SIPS Team USA appears to be going bankrupt
SIPS Team USA of Bainbridge GA is a supplier of structural insulated panels. They have been in business awhile and have been featured in a JLC article and have done projects for the Make it Right foundation.
I gave them a 20% deposit back in April to make shop drawings which they did a decent job of with maybe 7 revisions to match our intended plans. We gave them a 75% deposit to commence fabrication in July but they were never able to deliver the product.
The owner Ronald Harrigan was very untruthful throughout the month long delay and finally admitted cash flow problems. He said to move forward with other options and promised to give a full refund. So far not a dime has been returned and Mr. Harrigan has not answered or returned my calls in over 3 weeks.
I want to spread the word about SIPS TEAM USA and hope others dont get taken advantage of like we have.
Replies
Do not do business with SIPS Team USA
To all…..WARNING!!!!!!!!! Ron Harrigan, Owner of SIPS Team USA is nothing but a crook! I have never met a man more dishonest. Though I am an avid supporter of Structural Insulated Panels and the industry, I would never consider purchasing panels from SIPS Team USA. In the eight years I’ve been associated with the company, I’ve witness some things most companies would never allow. This post by Brian Knight is just the tip of the iceberg. Mr. Knight is not the only customer out there waiting for their money. Just the only customer who decided to speak out.
Now, I know many people out there may think by posting this I am trying to be revengeful. I am not. I just feel any potential customer needs to be aware of SIPS Team USA’s issues and to think twice before purchasing from this company. I also strongly believe in Structural Insulated Panels and hope this in no way hurts the industry.
I cannot believe what I have seen go out the door there at SIPS Team USA in terms of product quality. For you who know about structural insulated panels, know that these are made up of two oriented strand boards (OSB), both inside and outside skins, glued to foam insulation core with a structural adhesive. This is what gives the panels their structural integrity. Without this, these panels are useless. I have witness times when the product would fail. The adhesive would not adhere to the wood nor foam yet the product still made its way to the job site. The faulty product was actually installed in the structure! I have personally witness this problem being brought to Ron Harrigan’s attention. I’ve shown Ron panels that failed, where the adhesive was no longer holding, and Ron would have the employees place lumber in the panel or pour adhesive on the outer edge to hide the mistake. I have seen the 24’x8’ OSB sheet come into the shop so badly warped that I would not use them to build an outhouse, yet they too somehow made it to the job site. The customer thought they were warped because of the way they were loaded on the truck, and Ron never told them anything different. But regardless of what caused the panels to warp, they should have never been installed and returned to the plant. I have witness Ron Harrigan go against what his engineer has engineered for the project without informing his engineer of the change. SIPS Team USA has built structures that do not meet code. How he gets away with this is beyond me, but he somehow convinces the building inspectors this is okay based only on his word and experience. I would not recommend living in a structure that does not meet code. Codes were established through decades of trial and error. Not because of one person’s opinion or experience.
Next, not one bank in Bainbridge, GA will deal with SIPS Team USA due to way to many bounced checks. Unless the employee has a personal bank account, every employee has to go to a local liquor store to cash their checks. This is only because this one particular store is willing to hold the checks until there is enough money for the checks to clear the bank. Even with a personal bank account, some banks still refuse to cash the checks. No other store in Bainbridge, GA will touch a check with SIPS Team USA printed on it. Ron has asked employees to hold their checks and not cash them because of insufficient funds. He has laid off employees due to insufficient funds, then avoided or lied to the customer when he was unable to produce the product. Many employees remain with the company only because of the economy and the lack of employment opportunities there in Bainbridge.
Two employees, me included, nearly went to jail because Ron refused to pay the child support ordered garnished from our pay. It took a Sheriff Officer showing up at the office with orders to appear before I ever knew anything about this issue. When I approached Ron Harrigan about this, he place blame on the secretary; saying it was her responsibility. He claimed he was not aware of the non-payments. I, along with everyone who works in the office, knew this was not true. Ron Harrigan is the only person authorized to make any payments or handle any monies that concerns SIPS Team USA. He was unable to pay the support and had to sell a company van to cover the missed payments. Even after doing so, he was still $500.00 short. Thankfully the $2200.00 he received from the van was enough to keep me out of jail.
SIPS Team USA claims to be a “Green” product, but for anyone who has ever visited the plant knows that only the product delivered is “Green” and environmentally safe. The rest is piled 15 feet high and over 30 yards long behind the facility. There is an unknown amount of debris and waist seeping into the sewage and ground water as well as being scattered by the winds to the surrounding area. See: http://www.thepostsearchlight.com/2014/08/12/trash-from-sips-property-affects-aiport-health-safety/ for the story, or search 216 Industrial Boulevard, Bainbridge, GA on google earth to see the debris pile for yourself. The only thing “Green” about SIPS Team USA is the money Ron Harrigan takes from his customers. I recommend doing a little research on Bankruptcy records before doing business with SIPS Team USA or Ron Harrigan.
I should have never went to work with SIPS Team USA, but my biggest regret was not standing up and fighting for the many customers and employees Ron Harrigan has cheated. I hope this post will make any potential customers stop and take a closer look before doing business with Ron Harrigan in the future. I still believe in the Structural Insulated Panel industry and feel it remains one of the best ways to build.
wow was just talking to their design guy, he was talking a bunch of extras....
Who else is a manufacturer to deal with on SIPS in the SE area.
Keep in mind this could be one guy with an axe to grind, posting under 2 different profiles and trying to make it look like 2 different people.
Or it could be true. No way to know.
SIPs
Hank, you worked on my project in 2010 here in WNC. I haven't seen any issues with the product. I'm ready to build the main house but would like to talk with you first. Would you please call me @ 704-607-9575. Thanks Bill collins
Update
We were eventually paid back in full through several deposits. We ended up using Zip+R to achieve simalar performance but did have to do some additional trim work around the doors and windows for the wall thickness difference.
I returned to update at the request of the owner who was very apologetic about the problems. Would have updated on my own but wasnt sure if it would make matters worse by making the thread more visible. I understand how cash flow can effect the construction business and wish this company the best as I think they offer a good product and service.
Apparently, the other negative review was from a terminated employee.
Brian
Thanks!