Mooretown Mill
Not Just a Customer, a Salesperson
Pre-engineered I-beam steel buildings are just one of the items
sold by Brian O'Keefe's business, the Mooretown Mill in Sweet Valley , Pa. But to
find out for himself what separates Allied Steel from other commercial building
manufacturers, O'Keefe wasn't willing to just hear the company's sales pitch.
O'Keefe decided to put Allied Steel buildings to the ultimate test: He bought one.
And the new building he bought was not going to be just another generic structure on the property. It was going to replace the historic mill that had served as the company headquarters.
"Our old building was just not able to handle our needs, so I looked at a lot of options," O'Keefe says. "Allied Steel was a company I've been wanting to sell for, so I thought I'd see firsthand how they operate."
O'Keefe had researched the prices and quality of several buildings before narrowing his list to a few he was finally considering. At that point, a fax arrived that caught his eye.
The fax was from Allied Steel and contained information on a building that had come available that would serve his purpose well. Coincidentally, Allied Steel was a company that O'Keefe wanted the Mooretown Mill to represent, so he decided to make the call.
O'Keefe said that after determining the quality of building, assessing the reputation of the company, and analyzing the building's price, it was an easy decision.
"I was trying to build a relationship with Allied and I thought this would help," he says. O'Keefe considered more than price when choosing Allied Steel. It was also important for him to learn how the company performed on delivery and customer service.
Allied Steel delivered on all counts, O'Keefe says. He says the building was competitive on price, and met his expectations on quality. Plus, he says, Allied representatives have been helpful throughout the construction process.
The building pieces came from Florida , O'Keefe says, and arrived on time in Sweet Valley , near Wilkes-Barre in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania . He said construction began on New Year's Day, 2004.
The Mooretown Mill sells metal roofing and log homes, in addition to steel buildings. In his 17 years in business, O'Keefe has dealt with a lot of different approaches to customer service from companies. He says working with Allied Steel has been a good experience.
"I think they do a good job," he says. "The main thing, when there's a problem, they will help work me through it. Rick Akram helped us on wind load and snow load issues, which are big here, so I feel good about it."
But the proof is in the building, so to speak. Now that he's worked with Allied Steel on a building to serve as his company headquarters, would he recommend Allied to his customers?
"Well, I've sold a few of their buildings already," O'Keefe said with a laugh. | 
