Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

PIC Leasing Deals With Large Metal Containers

Ever wonder where those huge metal containers come from?

Jerry Newman, with PIC Leasing, told members of the Clark County Industrial Council about metal containers at the group's regular monthly meeting Thursday, Feb. 18.

Newman, who retired from Reynolds Metals in 1993, wanted to remain active and got involved in intermodal leasing. This is where the containers come in.

They are used for a variety of things, ranging from shipping dross (slag aluminum) to corn.

PIC Leasing, he said, is owned by Precision Incorporated of West Virginia. This company began in the 1960s and primarily serviced the aluminum industry by making specialty parts and supplies.

PIC's shop is located at Gum Springs in a 6,000 square foot building. This is where the containers are repaired and maintained.

Other such companies, Newman said, have as many as 300,000 containers, while PIC owns 525 and is negotiating for 125 more.

These containers, he said, have been used to transport hazardous waste materials and are good to use when cleaning up demolition waste as well.

PICs containers leased to customers in Canada, the Pacific Northwest, the Midwest and South.

Newman said PIC representatives go to trade shows for containers and look at the new developments. It is at these shows containers are purchased.

Keeping up with the containers once they are leased is no problem, he said. The containers are tagged with radio frequency tabs making it easy to track and keep records on them.

The leases, he said, are done on both long and short term basis, but the short term is about six months. Newman said no containers are leased for "overnight" use.

"We're interested in expanding," he told the CCIC members. "We'd like to get into a yard tractor operation for the (Clark County) Industrial Park." Some of the existing businesses in the park have shown interest in this idea, he added, and if the business is there PIC will provide the equipment and personnel.

In other business, CCIC President Brown Hardman said the membership drive is still going on with the goal remaining at 500.

Al Lynch was named as chairman of the existing industries committee, replacing Mike McFarland who moved away.

A steering committee is being formed to further examine the feasibility of a learning center for industry.