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Left to right: Owners Richard Haynes and Michael Haynes in Palm Beach, FL.

To reach the work surface, the crew at Haynes Scaffolding and Supply, Inc. hung scaffold over the water.

To say the team of Haynes Scaffolding and Supply, Inc. (Haynes Scaffolding) has no fear may be an understatement. After all, the company’s scaffolding experts are tasked with seemingly daredevil challenges—from erecting a 60-foot system from the roofline down to engineering a structure that spans a waterfall to creating a free-standing scaffolding system amid battering ocean currents.

“We do unique scaffolding for unique areas,” says Michael Haynes, Vice President and Co-Owner. “We engineer systems in places others can’t reach.”

“We’ve installed more scaffolding systems on top of glass staircases than I can count,” adds Richard Haynes, President and Co-Owner.

Headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida, Haynes Scaffolding serves residential and commercial customers in South Florida, as well as across the state. In addition to designing and installing ring-lock scaffolding systems, the company sells and rents standard frame-and-brace scaffolding and provides shoring services. Its customers include general contractors, homeowners and event coordinators.

Rooted in Safety

Though project challenges may seem dizzying in height and complexity, team members live and breathe a company culture rooted in safety. “At Haynes Scaffolding, there’s no such thing as too much safety training,” says Richard, who is an SAIA-certified safety trainer. That means quarterly training sessions in the company’s classroom and three-acre yard, for both employees and contractors. “We don’t cut corners. No matter the rush, we take the time to do jobs safely,” he adds.

And every single new hire starts on the ground. “It doesn’t matter how good your references are or how brave you are. There is too much risk in what we do. The longer you’re with us, the higher you’ll go, but until we see how safely you work, you stay on the ground,” Michael says. He explains that safety sessions in the yard often start with longer-term employees showing team members and contractors how to do a procedure safely. Small groups then proceed to practice, while Michael and Richard look on. “We watch and observe to make sure everyone understands each concept,” Richard says.

When Richard and Michael took over the family-owned company in 2013, the cousins began to heavily invest in ring-lock scaffolding to enhance job site safety. “With traditional frame-and-brace scaffolding, we were finding that contractors would sometimes remove a brace—and even a tie-in—that might be getting in the way of their work, compromising the stability of the entire scaffolding system,” Michael says.

Ring-lock scaffolding allows greater access for workers since there’s no brace in front of the structure. “The ring-lock system allows a full range of movement,” Richard says. “We can build the scaffolding structure in a variety of ways, changing direction every 20 inches if needed. The system gives us great flexibility and versatility in design, but, most importantly, it results in a system that is safer and more secure.”

Never Been Stumped

Custom designing a scaffolding solution starts with taking the time to listen to the customer. “At first, we keep our mouths shut and we pay attention,” Michael says. “We’re looking to learn about the type of work the customer will be performing and how they’ll be using the scaffolding system.”

Once he has an understanding of the project, Michael gets to work at his computer designing the system. “Michael knows how to use his toolbox really well,” Richard says. “Other companies will show up at the job site and try to puzzle out how to get the customer the access they need. As soon as Michael and I see the job, we know exactly how to do it. There’s not a single job that’s stumped us.”

The Future of Scaffolding

The reason the cousins have never been stumped by a job is because they’ve been working with scaffolding since they were children. “I remember when I was 10 years old, I created a six-foot tower out of scaffolding over the pool,” Michael says. “My dad came home to find us doing backflips into the pool from that tower. He got so mad at me. It was incredibly dangerous.”

Michael’s grandfather, W.T., and his father, Eugene, started Haynes Scaffolding in 1957. “Our grandfather actually started as a painter in the early 1900s,” Richard says. After years of frustration with the scaffolding of the time (hand-built wood bucks that were difficult to erect and to move), W.T. attended a painting industry convention at The Breakers resort in Palm Beach, Florida. There, he first set eyes on a frame-and-brace scaffold. W.T. and his son and apprentice, Eugene, purchased the scaffolding system and the company soon reached new heights in project size and revenue.

At the urging of Eugene, W.T. shifted the focus on his business from painting to scaffolding and the new company played a key role in the growth of Palm Beach County. Under Eugene’s wing, Richard and Michael learned about design, installation and how to manage a winning team. Since taking the reins, the duo has grown the business and tripled the company’s inventory of ring-lock scaffolding.

Among the company’s 50 employees are four of the next generation in the Haynes family. “I have two sons who work for the business, and Rick has a son and daughter here. Every single one of them got their training out in the field for five or six years. Now they’re learning the operations side of the business,” Michael says.

Michael and Richard learn from their children as well. “My sons know so much about social media. I tell them, ‘I’m listening. I’m willing to learn,’ ” Michael says.

A ‘Mom’ and a ‘Dad’

Michael and Richard consider everyone to be family at Haynes Scaffolding—whether they’re related to them or not. “Employees jokingly call Rick ‘dad’ since he’s the one who lays down the law. They call me ‘mom’ since I listen to them when they’re upset,” Michael says. The cousins know from experience that scaffolding is hard work, and they make sure employees are well taken care of. “They’re the ones working hard and sweating up there. We make sure we have coolers stocked with drinks, provide pizza at times and treat employees to special outings like concerts and barbecues—anything we can do to show our appreciation,” he says.

Employees often post pictures of their accomplishments on their personal Facebook pages. “You’re building something so unique. They want to show it off,” Richard says. “People are proud to work here and are proud of what they do. We have a lot of long-term employees at Haynes Scaffolding; some have been with the company for 20 to 30 years,” he adds.

“We care about our people, we care about our customers, and we care about their projects. We know how to use our toolbox, we design and install great structures, and we work hard to keep everyone safe.” Michael Haynes, Vice President and Co-Owner, Haynes Scaffolding and Supply, Inc.

Strong Structures

Among the unique structures designed and installed by Haynes Scaffolding was one for the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach. “The contractor was needing to refinish a 60-foot-tall, 120-year-old tower that was nestled within the house, making ground access impossible,” Michael says. The team of Haynes Scaffolding accessed the tower through a small window at the roofline, distributing their weight across the terracotta tiles to reduce the chance of damage. Traversing over five different levels of roofline, the company positioned team members on all roof levels, carefully passing each piece of scaffolding from person to person. “We wrapped that entire tower from the top down, creating a custom support system that could withstand 160 mph winds. We had 21 people working on that job,” he says.

Another project required all hands on deck for a fast-paced weekend install. “An assisted living facility had lost its main power. We got the call from the client, an urgent response team, on Friday and by Monday, we had created a 160-foot structure with a staircase interior and a cable tray where the customer could safely run electrical cables onto every single floor of the 16-story building,” Michael says, adding that the structure was designed to handle 60,000 pounds of cabling and to withstand hurricane-force winds.

A project for a painting and coating customer found Haynes Scaffolding designing and installing a scaffolding system for a pumping station along the Atlantic Ocean. “We were not allowed to touch the ocean floor, and the system had to be free-standing and able to withstand the powerful ocean currents,” Michael says, noting that depending on the tide, 70 percent to 100 percent of the pumping station could be submerged by water. “This wasn’t a project where we install and leave the structure to the customer. Every single day we were out there checking the structure’s integrity, securing equipment and replacing decking that had become displaced because of the current.”

Richard estimates that the company takes on 1,000 jobs a year. “We stay incredibly busy, but we love it. Every day is unique,” he says.

“Each job gets you thinking about how you can put together the pieces in your toolbox to make it happen,” Michael says. “We’ve designed and installed scaffolding systems around submarines, aircraft and even at NASCAR races. We’re doing something different every day.”

“We’ll create camera towers for polo matches and golf events, erect finish lines for triathlon races and design and install elevated, ADA-accessible ramps across roadways for the SunFest music festival in West Palm Beach,” Richard notes.

The company recently added shoring services to its suite of service offerings. “We have the necessary equipment to brace and support structures during the repair process,” Richard says.

According to Michael, once a customer experiences the Haynes Scaffolding difference, they become a lifelong customer. “We do great work and, most importantly, we listen,” he says.

Although the crew members stay busy, they always make time for community. “We’ve provided scaffolding systems for Habitat for Humanity. We even train volunteers who will be using the scaffolding,” Richard says. Additionally, the company has donated materials to churches, schools and the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, Florida. “Most of the time, these organizations volunteer to put up the scaffolding themselves, but we’ll get a crew on site, and they’re blown away by how fast we put it up,” Michael says.

Whatever the height or project challenge, Haynes Scaffolding stays firmly grounded by an unwavering commitment to meeting customer needs and keeping people safe. “We care about our people, we care about our customers, and we care about their projects. We know how to use our toolbox, we design and install great structures, and we work hard to keep everyone safe,” Michael says.