Joules Angstrom
Case Study

As an account executive, one way Theresa Smith develops new business is by stopping in at new construction sites and talking to contractors and owners about the possibility of doing business with Echo 24. One particular day she happened to be driving around the corner from the Echo 24 office when she noticed what appeared to be some remodeling work taking place at a manufacturing facility. On a good visit, she would be able to speak with someone who could perhaps give a name and number of the appropriate person to speak with about our services. This visit couldn't have been better as she got to meet the owner and president of Joules Angstrom UV Printing Ink manufacturer, Patrick Carlisle.

Although Pat welcomed a quote on the required cabling, telephone system, and overhead paging system, he indicated that he had already received a proposal from another firm that was owned and operated by a "friend of the family". At this point, he had pretty much decided he was going to purchase a Comdial DX80 and let this other company install the cabling and overhead paging system. It took a lot of doing, but Theresa was able to convince him that the Vodavi solution would be superior to the Comdial, particularly in the long run and that doing business with Echo 24 would in fact be a better move for his business going forward. And so, the deal was done, the installation took place, the newly discovered neighbor and client was happy and satisfied he had chosen the right company to do business with. But that wasn't even half of the story.

A lot of business owners make a very common mistake. In getting caught up in the excitement of business growth and new construction, they fail to consult with a telecommunications professional until it's too late. Often, voice and data cabling are an afterthought; sometimes it is even wrongfully assumed that the general contractor or electrician have included it in their work. This creates a situation where the owner either ends up with an inferior communications infrastructure, or pays much more than necessary to get the job done right.

Pat Carlisle, a meticulous analytical thinker, was not about to let that happen. Sales had doubled every year over a four year period and within a year of the aforementioned remodel project, Joules Angstrom had already outgrown it. Pat was planning to build a new 30,000 sf manufacturing facility at Etna Corporate Park in Etna, OH. While the project was in the planning phase, Pat contacted Tony Gunter, RCDD at Echo 24 to arrange a meeting.

"Echo 24 proved their credibility during our remodel project and I valued their advice. When I first mentioned to Tony that we might be building a new facility, he urged me to get him involved early in the planning stages. When I look at the final result, I'm glad I listened". Patrick Carlisle, President - Joules Angstrom

In this meeting, they discussed many things including:

• communication needs on opening day
• future needs as the business grew
• conduits and cable trays that should be planned for
• telecommunications distribution frame location, size, environmental conditions, and security measures
• overhead paging design
• relocating, upgrading, and adding to the telephone system

Echo 24 submitted a design and proposal for this new building and upon acceptance, coordinated with the general and electrical contractors to ensure preparations were made to facilitate a high quality, economical installation of telecommunications infrastructure.

One interesting note is the particular application for the overhead paging. The new facility was to have a lab directly adjacent to one of the production areas. This lab would have a window so personnel in both the lab and production area could see one another. When a new batch of ink was being mixed, a sample would be taken to the lab as a quality control measure. After testing the sample, the lab technician would go to a microphone and announce to the production area if the sample was acceptable or if more product had to be added. This would save a lot of wasted man hours walking back and forth and make the processes more effective.

Things were coming together and the project was flowing very well as move day was fast approaching. During their planning meeting, Pat expressed his desire to reap as much as possible from his previous investment by relocating the telephone system and paging systems to the new location and then add to them as required.

This presented a common challenge that is always a major concern for business owners and managers; moving existing equipment with as little downtime as possible. The company planned to be open for business the week of the move at their old facility and move over a weekend and be ready to do business at the new facility on Monday morning. Echo 24 was aware of the move schedule well in advance and planned personnel to arrive at the new facility the Friday afternoon before the move. Pat decided they could live a half day without the paging system, so Echo 24 went to work removing paging horns and head-end equipment while business was still taking place. As soon as five o'clock rolled around, the telephone system was powered down and all associated equipment was carefully removed and packed.

The new facility was a mere 15 minutes away, so Echo 24 transported the equipment that short distance, and unpacked it. All of the station cabling had been completed, tested, and documented, so installation on a Friday evening was a breeze; even with the upgrades and additional phones.

Tony Gunter stopped by that evening and performed a walkout with Pat to ensure he was satisfied with the work that had been done. By Monday morning, the telephone and paging systems were in full production and Joules Angstrom was back in business at their brand new facility.

This project itself was such important news for the community in terms of economic development and job growth that soon after opening, Governor Bob Taft paid a visit to personally congratulate them on their success.

It should be noted that some manufacturing companies are so concerned about their manufacturing secrets they will not allow us to even divulge that we conduct business with them as they want their competition to know as little as possible about their operation. Joules Angstrom products are proprietary in nature and we had to be very careful when taking photographs and in providing information about details of their operation; information provided on this website has been approved by Joules Angstrom.

"We have been very pleased with all the products and services provided by Echo 24. They have been immediately responsive to issues and educated us according. We are thankful for all they have done." Patrick Carlisle, President - Joules Angstrom