As CrewTracks has grown over the past several years, we have observed a stereotype that exists in the construction world: the idea that construction workers are old-fashioned and stubborn.

While this may be true among some construction companies that are slow to adopt new technology, it is not true of the companies and people that use CrewTracks. Again and again, we have observed incredible innovation and versatility among those who lead their respective industries by adopting new technology, keeping up with industry advancements, and inventing new processes of their own. Our customers regularly marry old-school concepts and classic craftsmanship with cutting-edge approaches that truly make them industry leaders.

With this in mind, we recently invited our customers to apply to be recognized as Innovative Industry Leaders for their respective industries. We are in the process of selecting one company from each industry, and we are thrilled to introduce the first one.

Eagle Scaffolding Services, Inc.

CrewTracks is proud to recognize Eagle Scaffolding Services, Inc. as the Innovative Industry Leader in the Scaffolding & Access category.

Introduction

Eagle Scaffolding Services, Inc. provides access and shoring solutions to a huge variety of customers in the tri-state area (NY, NJ, CT). The company’s president, Michael Paladino, also currently serves as president of the Scaffolding and Access Industry Association (SAIA). The SAIA’s vision includes the injunction to “lead the advancement and promotion of safety.” Unsurprisingly, if you talk to Mr. Paladino about his company, safety is one of the first things he’ll mention.

We had the privilege of visiting Michael Paladino and his employees in Amityville, NY, as well as visiting a few of their job sites. Mr. Paladino is full of praise for his employees, gratitude for his customers, love for his family, and concern for the safety of everyone involved in his company.

Facing Challenges

Eagle Scaffolding demonstrates agility, versatility, and innovation in the face of huge challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic hit New York City hard, and Eagle Scaffolding was called upon to provide services in spite of the risk involved. Mr. Paladino credits his leadership team and other employees with creating and following protocol to keep employees safe while working in the epicenter of a global pandemic. Mr. Paladino also recounts memories of providing access to workers in the wake of the events of September 11, 2001. Furthermore, as you’ll learn in the video below, New York City presents a number of unique challenges that could prove daunting for a scaffolding and access company that is not accustomed to this environment.

For example, we were interested in seeing some of the shoring solutions required in New York City but had to ask when we didn’t immediately notice any shoring at the job sites we visited. Tom Keady, project manager, explained that the sidewalk underneath the scaffolding we were viewing was actually the roof for an underground vault, which is common in New York City. In order to erect a sidewalk shed and hundreds of feet of scaffold on top of hollow underground space, the sidewalk must be shored up from underneath. As Tom Canova, general manager, explains, “For someone who’s not used to working in the city, it might have presented a problem, but we’re used to this stuff. We do it all the time.”

Furthermore, as Keady explains in the video below, the foot traffic of midtown Manhattan presents a challenge. In his words, “You have to be very good at it. And you have to be able to direct traffic very well.”

In addition to all of the above, the variety of architecture in New York City provides challenges in terms of building shapes, overhangs, kick-outs, historical preservation considerations, and so on. To say that Eagle Scaffolding Services demonstrates creativity and innovation in the face of challenges would be a vast understatement.

Implementing Technology

Naturally, during our visit to New York City, we were interested to hear about the technology that Eagle Scaffolding Services utilizes. They were kind enough to say several things about CrewTracks, and we’re more than happy to relay that information in the video below. However, we also want to highlight Avontus as another software provider that helps Eagle Scaffolding lead their industry. You can hear Tom Keady talk about Avontus as well as view an example of a 3D rendering in the video.

Another piece of technology that Keady mentioned, which was not included in the video, is Eagle Scaffolding’s use of electric cable hoists. During one particularly challenging project, Keady says, “using the Beta Max Leo XL has made easy work of a very tough working situation.”

Acknowledgments

In the video below, you will meet Michele Farinaccio, who was instrumental in rolling out Eagle Scaffolding’s implementation of CrewTracks. A huge thank you from CrewTracks to Michele, as well as to Louis Ruic, who uses CrewTracks every day and allowed us to record him using the app on his phone. We would also like to thank and acknowledge Melissa Alvarez-Biordi, who picked up the baton from Michele and manages CrewTracks from the Eagle Scaffolding office. Of course, we would also like to thank Tom Canova, Tom Keady, and Michael Paladino. Additionally, we would like to acknowledge Avontus Software and Beta Max Hoists. Their appearance in this article does not represent any partnership or sponsorship, and they did not contribute to the content of this article. We simply trust Eagle Scaffolding when they tell us about great technology.

Conclusion & Video

Congratulations once again to Eagle Scaffolding Services, Inc. for being recognized as CrewTracks’ Innovative Industry Leader in the category of Scaffolding and Access. We are honored to provide one piece of the technology that helps you “stay a step ahead.”

CrewTracks customers! If you think your company could qualify as an Innovative Industry Leader, please apply here.