Making Time For St. Joseph Dermatology’s New Location
Contractor Bob called and said he was looking for a Big Clock for a building he was constructing. Wonderful, he came to the right place for a Big Clock. Trouble was, it was to be a clock in a window and he didn’t know how to accomplish this. What is involved in a big clock for a window?
Bob needed technical drawings for the key parts to fasten/mount the heavy-duty clock motor to the double-paned, gas-filled glass piece and a quote, ASAP. He also needed us to get in touch with the glass people to have an initial conversation about how to accomplish the task. Within 3 hours Bob had his Big Clock technical drawings, an accurate quote with installation costs and the glass people on the right track with what we’re to provide. Perhaps a bit fanatical, but we really enjoy responding completely and quickly to customer individual needs.
When people choose Lumichron to build a big commercial clock, we take it very personally. It seems no two projects are alike so we have to tailor a clock to fit the site, the customer and their requirements exactly. We don’t just ‘sell’ big clocks, we build big clocks for individual clients. It’s a relationship of matching need with supply. We have no ‘salesmen’, only a staff dedicated to accomplishing the end goal of a large commercial clock(s) to make a building special. There has to be a lot of information passed back and forth to make this process work well and usually very quickly.
So back to Bob… With a budget established and technical issues put to bed, the fun part – deciding what the big building clock in the window should look like. We sent layouts based on his input, with various cost options as some dial choices involves a ¼” thick 6’ circle out of plate aluminum or brushed stainless steel. We investigated as many different options possible to come to a decision. It’s not what can we sell you, it’s what can we build for you that’s just right – that is what’s important to us.
Between the hectic construction schedule, other vendors lagging behind, the dial selection process took 3 months. It’s a challenge to keep the plate spinning, but with careful records and effective communications it eventually came together. Then the call came…
The glass people needed the center escutcheon plates and related parts ASAP, within a week.
Many months after the call for a big clock on his building, the time has come to make the parts. Custom machining, anodizing, special tubing, measurements to .001 tolerance for Bob’s Big Clock. Can you install the parts tomorrow at 10:00, at the job-site, while the glass is on the ground, before it gets installed in the front curtain wall? Sure . . . we will be there. No problem – it’s all in a day’s work making things happen for a customer.
A big clock is a custom fixture on a building (found in Section 10 of the Construction Standards Institute CSI list, specifically 10 74 13 – Outdoor Clocks), and, as such, integration needs to be carefully managed with all the related trades – steel, glaziers (as in this case), carpenters, insulation plaster finishers, electricians, etc. Typically one of the last items to be installed The Big Clock is the earliest to be worked-out on the plans. An architect will call about a big clock on a building and this starts a stream of information so everybody can interface well. Quotes, technical drawings and submittals, usually customized for the unique application, delivered quickly. As you deal with the Sales/Technical/Engineering team directly at Lumichron, it’s a process which can happen quickly and efficiently to ensure delivery of the large commercial big tower clock.
Often we get requests for a commercial clock with unusual requirements – completely quiet (for a courtroom), custom Post / Street clock to commemorate a loved one or a community, a synchronized sweep hand (swimming pool), a clean-room environment, a very dirty environment where the clocks had to meet a NEMA 4x standard, etc, etc. All in a day’s work for Lumichron to create a big commercial clock for a customer.
So with the glass in-place for Bob’s Big Clock, final installation could happen. Our schedule was tight – we had to fit between when the parking lot was striped, the glaziers were returning for other glass, the painters, carpenters and the electrician. However, as arranged, we showed-up at the appointed time. Clock people can’t be late! Installation went smoothly and we left the jobsite with the clock ticking, exactly in synchronization with NIST (Atomic Time) thanks to a GPS antenna.
Bob was happy! The Big Clock delivered on-time, on budget, as promised.
Perhaps we can make time for you?
