SUB FEATURE
“ Firstly , one should look at their past year ’ s operations and ask themselves were they lacking to make the striping process more efficient and productive ?” stated Mark Estrada , senior VP , with Marathon Solutions Group , LLC , Houston , Texas . “ Talk to your team , and get their input . It might be an upgrade on the machine itself . For example , going from an introductory unit to a full-auto , or a direct-drive to a hydraulic-system , or even better , a dual-color ! Maybe the team is tired of pushing and it ’ s time to introduce a line-driver , which will dramatically help with production and alleviate fatigue . Additionally , look at the features and make sure it will compliment what you ’ re trying to achieve with your operations . For instance , if you want to be faster and more efficient with new layouts , think about purchasing a striper with auto-layout and laser capabilities .” Having access to a mix of striping and pavement marking systems can provide the contractor with the different equipment to service different needs “ If you ’ re simply doing single-line re-stripe jobs , you can get by with a lower output , walk-behind striper ,” Vangstad said . “ If you ’ re doing new parking lots that require layout work , it ’ s worth your investment to buy a striper with layout features and a laser guide system . If you ’ re doing large jobs , it ’ s worth your money to buy a line driver . One more thing , most professional striping contractors will dedicate their line striper to a specific color - for instance , one striper for white paint and one for yellow paint . This will save them time as they will not need to do color changes . . . ever . And for those jobs that require specific colors for stenciling , it is economical to add a stencil sprayer to your lineup .” Again , this regroup and evaluation time is ideal for standing back and looking at your equipment fleet and needs . “ This is the time to get prepped for the next season so you can start fresh , not slow down in the new season , and maximize your equipment investment ,” says Chris Noto , Product Director with Wagner Spray Tech Corp ., Plymouth , Minnesota . “ It is also a great time to evaluate your current business and see if that is the direction you want to continue to go in the new year . Assess your current job types and how things have changed . If you ’ re getting larger jobs , you probably need larger and more robust equipment that can handle those loads .” When choosing to add a new piece of striping or pavement marking equipment , there are considerations . Roberts outlined several factors that should be a part of any new purchase :
• Investment — How fast will you be able to generate a return on the money paid ? Don ’ t just consider the revenue on jobs ; calculate the profit needed .
• Maintenance — Will this equipment require you to purchase additional tools or spend additional funds to maintain it properly ? Calculate this into your purchasing decision .
• Warranty — Is your vendor going to be easy to deal with if the machine has problems ? Sometimes , rock-bottom pricing is not the answer , if you have issues with the vendor .
• Used Equipment — If the new purchased equipment is not going to be used a lot ,
should you consider buying used ? The end of the season is a great time to do complete maintenance on used equipment . Adding a new piece of equipment can be expensive and you don ’ t want it to be an expensive mistake . “ Make sure the equipment is coming from a reputable company that will back the product with a fair warranty ,” Estrada said . “ Think about it like buying a new vehicle … shop around and connect with all of your reps to get the best deal . Don ’ t be an impulse buyer . Do not purchase if there ’ s any chance that it won ’ t be utilized or if you ’ re not comfortable with the manufacturer .” Estrada continued with advice for employees , “ Prep your sales team , strategize and make a game plan for future projects your new equipment will be used on . It ’ s important to talk to your team : Make sure they are comfortable learning and introducing the new equipment . Nothing is worse than seeing newly purchased machines turn into your shop ornament !” Jump into the swirl of year-end activity and use the reflective time to assess and plan for an even more productive new year . Cheers to new beginnings .
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