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64 65 tomatchthatpressurepoint that theywant that system tooperateoff of.We’re the industryleader,andonlywater tankmanufacturer inthe tankmodificationmarket,which isaveryniche industry.” Fordecades,themulti-columnsteel tankhasbeenthe industrystandard,andPhoenixiscurrentlythe recog- nized industryleader inthemulti-columntankmarket. But,accordingtoYohler,the fastestgrowingsegmentof themarketplace,byfar,hasbeentheemergenceof the compositeelevatedtank.“Acomposite tankhasaconcrete supportpedestalwithanall-steel containerontop,as opposedtoanall-steel structure,whichhas typicallybeen theproductof choice,”heexplains.“Andfor tanksamillion ormoregallons incapacity,they’rebecomingthe tankof choice.” Inorder tocapitalizeonthatmarket segment,Phoenix acquiredtheElevatedTankDivisionofPittsburgTank& Tower,in2006,alongwith its52,000-sq.-ftplantman- ufacturing inSebree,Kentuckyandaworkforceskilled incompositeelevatedtankmanufacturingandman- agement.“Wedidn’tget intothecompositemarketuntil 2006,whenwemade that acquisition,”Yohler recounts. “So,ourmarketingfocushasbeentogetpre-qualified bydemonstratingour superior constructioncapabilities sothatweareable tobidcertainprojects,especiallythe largerprojects–twomilliongallonsandabove–andgain ashareof thatmarketplace.” Goingforward,Yohlerwould like toseePhoenixbe- PHOENIX FABRICATORS & ERECTORS, LLC come the industryleader inall stylesof tanks,includingcomposites. Andheknows thathavingasatisfiedworkforcewill beonekeyto achievingthatgoal.“Unemployment,rightnow,is lower than it’s been ina longtime,so,especiallyinour industry,findingquality,qual- ifiedwelderswhoarewillingtogoonthe roadandworkat jobsites that are,sometimesveryremote,sometimesverychallenging,to live awayfromtheir familyfor four tosixweeksat a time,isverydifficult,” headmits.“So,we trytotreatourpeople right,sothey’ll staywithus.” Some32yearsago,ahalfdozen,highlymotivated,middleman- agerspooledtheir resources topurchase theassetsof thedefunct UniversalTankand Ironworks.Theychose thename“Phoenix”for theirnewcompanyas it symbolizedabusiness risingtonewlife fromitsashes.Over the last threedecades,PhoenixFabricators& Erectors,LLChasconstructedmore than5,000water towersof all styles,ranging insize from30,000to2,000,000gallons,all across theAmerican landscape. That’sabusiness that’snotmerelyrising–it’s soaring. www.medoraco.com • 866-437-8076 Mix Your TANKS with GS MIXERS Series PREFERRED VENDORS n Medora www.medoraco.com n Indiana Oxygen www.indianaoxygen.com