Fred Oswald, president, founded Oztec Industries, Inc. in 1965, and was joined by his wife Angella Oswald, executive vice president, in 1990. Together, they have created a company based on developing and manufacturing the highest quality concrete consolidation and grinding equipment on the market. Today, the Oswald family, along with a highly dedicated and talented team of employees, is proud to continue producing a quality American-made product from their facility in Port Washington, New York.
How’s business for Oztec?
OSWALD: Oztec’s business is strong. 2014 was a record year for us; we continued a trend of strong growth that has steadily increased over the last 6 years. After the economic downturn in 2008, Oztec acted quickly to improve efficiencies in our facility. We invested in new high-speed machines, operated by top-notch machinists, working with the latest tools and programs. This allowed Oztec to maintain quality and increase our capacity all while keeping costs down and continuing to manufacture our products right here in the USA. We attribute this proactive approach to why Oztec was able to stay strong during difficult economic times.
What has influenced Oztec and its product offerings?
OSWALD: The contractors’ needs have always driven Oztec’s product offerings. We believe that listening to the contractor and then designing equipment to solve problems is what leads to a superior product. Many of our most successful products came about after a contractor contacted us with a problem that they were having and we were able to develop a product to solve it.
How does Oztec add benefit for the contractor?
OSWALD: Oztec adds value to the contractor by producing unique, patented products that address the challenges that contractors face on the jobsite. It is these products that really speak to Oztec’s commitment to solving contractors’ most difficult consolidation challenges. Two examples are Oztec’s patented Rebar Shaker and patented RubberHead. The Rebar Shaker effectively turns the embedded rebar into an internal vibrator, making it an incredibly effective tool for ICF and heavily congested rebar situations. It has also proven to be highly effective in cell block wall consolidation. Oztec’s RubberHead was originally developed to protect epoxy coated rebar, but through testing was found to out perform ANY other vibrator on the market, including high cycle.
What is one facet of business that can make a positive difference in a contractor’s operations?
OSWALD: We make ourselves available to the contractor. Whether at a trade show or via phone or email, Oztec is always willing to discuss contractors’ unique consolidation issues and make every effort to assist in solving the problem.
What is the most challenging issue facing the construction industry?
OSWALD: For us, finding highly skilled labor is a constant challenge, as is finding high-quality, domestically sourced inputs for our products.
What is your forward outlook for the construction industry? For Oztec?
OSWALD: This year has started out with a continuation of the upward trend that we have seen over the past 6 years. With new products in development, we expect this trend to continue into the foreseeable future. We are looking forward to continuing our research and development of our products to meet the changing demands of the construction industry. ■
For More Information:
Oztec’s products are available through its extensive dealer network throughout North America and around the world. For more information, visit www.oztec.com, or call 800.533.9055.
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Modern Contractor Solutions, February 2015
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