prevention System. The product safely secures an extension ladder to the roof of a building in order to keep it from slipping sideways along the roofline or slipping out from the wall at the ground level.

“The old way of working was to run and hide from OSHA (the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration),” said Nick Jacqmain, company president. “Terry made the decision to embrace safety, make it an everyday thing. It’s the right thing to do.”
Springfield workers work on roofs of all shapes, sizes, and pitches. “We’re confronted with many different issues,” said Umlor. “We want to ensure a safe work environment.”

Since the issue of worker safety can keep people up at night, it seems only right that that’s when the solution came to Umlor. “I woke up in the middle of the night and came up with the idea,” he said. The next day he presented it to the rest of his staff for discussion and modifications, and within a week they were using it.

That was two years ago. Six months after the initial design they began the patent application, and received the patent earlier this year.

The company also touts its use of rooftop natural daylight fixtures. The so-called “skylights on steroids” are tube fixtures which concentrate and evenly distribute sunlight from the roof into the industrial workspace. The natural light can cut energy bills in half by eliminating the need for artificial lights.

The skylights are made in the U.S. by Orion Energy Systems and are used by beverage company MillerCoors in its distribution facility in Milwaukee, resulting in savings of $127,000 a year on electric lighting.

All in a day’s work for the company, which has clients across Michigan as well as some nearby states. Jacqmain said it stems from Springfield’s focus on the entire scope of a client’s needs. “Even before entering the fall protection business we were always looking at the building envelope,” he said.

And yearticle april Joshs, Umlor and his wife Terri Jo (company CFO and human resources director) do indeed live off the grid. Their home is a mile from the road, and the cost to get hooked up was steep. Umlor had always been interested in alternative energy, and today their home is powered
by solar cells and wind turbines. He estimated that the cost of purchasing and installing all the energy sources they currently have would run around $30,000-40,000 today, though he built it bit by bit over the years. “We have a TV, microwave, washer and dryer,” he said. “We have just become more conscious of using energy.”

That kind of innovative thinking has obviously served his company well.

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springfield roof solutions

Duro-Last® Roofing, Inc. Honors Springfield Inc. with Admission to the Admiral Club

durolastSAGINAW, MICHIGAN – In recognition of outstanding achievement in quality workmanship, customer satisfaction, and 2015 sales volume , Duro-Last Roofing, Inc. recently welcomed Springfield Inc. to the Admiral Club. Inductees were honored during Duro-Last’s National Sales Seminar held in Palm Desert, California, January 31-February 2, 2016.

“Every year at the Duro-Last Sales Seminar I am reminded of how our contractors are “Best in Class,” and Springfield is a perfect example of that,” said Duro-Last Chairman of the Board Jack Burt. “Springfield has been consistently going above and beyond for their customers with high-quality work and integrity. We are excited to see what they accomplish in the next year as an authorized Duro-Last contractor.”

 

About Duro-Last®, Inc.

Known as the “World’s Best Roof®”, Duro-Last®, Inc. is the world’s largest manufacturer of custom prefabricated, thermoplastic single-ply roofing systems.  Factory controlled custom prefabrication eliminates up to 85% of field seams, resulting in lower on-site labor costs and easier installation. This highly sustainable and extremely durable roofing system is leak-proof, virtually maintenance-free and resistant to chemicals, fire, punctures, and high winds. Over two billion square feet of Duro-Last membrane has been installed throughout North America. Duro-Last is headquartered in Saginaw, Michigan with additional manufacturing facilities in Grants Pass, Oregon; Jackson, Mississippi; Sigourney, Iowa; and Carrollton, Texas. For more information on Duro-Last, call 800-248-0280 or visit www.duro-last.com.

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duro-last contractor logo

Springfield Inc. Earns Platinum Award for Quality Roof Installations

quality and youSpringfield Inc., a commercial contractor in Kingsley was awarded the Platinum Award by Duro-Last Roofing of Saginaw, Michigan.  The Platinum Award is Duro-Last’s highest quality award and places Springfield in the top 3% of authorized Duro-Last contractors nationwide.

Springfield averaged a quality inspection score of 99% in 2015.”I am extremely proud of Springfield and continue to be impressed with their high quality workmanship.  Our roof inspectors rarely see work of this quality.” stated Trevor Wagester, Sales Representative for Duro-Last Roofing. Nick Jacqmain, President of Springfield credits a great team of employees and an ongoing training program for the success.  “Of all the awards we could win” he states, “this is the one I am the most proud of because it demonstrates that we truly do our very best work to serve our clients”.

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springfield shattered trocal example

Michigan Rooftop Dangers: Roof Collapses and Roof Shatters

Michigan has its share of cold brisk weather and heavy snowfall that can wreak havoc on your commercial rooftop.  Back in the 70s, membrane roofing was still in its infancy and many of the products such as Trocal were deficient and yet were installed extensively in Grand Traverse, Wexford, Antrim, and Charlevoix counties.  As the plasticizer in these early membranes disintegrated and cold weather caused these defective membranes to pull away from the edges, which caused massive shatters and complete failures during the winter months.

Further rooftop dangers occur when there is a heavy thick snow-load upon a structure causing parts of the roof to cave in or collapse due to excess weight.

Springfield has experience remedying both situations.  The Duro-Last PVC membrane is state of the art and built to last with the best warranty available on the market today. Since it is made in Michigan it is built to withstand the rapid climate changes and harsh winter months.  Springfield has installed Duro-Last roofs that have exceeded their warranties and are still performing well.  As far as building collapses – there no worries there.  The Duro-Last membrane is slippery and the snow slides right off or blows away without sticking to the rooftop.

If you are experiencing any difficulties with your industrial/commercial rooftop or wondering if your facility may be at risk of shattering or collapsing, give us a call.  We can help!

 

 

 

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