‘Under Stricter Guidelines’
Sustainability
By Brian Salgado   
Friday, 01 June 2007
smc Pinnacle Structures Inc.
Pinnacle Structures Inc. separates itself from the competition as the only metal buildings manufacturer headquartered in Arkansas with the American Institute of Steel Construction’s metal building certification.
As the only certified, pre-engineered metal buildings manufacturer based in Arkansas, Pinnacle Structures Inc. enjoys a critical distinction from its competition. “It puts us on top of the industry because we have a better-quality product under stricter guidelines,” Executive Vice President Ken Kincade says. “The public and community wants and needs a safer structure built, and we are providing that.”

Pinnacle was founded in 1994 by a management team from a previous metal building company and an investment group of three individuals. Their mission was to deliver quality buildings consistently in a four-to-six-week range at competitive pricing and with an extra commitment to builder service. Most companies’ delivery times are at a minimum of eight weeks and timeliness is an issue.

“Pinnacle didn’t want to be just another metal building manufacturer of pre-engineering metal buildings,” Kincade says. “Pinnacle wanted to be the best.” In 1995, the company opened a facility in Cabot, Ark., to house administrative, estimating, engineering and operations. In 1999, Pinnacle became the youngest and smallest company ever to achieve the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) Inc. certification for metal building systems.

Pinnacle manufactures structural steel for the construction of commercial, school, church, farm, residential and other types of buildings. No matter the type of project, Kincade says on-time delivery, coupled with quality and service, is the company’s top priority.

“We are adamant at getting the building delivered when we say we’re going to deliver,” Kincade adds. “If we have to work 24 hours a day, we’re going to get it there. We’re not going to say someone or something pushed our customer out of the building schedule or delayed his or her building.

“Our customer can have a crew ready and the equipment rented on the day we are supposed to deliver and they’ll never have to worry about us not being there.”

Additional Products
In 1996, Pinnacle constructed a retail facility called the Metal Store to offer building components including commercial sheet metal, residential sheet metal, doors and windows, fasteners, hardware, insulation and sealant, panels, tools, vents and flashings.

This store is located next to Pinnacle’s main office building, and the store is open to the public. Kincade says customers can buy things for a Pinnacle building or any other project.

The Metal Store also has “express buildings,” which are pre-engineered, pre-designed Pinnacle buildings that have a delivery time of two weeks or less. The five sizes vary from 12-by-18-by-8 feet to 40-by-60-by-12 feet.

Market Slowdown
Pinnacle continues to maintain high quality and quick delivery times for its customers through different markets, according to Kincade.

To maintain its price points, the company is buying differently than it has historically. “As a company that has been through downtimes, we have learned to grow with the market and adjust where needed,” Kincade says. “We want to maintain our high-quality product and stay within the parameters of the economy in the industry.

“We changed our inventory practices and procedures to buy better, so we can pass it on to customers, so they can have the lowest building price and best product. We want everyone to have a Pinnacle building and we’ll do whatever it takes to accomplish this. The community would be a better place if everyone had a Pinnacle building.”

Even during this difficult and hard-to-predict market, Pinnacle is in the process of expanding its operations and investing in better equipment. Kincade says the company will expand its facility by 15,000 to 20,000 square feet, and the $1 million project will be completed no later than early 2008. “This will allow us to bring in new equipment, new people and better efficiencies that we will pass on to the customer,” he adds. “We realize that in order to grow, you have to invest and we will do that to be the premier manufacturer.”

Certification is Key
Pinnacle is involved in the final stages of the construction of a pre-engineered metal building for Stagecoach Elementary in Cabot. “Pinnacle was selected because of its AISC certification and fast delivery,” Kincade says. “We’ve done a lot of different schools over the years, and we love for all schools to use us because we’re a certified manufacturer. No other company based in the state is a certified manufacturer. We manufacture under higher standards because we want our kids and the public to be safe.”

The biggest challenge of this project, according to Kincade, was scheduling to make sure the structure was erected the right way and on time. A Pinnacle representative visits the site to make sure the erection is going smoothly.

“This project was brought to us because they know we’re going to have great customer service,” Kincade adds. “When they have a question or need help, we’re going to be there. Our people are our biggest asset, and we pride ourselves in being each customer’s business partner.”
 
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