The West Point, Virginia mill project was a significant undertaking for Tweet Garot, involving a 23-day outage piping and sheet metal scopes. Brought on board two months prior to the outage, our team faced unique challenges due to the lack of finalized IFC drawings. This required adaptation and quick decision-making as tasks and designs changed frequently. Unlike typical outages where tasks are clearly defined, this project demanded high levels of flexibility and problem-solving. Our crew of 14 pipefitters and welders, along with 3 sheet metal workers, was composed of many familiar faces from previous projects across the U.S., fostering a strong sense of teamwork and collaboration.

Despite the summer heat and long 7-days-a-week, 10-hour workdays, the team successfully installed over 4,000 linear feet of piping systems, including compressed air, white water, warm water, mill water, steam, and condensate systems. Additionally, the sheet metal crew completed complex installations such as the trim system, dust collection, reel drum blower, electric control room HVAC, and exterior siding. At the peak of the project, our crew numbers reached 14 for piping and four for sheet metal, accumulating approximately 7,000 man-hours by the estimated completion.

The project’s primary goal was to enhance workplace safety and implement automation for transporting rolls to their pickup points. These upgrades will be completed by the end of September 2024, aligning with the commissioning of one of the oldest linear board machines still operational in the U.S.

The project was carried out with a commitment to safety, and to date, there have been no recordable safety incidents. The project’s success is a direct result of the team’s dedication, adaptability, and hard work under challenging conditions.