Business View Magazine | April 2019

64 MEYCO PRODUCTS INC. & TOPTEC PRODUCTS an add-on. Where Meyco differs is in the design. Ciniglio notes, “We put our efforts into custom applications – raised areas, rocks, walls. We just made a 40,000-sq.-ft. commercial pool cover made in nine pieces that was part of a giant lazy river. That’s the kind of design work we excel at. We did things with that project we’ve never done before. Or sometimes the customer has constraints they need to work around in order to get a cover installed, and we’re usu- ally able to create a design that accommodates those parameters. We put a lot of extra time and attention into higher end customization of the covers. Our people hand sew everything on an industrial sewing machine. We’ve al- ways stayed away from automated machinery for the stitch work. It allows us to use thicker thread and you see something different when you’re looking at a hand-crafted product versus a cookie-cutter job. We have the automated machinery, and we use it for other applications, but not on our pool covers.” TopTec, on the other hand, manufactures mainly standard products. The SKUs are established in a catalogue and the customers choose the one they want. On occasion, the tent will be cus- tomized to accommodate a different pitch, or cutting around a certain area, or include print work. That reflects about 10 percent of the business. There is a seasonal push in the spring, from March to May, and supplying that demand requires inventory. TopTec invests well to have stock available, and if product does have to be made, it only takes one to two weeks. Event Tents are not all about fun and games; there is a serious aspect to the business. As Ciniglio reports, “We put on a Tent School at our facility, usually in December. With tents, the industry and insurance companies are very aware of the importance of safety. Teaching companies how to properly put up a tent, and the proper safety protocols, are vital from a safety standpoint, and just for managing your business. The efficiency of having a crew that understands the order in which it’s put up, or what to look out for at a jobsite, leads to a prof- itable and successful company. These are hard to demonstrate in a brochure or in a meeting at someone’s site. We’ve run Tent School longer than anyone in the industry and have compa-