Full-service fabricator/installer helps customers realize the potential of every project
The genesis of what is now Bellaire, Ohio-based East Coast Metal Systems Inc. (ECMS) dates back to the early 1980s when parent company Kalkreuth Roofing
& Sheet Metal Inc., Wheeling, W.Va., established itself in the metal industry. In 1990, ECMS officially broke away from Kalkreuth, forming a company focused on quality architectural metal roofing and the experience and relationships required to succeed in the marketplace. ECMS began fabricating its own metal composite material (MCM) and aluminum composite material (ACM) panels in 2001 because it couldn’t find a fabricator that could produce them as proficiently.
“We build relationships on job sites,” says John Trifonoff, vice president of metal operations at ECMS. “That’s how we have developed our extensive industry network. We started pricing the work, then it started to develop and grow, and we brought in more customers.”
Becoming so successful, ECMS branched off from Kalkreuth to become its own stand-alone and separate company. “The relationship we now have with Kalkreuth Roofing is strictly one of a vendor/ installer nature,” Trifonoff adds. “We are not their only vendor and they are not our only client-the two are separate entities.”
Today, ECMS is a full-service fabricator and installer of engineered architectural metal and exterior envelope systems. From project development and design to fabrication to installation, ECMS helps its customers realize the potential of every project. Its full-service estimating team assists architects and designers with design-build and design-assist, detailing, engineering and budgeting. ECMS’ in-house fabrication shop utilizes stateof- the-art technology to minimize lead times and deliver products on time, within budget and within specified tolerances. When installation is required, ECMS employs highly skilled technicians trained specifically for exterior envelope systems.
Fabrication and Customers
ECMS prides itself on being a premium MCM fabricator through the Metal Construction Association and stands as one of less than 10 fabricators that have this distinction. Its primary focus is fabricating aluminum composite panels, but ECMS can fabricate any architectural metal from copper to zinc and beyond. Its fabricated product range extends from the simplest gravel stop to the most complex architectural metal panel systems and custom accessories.
While its fabrication services are extensive, ECMS’ construction experience and customer relationships have also contributed to its success. “We take a lot of pride partnering with our customers,” says John Kalkreuth, president of ECMS. “That makes us special in the fabrication world. We come from a background in construction and we understand it. When challenges come up, we know what they are all about. We started this from a contractor’s point of view. We are in the trenches every day, and we know the constraints that are placed on subcontractors to perform in the field. Subcontractors have a friendlier ear for us because of that.”
“We have a lot of ECMS employees who have been in this industry for a long time, they’re great fabricators. With our background in the construction industry, we are open-minded thinkers and we love to take every job as a challenge,” Kalkreuth says.
Hi-Tech Customization
ECMS prides itself on its vast capacity for customization and adaptation to each project’s specifications. One way it achieves this is by performing all of its project shop drawings in-house, utilizing the latest in CAD technology. This improves its speed and ease of delivery.
ECMS’ Secure-Scan comprehensive 3-D scanning service allows it to be flexible and successfully finish projects that wouldn’t have been possible less than 10 years ago. An example is the New Princeton High and Middle School in Sharonville, Ohio. “It features a metal system with both concave and convex radii in the same span, recently thought impossible by industry experts,” says Kalkreuth. “Without 3-D scanning technology, it would have been impossible to field measure or model that project. Being able to do that allows us to push the limits of the metal.”
The River Downs Casino project in Cincinnati has a large, highly complex porte-cochere entranceway, which proved challenging for ECMS. “We had only three months to fabricate and install 1,500 panels, and that was a challenge in itself,” says Trifonoff. “It was one of the projects where we utilized Secure-Scan, modeled it and then double-checked the panels before we even shipped them.”
Keeping up with technology has allowed ECMS to grow as a company, introduce different products and stay diverse. “Architects love to draw things on a piece of paper, but they need somebody with high-tech skills who can transform it and build it, and that’s what our guys do,” says Steve Kerr, business development manager at ECMS. “Technology gives us the ability to achieve all the shapes and designs that architects come up with. Their jobs are getting more and more complex, and we are ahead of the curve.”
ECMS has a hands-on training/mentoring program to not only teach high-tech skills, but also panel erection and fabrication. “Mentors develop young guys coming up and train the person under them,” says Trifonoff. “With the diverse skill set of these young kids with the CAD/CAM abilities and our old-timers who know sheet metal practices; put them together and it’s a powerful combination.”
Fabrication Future
Looking ahead, ECMS is aiming for IS0-9001, the standard that sets the requirements of a quality management system. “That’s our next step,” says Kalkreuth. “For its requirements, we already have been fulfilling its policies and procedures in-house, like quality control, safety checks, product traceability and recognition. We offer that in everything we do, so really it’s just doing the paperwork and putting a few processes in play.” ECMS is further broadening and strengthening its independent representative network to better interact with various geographic marketplaces. Branching out and expanding its footprint helps ECMS overcome regional economic downturns. “We continue to expand our scope and product offerings to provide a more complete bid package to customers because we understand construction and strive to make the process seamless for our steadily growing and diverse customer base,” says Trifonoff.
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Sidebar: Company Profile
Year Founded: 1990
Location: Bellaire, Ohio
Geographic Areas of Service: East of the Mississippi River, but wherever customers need them
Services Offered: Full-service fabricator and installer of engineered architectural metal and exterior envelope systems
Number of Employees: 113; 18 in the office, 45 in the shop, 50 in the field
ACM Square Footage Installed:
2015: 500,000 square feet
2014: 530,000 square feet
2013: 635,000 square feet
2012: 567,000 square feet
Revenue:
2015: $8.5 million
2014: $7.5 million
2013: $6.7 million
2012: $6.3 million
Management team:
John Kalkreuth, president
Jim Hurley, executive vice president
John Trifonoff, vice president of metal operations
Steve Kerr, business development manager
