A little Pileco History
History:
Global Piling and Equipment Co. (GPE) was formed in 2015 with the purpose of
bringing new and innovative ideas and equipment to the global piling machine
and equipment market. Achieving rapid growth in 2018 GPE was presented with
the opportunity to purchase the diesel hammer product line and the associated
brand name Pileco from Bauer Maschinen Group.
From PileDrivers.Org (April 8, 2019):
Pileco was founded by Otto Kammerer in Houston, Texas in 1966. Pileco has
grown to become one of the best-known hammer brands in the pile driving
industry. The business, which Kammerer sold to BAUER in 2005, changed hands
again this past November when Global Piling Equipment (GPE) purchased the
Pileco name, assets and intellectual property from BAUER-Pileco (now known as
BAUER Equipment America). For George Smith, the president and CEO of GPE,
things have come full circle his first job in the piling industry was as a mechanic
for Pileco back in 1970. "I did whatever had to be done pressure washing,
painting, sweeping the floors. I may have been their second employee," he said.
"I have a long history with the brand." Smith left in 1976, but he returned to
Pileco after a few years and eventually become company president from 2004 to
2009. He says during his time as Pileco president, the company rapidly
expanded, growing from a couple of dozen employees to more than 100 and
increasing its sales from $15 million to more than $100 million. Smith
subsequently worked for International Construction Equipment and he then
founded GPE in 2015. He says because his company is relatively new, the Pileco
acquisition will benefit GPE by increasing market awareness. "Even though I've
been around for a long time and a lot of folks know me, it's still a challenge to
start a new brand," said Smith, adding that the plan is to eventually change
GPE's name to Pileco Inc. "It made sense for us to have a well-recognized brand
that's been around for more than 50 years. "GPE sells and rents foundation
machinery and equipment to the piling industry, specializing in its own brand of
diesel pile hammers that come in a wide array of sizes ranging from smaller D-6
models to the massive D-800 unit. It also supplies vibratory drivers/extractors
and drills built by Hydraulic Power Systems, Inc. as well as an assortment of lead
systems, power units and helmets. In addition, GPE provides parts and services
for its equipment sales. GPE's diesel hammers and Pileco diesel hammers are
built by the same manufacturer in China. GPE/Pileco equipment is available for
purchase or rental at GPE's head office in Conroe, Texas, as well as through a
network of dealers in the following locations in the United States: Norfolk,
Virginia, Kansas City, Missouri St. Louis, Missouri, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Orlando, Florida, Richmond, California, Smith says
Pileco's market area covers much of the U.S. and the company also has a dealer
in Toronto, Canada, to service piling customers north of the border. He says one
of the more notable projects involving GPE hammers is a new 2.4-mile span
called the Rodanthe Bridge currently being built in one of North Carolina's Outer
Banks islands. The project is being serviced by GeoQuip, a GPE dealer based in
Chesapeake, Va. Smith says that 20 people work at GPE, including a few of his
associates from his old days at Pileco. "Most of us have all been in this business
for some time," he said. Smith has also had a long association with the Pile
Driving Contractors Association. GPE is a member, and before that Smith
attended numerous PDCA events during his time at Pileco. He says he enjoys
networking with his colleagues in the industry and keeping up to date at PDCA
functions, as well as reading PileDriver magazine. Smith says he's definitely
benefitted from his many years in the pile driving industry. "I've made a science
of this and I know the equipment inside out. It just makes it easier when you
understand what you're doing," he said. Smith adds that's not to say new
challenges don't arise from time to time. "We still see new things happen that
we've not ever run across before, so it's ever-changing. Even though our process
is the same, each project is different and it's always interesting, or at least it is
for me," he said. Smith says he has no plans to quit working any time soon. "I'm
not going to retire at all, unless I get to where I can't function. I don't think
that's my game plan," he said. "I love what I do, and when you love what you do
and enjoy your work, it's not a job."