This month we are pleased to feature C.J. Pink Ltd. as part of our Meet a Precaster blog series. Answers were provided by Wade Pink, president of C.J. Pink Ltd.
Don’t forget to check out all of our Meet a Precaster blog posts and if you’re an NPCA producer member and would like to be featured in a future Meet a Precaster post, please send an email to NPCA’s communication coordinator, Mason Nichols.
Q: Where are you located?
A: We are located in London, Ontario, about 120 miles from Detroit. We have a second plant location just outside of London near Dorchester, Ontario.
Q: How long have you been in business?
A: My great grandfather Christopher John Pink started the company at the height of the depression in 1932. My brother Dan and I are fourth-generation precasters.
Q: How long have you been a member of NPCA?
A: We have been members of the NPCA since 1974 and an NPCA Certified Plant since 2001.
Q: Why did you join NPCA and what are the best benefits?
A: The best benefits of NPCA are the opportunities to network and form relationships with other companies and people in the precast industry. Additionally, being a member of the NPCA keeps you current on the latest from the industry.
Q: What products do you produce?
A: We make a variety of underground utility structures, specialty products, small products for building systems, Easi-Set JJ-Hook barriers and a line of traffic safety products.
Q: Have you introduced any new products lately?
A: Yes, we are working with a unique landscape product which produces a cobblestone appearance. We are also increasing production of highway barriers.
Q: What are the top attributes of precast concrete?
A: Precast concrete is able to meet the demands of customers because it is delivered on site ready to install and is not affected by adverse weather.
Q: What has your company done to fight off the recession?
A: We have been a little lucky. Being located in Canada, our area didn’t experience as difficult a recession as many of the other places in North America. We were able to run a bit leaner but we didn’t have to make any drastic changes.
Q: What have you seen in your area as far as recovery?
A: We have seen a lot more requests for quotation than we have seen in the past few years. Also, our project requests appear to be larger and more spread out than in recent years.
Q: What are your plans for the future?
A: Like most precasters, we are always looking for ways to increase our product line. The MTO (Ontario DOT) has recently changed the specs on highway barriers: starting in 2014, all the current barriers on Ontario highways will no longer be used on new projects. We hope to capture a share of the market for new barriers in the first half of next year.
The opinions expressed in this blog post are solely those of the member, and not of NPCA or any of its employees.
Great Q&A…..great company!
We couldn’t agree more!