MANUFACTURING

In 1995, we began building bolt-together kit docks manufactured by other companies. We went through three suppliers seeking a higher quality, more durable product. After the third supplier went bankrupt, we decided to begin our own manufacturing and directly give our customers the quality they demanded.

Our experience with lightweight products was solved with welded, Ipe decked docks. We had observed that constant wave actions working on the hard, stainless steel bolts used in bolted dock applications eventually caused those bolts to enlarge the holes drilled through softer aluminum. A larger hole permits the dock to flex at the joint and squeak. Lightweight aluminum decking was painted (most is now powder-coated) to reduce surface heat, and this created a maintenance headache; touchup painting was required for paint peels, and is still required for surface scratches. We definitely went through a period of intense learning from all the problems we encountered with lightweight marine products.

Today, we have more experience than any other residential dock company in the Southeast. Continuing to build on our experiences on the water and in the plant, we are constantly upgrading our designs and manufacturing capabilities. Our ongoing goal is to build our docks faster, make them safer and more attractive and lower after-market maintenance activities.

All of our aluminum dies incorporate a series of smooth ridges on the surface, like a ripple tone finish. Smooth mill- finish aluminum will stain from the oils on your hand; this stain will ultimately attract airborne dirt. Normal handling during the manufacturing process will also stain flat aluminum with dirt on worker’s gloves. Sharp corners and edges also attract dirt electrostatically.

We designed our custom extrusions with ridges. These serve to stiffen our structural members; size-for-size our extrusions are stronger than the competition. Also, most stock extrusions have sharp edges which are uncomfortable and can be a safety concern. All of our extrusions have a gentle radius on each corner. In fact, our two-inch tubing handrails have a large 3/8” radius for comfort and safety.

We developed the heavyweight 8” Cee channel for another manufacturer in 1996. When we began our own manufacturing, we improved upon this design. Most manufacturers use 32” wide bracing; we use only 24” wide bracing for added strength. Corners are a weak spot in an aluminum dock; our corners have twice the reinforcement of the typical section. We also reinforce cable anchor bolts, walkway, stairway and boatlift attach points from behind the frame.

All our standard size fabrications are welded in steel frame jigs to keep them square and speed up production. Most companies today weld everything freehand; aluminum often moves out of shape when you put heat from the weld to it. We experimented with a number of different types of welding equipment. What we use today probably costs a little more than other manufacturers but we can better control quality. Our walkway handrails are Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welded, not Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welded. TIG welding is more costly, and requires a highly skilled welder, but TIG welding with a rod results in a smaller and smoother welding bead; TIG is also cleaner delivering far less weld spatter which is time consuming and tedious to remove.

Our facility is extremely efficient; we move trailer loads of aluminum in one end, process, fabricate, finish and move out the other end to install. Our typical 24 X 28 dock with 40’ arched walkway and gable roof is completed in 100 man hours from receiving to when the installation crew returns. We are continuously working to improve our processes and optimize everything whether it is people, materials or processes.