Premium Technical Services

Since 1972, Premium Technical Services (PTS) has been solidifying a respected reputation in specialized structural foundation repair and restoration. When there’s a problem below, the New York-based contractor goes above and beyond to deliver timely, honest service to commercial and residential customers from Maine to Pennsylvania.

PTS offers a range of services that bring homes, businesses and commercial buildings back to a safer standard, including concrete crack repair, pressure grouting, soil remediation and modification, as well as waterproofing and epoxy injection. Furthermore, the company is an active distributor of helical piers and has been a big player in the Hurricane Sandy relief effort throughout New York and New Jersey.

Second generation success

Second generation owners, and brothers, Mike and Jeff Melworm, are at the helm of PTS. “Our father, Ronald Melworm, started the business in 1972,” shares Mike, now president of PTS. “He was working for a company in the waterproofing business and didn’t like the way the company was treating customers. He knew there was a better, honest way to make a living so he started PTS.”

From the time Mike and Jeff were teenagers, the brothers were involved in the family business. “From the time I was 12 or 13 years old, during every break and summer vacation I was helping my father,” says Mike. “While other kids were playing, Jeff and I were working.”

“Our reputation and the fact that we have been going so long as second generation makes us proud,” adds Jeff, now vice president of PTS. “There are a lot of companies where things fall to the wayside when the second generation takes over, but not PTS.”

Mike and Jeff have stuck to the tradition of honest business started years ago by their father. “We don’t cut corners… that’s not what we’re about,” ensures Jeff. “We’re out there to serve our customers and dealers by doing the right thing 100 percent of the time.”

In 1985, PTS entered the helical pier market, becoming a distributor to supplement the company’s already thriving ground and foundation services. “We are a distributor; we don’t install the piers ourselves, but we work with a network of about 50 different installers throughout the region,” notes Mike.

Entering the helical market, PTS formed what is now a longstanding relationship with Maclean Dixie, an 85-year-old helical pier manufacturer. “Maclean Dixie is one of the few manufacturers with ICC approval across four different product lines,” reveals Mike.

Grounding the Jersey Shore

PTS’ helical distribution brand of the company has been influential in the rebuilding and re-grounding in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. “We have several dealers in New Jersey, raising houses and putting in new helical foundations,” notes Mike. “We also have engineers working with Maclean Dixie in the heart of the devastated area.”

As Mike explains, traditional timber piles used to stabilize most sinking foundations is far from the answer in the case of the Sandy disaster area. “The homes affected by Sandy are situated in a highly populated area in the flood plain,” he says. “Most are bungalows right on top of each other and there are few wide-open lots to lift homes onto; both lifting and moving present considerable costs. The other issue is causing further damage from the vibrations produced when driving a timber pile.”

Helical piers are the answer to the multifaceted problem. “Helical piles allow you to raise the home, go underneath to secure the foundation and lower the building without vibrations or completely moving it,” explains Mike. PTS showcased the benefits to helical piers at the 2014 Atlantic Builders Convention, an event the company has participated in for nearly a decade.

A safer, secure environment

In New York, PTS has recently wrapped up another residential job at the 552 Academy Street apartment building. Located in a crowded urban environment, the 552 Academy St. Apartment building once served as an affordable housing accommodation for many New Yorkers.

The six-story complex dilapidated and was assessed as being structurally unsound. The 72-unit building required an emergency evacuation in February 2011 after a building inspection discovered more than 1,000 code violations.

In conjunction with project engineering company Wexler & Associates, PTS developed a solution to restore the building and allow it to open its doors once again to provide a safe and efficient environment for its residents. All internal loads were designed to be supported by a series of 339 Maclean Dixie helical piles.

Each of the 3.5 inch pipe piles were installed by making a small entry path on the side of the building for equipment to access the ground floor. From there, crews worked to install the piles while working in confined areas without causing any damage to the existing structure. Installed at 10,000 feet per pound of torque at depths of 35 feet, the Maclean Dixie helical piles helped restore the residential unit back to a safe and secure living environment as opposed to complete demolition.

According to Jeff, PTS is always looking for an alternate solution. “There’s always new technology out there and if it’s innovative, we’re interested,” he says proudly. “We’ve always tried to stay on the cutting edge.”

Mike and Jeff agree there’s plenty of work in sight for the 42-year-old company. “There’s at least another six to seven years of solid work on the Jersey Shore from all of the Sandy destruction,” adds Mike. Years down the road, Premium Technical Services will be there, delivering time-tested solutions and structural repair backed by a solid family history.