How Mestek Machinery Weathered the Storm

by Mike Bailey

Mestek Machinery has a long history of providing reliable, long-lasting ductwork machinery and sheet metal forming equipment. Mestek Machinery and its brands Lockformer, Iowa Precision, Engel, Roto Die and ISM represent plasma, laser, waterjet cutting tables, automated duct-forming lines; corner insertion, seam closing machines and spiral equipment.

Early in 2020, as it became apparent that businesses would have to respond to the pandemic situation by altering their workflows in order to keep functioning, Mestek Machinery determined to continue operating and responding to customers’ needs while taking precautions as recommended by government agencies. In an innovative move forward, Mestek Machinery took steps to provide online and virtual assistance to its customers.

Fortunately, Mestek Machinery had quite the backlog of work when the pandemic response hit the marketplace. Weekly travel schedules had already been set up with multiple employees to be onsite for service and installation. Then travel restrictions threatened the entire service calendar. In order to fulfill customer expectations, Mestek Machinery and its staff had to be forward-thinking and think “outside of the box.”  

Although all field service calls were suspended because of travel restrictions, the Mestek Machinery service technicians remained available by phone or email to assist with any issues that might arise. Many of these Mestek Machinery service technicians are long term employees and were able to work from home. Customers who had already received equipment were patient and understanding. In fact many of the customers were in the same situation with rules and regulations due to the pandemic.

Mestek Machinery gathered the staff which were directly responsible for lasers, plasmas, water jets, spiral and coil processing for the four departments. These teams responded rapidly and went to work to develop a virtual installation customer experience.

Fortunately Mestek Machinery had been working with customers remotely with self-diagnostic programs for years. So it wasn’t hard to take that thought process and technology to the next level and deliver virtual installs.

To date we have installed multiple pieces of equipment with the customer’s help virtually. Quite frankly I am amazed and proud of how our teams provided this service to our customers who had quite an investment sitting on their shop floors and needed these highly productive pieces up and running. Productivity gains are important when a client makes a capital expenditure, and we at Mestek Machinery realize that and appreciate the fact that they chose Mestek Machinery as its partner.

Many of Mestek Machinery clients are responsible for the health care business when it comes to building hospitals and stadiums. As it may many of these customers were directly responsible for turning stadiums into emergency relief centers for possible Covid-19 patients.