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The Genius Behind a Pier of d’Nort Dock
When it comes to buying a dock, does anyone really know what to look for? You know what you want, but how do you know when you’ve found it? And what’s the most important feature you’re hoping to find? Ease? Quality? Warranty? Price? Great service? Made in the USA? Can you get it all, and should you even expect it all from one dock system? The answer is a resounding “YES!”
When you discover Pier of d’Nort, you’ll discover everything you’re looking for in a dock system and more! And when you discover that, you’ll feel like a genius! You’ll know you have found the best engineered, best-looking, patented dock system around, and right under your nose here in the Northwoods.
A Pier of d’Nort dock system addresses every concern and satisfies every need, and here’s how:
#1. Ease – It’s truly as easy as it gets, (which is why it’s our slogan.) Made for one-person installation and removal, it permits you to put it in when YOU are ready, not when others are available!
#2. Quality and Warranty – Made of top quality aluminum, our structures are warrantied for 15 years! No-maintenance vinyl panels also offer a 15-year warranty, and our quality red cedar panels are covered for five years!
#3. Price – We all know you get what you pay for, and at Pier of d’Nort you get so much more! Not only are our docks made of quality materials and serious engineering, our sales and service are second to none! After- sale comments are always about the pier’s ease and beauty, and about our competent and friendly sales staff.
There’s only one Pier of d’Nort showroom and manufacturing facility, and it happens to be located on Hwy 70 in St. Germain. When the genius inside you awakens, we invite you to visit. See our dock system, experience a ‘live’ demo, check it out from top to bottom, and take all the time you need.
Our mascot, Pierre the Giant, is always sitting out front fishing off one of our piers. A pier strong enough for a giant is strong enough for you and your friends. We’ll be here when you come because we’re open year-round, M-F from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and other times by appointment. When you walk in, don’t be surprised when the genius behind a Pier of d’Nort pier suddenly becomes YOU!
Really Cool New Stuff for Safety AND FUN!
We get most ideas for new accessories from our customers and we take them seriously! Yes, our system is easy to install and remove, but we also want to meet customer needs once in! Our new accessories were requests for more safety as well as a place to put stuff to avoid clutter. We weren’t sure how to name some of them, so we made it clear WHAT they do.
The Step Down
This 4’ x 18” accessory attaches to any structural side and provides a safe ‘step down’ from pier to boat. Sometimes that gap between dock and boat is a whopper, and the step down bridges the gap for a safer transfer for grandma and little ones with short legs. It’s also used by moms with young children to ‘sit down’ closer to the water when the kids are playing. Safety and prevention are two great features to this new accessory!
The Side Extension
Are you tired of having everything you drag down to the dock turn into clutter and a trip hazard? The Side Extension comes in 4’ x 18” and 4’ x 24” sizes, and attaches to any structural side and off the beaten path. It’s a place for towels, thrown off shoes, life jackets or even your dog- creating more space and safety. It can also bridge the gap between the dock and a boat on a lift.
The Paddleboard Rack
Now that paddle boards and wave boards are all the rage, we’ve made a rack that can easily hold up to four boards. Not sure where we put them before the rack, but now you have a place for them!
Shatterproof Stemware and Holders
All dock owners love to sit and watch the sunrise or sunset while enjoying a glass of wine or other preferred drink. Glass stemware is risky and there’s never a place to put it. Our new quality shatterproof stemware that WILL NOT BREAK and our stemware holder fits securely into any cupholder. We definitely believe in drinking Wisconsibly!
We love new stuff, especially when it delivers safety and makes your dock a more fun and enjoyable place to hang. Our new stuff meets all that criteria, and we invite you to stop on in and see it for yourself!
NEW pier products at Pier of D’Nort are Perfect!
For over 16 years, Pier of D’Nort, which is locally based in St Germain, has helped consumers from all over North America find the perfect dock system for their water needs. Our patented dock sections and accessories truly work for practically any water situation, including the hardest ones to address. This is what personally motived company president and dock designer, Carl Surges, to use his sculpting background to design and patent a dock system along with a plethora of accessories.
Pier of D‘Nort is the manufacturer of a one person installation and removal dock system that addresses issues any who own or want to own a dock deal with most often. Issues from getting help when it’s time to install and remove the dock, to the problem of a mucky bottom, to removing your canoe or kayak from the water without killing yourself! Carl has put his creative talents to work and designed a solution to these and other issues.
A dock system that a person could install and remove by oneself was truly the impetus for the Carl’s patented design. Everyone wants to enjoy a dock, but no one’s ever around when it’s time to put it in and take it out. So Carl designed one, and it’s one of those things one needs to see to believe. Carl made (and starred in) his own videos, built a company website and put the videos online to show how easy it really is! Putting his money where his mouth is has earned many loyal customers… and true believers. You can see how he did it for yourself at www.pierofdnort.com.
His most recent creation is the ‘Tip-a-can and Kayak too’ lift. It is designed to easily lift the canoe or kayak from water and flip it upside down by simply turning a crank. It ends up at the side of the pier at about waist height – easy to strap down. “I guess my main motivation was to get it upside down in some easy way,” Surges said. “Typically, the way canoes are stored is a pain. Usually they end up on shore where they’re flipped over to collect sand or bugs, or worse, not flipped over at all, just waiting for a surprise rainstorm. Then you have to find a kid to bail you out so to speak. I had this in the back of my mind for a couple of years, and this is the first year we’ve even sold it.” The lifts start shipping in a few weeks.
What about dock owners with mucky lake bottoms? If you’re one of them, you know how exasperating it is trying to hit something solid with your leg posts. Not only do you have to purchase longer dock legs than normal, but you feel like you’re leveling your pier all summer long. Carl designed giant footpads to help solve this problem! The giant 2’x3’ pads are attached to the leg footpad, and once lowered in the water, they help disperse the weight of the pier section over a broader area. But that’s just the beginning. A way had to be found to allow for easy removal and for easy leveling. His solution is so unique that it is currently in patent pending.
“Our number one priority is convenience for our customers,” Surges says. “Everything else is secondary. Oh, except for structural integrity, that’s number one priority too. And longevity. And value. We’re very excited about what we make, and believe they work better than anything else on the market, bar none.” What else always works is the staff. They are hard at work year round in their St. Germain showroom, and with the best EVER season behind them in 2017, they are eager to help their new customers in 2018.There are even more new products to check out, like the paddleboard rack, the side platforms, and the drop down step, but maybe you need to come by the showroom and see these innovative accessories for yourself!
So, what are you waiting for?! If you’re a dock owner or water enthusiast, get on down to Pier of D’Nort on Hwy 70 East in St.Germain. Hours are M-F, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. or by appt. Just look for their giant mascot sitting out front – “Pierre” of d’Nort. Created by Carl, of course, he is something to see, and many tourists are seen pulling up to take selfies with him.
You can also check Pier of d’Nort out in the comfort of your home on their website, on Facebook or even YouTube. Make some popcorn and pull up a chair to be entertained by videos starring Carl. Seeing is believing that this system is truly “As Easy As It Gets!”
If ever there was a pier for 50+ folks, Pier of d’Nort docks are the gold, or might we say ‘silver’ standard?
What we at Pier of d’Nort get the biggest kick out of, and absolutely love, is to have folks visit us after they’ve done some shopping around for a dock. In fact, the more they’ve done their due diligence before coming to Pier of d’Nort, the better! They usually come in with a natural skepticism, and the more skepticism the better. They ask a lot of questions and we take great delight in showing how our system addresses those questions. Our sales staff, made up of women of varying and sundry ages, can actually demonstrate the installation and removal process right in our St Germain showroom. We’re even happy to let observers do it for themselves.
Then comes the best part – for us anyway – watching the dawning realization spread across their face that for once, a dock company can really and truly deliver on its claim to be the easiest to install and remove. Where virtually all dock companies make that boast, Pier of d’Nort will prove it…unequivocally!
If you’re “seasoned” enough to remember watching the first right-stuff astronauts ride computer-challenged missiles into space, you may also relate to the following: you refuse to believe you can’t or shouldn’t still handle comparable tasks (no matter how much they hurt); you take pride in being physically younger than youngsters in their 40’s; you refuse to believe your children are avoiding spring and fall visits so they won’t be put to work (but deep down you kinda know); you want to have your pier in the water earlier and taken out later when the water is still and the woods are quiet enough to hear the animals sing; and finally, you can’t believe that such an unequaled product is available locally where support is readily available (although rarely needed.) For all these discerning souls, Pier of d’Nort is the perfect and lasting match.
If ever there was a pier for 50+ folks, Pier of d’Nort docks are the gold, or might we say ‘silver’ standard?
Pier of d’Nort Customers Are Always Talking About Us…and We LOVE It!
At Pier of d’Nort, we firmly believe that if our customers aren’t talking about us, we’re doing something wrong. We can say without a doubt that our customers are the best advertisers we have! They can’t wait to brag to everyone what a great product they just bought. They tell others about the top-notch customer service they received, and how much time we spent listening to their concerns and issues.
Now that winter is on the downswing, we know our customers are dreaming about putting their Pier of d’Nort dock in. They can’t wait actually! Dock owners who aren’t our customers are thinking about putting theirs in too, but it’s more of a growing dread. They aren’t thinking about a dock that goes in so easy that they’re quickly enjoying the water, their boat or the beautiful sunrise and sunset over the sound of lapping water. No, they’re beginning to stress over the same issues that haunt them each and every year. “WHO’S going to come help me put that pier in this year?” “Do I really WANT to put that big, old heavy pier in one more time?” And those thoughts often lead to this: “Is THIS the year for a new, EASIER, nicer, lighter pier?”
These are real issues that bring people to our website or into our showroom in St Germain – the only showroom, manufacturer and sales office in the world for Pier of d’Nort docks. When folks contact us, we can sense their concerns and complaints. Our sales staff at Pier of d’Nort aren’t counselors, but we should be because we are darn good listeners. We know people need to share what brought them to us…. and we really do understand.
We know too, that people who already bought a pier from us are often the reason new people call or come in. It’s all because our customers LOVE to talk. They’re even a bit show-offy, which is perfect for us! After all, who doesn’t enjoy an audience? Who doesn’t enjoy helping a neighbor with a great recommendation? And who doesn’t enjoy the great neighbor relations that result – like a cold one on a sunny afternoon just before grilling dinner?
Yep, we know we have the best customers, and we love it when they talk about us! Check out our pier on our website, Facebook or YouTube. We’d love to give you something to talk about too!
Here we grow. . . AGAIN!
A few years back, Pier of d’Nort in St. Germain, added its first and much needed storage building alongside our manufacturing plant on Hwy 70 E. And now . . . here we grow again! Sales have literally gone through the roof, forcing us to need a NEW one . . . and we’re putting it on the OTHER side of the manufacturing plant! We really couldn’t be happier! This addition gives us the capability of making aluminum sections in advance, allowing for quicker sales fulfillment when pier orders start rolling in fast and furious come spring.
We can assuredly say that our growth is due to a simple trifecta effect – A GREAT product, GREAT customers, and GREAT customer service. Based on our customer feedback, our pier is the bomb! It’s everything it’s advertised to be! “As easy as it gets” isn’t just a saying, it’s also a fact – and we very much mean it! Our quality materials and workmanship on each patented component can’t be imitated! And our sales staff will take as much time as needed until each customer is comfortable that the pier they’re ordering is what they want and need. Yep, our product, customers, and staff made us the growing Northwoods Company that we are, and rest assured, we’re here to stay. More and more folks are making the drive up to St. Germain just to see our world headquarters, along with Pierre, our BFG (Big Friendly Giant) out front.
This kind of local spotlight has inspired us to make improvements on the inside too. In the next few months, we’re expanding our office space and spiffing up the showroom with what we think will be a ‘one of a kind’ sales space. Our floor will be transformed into a faux lake, replete with fish and foliage. We’ll have our pier and many of its components set up inside, and our NEWEST component ready to unveil.
The ‘Tip-a-Canoe and Kayak Too’ lift will be attached to the pier, complete with canoe! Truly a one of a kind lift, you can paddle your canoe or kayak right into its arms, crank it up out of the water, and secure it upside down just off the dock. It’s pretty darn cool! Our showroom lake scene might even help alleviate the winter doldrums, so we invite you to stop by and experience it once complete!
Our growth also means we’re in need of more production workers to help us fill our new storage building. If you’re handy with tools and want to be a part of our growing business, we’re looking for workers with a great work ethic and the skills needed to help us grow even more. Stop in and fill out an application. We’re located at 6035Hwy 70 E, St Germain. Office hours are M-F, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
What makes a sale a ‘GREAT Sale?’
At Pier of d’Nort, we think we have the makings for more than just a Fall sale. We think we have all that’s needed to have a GREAT sale! It’s not because we offer the biggest discounts on our pier. It’s not because we need to have a sale, because we’re selling piers like hotcakes without one. It’s not even because we need to get rid of end of season inventory, because we make piers to order.
So why, you may be asking at this point, makes our Fall Sale a GREAT sale? Well, we’re glad you asked. We have our annual sale to THANK our great customers who want to add more components. We have it because we have a LOT of folks who call us or stop by to see our pier. They’re always impressed when they see it, and they almost always get a quote. But it’s either not the right time or they just aren’t sure…yet. And that’s where our Fall Sale comes in. It provides just enough ‘umph’ to get them from uncertain to certain about making a purchase. And in the end, it’s really a great sale because we’re just that nice. We know that when you’re taking out that rickety, heavy, and oh so laborious old pier of yours this coming Fall, you will be thinking “What can I do to make it easier NEXT year?” We get a lot of calls about that time and we want to be of service. So, we really don’t need to have a sale, but we just do.
This year, we’ve changed our sale so that you have a choice on how much YOU want to save. If you order and have your pier delivered or you pick it up BEFORE December 15th, we’ll discount your entire pier order by 12%. If you order this year, but don’t want to take delivery or pick it up until 2018, we’ll still discount your entire pier order but by 7%, and you’ll only have to put 50% down til spring too. It’s enough savings to make it very worth your while to purchase your pier this fall.
So as you’re driving around this fall, and you’re seeing big ‘ole dock pieces set on the side of the road with a sign that says “FREE – if you take it away yourself,” let that be a reminder to you that our sale goes through December 15th. Just give us a call at 715-477-3232, or stop on in at 6035 Hwy E in St. Germain, M-F, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. See up close and personal how our innovative and patented pier really can be installed and removed by one person! You’ll thank us next spring when you’re actually having fun putting our pier in!
More Than What We DO – It’s Who We ARE
Locally invented. Locally made. Locally owned. Proudly American! That’s part of what Pier of d’Nort — its products, its ownership, and its employees — is all about. But it goes deeper than that. It starts with a feeling of pride and loyalty for a ‘best-of-the-best’ product, and a hope that such a product will contribute to the local economy through sales to like-minded, discerning lakefront owners. So, when Pier of d’Nort owner, Carl Surges, brought his company to northern WI where HE lives, he committed his business into the hands of a local sales staff and production crew from these very Northwoods. Some are full time, but most are seasonal or semi-retired people who work using other skills once the pier demand gets buried under snow.
Pier of d’Nort’s 19 employees love the Northwoods. When not working, they make up some of the area’s weekend fishermen, hunters, snowmobilers, skiers, kayakers and hooligans. They hail from Minocqua to Eagle River, Lake Tomahawk to Phelps. We ARE a quirky, diverse bunch, and when you see our ads, you can’t help but wonder what it would be like working at a place like Pier of d’Nort. Truth be told, it’s a lot of fun! And the fun, along with the pride we have making this unique, patented pier, goes off the scale! We’re proud to know that we help nourish our local economy with our sales and workforce.
Located on Hwy 70 East in St. Germain, our buildings often surprise those who step inside our doors. We don’t look or feel like an International Headquarters. We don’t employ the suave sales force you might expect to see selling such a finely engineered pier, eh? And with a product that sells itself, we don’t need a fancy-shmantzy showroom. Our landmark is unique too. It’s our own BFG – Big Friendly Giant – and “Pierre” greets all those entering and exiting St. Germain with his BIG grinning face! He’s a selfie-holic, and curious passersby line up for “Pierre group shots” nine months out of the year.
Pier of d’Nort is a finely tuned group of local people pumping piers out as fast as the orders come in, each made individually for the customer. Our materials are the best we can get, many from Wisconsin companies located in Schofield, Lake Mills, Eagle River, Osceola, and even Iron River, MI! Heck, even Pierre the Giant was made locally – like right in our own shop — by Carl and crew, so we truly consider him a part of our gang.
Stop on by to see our product, get a quote, or take a selfie with Pierre. We’re here Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and other times by appointment. We’d love to meet you. You’ll leave thinking we’re the darndest thing you’ve seen all day.
Got Muck??
No, it’s not a typo! We meant ‘muck!’ If you live on water, and if you have muck, you know what we’re talking about. It’s sounds disgusting and by definition – it is.
Webster’s dictionary defines muck as: soft moist farmyard manure; slimy dirt or filth… and disgusting! Synonyms such as crud, grime and gunk make it even more clear – it’s just not something to be desired. And if you own a pier, muck is an issue without many solutions. Until now!
After many requests for a solution from pier owners with mucky bottoms, Pier of d’ Nort’s owner and designer, Carl Surges, took on the task of finding a solution. What he came up with is quite ingenious, and simple too! He called the solution GIANT footpads, and our mascot out front, Pierre the Giant, may have given Carl the inspiration needed for this issue.
Measuring 2’ X 3’, these giant pads are attached to the pier’s footpads as you install the pier. Once the section is installed, the giant pad’s attachment mechanisms are removed so that the pier section can be raised and lowered without the pads in order to fine tune the leg levels. Then in the fall, the section is removed from the water first, and the giant pads are removed separately by pulling them out with rope that was attached to the pier legs.
Along with giant footpads, every part that’s manufactured at Pier of d’Nort is patented or patent-pending. Not only that, they can only be purchased at the one and only manufacturing plant in St. Germain, Wisconsin. That doesn’t stop us from selling piers all over the USA and internationally– from Alaska to Greece!
Our pier is designed so that one person really can install and remove it – because sometimes, well often, you can’t wait for or find thers to help you! We use high quality materials, and each pier is made to order right in our St Germain location.
Stop by to have a picture taken with Pierre the Giant out front, and then come inside to see this amazing pier for yourself. We’re located at 6035 Hwy 70 E, and open Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Or, give us a call at 715-477-3232. You can also check us out on Facebook and on our website, www.pierofdnort.com, where we post many videos to show you that our byline is not just a one liner – It is ‘As Easy As It Gets!’
Contact Pierre
Contact By Email:
Pierre@PierofDNort.Com
Contact By Phone:
715-941-4707
Contact By Fax:
206-401-7252
Contact via Horse and Buggy:
6035 Hwy 70 East
PO Box 186
St Germain, WI 54558
Contact By Carrier Pigeon
Monday - Friday
9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Saturday
By appointment.
Sunday
By appointment.
6035 Highway 70 East
PO Box 186
St. Germain, WI 54558
Phone: 715-941-4707
© 2020 Pier of d'Nort Corp.