Cover Story _______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Increasing efficiency
He goes on to detail the evolution of the pool chemicals side of the business . “ We decided to go into wholesale for these , rather than retail . There were a couple of products that the pool industry just wasn ’ t servicing properly , that were hard to find or had long delivery times . So , we concentrated on those , and the business grew to the point where we ’ re now delivering these products up and down the eastern third of the United States .”
Jeff ’ s description makes it sound simple , but in fact the business offers around 15 different types of pool chemical , with sodium hypochlorite being the main one , which it manufactures in its own facilities , as well as purchases from other producers . “ We buy in large quantities , and then repackage it into various sizes , from one gallon to fivegallon drums , to 5,000 gallon tank trucks ,” notes Jeff . “ Over the past couple of years , we ’ ve been switching to more automated solutions in the factory , including conveyors and robotics . We want to be as efficient as possible , as well as overcome the common issue of finding enough labor to undertake the more manual roles .”
Managing waste , installing LED lighting and solar panels , as well as recycling are all part of the manufacturing philosophy for Buckman ’ s Inc as it continues to look for both efficiencies and greener options . “ In 2012 when it was installed , we had the largest roof mounted solar system in the State of Pennsylvania ,” adds Jeff . “ The manufacturing of sodium hypochlorite uses a lot of electricity , so it made sense financially to embrace solar power , as well as benefitting the environment , and the same principle applies to our refilling and recycling policy . It works both ways – for us and the earth .”
64