Behind the Scenes: Inside the Hill Electric Warehouse

In every business, it’s important to have access to the tools you use on a constant basis. But while many contractors rely on supply chains to access equipment only when they need it, they may not have a warehouse fully stocked for urgent jobs or last-minute needs that crop up.

In contrast, Hill Electric maintains a vast warehouse system that houses a wide variety of tools and equipment, ready for any job at any time. To offer a “behind the scenes” look, we asked Trey Thomas, our Vice President (whose job is to oversee all operations, including the logistics of the warehouse), and Vance Cooper, our Warehouse Manager, to walk us through what you might find inside Hill Electric’s warehouse.

Due to the specialized services we provide our clients, we find it is best to pre-order supplies needed for upcoming projects and store them so they are ready when the job is. We also find that storing equipment and tools used for our type of work also helps us stay nimble to fulfill the requirements of our jobs on time and in a cost-effective manner.

“There’s an enormous benefit to having this equipment on hand in that we don’t have to rent it for each job, which saves us —and our customers—money in the long run,” says Trey. “But in addition to that, it’s important for the responsiveness we need to maintain for our clients. If something happens overnight or on a weekend, they can’t just stay shut down. By having all this on hand we can respond quickly to any situation and get our customer back up and running quickly.”

The bottom line: keeping the tools, equipment and supplies that we need available and on-hand allows us to be flexible, respond quickly to the needs of our customers, and provide exceptional service—no matter what is going on. In a world that is constantly challenging the supply lines for supplies and tools, this is increasingly important —to us and to our customers.

At Hill Electric, we never cut corners on safety or quality, and you’ll see this reflected in our warehouse inventory. In addition to our 10,000 square foot warehouse, we have a number of other buildings on our campus designed to keep things organized and available. Here are some of the things you are always likely to find in the Hill Electric warehouses.

1. PPE (Personal protective equipment)

Even before the pandemic made PPE part of the common corporate vocabulary, Hill Electric has always kept it on hand as part of the job. Safety is something we will never sacrifice on, so it’s always good to have it available. We always have, on hand:

● Hard Hats
● Ear protection
● Safety glasses
● Fluorescent safety vest or shirts (various options)
● Steel-toed boots
● Masks
● Gloves

2. Testing Equipment

Testing is one of the most important parts of our job, we have a variety of testing equipment that allows us to ensure that we have done the job correctly and effectively. This type of equipment includes:

● Multi-meters
● Insulation testers
● Infrared scans
● Infrared sensor
● Data testing equipment

3. Lifts & Ladders

Because the installation of electrical cables, conduit, and cable tray occurs at heights, you’ll always find a number of aerial platforms articulating hydraulic lifts and various ladders to help us in this part of the process.

4. Tools and Equipment

Every job is unique and may need any variety of tools in order to get the job done. Which is why we keep an extensive supply of equipment available to work on any job that comes our way. Here is some of the equipment you might find:

● Portable threading machine
● Band saws
● Hammer Drill/Impact Kit
● Portable Porta Pony (Ridgid)
● Greenlee 1800 Ratchet Bender
● Hydraulic Bender
● 535 threading machine
● Bending equipment
● Floor Ratchet bender (also called Chicago bender)
● Hydrolytic benders
● Generators for various types for different size shutdowns or emergency power accommodations
● Tuggers

5. Golf Carts and Trucks

In addition to the dozen plus golf carts that we will use on larger jobs where we are getting from one end of a manufacturing facility to another quickly, we also have a fleet of trucks and vans, as well as trailers, flatbeds and other vehicles. With these, we know we can transport team members or materials at a moment’s notice to any job site.

6. Materials and Supplies

Any time we are anticipating a job, have a shutdown or other large install pending, you are likely to find any additional supplies and materials needed for that job put aside, far before the project ever begins. That helps us ensure that our timelines can stay intact, regardless of any interruptions in the supply chain, and that we can provide a quality job with the right materials from the very beginning.

At Hill Electric, our goal is to provide quality and excellence along every step of your next project. If you’d like to find out more, or would like your own “Behind the Scenes” tour of what we can offer your next industrial electrical project, please contact us and let us know.