Meet Dan Fierla, Senior Supervisor and Cutaway and Display Expert, at CalCo

Ever wonder how CalCo can continually make first class cutaways and always seems to know just what you wanted? We owe much of it to our production supervisor, Dan Fierla. Dan started at CalCo as part of a high school cooperative work program and has been here ever since. In his 32 years, he has moved up the ladder from high school intern to Senior Supervisor, in charge of production and managing our facility and workers. If you have worked with CalCo you may have spoken to Dan and you most likely learned that he has high standards for the work that we do. If it doesn’t meet Dan’s expectations, it is not going out the door. Customer service and satisfaction has always been a key component at CalCo and Dan is one of the reasons why. Another of his famous attributes is his dedication to time commitments. We pay close attention to deadlines and work hard to meet every one. While we always try to work projects into our schedule, we have turned away business because we could not have maintained our high standards and met the delivery date.

According to Dan the most important information that you can give us about your project is……

“information that will help me to make your project have that just right look.  Details like, what are you trying to show with this cutaway/display?  Is it the size/type of the internal parts you want to showcase? Or is it something special that separates your product from the competition? This information helps me to design the cuts to show what the customer needs and wants to see.”

His favorite project that he has completed is…..

“I had the honor to work on and am very proud of a Double over head cam V6 marine engine for a large engine manufacturer. This project from start to finish was done right.  David Meeler from their marketing department, came to Calco, told me all of the features he would like to show, which helped me to machine the engine and give it that personal touch.  Colors and color coding were all picked out by the customer. When the engine made its maiden voyage at the Florida Boat Show it was a big hit.”

Something you should know about him is……

“I get great satisfaction out of working with the other members of the CalCo team.  I am driven to make CalCo the Best it can be for both employee and customer. When I see pictures of  trade show booths like Navistar, DeZURIK and Kimray, and all of them use Calco cutaways/displays to show case their products,  I have a great sense of pride in knowing I played a part in helping them project a positive image.”

Dan’s level of experience and overall knowledge of products helps you in terms of deciding the best way to display the internal components of your product. Chances are great that Dan has the best and most cost effective way to show your products key features.  He can assist you in creating your ideal cutaway/display.  He also has innovative ideas to show off large products, create working models or design custom stands.

If you have a project that you are interested in discussing, give CalCo a call at 847/639-3858 or email us at news@calcocutaways.com.

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”.

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 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.

Signs of Economic Recovery -What should you do to get ready?

Now that the rays of a recovering economy are starting to shine on many industries, the time is right to get ahead of your peers and grab the lion’s share of the upcoming new business.

This means getting in front of them with your best and latest development along with a compelling offer or story. When telling your story, you need to present the information in an easy to comprehend manner in order to make a favorable and memorable first impression.

Many times industrial product sales require in person interaction or a trade show environment to engage the audience and to tell the full story. Both of these venues are expensive and time consuming so it is imperative that you have everything you need in advance to make your presentation meaningful.

When it comes to product presentations that are expertly crafted, CalCo can be trusted to convey the desired message for your product in the most professional manner. Whether a simple cutaway will suffice to show a hidden feature, or an interactive digital presentation is more suited to this end, CalCo has the tools to quickly and efficiently create a winning product exhibit.

Some of the most popular services by request are:

Product cutaways and painted displays
Motorized or hand actuation products
Passageway and part colorization
Internal and external lighting effects
3D animation and interactive online presentations
Full color scale modeling and prototyping
Plus YOUR IDEAS for the ultimate presentation

The past is behind us, and now is the time to move ahead and get that new market share before your competition does. Take advantage of the enhanced outsourcing capabilities available at CalCo to move with your best foot forward.

As we begin this upturn, get started while your competition is still recovering and build your sales and marketing program to take advantage of the many opportunities on the horizon. Get your customers, and the industry as a whole, excited about your new offerings with some innovative marketing displays or presentations for your next tradeshow or sales call.

Out of the Ordinary Paint Finishes

Do you want your product to stand out from the crowd?

Give your product that extra “WOW” factor with an exotic paint finish. CalCo’s expert paint technicians offer a Thermal Reactive Color Change finish, Super Metallic base coats and the Ultra Exotic Textured finish with three dimensional depth. In addition we offer a rainbow of colors in Pearl, Neon, Flake or Kandy paint finishes.

Use a custom CalCo paint finish to make your product shine like the jewel that it is!

Whether at your tradeshow, in your lobby or on sales calls...that should get them talking!

Working Models Draw People In

Motorizing your products is a great way to attract interest and show func­tionality. Many products can be actuated or rotated with a few minor adjustments and the right horsepower. Lighting and a descriptive backdrop can finish off the whole scene.

 Whether a fluid handling display or an actuating component, movement in your display will pay off for you in terms of people being drawn in by the movement and immediately asking questions about what is being shown.

 Add a push button or two to give the audience something to interact with themselves, and you will find people clamoring to try it for themselves.

 When marketing your product, the more of the (5) senses you can involve  in a memorable way, the more likely it will be that your display/salesmen/company will be remembered long after the crate has been latched and the freight ticket attached.

 If a product is too large for this type of service (or too small), consider a 3D animation sequence to show your products in action. Add a touch screen display where your customer can virtually interact with your product, and you will find a line of people waiting to try it for themselves.

 Get your audience involved and tell your story to a captivated audience. The results will speak for themselves.

Click for more photos. . . Read the rest of this entry »

Investor Relations Meetings Require a Great First Impression

When investors and VIP’s are touring, it is crucial that the impression you are giving is one of expertise and leadership in your industry. Lobby displays and showroom exhibits can impress your audience and show your authority in a variety of ways.

Products on display in the right light, and in context, can send a powerful message, one that could create a unique first impression that could make all the difference in the long run.

Stack the deck in your favor and control the experience of ‘important’ individuals from their first open door to the final shaking of hands.

It is typically the visual and hands-on experiences that make a lasting impression once the visit is over, so make yours very positive and intriguing. It may make all the difference. 

Get your Lightweight Scale-Models in Full Color

Providing your audience with a hands-on 3D view of your product is always more effective than just a photo on a brochure page or website, right?

But what if your product is too heavy and cumbersome (read: costly) to ship around and bring into offices and meeting rooms? Read on. . .

Read the rest of this entry »

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!

Professional Product Photography makes Perfect Sense

Once your projects are completed at CalCo, they are at their very best, which is a great time to capture your product images for marketing products.

Therefore it makes sense to have your shoot completed right at CalCo by a professional product photographer and expert studio equipment. The savings will surprise you given the level expertise that is delivered.

Drop these images right into presentations, brochures or catalog production before the product is even back in your hands. Choose from standard lighting and backdrop, (shown here), to many optional settings, including on-location if needed.

Many angles and lighting options are delivered on the final CD copy, along with file handling and printed proof sheets for quick reference.

This is such a great service that many even send in items that don’t need any display work, just for the high level of service and value CalCo offers.