A Stroke of Genius
Haynes Scaffolding & Supply climbs to the top of the heap with a commitment to meet customers’ unique needs
Five years ago, Owners Mike and Rick Haynes ushered in a new era at Haynes Scaffolding & Supply, Inc. (Haynes Scaffolding) when they stepped into the leadership roles at the West Palm Beach, Florida-based company. But their deep appreciation for the past helps form their decisions and vision for the family-owned business whose history is deeply entwined with the recent history of the region where it was born.
As South Florida began to grow, Haynes Scaffolding was doing the same and helping the community flourish and expand. And though the firm specializes in scaffolding, it wasn’t always that way.
“The funny part? Haynes Scaffolding’s origin story doesn’t even begin with scaffolding at all,” Rick says. “It begins with a painter in the early 1900s, one who had trouble reaching certain areas and found himself in need of a scaffolding system.”
In that era, scaffolding was made of hand-built wood bucks and was tremendously labor-intensive. Furthermore, there were no scaffolding dealers in what was then a young Palm Beach County.
While attending a painting industry convention at The Breakers resort in Palm Beach, the painter, W.T. Haynes, was introduced to frame-and-brace steel scaffolding.
This scaffolding was safer, easier to erect and could be built to reach higher than its wooden counterpart. W.T. was eager to share his discovery with son and apprentice Eugene Haynes.
That first scaffolding purchase helped the painter’s business reach new heights and it quickly became one of the area’s top painting contractors. The new scaffolding made the jobs run smoother, safer and easier because getting to hard-to-reach spaces suddenly wasn’t quite so hard.
Eugene quickly realized the benefits of the scaffolding and capitalized on the demand for such a product in Palm Beach County, which was experiencing significant growth and construction at the time. He urged his father to shift the focus of the business—and the company known today as Haynes Scaffolding & Supply, Inc. was formed.
A Thriving Business in a Flourishing Community
Eugene became a leader and pillar of his industry by scaffolding the unique homes of Palm Beach and helping other contractors meet the demands of a growing community. He took the time to help his customers determine how to safely install the scaffolding as the buildings became more complex, taller and more complicated to reach.
All the while, the next generation was being exposed to the ins and outs of scaffolding and getting a hands-on education about the family business.
“As kids, we thought we had the best jungle gyms in the neighborhood,” Mike says. “We would take the equipment off Dad’s truck and build a tower to jump in the pool.”
The boys were making fun and games of scaffolding, but Eugene had a serious approach to helping the community and his business grow. He planted the seeds for the future, and as his son Mike and nephew Rick grew older, he took them under his wing and trained them to install scaffolding. The cousins, who are often confused as brothers, learned the fundamentals of how to create a professional team to install and dismantle the scaffold.
“We’ve been there forever,” Mike says, “learning how to handle the tough jobs, finding solutions for the tricky projects and making customers happy.”
Haynes Scaffolding has built a reputation in the area for being able to deliver and satisfy on projects that are far from the ordinary. One such request was for a project perched off a cliff in the Caribbean. “It’s not every day you get a call for an observation point that is literally sticking out off the edge of a cliff,” Mike says.
“We do unique scaffolding for unique situations,” he adds, noting that his team of about 50 is used to working around artwork, sculptures, glass staircases and other delicate items.
Each cousin developed a specialized focus: Mike perfected installation and Rick streamlined the organization. But for both, new safety procedures and educating themselves about new products that make it easier to get to the hard-to-reach places were priorities.
A New Era
When Rick and Mike officially became the company’s leaders, they decided to hit the ground running. Combined, the men had worked for the company for nearly 50 years and decided to capitalize on that experience and history—growing Haynes Scaffolding five times the size it was in just a few years.
With customer convenience always top of mind, they vastly increased the fleet of equipment available at their facility. They boosted rental of not just standard scaffolding (frame and brace), but also rolled out shoring and system-style scaffolding. They now also offer in-house scaffolding and safety items so that customers can purchase their own equipment.
Beyond the growth, what really makes Haynes Scaffolding stand out is the flexibility required to complete projects for unique structures and homes throughout the area. That will never change, the men say. “We won’t allow ourselves to be pigeonholed into just new construction projects,” Rick says. “Regardless of how difficult something is, Haynes Scaffolding is able to make those hard-to-reach places easy to reach.”
Much of the work they complete is for high-end, luxury residential projects. In South Florida, homeowners are known for buying massive properties, overhauling them and then seeking out new projects shortly after. “Most of the homes in Palm Beach are owned by people who build or renovate them to live in for a few years,” says Rick, noting that Haynes Scaffolding’s crews are accustomed to meeting the requirements of exacting clients.
“Most people don’t want to see us at all, but when you wrap a 50,000-square-foot home, you’re going to see us,” Rick says. “So, we make sure we’re quiet, respectful and come in and do the job right.”
Hard Hats and a Solid 50
As Haynes Scaffolding celebrates its 50th anniversary, it’s also taking the opportunity to embrace the energy and contagious enthusiasm of its current owners and their progressive mission statement that emphasizes safety and professionalism. Haynes Scaffolding has become somewhat of a meeting place for the Scaffold & Access Industry Association’s training that sets the standard in this industry. The owners live by—and instill in their crews—the philosophy that there is no such thing as too much training when it ensures the safety of their employees, customers and members of the public passing by their scaffolding.
Keeping everyone safe and on track is a core value and priority. As they’ve grown, they’ve made sure that message has filtered to all team members.
“Haynes Scaffolding has the largest staff [for a company of its kind] in Palm Beach County, and it shows,” Mike says.
The cousins are driven to continue the growth and legacy created when a painter went searching for solutions all those years ago. “Every day is a challenge and the uniqueness of every job is what makes it fun,” Rick adds. “It’s not just putting scaffolding on a flat wall—we’re up and over and here and there and doing it all in a very safe way. When you’re good at it, it doesn’t feel like work.” Jamie Knodel is an accomplished writer and editor, covering everything from breaking news and politics to construction and design trends.