Just this past week Chumley Construction had an opportunity
to get out a bit and stretch our horizons with a trip to Phoenix, AZ! Yes, this would’ve been a great vacation (especially during this time of year in Western Washington State!) but we actually had the privilege of visiting an exciting custom window and door manufacturing facility for some hands on training. We were so thoroughly impressed, we just had to share our excitement here and tell you a little bit more about our experience!
As we arrived to their facility and walked into the main lobby area, there was a tangible “feel in the air” that this place was rockin’ and rollin’! A sophisticated industrial, modern and organic décor immediately grabbed our attention. This was a place of ideas, of innovation; of excellence…you could see it everywhere. It didn’t matter where you were in that facility; there were reminders of an expectation of excellence within view at all times. For Instance, a towering profile picture of Steve Jobs being quoted hung from the rafters in several locations on the production floor. They took their business serious and most importantly, they had smiles on their faces too! A true sign of loving the product they are
producing…
Every piece of glass is closely examined, while being back lit to show any imperfections, before being sent on down the line. Each work station had checklists, processes, and many men (they employee over 100) working in tandem cutting frames, installing glass panels, and assembling complex wheels, locksets, hinges and tracks. A real modern day Ford assembly line, well except that they make doors and windows not Model Ts!
After our tour was complete we were introduced to one of WWS production leads, Carl. He lead us through a comprehensive installation process in their “mock up” install area. To be honest, after seeing the complexity of the components and technology used to produce them…we thought it would be a much more difficult process…we were wrong. It was actually pretty straight forward and it’s so much more educational being able to talk to someone face to face versus reading an installation manual (which always seem to be confusing). Being hands on with an actual product that Chumley Construction will be installing… priceless! To finish the visit we were chauffeured out to a local jobsite on the outskirts of Phoenix, near Chandler, AZ. This gave us the opportunity to actually see first-hand how the products look after being freshly installed into a new home construction environment. A bonus added feature of these multi slide doors is that they come with track guards that protect the wheels from getting gunked up or damaged as other sub-contractors come through to complete their work. It really showed that they have thought through their product and processes at WWS to deliver a stellar result!
Although it was a long day and we had to catch a plane back that night back to Seattle (40+ degree drop in temperature too!), what a great trip and what a great way to learn! So to wrap it up, we’re determined to be lifelong learners at Chumley Construction… knowing full well that there is always something new to see, experience, and learn. How else can we get better as individuals, families, businesses and organizations if we quit learning about each other, ourselves, new products and different ways of doing things? We encourage you, as our readers, to be lifelong learners too! Keep your mind sharp and hey…after reading this blog: You did LEARN something NEW!
