How Contractors Can Avoid Material Delays on MEP Projects

Marovato Industries helps NYC contractors solve their toughest material, support, and fabrication challenges.

For more than 30 years, Marovato Industries has supplied plumbing, HVAC, and mechanical contractors working on some of New York City’s most demanding construction projects.

Over the years, we’ve been involved with projects ranging from major wastewater treatment facilities like Newtown Creek and Croton Water Treatment Plant to large institutional and commercial projects, including JPMorgan Chase Tower, the Robert A. Iger Building, the George Washington Carver Houses, and the  Borough-Based Jail at 275 Atlantic Avenue  in Brooklyn.

Every project is different, but one thing I’ve seen again and again is how much the smaller components matter.

A job may involve millions of dollars of piping, equipment, and labor, but if the crew is missing the right support, fastener, or structural steel, work can come to a stop—costing valuable time and money.

That is a big part of what we do at Marovato.

The Big Projects Still Come Down to the Small Details

Wastewater treatment plants are a good example.

Projects like Newtown Creek, Croton, and Oakwood Beach involve extensive piping systems and very specific requirements. When you are supplying material for work like that, you are dealing with many different configurations and support requirements.

The same is true on large commercial and institutional projects. What looks like a relatively straightforward material order can quickly become more complicated once you get into the specifications.

After doing this for so many years, I’ve learned not to assume that one hanger or support is interchangeable with another just because it looks similar.

The details matter.

Sometimes the Contractor Needs More Than a Catalog Item

A large part of our business has always been finding solutions when the material a contractor needs isn’t simply sitting on a shelf.

We supply standard pipe hangers and supports, but we also handle fabricated and project-specific support requirements.

There are times when a customer sends us a drawing or describes what is happening in the field and says, essentially, “This is what I need. Can you make it work?”

Those are the jobs I enjoy because they involve more than simply entering an order.

We look at what the contractor needs, determine what can be supplied as a standard product and, when necessary, work out what needs to be fabricated.

That problem-solving side of the business is something Marovato has been doing for decades.

Public Construction Brings Its Own Challenges

We’ve also supplied contractors working on public and infrastructure projects where specifications and documentation can be particularly important.

On those projects, ordering something that is “close enough” isn’t good enough.

The material has to meet the project requirements, and contractors are often working under tight schedules while also dealing with approvals, inspections, coordination with other trades, and changing field conditions.

Because we’ve worked on these types of projects for so many years, we understand why a contractor may be calling us at 10:00 in the morning needing an answer quickly—or at 4:00 in the afternoon looking for material they need on the job first thing the next morning.

When material is needed on a job, every hour matters.

We’ve Seen How Quickly a Job Can Change

One of the things construction has taught me is that today’s schedule may not be tomorrow’s schedule.

A contractor may originally expect to need material several weeks from now and suddenly find out the work has moved up. Quantities change. Drawings change. Field conditions change. Something that wasn’t supposed to be an issue suddenly becomes the most important thing on the job.

We’ve had customers call looking for material they need immediately, and we’ve had customers give us advance notice about a large requirement coming down the road.

Whenever possible, I encourage the second approach.

Even if you’re not ready to place the order, letting us know what may be coming gives us the opportunity to look at availability, review unusual requirements, and identify anything that could cause a delay.

Relationships Matter in This Business

Some of the relationships we’ve built with contractors go back many years.

That is one of my favorite parts of running Marovato.

When you’ve worked with someone for a long time, you get to know their company and the kinds of projects they handle. You know the products they regularly purchase, and you also know when they call and say, “RoseMarie, I have a problem,” that they’re probably looking for more than a price.

They’re looking for help getting the job moving again.

To me, that’s what being a good supplier is about.

It isn’t only about selling a pipe hanger, an anchor, or a piece of threaded rod. It’s about understanding that what may look like a small item sitting in our warehouse can be a very important item to the contractor waiting for it on the job.

And Sometimes, It Really Is an Emergency

Of course, no amount of planning eliminates every problem.

Materials get damaged. Quantities change. Field conditions are different from what was expected. Something gets missed. An unexpected issue suddenly creates an urgent need.

We understand those calls because we’ve been taking them for more than three decades.

At Marovato Industries, we supply pipe supports, hangers, fasteners, anchors, threaded rod, structural steel and related products to mechanical, electrical and plumbing contractors. We also provide fabrication for project-specific pipe support requirements.

What I want our customers to know is simple: if you have a problem, call us. If we can help, we will.

We’re proud to be a WBE certified construction supplier, but even more importantly, we’re proud of the relationships we’ve built with contractors throughout the New York City construction industry.

Whether you’re planning materials for an upcoming project or suddenly realize you need something tomorrow, we’re here to help keep the job moving.

Marovato supplies a full range of fasteners and pipe support hardware to contractors and industrial buyers across the Tri-State area of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

Request a quote today or contact us to discuss your project needs. Let’s work together to keep your project on schedule, within spec, and moving forward.