Case Study
Progressive Mechanical, Inc.
At Progressive Mechanical, Inc., we take pride in our company history and reputation of hard work, dedication, and commitment to excellence in every project we undertake. Progressive has two fabrication shops: one in Clawson, Michigan and another in Bay City, Michigan. We are dedicated to quality, safety, and efficiency in order to provide effective solutions for our clients.
Brian Hund
Operations Manager
Brian Hund started with Progressive Mechanical in 2015 as the Job Site Superintendent.
In 2018 he was moved to oversee the Out of State Operations.
In 2020 Brian was named Operations Manager and has led the fabrication side of PMI in technological upgrades.
Over these nine years Brian has proven himself with a deep commitment to efficiency coupled with the highest quality. His strong work ethic and dedication has made him a key force behind the success of PMI. Under his leadership projects have run smoothly for both clients and for the PMI team.
Brian is a member of UA Steam Fitter Local 85 in Saginaw, Michigan.
The Business Challenge:
"Around 2015 we purchased a Watts W-132 pipe cutting machine," said Brian Hund. "Our fabrication jobs began to grow so we moved into a new corporate building in Clawson which included a 35,000 sq.ft. shop. In 2019 we purchased a Rotoweld machine to add speed and efficiency to our pipe fabrications."
"After COVID passed and our fabrication started moving again," continued Hund, "it became clear that we needed more speed and efficiency in our pipe cutting. Our fab team was consistently waiting for pipe to weld, but we also needed a machine that would work with our BIM Modeling software. Our W-132 could not keep up with the welding machine. A huge project with over 260,000 feet of pipe fabrication made it clear that we needed another pipe cutting machine with more capability."
Progressive Mechanical
Photo Gallery
The Watts Solution:
"We looked at a few other machine manufacturers," said Hund. "The other machines were either too expensive or had software that did not merge with our M-Suite modeling software. Watts and Rotoweld Rep Vince Penny from VMP Automation helped us through the whole process and in the end we were convinced to continue with another Watts machine. In 2023 we purchased a Watts W-364 with a 25ft infeed bed."
The Watts Difference:
Hund explained the gains experienced by Progressive Mechanical using the new Watts W-364 machine: "The new Watts CNC machine dramatically increased our pipe cutting capabilities. The Watts 3D-Profile Plus software merges seamlessly with M-Suite so we are able to bring all pipe cuts into the machine quickly.
In addition, the nesting capability of 3D-Profile Plus also increased our efficiency. Finally, the ability to use the pipe header at the chuck end reduced our material waste to less than 1%. This was a savings we had not expected. Less wasted pipe equals less material handling and labor costs. We use far less floor space dealing with wasted scrap pieces."
Watts Support:
"Unfortunately we have needed Watts support a few times," said Hund. "We damaged the machine...twice. Both times it was simply an oversight, but each occurrence included broken machine parts. That forced us to call Dave Dunham [Managing Director] or Jesse Scribner [Production Manager/Technical Lead] for help and new parts. During one of these repairs we also had software issues. Dave Dunham flew to our facility from Washington and worked through the night to get everything working properly!
When Watts says they will go the extra mile with their support, they are serious."
