By Jeff Weigang
When you are in the market for PVQ, it's important to vet your supplier. This means taking the time to make some comparisons and ask a few questions.
Check Out Characteristics
You will find that PVQ steel plate offers a lot of desirable characteristics. Much of this has to do with the elements that are included in the alloy, ranging from Sulphur to manganese. It is highly corrosion resistant and is capable of holding in chemicals and other liquids.
Familiarize yourself with all of the characteristics so that you know whether it's right for your project. Once you use the material, there's no going back. Be sure it's what you need before you make the investment in one alloy over another one.
Determine Inventory
You likely know exactly how much PVQ steel plate you need. Not all suppliers maintain the same level of inventory. You want to make sure you choose the supplier who keeps this form of steel plate in stock. Further, they should be able to fulfill your order in a short period of time. If they have low inventory of what you need, it could end up taking weeks or even months to get everything in stock. This means you need to choose your supplier carefully based upon their ability to fulfill large orders quickly.
Explore the Reputation
You don't want to form a relationship with a supplier who has a bad reputation in the marketplace. Online reviews will tell you a lot about a supplier in terms of how they deal with other businesses. Further, you can look at various organizations and associations that they belong to.
If you don't know about the reputation of a supplier, you should plan on doing a little bit of research. Ask other companies about their experience after dealing with a certain supplier. Further, ask questions of the supplier to find out how knowledgeable they are about PVQ.
Negotiate Pricing
You don't want to spend more on PVQ than what is absolutely necessary. This means that it is up to you to negotiate pricing with a supplier. Talk to the supplier about how much PVQ still plate you need and what the cost is going to be. From there, do the same with several other suppliers in the area. Once you have written cost estimates from everyone, you can do some cost comparisons.
You are completely within your right to negotiate pricing as well. If you believe that you qualify for discounted pricing because of the large quantity you were ordering or because of the amount of new business that you can offer, don't hesitate to ask the supplier for a discount.
Once you find the right supplier, you will find that it is very easy to get all of the PVQ steel plate that you need for the different projects you work on throughout the year.
Ranger Steel has always strived to form personal relationships with customers in a wide variety of industries. The industries we serve are as follows: ship building, oil and gas, mining, light and heavy commercial and industrial construction; service centers; as well as fabricators for heavy plate, vessel and heat exchangers, storage tanks, bridges, electrical transmission, and railcars.