SHOWAND TELL
When business needed a jolt, Picorp Inc. Baltimore hitched its wagon to trailer repair
BY TODDTRAUB AND ARMANDPATELLA Contributing Writers
For more than 30 years, Picorp, Inc.
Baltimore has served the Port of Baltimore and its 300+ associated customers by pro- viding diverse services including intermodal repairs, trucking, equipment sales and ser- vice, and terminal operations for all types of intermodal equipment. With a wide range of international and domestic customers, Picorp has become the largest repair facility of its kind in the tri-state area. It was that diversity that original-
ly attracted Armand Patella, senior vice president, who has been with the company 27 years. Capitalizing on that mix of services is what allowed Picorp to weather the recent economic downturn. In the past eight years the
Baltimore, Maryland based intermo- dal service facility further widened its operation with a focus on expand- ing its trailer repair business. “Trailer repair was just a natural
evolution for us,” Patella said. “If we hadn’t taken the steps we did at the time to rapidly expand our presence in the domestic trailer repair busi- ness, we may have become another casualty statistic of the Great Recession. Like with most business- es, large and small, we took our lumps…some with lingering effects. But, with some sacrifice and the dedication of our employees, we survived and came out stronger.” Container repair and storage was falling
off, mainly due to the rapid downturn of global trade and the fact that containers just don’t break like they used to. But, con-
26 BEHIND THE WHEEL ~ Q3 Fall 2014
sistent with their operating philosophy, the minds at Picorp soon realized they had all the makings of a trailer repair outfit. The shop and facility were large, with over 20,000 square feet and almost 50 acres. Their technicians and mechanics were already familiar with fixing brakes, axles, electrical systems, and body components; and they had the parts stock and equip- ment to do it.
ness strategy and looking for new opportu- nities to integrate.” Patella said. “Fortunately, Karen’s knowledge and expe- rience gave us the ability to enter the past period of recession with a sizable share of the trailer repair market and was a huge factor in our ability to weather the storm.” With the increase in trailer repairs came
Photos: courtesy Picorp Inc.
a new 2,000 square foot paint booth, expansion of the existing shop that increased its size to 32,000 square feet, and a fleet of fully equipped, mobile service vans. With business on the upswing,
the company recruited a new head of operations, Raymond Kuemmer, from a local competitor. With him came the value of many years of technical experience and shop management. Now, mechanics with a broad set
of skills can easily be moved from one department to another, if need- ed, without a drop-off in quality, productivity, or customer commit- ment. This is also something that helps stimulate thinking and leads to fresh ideas. “We have some guys employed
here for 30 years and some for 30 months. Any of them can easily be switched between divisions,” Kuemmer said. “Most times, it’s as simple as sharing knowledge and boom, you’ve taken a step towards increasing your productivity.” Picorp also found itself ahead of
Picorp wasn’t necessarily a rookie, start-
up shop. Their existing operations -- along with the purchase of a local trailer repair company and the expertise of its vice presi- dent, Karen McKay -- made for quick entry into the market. “We are constantly reassessing our busi-
the game on some technological develop- ments. Having dealt heavily with clients overseas, the company developed its own management system, designed by head of IT, Richard Newberger. So, the company was already up to speed on many of the
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