Inside SharkBite - Episode 1: Innovation
Arguably one of the most important systems in any remodel or new build is plumbing. Inside this manufacturing plant, all employees and all the procedures in place are designed for that very reason, revolutionizing the plumbing industry with push-to-connect fittings and end-to-end plumbing solutions. This company has changed the face of a market that quite frankly, hasn't seen much of it in years. I'm Adam Grubb, and this is Inside SharkBite.
SharkBite's Innovative Solutions
SharkBite, a provider of plumbing and water control systems for residential and commercial applications, continues to invest in better solutions for contractors and builders. The flagship product, Push-to-Connect Fitting, is a great example of remarkable engineering and market-leading technology that has helped their double-digit growth every year for the last 12 years.
"There are multiple reasons why SharkBite innovates," explains VP of Operations, Ken Sanchez. "The number one for us is making sure our customers get a good quality sound product. We wanna make sure that our product can handle the test of time."
For someone who is not familiar with SharkBite and that process, how have you guys truly revolutionized the fittings industry?
"We've taken complicated glues and solders and mechanical crimping techniques, and we've replaced it with a simple insertion method," explains Dixon Thuston, Global VP of Operations. "So, as simple as installing a cap back on top of a pen. That has taken out all of the unknowns of the other processes like the labor and the unknown quality of a joint. All of that has been taken out and it has sped the installation for the installer, plus increased the quality."
"There's always room for change," says Ken Sanchez. "There's always room for improvement. Our product development team is doing a great job working with our manufacturing team here in Coleman, and we're looking at better ways to make your home safer, have higher quality, and be more efficient."
What Makes SharkBite Different
According to Jeff Long, SharkBite's Global Marketing Director, "We can't do what we do without the people. Everybody loves what they do. There is such a passion; I know it's crazy to say someone is passionate about plumbing, but we absolutely love it. We love disrupting the market. We like to punch above our weight in terms of all these little guys and look into what they are doing out there- that's SharkBite."
"It's the team environment. They are always looking for better solutions; how to do it better, how to do it faster, how to make it a better quality product, and they're always trying to be engaged in those processes," as noted by Chris Girard, the Plant Manager.
We have a very state-of-the-art laboratory here on site in Coleman, Alabama. We do our own pressure testing and tensile strength testing. We try to mimic the environment on our products.
Dixon Thuston explains that "it runs hand in hand with our overall company direction. We are strong throughout our innovation process through both manufacturing and the product itself. That goes with what we're trying to provide to the consumer."
"Everything we do on our manufacturing side, end-to-end, is the level of high-quality solutions we try to provide on the customer side. Everything from the meter, all the way to the fixture; everything that can be done in a house, or any challenge that someone would come across in a construction situation. We want to provide a solution for everyone. This has been a 20-year process of developing the SharkBite fitting and tuning the fitting so that it is the highest level of not only materials but also the performance of any fitting out there."
It wasn't long ago that plumbing contractors, builders, and remodelers didn't have a lot of options when it came to partial for full house plumbing. SharkBite wants to make sure those days are truly forever in the past and continue to innovate and engineer products and systems to make your jobs more efficient and your work reliable. Next, we look at the machines of people that deliver SharkBite to millions of households around the world on Inside SharkBite.
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