Kaplan Mechanical Corp.: capability study
When they say full-service, they really mean it
Pete Kaplan, secretary of Kaplan Mechanical Corporation, believes that
a quality mechanical contractor must be proactive in becoming an integral
part of the building process, not just another subcontractor, just as the
HVAC systems represent an integral part of the building being constructed.
His firm is a full-service mechanical contractor that can act as a single
source for all of a project's mechanical systems needs, as it combines both
construction and design/build capabilities with superior service and automated
building control capabilities in both new construction and retrofitting.
Serving all phases of a job, start to finish
With the design/build delivery system, the services of a mechanical engineer
in designing the system are combined with those of the contractor who handles
the construction, and Kaplan is proud to offer this service. Quality control
in the design process assures an elegant and simple design, integrating
multiple systems that will bring comfort and energy conservation to a project,
while it protects the owner's investment. Kaplan Mechanical can do this
by reducing system downtime; improving maintenance methods; and reducing
budget, repair, utility and staffing costs.
But Kaplan Mechanical can also serve very well in the traditional plan/spec
mode, working closely with engineers who design systems and installing carefully
per their specifications.
Work is coordinated with all necessary trades, from sheet metal and piping
on through to controls and building automation, and finishing with help
with energy management and lowering operations costs. Kaplan service includes
the ability to schedule the work, minimize job costs and reduce construction
coordination problems, ensuring that projects come in on time and on budget.
Kaplan Mechanical's service component begins during the pre-planning
part of the project and extends through to the end. The firm also offers
a Controls Division whose engineers are experienced in control design for
pneumatic, electronic and direct digital computerized systems. Beyond that,
Kaplan can follow the job through to maintenance and warranty work.
In the shop and on the job
Kaplan now has a fully automated sheet metal shop Kaplan averages about
30 in the field and enough in its shop to handle 500,000 lb of sheet metal
fabrication a year. Sheet metal work in the 8,000-sf shop includes computerized
fitting layouts, complete fabrication equipment and plasma cutting equipment,
with materials including stainless steel and aluminum fabrication and PVC
and fiberglass ductwork. Also available: customer sheet metal parts and
structural steel supports for specialty equipment. Kaplan Mechanical can
handle large-capacity ductwork and can bend ducts using a TDF machine that
will automatically turn edges to make flanges that reduce the need for connections
and replace the need for supports on much ductwork. In addition, the plasma
cutting equipment lets one worker do the work of 10 by burning out fittings
using a computer.
Pipefitting includes everything from steam and sprinkler systems to hot
water, chilled water and refrigerant systems to compressed air, gas and
hydraulic systems. BXM
A three-part philosophy
Combine a lean management style, long-term relationships and an eye
to serve the future.
According to Kaplan Mechanical's Pete Kaplan, what makes Kaplan unique
is its lean and efficient management structure. Because there are no layers
of overhead, clients can deal directly with the decision-makers, and even
the working foremen on each site are capable of making field coordination
decisions, keeping projects rolling and meeting budgets and deadlines. "With
our streamlined management system, information comes straight from the horse's
mouth," is the way Kaplan puts it.
The key to success in this area, says Kaplan, is staying flexible, and
becoming more efficient in project management, so projects can be brought
in on strict schedules, keeping costs down while quality remains high. Part
of this flexibility is found in Kaplan's computerized estimating system
that lets it do large project estimates in just a few hours, promising not
only quick turnaround but also accuracy and supreme competitiveness.
Loyal partners
A second essential for success is creating a solid base of suppliers.
"Unlike most businesses, this business, construction, is full of problem
solving," says Kaplan. "And the ones who solve the problems best
are the most successful." At Kaplan Mechanical, he adds, clients get
to deal closely with the company, and the company has the resources to figure
things out, helped largely by its vendors and suppliers, "our go-to
people," says Kaplan. Building good relationships with suppliers and
subs is essential, Kaplan adds.
But the firm also works closely with owners to make sure the system that
is installed is the right one for them, identifying needs and working together
to provide outcomes-based solutions and meet goals. Kaplan Mechanical looks
to create a planned strategy of service that has the greatest impact on
a client's operation and that looks for underlying causes of HVAC problems,
aiming to provide just the right intervention in all cases, be it a replacement,
better maintenance or an upgrade.
The next generation
Kaplan Mechanical also works to encourage new workers to enter the construction
field, cooperating with the Cuyahoga Valley Career Center to entice new
employees. For instance, it hired Rick Fargo eight years ago during his
junior year as a half-day worker. He loves the field, finding that it offers
challenging work, with something new every daywelding, fabrication,
reading drawing, and a chance to "figure things out." BXM
Kaplan Mechanical Corp.: a history
Twenty-five years, a wealth of knowledge
Kaplan was founded 25 years ago by Sanford Kaplan, at that time a piping
contractor. "I found I was too happy and rich working for others, so
I wanted to start off on my own so I could become poor and miserable,"
jokes the founder, who seems prosperous and jovial enough. The firm grew
in the quarter century to become a full-service mechanical contractor specializing
in HVAC systems, weathering the ups and downs by staying close to its mission
of installing mechanical systems.
And it will continue to do just that. Pete Kaplan, the son of the founder,
notes that the firm intends to play to its strengths, because "we want
to stay with what we do well," he says. "We stick with our core
competencies in commercial HVAC installation."
Growing better
But the firm is anything but stodgy. Kaplan Mechanical is on a mission:
to grow the firm by doing more of the same, only in a bigger and better
way, concentrating on mid-level jobs from $500,000 to $2 million. The key
client base: general contractors and property owners in the Greater Cleveland
region.
Together, father and son have 50 years experience, with over 750 HVAC
installations for the company. "I don't think there is anything we
haven't run across. And we learn something new on each job," says Kaplan.
In addition to experience schlepping HVAC parts dating back to the age of
10. Pete brings a background in industrial finance to the mix, giving Kaplan
Mechanical economic and real estate acumen as well as industrial prowess.
"We can look with a different set of eyes, owners' eyes, looking at
maintenance needs, utility bills," says Kaplan.
Vast experience
The firm has deep experience in commercial, institutional, industrial
and retail work, including tenant build-outs, food service, and hospitality
projects, with systems such as clean rooms, variable air volume systems,
air rotation, radiant heat, central station chiller and boiler plants, process
piping plant ventilation and computer rooms. It has the chops to do specialty
work such as healthcare applications, with their special equipment and procedural
needs, and pool areas, with their requirements for dealing with extreme
moisture conditions.
Kaplan Mechanical has handled such high-profile projects as Cleveland
Healthspace, the complete HVAC renovation of the Chagrin Falls Schools,
and Legacy Village's Crate & Barrel and Cheesecake Factory, as well
as Lorain Co. Board of Mental Health, the Reed Memorial Library in Ravenna,
Foundation Surgery Affiliates of Middleburg Hts., the Maple Hts. Police
Department, Perlmutter Printing, and the Richfield Administration Building.
One very special installation was a design/build project for the FBI's Maintenance
Garage and Facility, which demanded special security features such as a
DSP Monoxivent vehicle exhaust system to extract fumes and measure carbon
monoxide in the air. Another design/build effort was Kaplan Mechanical's
work for the Timken/Detroit Diesel Boiler Plant Conversion. BXM
