CoatingsPro Magazine

JAN 2017

CoatingsPro offers an in-depth look at coatings based on case studies, successful business operation, new products, industry news, and the safe and profitable use of coatings and equipment.

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Feature 86 JANUARY 2017 COATINGSPROMAG.COM BY JENNIFER FRAKES PHOTOS COURTESY HIGHCLIMBERS CO. Going to Great Heights: Steel Smoke Stacks Recoat B B altimore, Maryland 's Inner Harbor was once an industrial port — an area filled with warehouses, factories, manufacturing facilities, and power plants. Today, the Inner Harbor is a tourist attrac- tion known for its retail shops, restaurants, hotels, leisure activities, and high-end office buildings. One of these build- ings by the water was once a power plant, complete with four very large and very tall smoke stacks. e structure is now a mixed-use building that houses office space, retail stores, and restaurants. It's owned by the Cordish Companies. e smoke stacks are no longer in use, and they are now simply decorative reminders of the industrial history of the Inner Harbor. To keep the smoke stacks protected and looking their best, they require recoating every five to six years. To repair and recoat the smoke stacks, a specialized contractor was needed. According to Eric Bennung of Acrymax, the manufacturer of the coating materials used on the smoke stacks, many contractors proposed designing and building complicated scaffolds that would be cost prohibitive and very difficult to construct in the space available. is is where Highclimbers Company comes into the picture. "Marton and Zolton Zuberecz — the brothers who own the company — and their crew don't require any expensive, difficult-to-assemble scaffolding. ey only need chair platforms, ropes, harnesses, and two buckets," said Bennung. From Climbing Rocks Highclimbers Company is uniquely positioned to work on struc- tures such as the smoke stacks in the Inner Harbor. According to Marton Zuberecz, he and his brother are rock climbers. ey began working in the repair and coating business to make a profit from the skills and knowledge they acquired in their sport. "ey began as steeplejacks — people who climb high structures such as chimneys and steeples to make repairs STEEL ACRYLIC

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