Efficient Plant March 2018 - 15

feature | plant profile

Gulf Coast Electric Motor Service repaired this 2,000-hp chipper moter
when the oil-lubricated bearing failed. An average paper mill will have two
to six of these chipper motors. All images by Michelle Segrest

Gulf Coast Motor Electric Service Inc. has provided the greater
Gulf Coast area with reliable and affordable electric-motor repair,
field service, and motor sales for 40 years. The company, that began in 1978 with a $6,000 mortgage on the Rodriguez family
home while sharing a small warehouse space, now employs 30
people with complete rewind, field balancing, high-voltage
testing, vibration analysis, thermography, motor rebuild,
machining, and field-service capabilities in municipal
and industrial applications.
The company moved into its current space in 1992
and has since expanded the original 5,000 sq. ft. of
space to 30,000. The shop includes balancing machines, testing equipment, bake ovens, steam-cleaning equipment, machining, CNC milling machines,
assembly, disassembly, vacuum-pressure-impregnation tanks, pumps, motors, a fabrication shop,
and a full machine shop. With a small staff and
a big operation, the company is working on 5S
certification and incorporates Lean manufacturing
best practices.
"This business was built on flexibility, creativity,
and loyalty," Rodriguez said. "Most of the people
who work here were originally hired by my dad.
It's a big family-even those who are not related.
These guys understand the gravity of the work we
do, and we count on them to keep things running
efficiently. We are very task oriented, and all follow the
work-ethic example set by my father."

FINDING A NICHE
The company was built on submersible-pump repair and rebuilds.
Taking on challenging jobs became its specialty. In fact, its first
big order was one that no one else in the Florida Panhandle area
would attempt to tackle.
During the first year of business, there was a huge rain event
that resulted in massive flooding near a local chemical plant. "The
guy in charge of maintenance had a relationship with my dad and
sent him all the motors to repair," Rodriguez said. "It was about
100 motors. He and a couple of helpers worked day and night to
get the order completed. This was the first of many seemingly impossible orders. I think because of his background, my father was

MARCH 2018

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2/23/18 10:21 AM

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