It's time to announce our first set of winners! Thank you to Claudia M. and Clint R. for your enlightening and thorough entries and great picture submissions. We'd like to share your stories:
Claudia M. took 1st place and won $500 in our Hall of Fame category. She wrote, "The Arco building serves as the facility for the non-profit 501c3 Blue Ribbon Riders, Inc. Therapeutic Riding/Hippotherapy program serving children, teens and adults with special needs in the Augusta GA area. The building provides a much needed shelter from the sun and rain, and provides space for the mounting platform and ramp, parent waiting area, and riding arena. The building also serves as a training facility for our volunteers who assist with leading the horses, assist with the riders during lessons, and working the therapy horses. Blue Ribbon Riders is a premiere center of PATH International. (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship). All of our activities are now housed in one beautiful, functional and safe space." The Building was completed in December 2009.
Claudia did her homework when choosing what material her building would be made from. "During the planning process, I explored the pros and cons of steel vs. wood and material structures." Claudia's building shelters about 25-35 people riding 3-4 horses during the program. "I determined that for our purposes, the steel structures allowed for a clear span of 80 feet wide, low maintenance, quality materials, structural integrity and lower cost," she wrote.
She also did her homework when choosing her supplier. "Arco was one of 3 quotes that I received. One of the primary reasons why I selected your company was because of the customer service. Stephanie Massey was so very helpful with working with me on the design details, answering all of my numerous questions, giving me references to view Arco buildings in my area and helping to keep the cost as low as possible. She was always quick to follow up on phone calls and send updated information. The other companies were slow to respond to my phone calls for quotes and they were all a bit higher in price then your quote. Plus, I liked the fact that Arco is based in GA."
Claudia's words of advice to make your steel/metal building project go smoothly are to create a strong working relationship with your salesperson and to know what you want. She went over her plans multiple times before the decision of what was the best design her building. When selecting a building supplier, she feels it's important to look around and compare. She did her research on the internet. "I looked through all the pictures they put up and, through a process of elimination, decided on 3, called those companies, and got bids on what I wanted. After that I went to one of them, asked the representative for a building within a 50 mile radius and went to see it and decided on Arco," said Claudia.
Some of the factors that helped her decide was the rigid frame design. She felt the steel buildings that she saw looked "tidy and neat". She also mentioned that her Sales Representative at Arco always called back when she asked and answered her questions. "The other company was hard to get a hold of. I felt like the person was not fully invested in me because my project was little," said Claudia.
Her favorite thing about her steel building is that it stays clean so easily and she hasn't had to do any repairs or maintenance on it. She recently added gutters to her building and highly recommends them to anyone looking to purchase a steel building.
Congratulations Claudia and we hope you and those that you serve continue to enjoy the building we provided you for such a great cause!
Arco Steel Buildings would also like to congratulate Clint R. on winning $100 for our Honorable Mention Award in our Hall of Fame category. Clint's building was constructed in 2010. He wrote, "I decided to construct a commercial building upon a residential lot. This building serves multiple functions including housing a revenue generating solar system and providing a storage facility. This building's primary purpose is to store multiple vehicles, including a 40-foot recreational vehicle, yet allowing plenty of space to maneuver around for other projects. It also stores various household items that sit on a number of pallet racks that the building is conducive to storing."
Clint feels that one of the best things about his building is the convenience that it brings him from project to project. "Another function is that I no longer have to be concerned about the weather when beginning a project, like body or mechanical work on an automobile or sealing my roof on my camper or RV. I can start and stop projects at my leisure without having to worry about available space. The dimensions of the building, including the 16-foot sidewalls, make it possible to work at high heights without being impeded by the ceiling or other building support obstructions."
Clint concluded that a steel building is superior over other options for multiple reasons. "The building's overall strength and resistance to high winds was a factor. Not having wooden rafters that impede working ability, or any wood within its construction for that matter, was another reason. Finally, the overall looks of the building makes it attractive, even right next to my home. I am constantly getting complements of how people like my building. When people refer to my building as a "pole building" I quickly correct them stating it is a "metal building", because there is a huge difference. Personally I love my building and spend many hours in it doing various tasks. It is truly my "man cave", he wrote.
Clint made an educated decision when he chose to work with Arco. Clint wrote, "Arco Building Systems' reputation and assistance in the design and support was the reason I chose them as my source for the materials for my metal building. Having them assist me in the design of the building, fulfilling all of my needs, and properly calculating the materials list and delivering the materials was instrumental in the success of our construction. I wholeheartedly recommend making a higher investment in a metal building supplied by Arco Building Systems, as you will not regret your decision."
Clint's building is home to an active 54-panel electricity generating solar system that serves as an official power plant tied to the grid, directly supplementing the feed of electricity to his neighbors. The roof was strong enough to support this additional installation, and is now generating revenue as a result.
He thinks it's important for steel/metal building owners to periodically carry out a personal inspection of the whole construction process "Because it not only gives you peace of mind that your building is being instructed properly, but you also learn from it." He also advises those in the market for a steel building to "Pick a reputable installer; someone that has experience. I almost didn't do that. Yeah, it's going to cost a little more but you'll be happy in the long run."
Clint enjoys the overall size of his building and the easy access that it grants him. In fact, he is not the only one who appreciates his building. "People that I know-they love the building when the see it. They are overwhelmed as to how well it's constructed. When they see the steel beams in the interior they are kind of at awe because they are accustomed to seeing pole barns," said Clint.
A big thank you to Clint for his fantastic feedback. We at Arco are so happy to learn how pleased you and others have been with your building and how well it has done for your purposes.
