North Carolina fabricator fast-tracks hospital ventilation system job

US Duct received a call on a Thursday morning from a contractor in need of a certain HVAC component to complete a ventilation project at UNC Rex Hospital in Raleigh, N.C. By lunchtime the next day the company had designed, fabricated, revised, and shipped the component – a turnaround of slightly more than 24 hours. Images provided by US Duct

US Duct is no stranger to quick turnarounds. The industrial ductwork manufacturer in Kernersville, N.C., has some experience with completing jobs in just hours. But a recent project it completed for a nearby hospital was noteworthy not just for its turnaround speed, but also for its purpose.

The company, founded 6 ½ years ago by Steve McDaniel and David Kennedy, employs just under 100 people and manufactures sheet metal duct and sheet metal-related ducting products mostly for industrial facilities, said Kim Williams, director of marketing at US Duct.

A Sense of Urgency

A typical job comes in via an inquiry from a representative or a contractor and the company has anywhere from a couple of weeks to possibly 30 or 60 days to design, fabricate, and deliver a component or ductwork system.

But sometimes a job comes through that needs to be fast-tracked.

On Thursday, March 19, the company received a call from a contractor in need of a certain HVAC component to complete a ventilation project at UNC Rex Hospital in Raleigh, N.C.

“It’s not uncommon for us to get a job where somebody is in a bit of a bind, so we try to accommodate those requests, especially where they make sense. In this case there was a sense of urgency behind it,” Williams said.

Williams said he didn’t know the exact details behind the project, and generally they don’t get those details, but they were aware it was for a nearby hospital that was in the middle of making some changes to their existing ventilation. On a human level, of course, that piqued their interest.

The contractor was having difficulty finding someone to fabricate one particular component quickly due its size and the gauge of the metal required.

“It wasn’t a standard piece, so after they had made a couple of calls without much luck, they reached out to us to see if we could get it done quickly. Again, we didn’t know specifics, but because it was for a hospital and assuming it had something to do with the hospital operating well and efficiently for its patients, we made the decision to expedite the order,” Williams said. “A lot of HVAC ducting is manufactured onsite as it’s made out of coil as opposed to sheet metal. Not all shops are able to accommodate that, and it just so happened that we had the capabilities to do it, and we’re still open. I know some smaller shops are not operating right now."

The design team spent the first half of the day with the contractor, getting exact specifications and creating drawings. The fabrication team then spent the rest of the day and into the evening working overtime to make the component. A team member cut the sheet metal both by hand and mechanically with plasma, and others made additional cuts with a shear and then bent the angles with a press brake. Pieces were joined together using manual welding.

A team member cut the sheet metal both by hand and mechanically with plasma, and others made additional cuts with a shear and then bent the angles with a press brake. Pieces were joined together using manual welding.

Friday morning the company sent photos and exact measurements to the contractor, who responded back with a few revisions. After US Duct completed the necessary changes to the component, it was ready to be shipped out shortly before noon, a little more than 24 hours later.

“This job ranks up there with one of the faster turnarounds we’ve had given the size of the component and the amount of fabrication time that was required. It was pretty quick,” Williams said.

Doing Their Part During COVID-19 Pandemic

So far US Duct has remained open for business amid the COVID-19 outbreak. In fact, Williams is in the middle of filing paperwork with the state to be considered an “essential” business so it can continue to remain open should the state enact tighter restrictions. With that said, Williams stated the company continues to take necessary steps to ensure the health and safety of its employees.

“We had training that emphasized hygiene and personal behavior that would be necessary for everyone to keep themselves and others safe. We increased the availability and quantity of paper towels, hand soap, and hand sanitation stations, and we’ve continued to encourage people to wear their PPE while in the shop because it offers them some level of protection. We also have part of our team come in every morning before we open to wipe things down and sanitize everything in the office and the shop. Keeping everyone safe is our first priority,” Williams said.

Even in normal circumstances, Williams classifies the team as a “get it done” kind of shop, with the emphasis on components moving through the manufacturing process efficiently. But this job, he said, and the current climate have brought to the forefront the importance of what they do.

“We realize how essential the work that we do is for maintaining health and safety for the people who rely on our products. Steve McDaniel, our company president, has said that this is a historic time, and how we choose to respond will be the story that we’ll be telling our grandchildren in the years ahead. He asked the question, ‘What’s the story you want to tell?’

“The men and women that make up US Duct and their commitment to what they do and their commitment to a level of excellence is something that is inspiring to me. It’s just a very challenging time to be doing what we do, and I couldn’t be happier doing it with this group of people,” Williams said.

Even in normal circumstances, Williams classifies the team as a “get it done” kind of shop, with the emphasis on components moving through the manufacturing process efficiently. But this job, he said, and the current climate have brought to the forefront the importance of what they do. M