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Bagging \"The BIG one\"

Mark Eatherton1
Mark Eatherton1 Member Posts: 2,542
in THE MAIN WALL
Finally, after almost 9 months from our initial contact, a MAJOR snowmelt job has finally come to fruition.

It started 9 months ago when my partner, who just happened to be in the office on a Sunday, answered a ringing phone. First off, my partner is NEVER in the office on a Sunday, and secondly he NEVER answers the telephone on a weekend. Our regular customers all know to use "the emergency pager" number. Anyway, he answered, and much to his suprise, it was some guy calling from Minnesota. Said he was having a new home built, and was having it made "radiant ready" in the basement slab. His question had to do with zoning. Seems the installing contractor told him the whole basement had to be "one zone", even though it consisted of numerous tube circuits. Tom took the time to find out whose system was being speced and explained that if the tubing layout was conducive, that individual tube circuits, or groups of circuits could be zoned together. This made him a very happy man. He then explained that he was the VP in charge of commercial development for a MAJOR retail company (their company colors are red and white and circles...) and that they were developing numerous stores out here in Colorado on the western slope and that they were going to be doing snowmelt systems in their stores for the first time, and that he wanted our firm to participate in the design and installation of same.

Shortly thereafter, we were contacted by a local GC (major big time GC...) and were directed to a web site where the plans could be downloaded. We did so, and estimated the job and blew them away. They hadn't allocated nearly enough $ to do the areas they wanted to do. So we scaled the project back to fit their budget and minimal needs.

Then, their (the retailer) engineering department got involved. They'd never done (much less seen) a snowmelt system, so we had to go through the usual education process. A long time passed with no word, but construction began anyway. Then we get the call from the GC that an "engineered" system had been developed by the engineers, and they needed an estimate based on their design. We did and the numbers came in more than they originally had been. We found that we were bidding against two other firms, one a local firm, and the other the GC's mechanical contractor of choice. The GC kept calling us back and asking LOTS of questions about our bid, like did you include this? Which we of course had. Then they started calling us back and asking us to deduct this and see what it lowers your price to. Begrudgingly we did, and re-submitted. Eventually, the GC broke down and explained to us that our bid WAS the most comprehensive, but that it was a LOT more than the other two firms' numbers. We explained to the GC that we were the only bidder that had included EVERYTHING in our number, and that we didn't promise to be the lowest bid, but that we were the most qualified for the job, and this was their only chance to get it done right, the first time.

A long time passed with no communication with the GC. I'd almost given up hope thinking that we were tossed for being the high bid, when lo and behold, my cell phone rings Friday, and it's the GC telling me he needs me to be at a contractor coordination meeting at 10:00 AM Monday and that we've been given the project. YIPPEE!!

Not only is this the largest individual bid I've personally generated, but it also set a new record for largest single job bid by my firm! The employees are dancing in the street at Advanced Hydronics!

Tomorrow, I find out exactly how tight the schedule is, and just how many of my friendly competitors I'm going to have to call in and put to work to keep ahead of the cement finisher. We should have been started over a month ago.

And just to add cream to the job, I was told that an area that was originally deducted from the scope of our services (a truck dock) has been added back in, and we won't have to go through the usual engineering hoops to get it through. Seems the first person to call our office has gotten re-involved and told the GC, that if we say it's good, it is good.

Good things comes to those who wait, and work, and wait eh...

Happy Educated Snowmelting Hydronicing!!

ME

Gone fishing...
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