Comments Off on The Scope of Mind to Provide Large Capacity Projects
Do you have a reliable trade partner that you can call on for large Division 6 and Division 12 packages? Large projects require trade partners who have the experience managing scope that can be chaotic at times.
There are many subcontractors who do not possess the wherewithal to handle the capacity and changes of large projects. So many subcontractors are willing to bite off more than they can chew and, in doing so, place projects at risk.
At ASST (ə-ˈsist), we have been managing large Division 6 and Division12 projects for 22 years. Our Project Mangers understand that being flexible and managing change is part of the job. Our fabrication facilities are designed to maximize quality and throughput. All of our fabricators and installers have mobile devices that are tied to our ERP and we QR code track all work orders. We can bond at $25M/project and $70M aggregate. At ASST, we have the scope of mind to bring large millwork, casework, solid surface and quartz projects to successful completion, on time, in budget and safely.
We are here to assist you with immediate, near future and distant future projects. ASST has been safely providing exceptional Division 6/12 millwork, casework, solid surfaces and quartz for 22 years. We have a solid surface fabrication facility in McSherrystown, PA and a quartz fabrication facility in Corry, PA. Whatever your needs, ASST can build it to the exact specifications, in a safe manner and to the finest quality standards you expect. Contact us now online or call us at 717-630-1251. WWW.ASST.COM
Comments Off on Working Separately Together: Persevering Trade Partners
At ASST (ə-ˈsist), we want what every Owner, Architect and General Contractor wants: Successful projects that are completed on time, in budget and done safely.
During these tough times, we have to fall back on our core values and one of the core values at ASST is perseverance. We continue to work safely until we succeed. Our employees have been provided the proper PPE and our fabrication facilities have ample space to allow for social distancing. We are also adding another shift to further distance employees from each other.
We are here to assist you with immediate, near future and distant future projects. ASST has been safely providing exceptional Division 6/12 millwork, casework, solid surfaces and quartz for 22 years.
Call or email us to discuss how we can ASST you during these tough times.
Comments Off on Future Proofing with Solid Surface: Why Solid Surface is the Choice for the Long Term
Durability and value are words that continue to resonate with design professionals and customers alike. Future proofing is a recent buzz phrase that describes a product, service or technological system that will not need to be significantly updated in the near future. This is extremely relevant for healthcare design in particular. The selection of materials for healthcare projects are a large part of the future success of a building as it ages.
One of the past truths about healthcare design was that hospital buildings had a life span of 50 years. This means that after about 50 years, the cost of ongoing renovation to a facility equals or surpasses the cost of a full replacement building. Hospital construction can take more than 7 years from planning and design to construction and occupancy. Design professional’s material choices can be proven to be incorrect even before the first patient ever arrives.
Past experience has shown that the long term life cycle benefits of solid surface provide a better value over other materials. Solid surface is nonporous, easy to repair, resistant to bacteria and resistant to chemicals. ASST has worked on numerous large healthcare system projects throughout the United States. We can share experiences and knowledge to assist professionals during the design development phase. The goal of healthcare is to heal and to encourage smarter choices for the creation of supportive healing environments.
ASST is uniquely positioned to fulfill all aspects of your project. Whatever you need, ASST can build it to the exact specifications, in a safe manner and to the finest quality standards you expect. We look forward to Going Beyond for your exciting project! Contact us today at 717-630-1251/ info@asst.com or visit our website at www.asst.com.
Comments Off on ASST Quartz: Quartz is a Commercial Building Material
Quartz has been popular in residential kitchens and bathrooms. Now we are seeing a surge in quartz specifications in commercial construction. Why? Quartz is heavy and expensive right? Yes, and no. Quartz may be heavy but it is very durable. Quartz is actually engineered stone. When compared to the total cost of natural stone, quartz engineered stone is less expensive.
How is quartz engineered stone actually “engineered”? No, manufacturers don’t recreate magma under the same conditions as volcanic activity created by the earth’s crust. Quartz engineered stone is made with ground quartz, other natural materials and resins. Natural quartz and other materials are ground into a dust or aggregate. The natural materials are mixed with resins and even glass to provide unique colors. Once the material is mixed it is baked at high temperature and the final step is polishing. OK we probably oversimplified the process.
One of the benefits of quartz engineered stone is the look of natural stone with quartz being much more consistent. Imagine having to find consistent natural stone slabs for 100 tops in a commercial building. Owners and designers don’t have to worry about whether or not the stone tops will match the rest of the building design and quartz tops don’t have to compete with the rest of the esthetics. Quartz engineered stone can be the focal point or complementary to the overall look and feel of the surrounding space.
Is quartz engineered stone a green construction material? Simply put yes. No natural stone is quarried for the purpose of producing quartz engineered stone. All of the natural material used in engineered quartz are byproducts of other manufacturing processes. Even the resins used in manufacturing quartz are becoming more bio friendly. These facts with the consideration of the amount of energy required transport natural stone from the quarries makes quartz engineered stone the right solution for commercial stone tops.
Here are some quartz engineered stone facts: Quartz is harder than granite making it resistant to impact damage. Quartz is non-porous which makes it resistant to bacteria, stain resistant, easy to clean and low maintenance. Quartz is made of 90-95 percent natural stone and 5-10 percent polymer resins. Quartz material does not have to be sealed.
At ASST, our quartz facility is dedicated to quartz alone. At this facility, we do one thing and we do it well. Steve Stoddard was the 2015 ISFA fabricator of the year and he leads our quartz offering. Contact ASST to find out how we can take your quartz engineered stone project Beyond the Surface Level.
Comments Off on SCULPTCOR ® Surfaces: Solid Surface Has Been Vertically Challenged for Too Long
Durability and beauty are unlikely partners. It is rare when both are exclusive specifying vertical surfaces. Even rarer still is the challenge for design professionals to use solid surface textures in a variety of vertical applications. From operating rooms to airports, finding unique surfacing solutions is difficult. Many of these wall finishes are designed for residential use only and will not perform well in commercial spaces. With solid surface the design opportunities are endless.
Public spaces demand durable surfaces. High performance surfaces should not be plain or unattractive. They should perform beautifully. Many vertical surfacing solutions in the marketplace today are focused only on aesthetics. Performance is usually an afterthought. Few surfacing products today combine both aesthetics and durability in one vertical solution. Solid surface can be thermoformed with textured patterns and CNC machined to size. Painted MDF or molded plaster cannot offer the same value.
In response, ASST created SCULPTCOR ® textured wall surfaces to provide an attractive durable solution unlike anything on the market today. Manufactured with 100% solid surface acrylic, Sculptcor ® is resistant to bacteria and is made to last.ASST’s proprietary mounting system allows for field adjustment and individual panel removal for maintenance. It is ASST’s legacy to continue supporting design professionals with project challenges other fabricators avoid. Be sure to contact us with your next solid surface project!
Public seating in high traffic applications can
take quite a beating. Design
professionals are under increasing pressure from clients to provide seating
solutions that are both durable and comfortable. Many are unaware of the
flexibility solid surface provides to create seating that conforms
ergonomically. The inherent performance characteristics of thermoformed solid
surface materials provide an amazing opportunity to increase the longevity of
public seating.
Design professionals today are bombarded with a
plethora of furniture seating solutions.Unfortunately, many of these “seating systems” are poorly
manufactured with planned obsolescence. Constructed of cheaper plastics,
many of these systems fail soon after warranty expiration. This is hardly a
strategy for clients looking to be environmentally responsible. Design
professionals need to provide smart ergonomic seating solutions addressing both
performance and value. These challenges seem insurmountable when industry
standard public seating systems don’t fulfill your specified requirements.
ASST has the capability to help. With a state-of-the-art
thermoforming studio, we can create ergonomic seating to your exact design
specifications. We can share past solid surface project case studies to inspire
your creativity. Working in concert with your team, we provide design
assistance and credible information to present to your clients. Tailored
services to meet busy design professional’s needs are what we do!
Comments Off on Division 6 and 12 Single Source Subcontractors
Assembling diverse subcontractor resources for design projects can be a challenge for both Design Professionals and General Contractors. A reliable single subcontractor source that can coordinate a variety of specified finish materials for casework, solid surface and more under one contract is difficult to find.
Both Architects and Designers and General Contractors need to work in concert to eliminate overlapping trades and define a clear scope of work with a minimum number of qualified subcontractors. The end goal is specifying superior low-risk subcontractors that will combine the Construction Specification Institute (CSI) Division scopes and build Owner value. Anything less will contribute to project scope confusion, miscommunication and costly change orders.
To address this issue, ASST has found value in providing a more comprehensive solution. A “one-stop” casework/millwork custom solution incorporating a wide variety of finish materials. ASST can perform work with wood veneers, plastic laminate, stone, metal, glass as well as all brands of solid surface, quartz, and resin plastic materials. We believe the fit and finish of the final product is enhanced when building the internal framing structures ourselves. Our innovative team of estimators, planners and project managers collaborate and deliver project results in a way few competitors can.
ASST is uniquely positioned to fulfill all aspects of your project. Whatever you need, ASST can build it to the exact specifications, in a safe manner and to the finest quality standards you expect. We look forward to Going Beyond to address your exciting project challenges. Contact us today at 717-630-1251 or visit our website at www.asst.com.
Comments Off on Commercial Construction Technology: Keeping Up With The Joneses
People have been constructing high-rise buildings for centuries. In the 16th century, mud brick buildings reached 30 meters in Shibam, Yemen. What technology enabled this amazing feat? Early high-rise buildings took years and even decades to complete. Today the average high-rise building (taller than 150 meters) takes approximately 3 years to complete. This is extraordinary considering what goes into constructing a building that is 45 stories tall and the commercial construction industry continues to pick up momentum. Timelines are so compressed, it seems that as soon as the thought has entered the owner’s mind, the building is occupied and the next project is beginning. One of the primary influences abbreviating the commercial construction timeline is technology.
Consider this scenario. Your IT department has devised a brilliant plan (or lack thereof) taking your business to the next level with Augmented Reality. “We will be on the leading edge of technology and this will identify us as the leader in commercial construction” they say.No one in your IT department has given any thought as to how it will help your business help your customers and in turn making your business more profitable. Everyone is walking around with VR headsets on, no one knows how to use this or why they are using it, the IT department does nothing but play video games and Michael from Accounting just fell down the stairs. So now you have invested an extensive amount of money, the IT guys are ordering Mountain Dew by the truck load and your experience modification rating (EMR or safety) is virtually off the charts. This is not a good method for embracing new technology in commercial construction. However, if you are an architectural firm that specializes in high-rise buildings, giving the owner a “virtual tour” of their new building can reduce their cost in many ways.
So now you know how you can help your customer with technology but will this make your business more profitable? Research, plan, research and plan. Questions need to be asked and answers need to be produced. Do your customers want this technology? Will this technology bring in more customers? How will you pay for this technology? How long before you will need to replace this technology? Who in the company will be using this technology? How much training is necessary? How will this enable you to bill more? Etcetera. Set goals. Everyone should understand that you are looking to deploy this technology for specific reasons (IE: assist your customer, be more profitable) and those reasons should be outlined. If you come to the realization that you cannot reach your goal with this solution, you can stop and reevaluate. Once you have answered these questions and set your goals, you can start testing. You should always test with a small group. As depicted earlier, starting off by just purchasing Augmented Reality for everyone in the company will probably not work. Get feedback. Ask the people using the technology what they think about this new technology. Getting buy-in from your end users will minimize resistance of the change using this new technology. Once your users are masters and proponents of the new technology, deploy in small doses. Get feedback from your customers and make changes as necessary.
This is not an exact play book for deploying new technology in commercial construction. The point is that just because the technology is available does not mean that it will improve your business. So, when your IT department tells you about the new fleet of drones that will be deployed at the next holiday party, give them some pause. Ask yourself, how will this help your customers and how will this make your company more profitable?
At ASST, we know that commercial construction technology is like the spice in cooking. The right amount at the right time will bring everyone to the table. ASST continuously evaluates the need for new technology and how we can better assist our customers. Let us assist you with your next commercial Casework, Millwork, Solid Surface and Quartz project. Contact us today at info@asst.com.
Comments Off on Extreme Solid Surface Thermoforming
Forming solid surface into complex
geometric forms is still a relatively new topic to many design professionals. With advancing computer technologies, the future looks
bright for those looking to push the boundaries of design with solid surface
materials.
Although thermoforming has existed for
years, advanced technologies to assist with fabrication have not. 5-axis CNC
machining is an essential tool used in creating the molds necessary for
thermoforming. Many fabrication businesses are focused on flat solid
surface countertops and/or quartz. They may only have a small oven or vacuum
table to form simple curves. The equipment costs and learning curve for
thermoforming are out of reach for many of these fabrication businesses.
To address this issue, we
focused our business from the beginning around thermoforming. ASST created a truly “niche” business, catering to advanced
projects requiring fabrication solutions for commercial construction. ASST
invested heavily in the necessary equipment and training required for
thermoforming. ASST’s headquarters includes both offices and fabrication
facilities, as well as a large thermoforming workshop. The workshop
features three thermoforming ovens and two vacuum tables, as well as a 360-ton
proprietary press and a vacuum press related to patented ASST technologies. It
also has three CNC machines: one 5-axis CNC machine and two 3-axis CNC machines
which allows us to reintroduce thermoformed parts to the 5-axis for final size
machining. For cutting parts, ASST also has a Schelling panel saw. The shop is
set up into typical “line work” areas for more common flat countertop fabrication
work and has various open workshop areas for custom projects. Custom projects
that frequently feature thermoformed solid surface parts. It is ASST’s
legacy to continue assisting design professionals with thermoforming project
challenges other fabricators avoid.
ASST is uniquely positioned to fulfill all aspects of your project. Whatever you need, ASST can build it to the exact specifications, in a safe manner and to the finest quality standards you expect. Our EMR safety rating is outstanding at .793! We look forward to Going Beyond to address your exciting project challenges. Contact us today at 717-630-121 or visit our website at www.asst.com
Teamwork:
we all know what it means, but do we know how to practice it? If
you have ever succeeded in sports or been part of a group of people making
music, you understand the importance of teamwork. The same principles apply to
commercial construction. Teamwork is essential to both your organization and
your trade partners.
We have all heard the
well-worn phrases “The customer is always right” and “The customer is
centric to our business”. A balance
between caring for the customer and being profitable can be difficult for any organization.
A lack of alignment between the employee’s desire to listen to customers and
resolve issues is a very real problem for many organizations striving to create
a customer-oriented culture. How do we create a great team of people
working to assist our customers and be profitable?
At ASST, we strive to keep the customer focus on the alignment of our mission, with our name and slogan. ASST (pronounced ə-ˈsist) keeps that focus in front of all employees. Going Beyond is our work ethic. Beyond Surface Level Solutions is assisting with challenges others avoid. ASST also routinely solicits feedback from our customers providing a unique window into what our customers think and feel. At ASST, we are setting the tone for a positive culture of teamwork and great customer service.
ASST is uniquely positioned to fulfill all aspects of your project. Whatever you need, ASST can build it to the exact specifications, in a safe manner and to the finest quality standards you expect. We look forward to Going Beyond for your exciting project! Contact us today at 717-630-1251 or visit our website at www.asst.com.
