Issue #4 |
August 2007 |
Weathering the Storm
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Dear Reader,
You don't have to look far to see the devastation caused by natural
disasters. In response, people are becoming proactive rather than simply
reacting to the devastation left behind. They're seeking out solutions
to help minimize the damage.
People need a safe place to retreat to "weather the storm" whether in
their own home or in a community shelter. In parts of the southern US
where tornados and hurricanes are regular occurrences, we're already
seeing the building of community shelters and people incorporating
saferooms into their homes to protect their loved ones. But what about
those who can't afford that extra protection?
Carlos González Baños of Quadruple Inmobiliara is working with the
Mexican Government on a solution. They are building schoolhouses in
outlaying areas of Mexico that will double as disaster relief shelters
for the community. The schools are built in areas of extreme poverty
where the locals simply don't have the resources to build shelters on
their own. Carlos has been responsible for building more than 3500
schools throughout Mexico and works with a standard building template.
Luis Donaldo Colosio is the first Quad-Lock school built in Mexico.
The school consists of two classrooms, a bathroom and a principal's
office. The standard classroom is 6x8 meters (~20'x 26') with 102mm (4
inch) concrete walls. To guarantee construction quality, government
officials strictly supervise the building process.
Once the schoolhouse is inaugurated by the Governor of the State of
Oaxaca, Carlos will receive an order to begin construction on another
200 schools eventually being 1000 schools during the next few years -
and that's just for the State of Oaxaca alone.
Congratulations to Carlos and his crew for making a difference in
these communities!
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Hot
Topics / Events
Coming to a City Near You...
Trade and consumer exhibitions are a great venue to meet with people
face to face and showcase Quad-Lock's products and services.
Quad-Lock participates in many trade shows throughout the year. Even
though we're halfway through 2007, there are still quite a few
opportunities to see Quad-Lock and meet with some of our expert team.
The 2008 Trade
Show Schedule will soon be set. Visit the Quad-Lock website
regularly to see where we'll be in 2008.
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Technical and Training
Thinking Outside the Display Box
Wanting to increase the visibility and promote the use of ICF
construction in the North Eastern US, Kevin Spaulding of Miles Supply in
Vermont, developed a program that puts Quad-Lock in front of people who
would not otherwise be exposed to ICF. Small functional displays are
being put in retail building material suppliers storefronts.
Space is at a premium in most storefronts, so Kevin has built a 5'
tall display that showcases Quad-Lock ICF and its ancillary products
such as waterproofing, sheet rock and exterior finish. In addition to
being a stand-alone display, it also doubles as a literature rack for
Quad-Lock technical bulletins, brochures and DVDs. Mounted on a
turntable, the display tucks nicely into a small space and can be
rotated so all sides are visible allowing the customer to see a typical
ICF wall section. If the salesperson is busy with other clients, they
can take Quad-Lock literature and educate themselves on construction
features while they wait.
The response has been great. These displays are working hard
spreading the word about Quad-Lock and ICF construction. They're
generating sales in new markets simply because Kevin thought outside the
box and created something a little different.
These displays are catching on with other dealers as well. Quad-Lock
has put this construction information into a
Display Specification Document to allow other dealers to "build" on
Miles Supply's success.
Don't be surprised to see one of these displays on your next visit to
your building materials supplier.
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Projects
on the Go
Open House...They Will Come
John Hatfield, Quad-Lock's Sales Manager for the Mountain Region, has
had some terrific success of late. John has had open houses using two
partially completed ICF homes where guests can get a guided tour of the
home and have their questions answered. To generate traffic, John spent
$50 on an ad in the local paper and invited local leads from Quad-Lock's
extranet - some leads were a year old. At each open house, John has had
more than 50 people show up. What's this done for John's business? He's
already closed two new orders - people brought their house plans with
them!
In addition to the cost of the ads, John figures he's spent another
$50 on refreshments for his thirsty guests; bringing his total cost of
sales to $100 for each weekend's open house. With two orders in hand and
others in the works that's an awesome cost to close ratio!
Our "hats" off to you John!
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Sustainable Update
Energy Efficiency to Excess...
Rewritten with permission from the July 2007 issue of Environmental
Design + Construction Magazine, written by Marilyn W. Moedinger-Clay.
Doug Lowe, owner and president of Artisan Construction Inc. in
central Virginia, has built with many building technologies. When it
came time to build his own home, he wanted to try something different.
So he chose ICF construction. To say he was satisfied with the result is
an understatement...
His home has exceeded the 40 - 70% energy claims made by ICF
manufacturers. ICFs have helped earn the home three energy efficient
certifications. It had the tightest envelope (.08 ACH) seen by testers
in the area and earned a Home Energy Rating System rating of 94.
ICFs are a big contributor to this energy efficiency because they
provide such a tight envelope and excellent insulation. Lowe found that
his carpenters found the ICF was easy to install, it reduced wood scraps
generated on the job and provided aesthetically pleasing 8-inch-deep
windowsills.
Click here to read the entire
Everything Begins with a Tight Envelope article.
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Hope you enjoyed reading
your Quad-Lock
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Do you have information on new projects or items of interest in your
area? Share it with us and we'll follow-up and make sure it gets
previewed in upcoming issues. Sincerely,
Quad-Lock Building Systems
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