How would you?

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There is the likelyhood a 700 million $ powerhouse is coming to my area about 25 mins from me. It wouldnt get much better than that. Now I could go trotting down there and hire on as an Ironworker and maybe find some cushy spot if I was to get in on the first wave or 2, but that timeclock gets to be old in a hurry with me. Wonder how a guy might be able to work himself in that flow with a few men?? Where would be the niche? What might work,,? Need to be a local minority contractor?  Hey old fart, how would you go about horning your way in on this deal?
Reply:I GOT IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I am going on a road trip !!!!!!!!!!  I should go to welding schools all over the state and get me some cute girl weldors !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Put them in nice trucks and tight jeans.  Some cool nuke plant belt buckles on them.  Tailored work shirts.  Boots with some frills on the leather work.
Reply:Is there a general contractor picked for site? If so I would start to make any kind of contact , this being by phone with follow up letter to a trying to schedule meeting with a project supervisor.Good luck go get her SberryJ P Streets Welding LLC
Reply:If it's Bectel you ain't got a chance of being anything other than a numbered hardhat.What are the laws on flagmen in your state?  We got a WOMBE here that contracts all the flagging on the jobs, even have their own union.  Good money in flagging in NY.Getting yourself set up as a minority contractor is a real bitch, the government already figured that out, and they go over the business with a microscope.Equipment repair welding is always a moneymaker on big jobs, guy I knew ran a loader from 8 to 4:30 every day with his rig parked across the street.  By 4:35 he was generally welding on his first repair of the day.  He paid for his new house from the repair welding.Appreciation Gains You Recognition-
Reply:I spent some time with Bechtel, on a nuke.  I aint much for hirin on the payroll these days.  I havnt heard any details yet.  There are still some political feathers to smooth yet.  I doubt its Bechtel.Last edited by Sberry; 01-28-2004 at 02:23 AM.
Reply:Maybe you could sweet talk Julie into frontin a flagging operation for you.Back in the 70s there were whole crews of mechanics that did nothing but go from Power House job to Power House job.  We have a nuke here where the local unions got all the foreman jobs and did nothing but run costs up trying to tell experienced mechanics how to build.Appreciation Gains You Recognition-
Reply:A lot of things happen because someone wants them to happen that way.  I figured an old timer like you would have a system for hooking the big contractors that come to town.
Reply:One thing I know about BIG contractors comin to town is you either have to be able to provide them with a service cheaper than they can provide it in house, or you ain't sellin to them.The second thing I know abot BIG contractors is that they are experts at not payin their bills.Up till last month, we had a law in NY that allowed out of state contractors to avoid payin NY compensation rates as long as they didn't employ any NY residents on the job.  That worked out real well for them, and gave them double insulation against being sued when they didn't pay the bill.  I learned a long time back it's a lot easier to catch a Pinto than it is to catch a Cadillac.  There's always a pack of dogs tryin to catch the big guy, and generally nobody is tryin to catch the little job.Appreciation Gains You Recognition-
Reply:What type(coal? Gas turbin?) it's going to be?
Reply:Its going to be coal, I doubt it will be co-gen.  There is already a steam plant owned by the same outfit down the street.  485 meg this puppy is.  Gonna be packed in a Sardine can. Its gotta go up cause there is not much land.   Was just thinking now about leasing up some parking,,, ha  Point well taken Franz, I have dealt with them types too and its tuff.  I going to keep eyes open.Last edited by Sberry; 01-28-2004 at 11:25 AM.
Reply:If it's going UP, they'll need lifting capacity...got any cranes?
Reply:Geez S, a COAL plant, we just got screwed by our Baby Enron who announced they will be closing the coal plant here, the one that stayed on line during the blackout, and enabled them to restart the Nuke they just sold, cause COAL can't be burned cleanly.Can you imagine how shocked I am to learn coal can't be burned cleanly, and yet you're building a coal plant?  Gee, could it be that it's more profitable to close the coal burner here and SELL the polution credits to another coal plant?  Naw, I must just be confused again.Every damn power plant I ever saw goin up needed one thing, FOOD, good decent food for the guys building the damn plant, so they could have a decent lunch.  Parking with a gitney to the job site would be good too if parking is a problem.Camper Spaces for rent, there are a lot of travelers on these jobs, and many of them live out of campers.Can you rent the motel trailers and make a buck on that service?Appreciation Gains You Recognition-
Reply:Put fast food grill right across the street. Custom sandwiches.  Breakfast sandwicheswww.urkafarms.com
Reply:By dam S, now yer startin to think out of the box.A few babes behind the counter is always a good magnet for hardhats too.SBerry's strawberrys & sandwiches.  Special orders son't upset us and feel free to hit on the waitress.Appreciation Gains You Recognition-
Reply:Great minds think alike,,, some halter tops in summer,, hmmmmm
Reply:Three fastest ways to separate a man from his money:women,booze,& gambling...'corse I'm not recomenndin   this...
Reply:Halter tops hell, go with paint.  Where's Juli?  She could be the manager!Appreciation Gains You Recognition-
Reply:Maybe they can sell some potato tatas too.   Hey sir, would you like some ta-tas?
Reply:if you want to see a return on your money in this lifetime, you`ll go with the "lunch counter" idea! i had an "unofficial" contract with a tug/barge combo that delivered  coal to the big bend powerplant [TECO] once a week for some weeks a coupla yrs ago. they would dock for unloading [8-10 hrs] and stay for another 20hrs before leaving. i was supposed to provide men/machines and some materials for the reqiured repairs/maint during their stay...started out with just steel repairs and as soon as they found out that we had qiute a bit of HYD/pipe and outside machinest experience, the "scope" of the job grew.ended up with 6-8 men working split shifts to pull this off every week for an avg of 125 manhrs, 65-75 what had to be pd weekly[my partner, the hyd/elect/mach. expert and i deferred our payment untill we received payment] + material cost....now i qouted a per hr rate WELL in exess of the local yrds, and the corp execs did`nt batt an eyelash![i knew something was wrong right then!] and every time i asked about billing schedules, i got a very inconclusive answer...soon found out why, 120 day billing cycles! [now this dont mean you paid EVERYTHING in 120 days, but that you get paid what invoices fell into THAT billing cycle, every 120 days!] now after 3 months of $3000-$4000 a week in payroll/materials[what included the most expensive workmans comp known to man- $1.65 per every dollar pd,+ the reqiured 5mill liability on the co AND every truck,+ the repeated reqeust for mine safety schooling for every man[what i had to pay for along with the mens time to go] i had to respectfully decline to provide any more services to this corp....i had gone through $25,000 availible assets AND maxed out every credit card i had trying to keep this BEFORE I EVER GOT THE FIRST CHECK!!!!!!!!now dont get me wrong,,,pay they did! and right on the prescribed 120 day cycle too, made for some FAT paydays for my buddy ALFRED and myself, but it didnt change the fact that without extended funding i was`nt going to be able to continue. ever hear the old saw about it takes $100,000 availible cash to run a small bizz for a yr? i understand FULLY what they are referring to........got this kinda loot to do a project like this? GO FOR IT! can be a virtual money machine...it never hurts to look,unless they`r WELDING!
Reply:Point well taken. I am going to keep eye open.  I am talking to some old timers that been in the biz now.
Reply:Just be real careful about the sign S.Signs can make or brake a business. Attached ImagesAppreciation Gains You Recognition-
Reply:call it HONKERS