Business View Magazine sat down with President & CEO, Larry Brown and Vice President of Sales, Jim Kraschinsky to discover more about 快播视频app, the innovative pipeline inspection and rehabilitation systems we build and how we weathered the challenges of the pandemic.
Founded in 1985, 快播视频app is a manufacturing leader in video pipeline inspection and rehabilitation systems that meet the toughest challenges of underground infrastructure and environmental applications. Focused on 鈥淩aising the Bar UNDERGROUND,鈥� the company鈥檚 cameras, tractors, and fully integrated systems are built upon a foundation of reliability, and expert customer service, maximizing productivity with innovative
products, backed by expert service professionals.
Over the last 35 years, the 快播视频app team have become sought-after specialists in the design and production of closed-circuit TV inspection and rehabilitation equipment for the sewer, water and geophysical sectors. Aries can inspect any type of pipe and, since its founding, a guiding principle of 快播视频app has been to deliver innovative solutions to help customers. That commitment to solving problems was demonstrated in 2010, when Aries provided the video camera that was lowered into the mine during the rescue of 33 miners trapped in the Copiapo Mine in Chile.
It鈥檚 a very proud part of the company鈥檚 history.
According to President & CEO Larry Brown, 快播视频app is first and foremost all about culture. He elaborates, 鈥淎t Aries, we talk about a positive-intent 鈥榳e鈥� culture focused on the customer experience. That means we鈥檙e not a blame culture, we assume positive intent with everything we do here. And we do look at ourselves as a 鈥榳e鈥� 鈥� there are no 鈥業鈥� cross functions. 鈥榃e鈥� to us means partnership, with our employees, dealers, our customers, our suppliers, and our shareholders. We consider them all part of the culture here at 快播视频app.鈥�
And speaking to the importance of the customer experience, the Aries mission is to build a long-term relationship that carries through the entire process, from when the order is taken, to when the equipment is out working in the field and a customer calls in with questions from a technical standpoint 鈥� repairs, parts, everything.
鈥淲e want customers to return, so we continue to support them through the lifecycle,鈥� says Brown. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what we鈥檙e proud of here.鈥�
The pipeline industry is a harsh environment and Aries products are designed and built to work in that. In terms of support, the company provides a customer service call center where customers can phone in for answers to technical questions about the equipment. Aries also offers equipment loaners, with the ultimate goal of keeping customers working and productive. They also work with suppliers to make sure they鈥檙e providing the right material, so Aries products are able to perform with excellence in the pipe. Since the company designs and manufactures the equipment it sells, research and development is a huge component due to the advanced technology required.
鈥淲e invest a lot of money in R&D,鈥� Brown reports. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a key part of our business. In fact, we just came out with a new product in the pipeline rehabilitation market 鈥� the Wolverine 2.0. We have control of the supply chain and that allows us to design and produce a product faster and also control the manufacturing side. Our manufacturing location is in Waukesha, Wisconsin and we have service locations in Ontario, Canada, and Fresno, California. Additionally, as an extension of our partnership with our dealers throughout the country, they provide service coverage and support across North America.鈥�
Of course, with the critical applications that the equipment is deployed in, operator training is a must. 快播视频app VP of Sales, Jim Kraschinsky, notes, 鈥淲e鈥檙e pretty adamant about providing training. We want to make sure the user understands and can operate the equipment and do some basic maintenance and adhere to best practices to keep it running. The uptime is so important to the customer and to us, so we put a lot of focus on training. Our very knowledgeable field technicians do start-up training for every new product, and it鈥檚 all done onsite to ensure that the operators and the customers are comfortable with our product.鈥�
Municipalities are one of the firm鈥檚 key customer types because they need support for their wastewater and water systems. Aries sells through dealers, and directly to medium and large contractors, so they can support municipalities and utilities for pipe inspections and rehabilitation. The same
applies to municipal water wells, as far as inspection, and even private wells. Among its many other achievements, 快播视频app is one of the best known in the industry for providing grout truck equipment to fill voids and infiltration issues in pipes around the U.S.- coastal areas, as an example, where there鈥檚 shifting of soil that creates cracking in pipes and at joints resulting in water infiltration.
Also on the rehabilitation side of things, Kraschinsky relates, 鈥淭he Wolverine 2.0 is something we really take pride in. It鈥檚 a self-propelled robotic cutter that is primarily used when a pipe has been relined. Our industry is based on doing inspections and repairs that are trenchless because it鈥檚 very time consuming and costly to dig up a pipe. That鈥檚 why our product line exists on all fronts 鈥� from sewer inspection products to the rehabilitation products. We鈥檙e able to go in the pipe with cameras and video to ascertain what issues exist and determine how the pipe can be repaired underground. For example, contractors will reline a pipe because of degradation issues and then our cutter is used to reopen the laterals running to a residential house or a commercial building. Customers have stated that the Wolverine 2.0 is the best in the industry as far as efficiency, power, speed, and overall cost and it鈥檚 electric, not air powered. When we demonstrate it, people are super excited and impressed with its cutting capability.鈥�
快播视频app is a data driven company, where investment decisions are based on external feedback and data 鈥� not emotions. Brown admits,
鈥淚f there is an issue on a repair, we always say let鈥檚 get the data, let鈥檚 not make assumptions. We try to make decisions based on the best interests of our customers and they appreciate that. We do have really strong brand loyalty. It鈥檚 about how you move forward with customers and how you help them grow and be successful.鈥� Brown adds, 鈥淭he other important thing about 快播视频app is our people. We鈥檙e very proud of our leadership team and our individuals. A prime example is how we鈥檝e been able to adapt through COVID-19. I give a lot of credit to our employees who have worked with our suppliers and customers to move the company forward in a unique time. We鈥檙e also proud of our customers and their support of our
teams during the pandemic. We are in a much stronger position now than we were in March 2020.
Classed as an essential service because it supports utilities and municipalities in water and wastewater management, the Aries team has had to be creative and innovative during the pandemic. Brown explains, 鈥淲e made video demos of our new products and best practices. In addition, we hosted a virtual feedback session on a new product with our customers to gain their feedback and then made adjustments. As a result, we developed a much
more robust product focused on the customer experience. Our employees have really stepped up, while keeping everyone safe at the same
time. We were able to have some people work from home but still take care of business.鈥� The company has recently added new dealers that are aggressive in the marketplace and who understand the purpose is not only to sell the product but to take care of the customer.
Kraschinsky characterizes Aries as, 鈥渁 progressive, aggressive organization, in our sales, product development and technology, as we keep pushing forward to being the leading company in inspection and rehabilitation products. Our salespeople look for solutions, trying to make sure they understand the customers鈥� needs first before they offer a solution for their challenges.鈥� The Aries customer service call center tracked customer call history and based on the data invested in additional people to ensure coverage during the busiest hours when customers are out working in the field and need assistance. The company did the same for repairs 鈥� obtained the data and hired additional repair technicians to improve turnaround time.
Summing up the best attributes of 快播视频app, Brown shares, 鈥淔rom our perspective, it鈥檚 all about the people. That鈥檚 more than just words. We鈥檝e made investments in the teams and our operations. In fact, over the last two years, we鈥檝e made significant investments in all aspects of our business but it鈥檚 all been wrapped around the positive intent 鈥榳e鈥� culture and the customer experience. That will always be our priority.
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