SET Duct Manufacturing is a Detroit-based union manufacturer and members of the Sheet Metal and Air-Conditioning Contractors’ National Association and the Spiral Duct Manufactures Association, specializing in the manufacturing of rectangular, round and flat-oval duct systems.

Underground and fume exhaust systems and accessory items to sheet metal contractors make SET Duct a one-stop shop, officials say. SET Duct operates a shop full of modern equipment including a full rectangular coil line, spiral duct machine, plasma cutter, gore locker, oval machine and various welding equipment.

In addition, SET Duct manufacturing also prides itself on being a leader in the industry.

“We are project-oriented and can supply the contractor with all their ductwork needs from flanged systems, hangers, dampers, flex and other low-pressure components. We supply a vast majority of items for sheet metal contractors,” said Robert Burnham, SET’s sales manager.

SET Duct also has a fleet of trucks that deliver within their region to ensure their products are delivered on time.

Another picture from the Toledo Airgas facility.

Project variety        

SET Duct has supplied spiral, oval and rectangular ductwork on projects such as the new Little Caesars Arena, home of the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Pistons. Projects for University of Michigan, Notre Dame and General Motors, Chrysler, Honda and Ford plants, as well as numerous casinos, hospitals, water parks and schools throughout the Midwest. Engineering firms such as SSOE, Black & Veatch, KJWW, Middough and Dynamix continue to specify and recommend SET duct products.

Other recent projects include Detroit Foundation Hotel in Detroit; University of Michigan pathology labs in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Ford Motor Co. world headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan; Little Caesars’ global research facility in Detroit; Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ Toledo, Ohio, Jeep plant; and University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio.

SET Duct keeps millions of pounds of steel on hand such as galvanized, galvanneal, polyvinyl-coated, aluminum, stainless steel, for sale in 60-inch and slit widths for spiral pipe equipment and their own production use. Company officials say SET’s big advantage is having a  sister company that is a steel processer only located 30 minutes from the shop, which allows them better inventory control and can provide customers that need material cut to special widths.

Longtime employees    

Most of the 50-plus employees have been with SET since day No. 1.  SET Duct offers a wide range of opportunities to all employees, including an apprentice program and in-house training in areas that the union may not provide. Since opening in 2010, SET continues to grow. SET’s employees take great pride in what they do. An example of which is SET’s high safety standards, which the company and employees are very proud of coming up on almost five years without incurring a lost-time accident. All employees, from office to production, work as a team when it comes to safety.

The company not only cares about employees, but also about the community. SET adopted a park across the street from the factory. The company keeps it maintained. The park is constantly in use during the summer. SET Duct also does weekly cleanup in the streets surrounding the building. SET Duct believes in giving back to the community.

Having one of the industry’s most experienced ductwork fabrication departments, with average experience of 20 years per employee, and first-class equipment makes SET Duct formidable, officials said. Employees are provided with the best welding equipment available which enables employees to MIG (metal inert gas) weld and also TIG (tungsten inert gas) weld aluminum, stainless, black iron and many other types of material used in the ductwork fabrication industry.

SET Duct’s research and development department continues to explore new products. ColorDuct is an example of the innovation coming from R&D. ColorDuct was created to enhance exposed ductwork and to make it part of the design and aesthetically pleasing.

Ron Finch said the product fills a need in the ductwork fabrication industry.

“We noticed that more often architects were designing with exposed duct systems and that most required painting after installation. ColorDuct provides a more durable and cleaner finish and eliminates the need for costly painting after the duct is in the air,” Finch said.

ColorDuct is available in multiple RAL colors.

Plant manager Paul Hilbert has over 39 years of sheet metal forming experience and said he works to instill three things in each employee: “Quality, attention to detail and on-time delivery. We believe that our fabricators are only as good as the training that they have been given. If we fail, I’ve failed,” he said.

SET general manager Jerry Liddell  said he believes the company has had a bright past and an even brighter future.

“It’s our employees that separate us from the competitors,” he said.

This article was supplied by SET Duct Manufacturing. For reprints, contact Jill DeVries at (248) 244-1726 or email devriesj@bnpmedia.com.