Ever Used CLP?

Dan V.

I apologize in advance for the length of this post. I think this is an important issue and it didn't come up when I did a search.

I'm currently working a contract to build 8 lightning shelters for an auto auction. They have many acres of parking area and the owner wants the dealers who come to the weekly auction to have a place of shelter and a portable toilet within easy reach should a thunderstorm pop up while they are looking over the cars that will be auctioned that night.

On the surface, these are pretty simple affairs. As you look closer, they get a bit more involved. 8x8 footprint, Trex decking, a latticed enclosure in one corner for the porta pottie, a gabled roof with standing seam metal roofing and all manner of custom steel and aluminum trimwork, vinyl siding on the gables, Denshield ceiling inside with crown molding (!), copper-topped cupola and, of course, a lightning rod atop the cupola with copper braid down to a pair of 8' copper-sheathed ground rods.

All in all, a fun project, which I'm primarily doing on my own.

This is part of a large commercial job site where three new buildings are going up. I say primarily on my own because a couple of weeks ago, one of the crews (4 guys) working the big buildings were assigned to help me finish these up. They were there for about a week and a half before they were canned. Apparently, the owner decided that were too slow and were costing too much.

This past week, I was given 2 guys from CLP (http://www.clp.com). They are a temp "skilled" trades supplier. In theory, you call them up, tell them what you need, and however many guys you need show up the next day.

I normally start at 7:00am and told CLP that's when I wanted the guys there. "No problem." They showed up at 8:00ish, dicked around setting up for about an hour and then proceeded to redefine the word "slow". I mentioned this to the owner, who insisted I give them a week. Apparently, he and the CLP sales rep are old buds. Anyway, this went on all week, except for yesterday and today. Pretty hot days here in New England, up around 90 but low humidity. Both guys spent most of the past 2 days pissing and moaning about the heat and left early both days. All that crap I could have dealt with if they produced quality work. Not to be! Shoddy workmanship with very poor attention to detail. I will likely spend the first 2 days of next week redoing some of what they did.

Just wondered if anyone else has ever used this company and if your experience was similar to mine. I'll tell you, if it was my money on the line, I have canned these guys the first day.

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I spent most of my money on booze and women. The rest I just wasted.

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BrianFox

yes around here though we call them "hoagie boys".

basically the only skill most of them have is getting lunch for the rest of your crew.
useless.

MattCoops

In the Marine Corps we used to clean our rifles with CLP

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Dan V.

Hey Brian. You a friend of Bill's?

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I spent most of my money on booze and women. The rest I just wasted.

www.forwardsolutions.net

BrianFox

Bill,Bob,and Ebby.

you?

KentWhitten

CLP IMO is used just for labor only. Yes they have "skillz" but almost always, not what you're looking for. You get one every thousand or so that just happens to have fallen through the cracks. Most seem to be either on probation or have a license suspension.

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Dan V.

Yep! They've been good and dear friends for over 22 years.

__________________
I spent most of my money on booze and women. The rest I just wasted.

www.forwardsolutions.net

BrianFox

Ive been hanging with them for 2 years now. Grateful to know them.

Dan V.

Congratulations, man!! Life is always better with friends like that.

__________________
I spent most of my money on booze and women. The rest I just wasted.

www.forwardsolutions.net

DRC

That is exactly when I would have fired them. I would have never let them pick up a tool. A man that shows up late has no respect for you and costs you money from day 1.


Side note. I've been hanging out with Bill & co for 20+ years. Best friends I've got.

BrianFox

Were everywhere!!!

Dan V.

Yes we are!

DRC, unfortunately, it wasn't my call. As I said, the owner has a longstanding relationship with the sales rep. I called him (the owner) right after the boys arrived and told him I thought we should give 'em the boot, but he declined, telling me to give it a week.

It's been a week now and they will NOT be back on Tues.

__________________
I spent most of my money on booze and women. The rest I just wasted.

www.forwardsolutions.net

DRC

Good to hear, sorry you had to suffer for a week.

Mud Master

Most all the "labor ready" services are just that..LABOR.

However Framerman is correct in saying that once in a great while you do get a diamond in the rough who just happens to be stuck there due to one issue or another. If you are lucky enough to get him on your jobsite, that's the guy you bring onto your payroll.

Personally, I use CLP, Labor Ready, Spec On The Job, etc..sparingly. Mostly for clean up when I can put my guys to better use, such as doing actual carpentry instead of scraping out the 160,000 sheet hospital addition or cleaning up 5 stories worth of stud droppings and such. I have never in 13 years in business used them for any trade related work.

Years ago my former boss would hire some of them to finish drywall, and I learned from watching their 'quality' of work, that what they did wasn't the 'quality' of work I wanted on my jobsites.

So, if you have a day's worth of trash out or cleaning to be done by all means give them a call, but expect what you think should be done in 5 hours to take 8 hours. However, please use extreme caution when hiring them for actual trade work.

JMHO.

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