FALL 1999

Cleburne Sheet Metal Has Built Its Reputation on Striving For -- And Achieving Total Customer Satisfaction

Cleburne Sheet Metal Company's Management Team: Left to Right : Michael Franklin, Sales Manager; Wesley Elliston, Project Manager; Buc Avanzini, Board of Directors; Kirk Coppinger, Sales & Marketing Representative and Fred Couch, President.

Fred Couch was only nineteen years old when he founded
Cleburne Sheet Metal. Although young in years, Fred already had a wealth of hands-on practical sheet metal and installation experience which he gained as an employee of a major sheet metal shop in the Dallas area. Even though the construction industry was relatively sluggish in 1986 when Fred Couch started his new company, the concept of architectural metal roofing was rapidly growing in popularity in the design community. One strategic decision which has proven to be a key factor in Cleburne Sheet Metal's success was their affiliation with Berridge Manufacturing Company in 1987.

Over the next thirteen years, Cleburne Sheet Metal grew to be one of the largest Sheet Metal Construction firms in the country and a recipient of the prestigious "Customer of Distinction" award from Berridge Manufacturing Company each year since the inception of this award program. Today the company employees forty-three people and has offices in Dallas and Fort Worth. The company also owns and operates its own fleet of transportation trucks, a complete selection of Berridge portable roll formers, and lifting and hoisting equipment. While the majority of Cleburne Sheet Metal's business is commercial, Fred Couch notes that the residential part of his business is increasing rapidly.

Couch explains that his company is best known for two areas of metal work: site-forming of continuous-length standing seam metal roofing, particularly barrel vault and curved roof systems, and restoration of historical metal roofs. The main reason for the constant growth is customer satisfaction: seventy-eight percent of Cleburne Sheet Metal's business is from repeat business and twenty percent from referrals.

Another advantage noted by Couch is that his company uses Berridge Manufacturing Company as its single-source supplier for coil, flat sheet material, roll forming equipment, factory products and accessories. Fred Couch sums it up when he says, "Our greatest marketing tools is our list of satisfied customers, and our relationship with Berridge Manufacturing Company has helped make this possible."

PHOTOS OF CLEBURNE SHEET METAL PROJECTS