R. H. Lapp & Sons Inc. in Cumberland, Md., an 80-year-old, third-generation mechanical contractor, saw a need to update its equipment.

The contractor said it is an old company that is defined by “doing work in their region and doing it well.”

Owners George Lapp and Brian Marker knew they needed to look at lowering their costs while maintaining the craftsmanship their 70 employees are known for.

R.H. Lapp & Sons decided to install a new coil line purchased through Three Rivers Machinery of Pittsburgh. Their new Vicon Duct Line Express incorporates two coils, notching for TDC/TDF, beading and then runs the metal through the Pittsburgh machine.

Lapp and Sons uses no snap-lock joints on their jobs, so unlike most lines, they only had to buy what they wanted, which lowered the initial cost of the line.

Adding the line would help keep R.H. Lapp at their current $10 million in business per year and do it without adding or eliminating any personnel, officials said. The company said that made it a win for both employees and owners. They also said that keeping costs down would help to justify adding the remaining portion of line in the very near future.