COMPANY PROFILE
the company is low, allowing them to develop a broad base of
experience among the 40 to 50 skilled tradespeople that form
the core of the crews.
“We like to hire the best and then work to keep them,”
he said.
Heavy Metal Marine also owns and operates all of its
equipment. The list is impressive, with a compliment that
includes spud barges, crawlers and truck cranes, tugs, vibro
and diesel hammers, boom boats, barges and rock trucks, as
well as highway tractors and low boys in addition to a pile
of other tools and support equipment. The company also
rents a slate of equipment to help others complete jobs. This
is inclusive of down-hole drilling gear such as compressors,
leads and tooling as well as qualified operators.
“We are constantly picking up new equipment to add to
our capability with specialized gear. Our rental equipment
has gone out as far as the eastern U.S. and we hope to grow
this side of the business with an ever greater range of equipment
available,” he said, adding that while
they plan to stay close to home with the
company’s projects, they will rent out tools
to just about any destination. “We tend to
rent the equipment and a qualified operator.
Our customer supplies the crane and we
supply the rest.”
Freethy says that while the company is
focused on Vancouver Island, they have
undertaken significant works on the mainland.
For example, Heavy Metal undertook
a project to construct a cofferdam at the
Kamloops North Thompson Water Intake.
He mentions that challenges can occur at
any time, but proper planning and prep
work has proven to be a strong factor in
mitigating problems. Here he mentioned
down-hole drilling for rock sockets.
“This can be very expensive, time consuming and risky.
Tools break and costs rise with crews unable to get to work.
For this reason few are doing these jobs. We have the capability
and are growing this side of our business,” he said.
Another recent project that shows Heavy Metal’s skill and
capability is the M.V. Coho ferry terminal. Located in downtown
Victoria across the street from the Hotel Grand Pacific,
the terminal was completed on a tight time line. According
to Freethy, the company drilled over 100 piles into five meters
of rock. At its peak, the project saw 70 tradesmen on site.
Despite the complexities of the job, Heavy Metal Marine completed
the work on time.
Safety is all part of the plan. Heavy Metal Marine crews
start the day with a “toolbox” meeting on the job site to
determine risks and remediation. The company is COR safety
certified and offers in-house training and then follows up on
a daily basis at the morning meetings where crews discuss
hazards. According to Freethy, crews work on the “buddy”
system, where people look out for one another and discuss
best practices.
“We provide all the necessary gear and take safety very
seriously. As a result, we have established a very good record
in the industry and we plan to maintain this distinction,” he
said.
“Once we have done our preplan preparation and have
everything in place, we are known as a company that gets
things done on time and on budget,” he said, adding that they
are aggressive on execution.
“We have a large depth of resources and we bring a lot to a
project. If you can dream it, we can build it,” he said, concluding
that for them success comes from maintaining long-term
relationships and living up to commitments.
“We are a Vancouver Island company run by people from
Vancouver Island. We understand the challenges of the area.
We are committed to the environment and we are committed
to safety. Over the years, our reputation has been our best
calling card. As we move forward and grow with new and
exciting challenges, these positive aspects of our company
will not change.”
70 Q4 2017 www.pilingcanada.ca
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