CalCo: Your Turn-Key Solution for Product Displays

CalCo likes a challenge! We have been in the business of solving our customers problems for almost 60 years.

CalCo started in 1953 as a cutaway shop taking products and cutting away a portion to show the internal parts since they can be a valuable selling tool.  We have come a long way over the years by adapting to customer needs and changes in product displays.  In that time, we have become a turn-key solution for our customers by adding new services.  Did you know there is a place you can go to get all of your product display needs performed at the same time?

In addition to cutaways,  CalCo provides :

• Working Models with or without a cutaway
• Product Displays
• Sales and Training Aids
• Lighting
• Custom Basemounts
• Custom Shipping Containers
• Acrylic covers  and Displays
• Point-of-Puchase Displays
• Custom Cases
• Scale Models and Rapid Prototyping
• Three Dimensional Printing
• Animation
• Sales Awards
• Corporate Gifts
• Plating
• Training Programs
• Professional Photography
• Waterjet Cutting

CalCo can solve your trade show or product display problems with just one phone call!  A typical project now involves creating a cutaway, attaching a brushed aluminum base or custom rolling basemount, building a custom shipping container and a shooting a professional photography session before the project is completed and shipped back to the customer ready to go directly to a trade show or presentation.

If you need help with your trade show, sales or training needs, call CalCo at 847/639-3858 or click here for our contact page and let us make your idea a reality!

2009: The Year in Review

As is typical at the end of the year CalCo is reflecting on the past twelve months. There were some unique and creative product displays, cutaways, 3-D models and POP displays created this year.  A few of them are included below for your enjoyment:

And finally, some believe that 2009 was a year down the toilet, although that was not the case at CalCo we still spent some time with one….

CalCo looks forward to another interesting year!

To contact CalCo call 847/639-3858 or click here for our contact page.

CalCo’s New Brochure is Now Available

Fresh for 2010 Calco has developed a new brochure showing all of the services offered and some examples of the quality craftmanship that is synonymous with the CalCo name.  CalCo has been offering quality tradeshow displays and cutaways for over 50 years, especially to industrial product manufacturers.   Now see some of the other services available such as 3-D models or prototypes, working models, special lighting, custom bases, corporate gifts, POP displays and other tradeshow or marketing products.  You can count on CalCo as a turn-key solution for your sales and marketing needs.

The front and back cover of the new brochure are shown below, and the full PDF can be downloaded here. (right click and choose “Save As”)

To get a look inside our new brochure please send your information (name, company and address) to brochures@calcocutaways.com.  You will receive one in the mail right away so CalCo can help you start the year right with some new ideas to show your product in its best light because “Your Product is Our Profession”

For more ideas visit our website at www.calcocutaways.com ,  click here for contact information or call 847/639-3858.

The Buck Stops Here

Your company uses a variety of vendors for certain products or services every day, making make life easier for everyone. So do we.

Your company probably uses a few providers that actually make life more difficult for you or your coworkers. Same here.

On Monday one of our primary vendors emailed to let us know that our project with them was complete. . .Great.

This was typical and expected. . .

However, the details on getting the order back to us were left out, forcing us to stop what we were doing, contact them about it and make these arrangements ourselves. Done.

Once the items were received, we found quality issues on practically every piece that was delivered. Where was the quality control??

We would have sent the entire order back to be redone from scratch, except that we needed these pieces for a larger project that our client was expecting on time. We had to stop what we were doing (again) and fix every mistake and flaw to bring this project back up to our high standard of quality, (which our client expects).

Everything worked out in the end, our client was thrilled with the final result and his coworkers were equally impressed with the craftsmanship and attention to detail, (and the shipping was arranged without our client’s involvement whatsoever).

So the extra effort on our end resulted in a great experience for our client. We love that.

The vendor’s actions, on the other hand, had to be managed, monitored and corrected.   Is this the case with some of your providers?

Communication and responsibility are the landmarks of a company you can trust for the long term. The reason companies like CalCo have been around for over half a century, is because they are trusted, respected and are the go-to guys when quality and professionalism are important.

Did you know that CalCo can handle your POP displays, your screen printing, your photography, your display storage, your prototyping, your sales cases, your website design, your 3D animation, your metal finishing, your large format printing, your digital image manipulation, and many of the other items you struggle with every day?  It’s true.

Please call 847-639-3858 or email to see if your project can be handled correctly this time by CalCo, let us handle the problems so you can just sleep easy for once.

A Spectacular Valve Cutaway Example

To most of the world a valve is a valve,  not too exciting or original.  But to those in the business a valve can be very exciting.  The small differences from one valve to the next can make a big difference in performance and wear.  What better way to show off these differences then by opening up your valve and showing the important internal components that make your product unique with a Valve Cutaway.  A cutaway can be used at tradeshows, sales meetings, investor relations meetings, for new product introductions and in brochures or ads.

It can be hard to picture how a product functions when from the outside it looks like a simple thing. A cutaway can provide the means to show off all of the complexity or simplicity of your product. By opening the product so that the internal parts can be seen you can show the true capabilities of your product.

CalCo has created cutaways for many types of valves including;
Control Valves
Check Valves
Butterfly Valves
Gate Valves
Diaphragm Valves
Needle Valves
Globe Valves
Pinch Valves
Solenoid Valves
Ball Valves

See the gallery below or visit the CalCo website at www.CalCoCutaways.com to see more examples.  If you are looking for a Valve Cutaway or any other type of industrial cutaway please call CalCo at 847/639-3858 or click here for contact information.

What is so Amazing about an Engine Cutaway?

Much of the beauty of an engine is in the details. In order to see all of these details, such as the pistons, crank shaft and valve train components as well as how they function together, a cutaway is an ideal solution.

With a cutaway you can not only see how the individual parts function but you can see how they relate to each other.  From the exterior many engines may seem similar; but once the interior is exposed with a cutaway, you can see the unique attributes of the individual engine inside and its configuration.

These are the important elements that can mean all the difference in power, performance and efficiency.  Using a cutaway will clearly show where the advantages and benefits are and how a particular model can outperform the competition by showing the internal configuration and how the parts interrelate.

Even some of the external components, such as the fuel pump or alternator, can contain hidden features that benefit from a cutaway as well.

“Hands on education has always been, and will always be the best way to inform and educate an audience on products and mechanical relationships.”

View the gallery of engine cutaways below and you can see that CalCo knows engines and how to make them a work of art.

For more cutaway photos please visit www.CalCoCutaways.com and look in the Cutaways Gallery.  If you would like information on having your engine or any other product cutaway, please contact CalCo at 847/639-3858 or click here for contact information.

What is a Cutaway?

CalCo has been designing and producing high quality cutaways since 1953.  To make a cutaway we take your product and physically cut it open to show the inner parts that make your product unique.  Cutaways are invaluable tools because they are interactive.  They allow your customer to see, feel and in many cases move your product to see the most important features hidden inside.

Cutaways can be used for a wide variety of products including the following:

• Valves
• Pumps
• Engines
• Transmissions
• Actuators
• Tools
• Machines
• Hydraulics
• Pneumatics
• Regulators
• Torches
• Appliances
• Electrical and Electronic Equipment

We have created cutaways from many materials including plastic controllers, speakers and toilets.    We have the capability to cut any material and in any thickness, from the toughest grade of stainless steel to ceramics.

Cutaways have become quite popular at tradeshows but they are also used for lobby installations, investor relations meetings, sales calls, advertising and brochures, training and awards.

If you are interested in having a cutaway made using your product give us a call today at 847/639-3858 or click here for a free quote.

A finished regulator cutaway

Stand Out From the Crowd

At your tradeshow or in the lobby your product can stand out from the crowd with a unique stand.   Add your logo, raise your product to new heights or allow your product to move.  If you have an idea we can execute it or you can let us create a one of a kind design just for you.

Let us make your vision a reality!

To contact CalCo to get some unique ideas for stands click here or call 847/639-3858. To see an acrylic tabletop stand click here.

Rugged and Attractive Product Display Basemounts

Heavy duty product displays can really test the durability of their basemounts throughout a typical lifespan, and CalCo has seen many of the casualties first hand.

The response is a great looking, lightweight and cost effective solution that has been working beautifully for years and years.

The basemount of your display needs to look great without attracting attention to itself, and the CalCo specialty basemount has enough flexibility to mount almost any product or display the way it wants to be shown.

Available in silver or black, this solution is recommend for products up to even 500 lbs. and can be fitted with fork lifting channels for ease of mobility.

Put your products on a pedestal. One that is durable, industrial and manageable, but most of all remarkable!

Click here to contact CalCo for more information or call 847-639-3858.

Clearly Spectacular Tabletop Stands

Show off your products while minimizing the presence of a basemount. CalCo creates custom clear bases that add a level of dazzle and impressiveness to your displays while emphasizing your product at the same time. These stands are ideal for trade show and lobby display and each one is custom designed for a perfect fit.

Click here for contact information or call 847/639-3858 to discuss your needs or click here to see more stand options.