PIRTEK Kent and PIRTEK Seattle, owned by Gregory Shideler, are unique in comparison to most of the other Service and Supply Centers within the corporation. Due to their proximity to the Port of Seattle, the teams at these Washington locations have become specialized in hydraulic operations aboard large seafaring vessels. Home base for hundreds of fishing vessels, this port is one of the largest and busiest in the world.
While both of these PIRTEKs do, of course, welcome customers from manufacturing, engineering, construction, and other industries, the majority of their large projects are maintaining the US Coast Guard, US Navy, NOAA, and large fishing boats that dock at the busy port. They also report regularly to the various shipyards located within a mile of their Seattle shop.
It is no easy feat to win the trust of the armed forces, as well as seasoned fishing boat captains – who rely on their ships’ hydraulic hoses and other equipment to keep them afloat, both literally and figuratively. Some of the hoses and fittings aboard the military ships are part of their missile systems and require special security clearances to work on them. Technical Sales Manager of both Seattle area PIRTEK franchises, Bill Rose, says that it took a lot of leg work on the part of owner Gregory and himself to secure the initial projects on these boats.
Past the initial introduction, Bill and Gregory are vigilant in following up on leads. If the men hear that a particular boat is going to be due for hose replacements or other work at a certain time of year, they make sure to reach out and make themselves available.
PIRTEK Kent and PIRTEK Seattle have earned quite a reputation for themselves throughout the port. Word travels quickly of a job well done, and they receive plenty of referrals to sister ships and affiliated vessels. In the case of one company, Bill and Gregory put in a bid for a large job which required hundreds of hoses but were ultimately underbid by a competitor. The customer chose to go with the other hose service. However, when it came time to complete the project, the competitor was unable to produce the hoses that were needed and ended up having to purchase the hoses from PIRTEK Seattle to complete the work. Word spread, and the customer made the switch to PIRTEK for their hydraulic hose needs after that.
Courtesy of PIRTEK.