NCI continues to praise Design++ solution
In an interview in the July 2006 issue of the Metal Construction News (MCN) magazine NCI management continues to praise the Design++ based engineering and design solution used by Robertson Ceco Corporation that NCI Building Systems Ltd. acquired April 9, 2006.
Here are some experts from the News Feature story on pages 72 to 74 in the magazine:
MCN: What attracted you to RCC?"
A.R.Ginn, chairman and CEO, NCI Building Systems: ... Through discussions with our senior management group, we found that we've been relatively successful at recruiting builders from our competition - except from the Robertson-Ceco-Star Group.
It's difficult to recruit RCC's builders because of the customer service and the technical systems that are available to them. They can electronically order their building and receive cross sections, anchor bolt drawings and the whole nine yards, right in their offices. RCC was the only company in the industry with that capability and it kept leading us back to them.
MCN: So you bought your best competitor ... ?
Ginn: If you want to count success as being the best, we absolutely bought the best. If you want to count systems being the best, we absolutely bought the best.
MCN: Can you tell us a bit about the strengths ... of the each of the RCC divisions?
Keith Fisher, P.E., President and COO, Robertson-Ceco Corporation [appointed by NCI]: ... Star probably leverages our technical system to the fullest. They want to make sure that builders understand how to use it and are self-sufficient, so the builders can maintain control. Ceco leverages the technical system, but places more emphasis on personalized service. Robertson is somewhere in between.
MCN: What's the reaction been on the NCI side, from the builders at Metallic, A&S, Mesco and Mid-West?
Fisher: They can't wait to get their hands on the RCC technical system. They've been as excited as the RCC side. They're very anxious to see the advancements on the technical side and know that these will be big advantages to them.
Fisher: There are advantages on the technical side through the RCC engineering system that will be brought over to builders in the NCI companies.
Norm Chambers, President and COO, NCI Building Systems: While RCC is more advanced in terms of some of their engineering systems and frame manufacturing, the NCI component manufacturing is well beyond where they are.
Chambers: We've certainly told Wall Street that a number of the synergies that we've mentioned will generate benefits in 2007. The first phase of the engineering system should rollout in early 2007 while the hub and spoke system will take longer to implement.
