Reel pickup in Merrillville, IN

Utility town

With NIPSCO headquartered in Merrillville, utility contractors are a big part of local work, on lines and substations across Northwest Indiana. Utility jobs empty large reels, many of them steel or bolted and returnable to the cable maker or the utility. We don't take those. We list them for their owner and collect the one-way wooden reels from the same yard.

The commercial build-out along Route 30 and near I-65 adds the usual 30 to 48-inch reels from electricians. Next step: tell us which kind of reels you have and how many of each.

Merrillville's commercial corridors keep changing: new restaurants, clinics and stores along Route 30 and Broadway. Each opening leaves a few reels with its electrician, usually 30 to 42-inch nailed wood in good shape.

Winter brings lake-effect snow some years, though less than towns nearer the shore. Reels stored on edge, on timbers, come through fine; reels left lying in snow swell and split.

Lake County homeowners who want to clear one or two old spools from a shed can send a photo; worn spools are recycled, sound ones bought.

Hobart and Crown Point contractors who store reels in Merrillville yards can combine sites in one request, which keeps every stop on the same morning.

Retail parks near Southlake Mall and along I-65 turn over tenants too; a store fit-out typically leaves four to ten mid-size reels by the receiving door.

Planning the Indiana day

Merrillville is at the south end of the Northwest Indiana run, so the day usually starts in Hammond and works south through Munster, Dyer and Gary. A large lot here can also start the day. Either way, reels on dunnage with room for forks load in minutes.

If you have reels at a Merrillville yard and at a job site elsewhere in Lake County, put both on one request.

Spools for Lake County buyers

Merrillville is central to Lake County, with Crown Point, Hobart and the towns around it a short drive away. Spools for tables, gardens and displays are delivered to the driveway; larger reels for rewinding cable go by the pallet or the trailer.

Tell us the size you want and the town, and we fit it into the Northwest Indiana day.

Pickup notes for Merrillville

• Utility-related reels: we read the tags and list returnables for their owner.
• Commercial job sites on Route 30: agree a staging spot with the general contractor.
• Worn reels are recycled in the same load.

Before the truck comes

1. Count the reels by flange size, outside edge to outside edge.
2. Photograph the stack, plus one tag or stencil up close.
3. Stand each reel on edge and chock it; never stack them flat.
4. Leave an aisle wide enough for forklift tines, or a clear path to roll.
5. Keep maker-tagged returnables in their own row.

What the driver checks on each reel

Flanges

Boards whole and flat, not warped, split or cupped.

Staves

Lagging mostly intact on the drum, without rot or gaps.

Arbor hole

Round and solid, so a spindle or payoff bar fits.

Drive holes

Not torn out or elongated by a payoff stand.

Markings

Any maker's stencil, returnable tag or reel number.

Leftovers

Cable ends, staples and banding removed or noted.

The rest of the NW Indiana day

Merrillville shares a run with these stops:

• DyerRoute 30 (Lincoln Highway) at the Illinois line
• HammondLakefront and Calumet River industry, rail lines, Indiana Toll Road
• MunsterCalumet Avenue, Ridge Road and 45th Street
• GaryLakefront steel, rail lines and the airport

Where Merrillville reels go

• Buyback: one-way wooden reels with sound flanges and staves are paid for at the stop, priced by size and condition.
• Maker take-back: anything tagged or stencilled as returnable is listed for its owner's own collection.
• Recycling: split, rotted or warped reels are broken down, the wood recovered and the hardware separated.
• Resupply: checked reels go on to buyers who need them for rewinding, storage or projects.

Questions from Merrillville

Do you take NIPSCO utility reels in Merrillville?

Not reels that belong to the utility or a cable maker. We list those for their owner and collect the one-way wooden reels.

Can a Merrillville pickup cover two Lake County sites?

Yes. Put both addresses on one request and we route them in the Northwest Indiana run.

Do you deliver spools around Merrillville?

Yes, across Lake County on the Northwest Indiana day. Tell us the size and the town.

What should a Merrillville yard do with reels while waiting for a pickup?

Stand them upright on timbers or pallets, chock both sides, keep the arbor holes clear, and leave a lane wide enough for forks. Covering them with a tarp helps through the snowy months. Mark any reel a maker has asked to be returned, so the driver sees it at a glance.