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| Volume 10, Number 12 | February 21, 2003 |
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The U of S carpenters:Loving the challenge of custom-building to suit the unique needs of the University community
By Michelle Boulton The American Heritage Dictionary (Fourth Edition), defines a carpenter as: "a skilled worker who makes, finishes, and repairs wooden objects and structures." That definition sounds pretty broad - but it just begins to describe the wide range of work performed by the U of S carpentry crew. The University's Facilities Management Division employs 15 carpenters and trades helpers who "just sort of do everything," says Carpenter Supervisor Sid Stevenson. This hardworking crew is divided into two groups: "inside guys" and "outside guys." The outside guys do all the installations and renovations, construct walls, install drywall, and so on. The inside guys do all the millwork - building workstations, cabinetry, display cases, and the like - repair furniture, install track ceilings, and on and on. While many capital projects on campus are contracted out, Stevenson says his crew handles most projects under $200,000. This includes everything from renovating office and laboratory space to repairing furniture and hanging pictures (yes, they do that too). They even try to restore some of the antique furniture and fixtures in the University's many beautiful old buildings. Stev-enson says if there is one task that keeps the carpenters busiest it is "constructing and installing millwork, and lots of it!" He explains that when FMD gets a request for a desk or a display case, for example, they don't buy it, they build it. He says the quality of their construction is much better than store-bought, plus they offer lifetime service. Another benefit is the opportunity to get custom designs instead of trying to make manufactured pieces fit your needs. Cliff Rempel, Manager of the Project Management Office of Facilities Management, explains that "sometimes rooms are unique in size or dimensions and only a custom piece of millwork will work." His staff of project managers, many of whom are also interior designers, work with campus clients to design custom millwork for the carpenters to build. When Rempel receives a Work Initiation Request Form (WIRF), he sends out an estimator to discuss the client's needs. If the client decides to proceed after they have seen the estimate, plans are drafted and sent to the carpenters. Some of the project managers are able to draft their own designs, but the department also employs a full-time draftsperson. Some of the custom designs sent back to the skilled craftsmen in the carpentry shop can be unique and challenging. For example, they built a made-to-order circulation desk for the Main Library which was much appreciated by the Library staff, who were able to decide exactly what they needed and where. Another interesting project currently under construction is a scaled-down model of an MRI. It is being built for children and will be used in the city's hospitals. Kids will be able to get on the bed and be rolled in and out of the model MRI, which will look exactly like the real thing. It will provide an opportunity for children to get acquainted with the apparatus before they have to be examined in a real MRI - and the hope is that it will alleviate some of their fears. For the University's carpenters, these unique and challenging projects are a big part of the reason why they love to work at Facilities Management Division. "It's a long ways better than working for a construction company or a cabinet shop because of the mix of work that we do. We don't do the same thing all the time; it's always changing and it's always interesting and challenging," says Stevenson. The University is a great place to work as a carpenter, which may help to explain why there are very few job openings. Stevenson explains that they get a lot of applications, but there is almost no employee turnover. "In the 19 years I have been here, maybe one guy quit," he says. "No one leaves unless they retire."
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