Arctic Directory 2017: Greer Tank & Welding celebrates its 65th anniversary

Locally owned company provides welding and fabrication excellence

Q. What is the official name of your company?

A. Greer Tank & Welding

Q. Is your firm a subsidiary or affiliate of other companies? If so, please name those firms and their relationship to your company.

A. There are three plants within our company. Greer Tank & Welding in Fairbanks, Greer Tank Inc. in Anchorage, Greer Steel Inc. in Washington.

Q. What do you most want people to know about your company?

A. Greer locally manufactures residential and commercial steel fabrication and storage vessels.

Q. What year was the company founded and by whom?

A. We were founded in 1952 in Fairbanks by Glenn & Ruth Greer.

Q. What is your company’s primary business activity?

A. We are a storage tank and steel manufacturer.

Q. Are there important projects the company is currently a part of or has done recently?

A. Greer provided the structural steel for the Rabinowitz Courthouse in Fairbanks.

Q. How many employees does your company have?

A. We currently have 95 employees.

Q. Describe the equipment your company uses and are there any new equipment purchases planned?

A. We plan on purchasing plasma cutting tables, water jet cutting tables, and dig welding and rotational molding systems. We recently added a sandblasting facility in Washington and soon plan to add a sandblasting facility in Fairbanks.

Q. Is the company changing any of its services or products?

A. We recently added polyethylene rotational molding facility in Fairbanks and added ASME U-Stamp and R-Stamp for our welding and fabrication products.

Q. What is your company’s main strength or its edge over the competition?

A. With 3 locations, Greer can manufacture and ship anywhere in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska with fast turnaround times.

Q. What new markets, clients or projects did your company attract in the last year?

A. We provided miscellaneous metals for the University of Alaska Fairbanks power plant that is currently under construction.

Q. What is the most challenging work/contract the company has undertaken?

A. At our Fairbanks facility, we manufactured 12, 14-foot x 36 foot coated tanks this winter and shipped them from Fairbanks to Kenai.

Q. What are the biggest obstacles to completing work your company undertakes?

A. Finding local, trained manpower.

Q. What do you see as your company’s biggest challenge in the next five years?

A. The decrease in spending on the North Slope by oil manufacturer, plus current and future environmental regulations.

Q. Does your company have an anniversary or other landmark event coming up?

A. This year marks our 65th anniversary of Greer Tank & Welding in Fairbanks.

Q. What is the average length of time employee’s work for the company?

A. Most stay an average of 12 years.

Q. What is your company’s safety record? What steps does the company take to ensure a safe work environment?

A. Our daily safety meetings and strict protocols for procedures when unsafe conditions present themselves. Our Fairbanks facility is currently running on 1700+ days without any time lost.

Q. Has your company been involved in any community projects or charity events?

A. In Fairbanks, we support the Catholic Schools of Fairbanks and the Autism Walk. In other communities, we support upwards of a dozen local non-profits and/or community events.

Q. What is the address of your company’s Web site?

A. www.greertankfairbanks.com