An SPF Perspective from the 1980’s to Today:
Interview with Gene Whiting of Whiting Construction

Gene Whiting began his SPF career in the early 1980’s. Prior to this, Gene served in the Navy as an engineer. One day, Gene’s dad called saying that he had visited an industry trade show and wanted to know if Gene would join him in starting a spray foam business. The pair purchased an FF-1600 and a D gun and got an opportunity to work with someone who taught them about spraying. Their company, Whiting Construction, was born. They soon had 100 building roofs to spray which further branched out into warehouses and condominiums. Gene eventually switched over to a Binks’ 43-P gun and used a 10-inch air motor to get a better pattern and improved production.

How Whiting Construction Became a Success

Over time, Gene’s dad left the company and Gene took over the business. Whiting construction became one of the biggest gravel-foamers in Florida. When asked what he attributes to his success, Gene explained, “The best compliments I received were from the tough inspectors who told me that my jobs looked smooth, and most have held up well for 30 years and more. Gravel-foam jobs take longer because you have to do a good job on surface prep and deal with all the gravel. We used tight quality control and have never had a warranty issue. We also train our staff well.” Whiting Construction has done 11 million square feet in spray foam projects over the years. Gene expressed his openness about helping other contractors. “We’ve always welcomed good competition. People have come from many different parts of the country to learn from us. People can learn a lot just from observing too. We take our business seriously and serve our customers to the best of our ability. Following up with customers is very important,” said Gene.

Whiting Construction’s SPF Project in Bangladesh

In 2016, Gene was asked to do a roof installation project for a hospital in Bangladesh, India. He never imagined doing a project in another country. After much persuasion, he accepted the job. “What an adventure that was,” said Gene. “The drums of material got held up at India’s border. When I went to get them, I was astonished at the condition they were in. Some of the drums were punctured and some looked like they had been in the ocean for months. Of course, we had to get new material. By that time, the monsoon season started so we had to wait it out. When we finally got to work, the 30,000 square foot hospital took about a week and a half to complete, “explained Gene.

View on How the SPF Industry has Changed

We asked Gene how he thinks the industry has changed over the years. “We have formal training, certifications and building codes. The tougher the building codes, the better the project outcomes. We have a lot of wind up-lift in Florida, but we’ve solved that problem. Again, this is a serious business and should be treated as such. It used to take a long while to complete a project back in the day, but now we can do a 300,000 sq. ft. with a 9-man crew,” explained Gene.

Whiting Construction has Grown a Lot Over the Years

For more information about Whiting Construction, visit them at whitingconstruction.com