Custom Components Company recently completed a project to supply and install custom railings, handrails and sunshades for the newly constructed apartments at Muir College in San Diego, CA.  The 91,000 sq. ft., $42.5 million project consisted of two nine story apartment buildings.  The eco-friendly apartments, designed to convey the same modernist feel as Muir's existing buildings, are scheduled to open in September 2011.  They feature sustainable building materials, a high reflectance "cool roof" design, and natural ventilation - eliminating the need for air conditioning.  When completed, the apartments will house 275 second-year Muir students who previously had to find housing elsewhere, giving all second-year students the chance to reside on the Muir campus for the first time in history.  Muir College is named after John Muir, the environmentalist and founder of the Sierra Club.  Delawie, Wilkes, Rodrigues, Barker of San Diego were the architects on the project.  They consulted with the original design architects to discover and maintain many of the historical and cultural aspects of the existing designs.  Sundt Construction of San Diego was the general contractor.

 

Custom Components Company supplied custom fascia mount railings, cable railings, handrails and sunshades to Clark Steel Fabricators of Lakeside, CA, who assisted in the installation.

 

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AIA 2011-2012 Forecast 

  

  

  

  

Custom Components Company recently completed a project in New Orleans, the BioInnovation Center, which will open its doors for the first time this September, and welcome a new generation of innovators from Louisiana's burgeoning life science community.  Situated between the Greater New Orleans Biosciences Economic Development District and the New Orleans Medical District, on the 1400 block of Canal, the center offers 66,000 square feet of state-of-the-art wet lab, office and conference space.  Designed to cultivate and conceive new ideas for bio-innovation, the Center exists among a community made up of hospitals, medical universities, research centers and biotech businesses. The project was designed by architects Eskew, Dumez, Ripple of New Orleans.  Turner Construction Company was the general contractor.  A 3,000 sq. ft. interior courtyard will be visible from the Canal Street side through the center's transparent glass facade.  The building will be protected by operable sunscreens to limit energy costs, create comfortable lighting for its occupants and provide storm protection.  Interior public amenities include a flexible 100-person conferencing center with state-of-the-art audio visual equipment; a 2,000 sq.ft. retail/food service area open to Canal Street; and an interior atrium facing the courtyard, with public break areas at each level.  Upper floor amenities include protected exterior balconies facing Canal Street, to provide occupants and visitors opportunities for interaction with the outdoors. 

PLAN THE WORK AND WORK THE PLAN... That is what made this one of the most challenging projects to date, and a huge success for Custom Components Company. The scope of work included our 700 Series fascia mounted glass railing system on the exterior balconies and a custom stainless steel point supported glass railing and sidewalls on the interior stairs and mezzanine locations. Planning, preparation and coordination with Turner Construction Company, the general contractor, was paramount to the success of the project. This process began prior to the erection of the structural steel on the project. The challenge was all in the logistics. Getting the exceptionally large pieces of glass to the point of installation was the most difficult aspect. We built, in coordination with Turner, our own substructure of steel supports behind the drywall to support these extra heavy glass panels via the use of a minimum amount of stainless steel point mount fittings.

 

The 13/16" laminate glass panels arrived individually crated at the construction site from our supplier XYG Glass in a special open top container. XYG Glass (North America) is headquartered in Vancouver, B.C. Their parent company and glass manufacturer is XinYi Glass Engineering, Humen Town, Dongguan, China. All order coordination was managed by Glass 3 Enterprises, also of Vancouver. The largest piece of glass measured 44" x 240" and weighed approximately 880 lbs. per piece. The site logistics involved providing a means to transport the glass to its point of installation. To accomplish this, special steel support rigging systems were utilized for lifting and manipulating the glass from the first floor up to the second and fourth floor mezzanine areas. After it was hoisted, it was hand wheeled into position to be set. The glass was set on the second floor by hoisting each piece in the air from the custom cantilevered beam and trolley system Custom Components designed and installed on the fourth floor. The glass was set on the fourth floor by hoisting each piece and lowering it in the stair opening, where there was only 3" of space to lower it into position. Additionally, the finished product, which is visible from the outside, serves as both a guard rail on the mezzanine area and glass enclosure on the main stairway between the 3rd and 4th floors. 

 

Please click the link below for additional product and installation photos.

 

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The latest federal government figures on construction spending have been released showing June 2011 construction spending estimated at a seasonally adjusted $772.3 billion annual rate, 0.2% (+ or - 1.8%) above the revised May estimate of $770.5 billion.  The June  figure is 4.7% (+ or - 1.8%) below the June 2010 estimate of $810.4 billion.  During the first  6 months of this year, construction spending amounted to $357.5 billion, 5.4 percent (+ or - 1.3%) below the $377.9 billion for same period in 2010.

  

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Custom Components Company announces the award of a new project at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the University of Hawaii Cancer Center. The new 150,000 sq. ft., $120 million project is one of Oahu's largest construction projects.  The building is being constructed to the highest standards and will feature state-of-the-art technology and optimal design for inspiring innovation and discovery.  The project will be a focal point of the UH medical campus in Kaka'ako, next to UH Manoa's John A. Burns School of Medicine.  The new center will be home to some of the nation's leading scientists, united in their quest to combat and cure cancer.  The architect is Shimokawa Makamura and the general contractor is A.C. Kobayashi Construction, both of Honolulu.  The new facility is scheduled to open in early 2013.

 

Custom Components Company is supplying nearly 1,700 linear feet of 700 Series  glass railing, stainless steel cladding and stainless steel handrail to Kula Glass Company, Inc. of Wailuku, HI, who will handle the installation.

 

While experience can be a great teacher, learning from others' experiences, successes and failures can save you time, money and a lot of frustration.  So when it comes to growing your small business, here are some mistakes you want to avoid or fix.

 

Mistake No. 1:  I Can Do It On My Own

Most of us became entrepreneurs because we are skilled at something and believed we could do it better than our competitors or maybe our current boss.  But building a successful business requires more than technical know-how.  None of us are experts at everything.  So surround yourself with other experts to fill the gaps.  Whether you hire employees, sub-contract work, create joint ventures, work with coaches/consultants or develop strategic alliances, the support you need is available.  Don't try to do it all yourself.

 

Mistake No. 2:  Great Products The Market Doesn't Want

The best products and services will go unsold if you are talking to the wrong people- those who will likely never buy!  Investing your time and money promoting your products and services to those who don't have the resources, authority or need-today or in the future-is both frustrating and costly.  Who are the ideal customers for YOUR products and services?  Be clear on this, find out where they are and how to reach them and then apply your resources to pull them in.

 

Mistake No. 3:  Talk More Than You Listen

If you want to earn a customer's business, you need to solve their problem or fill a need.  So before you jump into your sales pitch, take the time to ask questions, listen carefully and determine what the customer needs.  Your features and benefits are only relevant when they solve a customer's problem or fill a need.  Successful people tend to be good listeners-so you'll achieve greater success when you spend less time talking and more time listening.  Read more 

 

Source:  www.manta.com