9/15/2020
During the pandemic I have had a lot of time to think and I have had to restructure my job description as an outside sales rep. I have gone from a position that once consisted of in-person visits and cold calls, to one that relies mostly on email, social media, or text to keep in contact with my customers and make introductions to the new. It is a digital world whether I like it or not, and I can either ignore the new and continue down that same ole path, or dive in with both feet and embrace this form of communication that I am honestly, really fortunate to have access to. I feel that being in the sales side of the rigging industry as long as I have (25 years) it is part of my job, nay, my duty, to spread some knowledge to people on rigging. From proper terminology, to safety, and product identification, I plan to use this blog to help you find the items you need without too much frustration and without too much error. Knowledge is a powerful thing, and I don’t claim to know it all, I am learning new things every day, but if I can just bridge that gap between the end user and the supplier, I will feel like I have accomplished something that will benefit everyone. Again, I don’t know everything there is to know about everything, but I do have a large bank of resources to call upon at any given moment. My goal is to provide a little bit better understanding about the rigging tools you guys use on a daily basis and introduce you to some new information and tools out there. We are in a business that is ever-changing and it’s essential to stay educated and aware of what’s going on, what’s new and stay relevant. Hopefully I can, in some small way, help you do that with this blog.
As I mentioned above, I have been in the rigging business for over 25 years now (man time has flown by) and throughout my career I have focused primarily on one thing and one thing only; making sure you guys, the customer, is taken care of by providing quality products and excellent customer service. I’ve made it my mission to make sure that you had the proper tools to do the job safely and efficiently. I have tried to educate, all the while still learning myself, the proper ways to rig and identify the right tools needed for that specific job. I have calculated sling capacities at different angles, centers of gravity, sling lengths based on pipe diameters, D/d ratios, and other rigging questions that came up along the way. I never thought I would ever use Trigonometry or Pi (the 3.14 kind, not the kind you eat) again after high school and college, but I have, many times, and I have enjoyed the process – so much.
When I started working with Coca Sales over 10 years ago we developed a saying – Coca Sales wants to be your 'Rigging Supplier and Solutions Provider’. A simple motto that was introduced as a marketing tool to put on our handouts, our note pads, etc. But the more I read it, the more I realize the truth and the importance in that simple little statement. Being a part of what you guys do on a daily basis and knowing that I have, at times, helped provide you with the proper rigging, the answers to your problems, the ‘Solution’ is extremely gratifying and makes me proud to be a part of something bigger than I can sometimes even imagine. Forgive me, I am feeling a little nostalgic and introspective this morning, but contributing to a brand new facility or plant being built or replacing/repairing existing landmarks, things that I can look at and show my family and friends, things that I can say I had a teeny tiny part in the development of, is one of the best feelings and one of the most rewarding things about my job. When you think about it, what we do as a whole in this industry is create things that will outlive us one day.
Everyone wants to leave a legacy behind, whether it is with children and grandchildren, a business or family heirloom or even the monuments on their headstones, but how many will be able to say that they played a vital role in helping to build the expansion of the Marathon Plant in Garyville, or the Shintech plant in Plaquemine, or CF in Donaldsonville? Who will be able to boast about having a part in the building of the beautiful Audubon bridge in St. Francisville, or replacing the twin span in Slidell after Hurricane Katrina? Things people will pass by or cross over years from now and never once think of how it got there, or the struggles and sweat that went into building it. But we will know. We will remember what it took and who helped us along the way. We will be able to tell our future generations that we had a part in all of this. Whether it be from the little folks like me that only supplied the slings and shackles, to the crane operators, welders, laborers, safety supervisors, purchasing agents, project managers, etc that worked every single day (that wasn’t a rainout) to get the job done. You worked hard to complete the task set before you and you MADE SOMETHING – you BUILT SOMETHING that is, God willing, going to stand for generations to come long after we are gone from this earth. Let that sink in – THAT is your legacy! All of you should be proud of the legacies you are leaving behind for others to enjoy. It may be in a bridge or a plant extension, an office building or a stadium built to watch the Tigers play, whatever it is, you can say “I did that”.
I’ve always said that the only constant in this business is change. I think that is one of the reasons I have been doing this for so long; well that and the customer/friends I’ve made throughout the years. So being your ‘Rigging Supplier and Solutions Provider’ speaks to me. It’s my job, and it’s my pleasure to offer both. I have been, and will continue to be, honored to be a small part of what you all do every day, helping leave that legacy for others to admire and benefit from. Thank you for allowing me and Coca Sales to tag along.