June 2010 Vol. 237 No. 6

TechNotes

What does the name Cary Goss, President of Industrial Fabrics, Inc. mean to you?

On any given day, you can walk through the doors of Industrial Fabrics, Inc. of Baton Rouge, LA and find owner, Cary S. Goss, in the boardroom. He is busy touching base with his staff, strategically planning the week ahead.

A hands-on approach is the way he likes to do business and if you have worked with him, you know he means business. With a 30-year track record in this industry, Goss is a wealth of knowledge and is noted as a “go getter.”

Goss, 51, is president of Industrial Fabrics, Inc. (IFI). He founded IFI in the spring of 1981, and his company, Premier Concrete Products, came along 15 years later. Goss is a native of Vidor, TX where he graduated a Pirate from Vidor High School. He continued on to pursue an education in finance at Louisiana State University and remains a devout LSU Tiger Fan. He later attended the Amoco Fabrics and Fibers Company Program to earn his Technical Diploma for Geotextile Materials.

“In this industry you are learning something every day; you have to keep versed in what is out there,” Goss explained. He is known for listening to and acting on the needs of the individual oil and gas pipeliners and large contractors alike. He has developed relationships with customers throughout the United States. Within these relationships, the desire for better pipeline protection sparked the creative businessman in Goss.

In fall 2005, research began to develop a product that would outlast and outperform other rock shield products. A year later, the RockGuard® line was born. With two types of products in tow, the sales staff took the SD and HD material and hit the ground running.

Goss tells his staff, “People have to see it, they have to feel it; that is extremely important. We want the customer to know how well it performs. Send them samples.”

Growing in popularity, this rising star product has been used on big jobs like North America’s largest natural gas pipeline – the Kinder Morgan Rockies Express (REX) and contractors are currently rolling it out on the Fayetteville Express.

RockGuard has helped reinvent the way pipeliners look at rock shield for pipe protection. Coming in at half the weight of other products, RockGuard is quick and easy to install. In less than half the time it used to take workers, this new material is rolled out and taped up.

“We did not just introduce a product we thought would work; significant research and development went into this. We wanted a stronger, more affordable product that is easier to handle and faster to install. It saves money; it’s a smarter investment. The feedback has been amazing,” Goss said.

The RockGuard product line is just skimming the surface of what Goss’s crew can offer pipeliners. This ranges from concrete revetment pipeline protection mats at his Premier Concrete factory to his GreenSolutions Erosion Control Blankets and straw wattles that are manufactured at his Baton Rouge headquarters.

What makes his companies stand out over other suppliers in the business?

Goss said simply, “We make it. We have it in stock and it is going to ship that day. We have the best office staff and customer service; our motto is “we can do it” and we do.”

Last year was difficult for everyone in the business but Industrial Fabrics, Inc. managed to survive. With quality products and competitive pricing in mind, the family-owned business pushes forward.

Is there anything in addition to work that sparks the interest of this long-time businessman? It’s a question his staff ponders until they meet his beautiful wife and lovely daughters, and four gorgeous grandchildren. That’s when the staff realizes that this family man provides for more than just pipeliners.

Author
Shannon Ambs is RockGuard Product Manager for Industrial Fabrics, Inc. For more information visit www.rockguard.biz.