As any tree care professional knows, no two jobs are alike. The unique circumstances and challenges of each job require strategic thinking and the most efficient use of equipment and manpower. 

For Georgia-based Downey Trees, Inc., a recent job involved two big challenges: access and safety. A customer contracted Downey to remove a dead tree located in a fenced area. The walkway to the tree was only six feet wide, so access was extremely limited and ruled out the possibility of using a conventional bucket truck. The job was further complicated by the dangerous presence of open communication lines stretching more than 10 feet above the walking path. 

For Rusty Lee, Vice President of Tree Care Operations for Downey Trees, using a lift from Teupen USA was the smartest and safest solution. "For this job we did have the option of sending up climbers," Lee says. "We could have harnessed them using a V or an M rig. But this kind of rig is difficult because you need to attach ropes to two trees that are the same height. It's a cumbersome and slow-moving process that normally takes a whole day to perform. And with so many factors at work here, it wasn't the safest way to take down a dead tree."

Instead, Lee opted to use the TC69A from Teupen's Canopy Series of compact lifts. "This unit was ideal because it was narrow enough to navigate the six-foot walkway," he explains. "We were able to easily move the lift into the yard. We set up quickly and finished the job safely in just a couple of hours. It meant I didn't need to send up climbers, and I was able to move on to the next job that afternoon."

Lee adds that the option of using his Teupen Canopy lift gives him a competitive advantage when bidding on jobs. "Bids are largely based on the time required to take down a tree; and if you can do it in half a day rather than a full day, you can pass on the savings to customers," he says. "But there are other benefits that are even more important. There's less wear and tear on my crew. If you can avoid having climbers swinging between multiple trees on a V rig, and can instead use a lift with precise controls that give you access in both horizontal and vertical directions, it's just a safer choice, period. It's great to have this option with Teupen. They're a pleasure to work with and they go above and beyond in every way."

At Teupen USA, we appreciate the positive feedback from Downey Tree, Inc. and value the opportunity to help tree care companies succeed by offering solutions that maximize safety and efficiency while improving the bottom line. 

 

Modern facility architecture often involves grand elements that add to the customer experience high ceilings, unusually shaped facades, glass atriums and plenty of open space. As aesthetically pleasing as these elements may be, they present a big challenge for those responsible for day-to-day maintenance and upkeep. 

 

The National September 11 Memorial Museum in New York is no exception.  This facility, the memorial built to honor the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attack, is located underground in the foundations of the two original World Trade Center towers. Among the emotionally powerful architectural features is Foundation Hall. The room contains the surviving retaining wall (called a "slurry wall") of the World Trade Center and has a ceiling nearly 80 feet high. 

 

Clearly changing a light bulb or accessing sprinklers or ceiling ventilation is an issue here, as it is for anyone maintaining a modern museum, university building, healthcare facility, shopping mall or corporate center. 

 

For Dreu Beers, Director of Engineering at the 9/11 Memorial, a traditional maintenance solution wouldn't do. Therefore, he chose a LEO Series compact track lift from Teupen USA for a variety of reasons specific to the museum world. 

 

"It's not just a matter of the high ceiling, because otherwise a scissor lift could do the job," says Beers. "In Foundation Hall, we have exhibition pieces such as the Last Column, the column that symbolizes the close of the recovery effort at Ground Zero. Obviously, it's a one-of-a-kind, very special piece. When we're doing maintenance, we need to work around the Column and other items in the exhibition, so we need precision and flexibility of movement in our lift equipment. We need to not only move up, but up, over and across."

 

Beers says he has the option of using scaffolding, but that system is particularly problematic for maintaining normal museum operations, especially at a museum with such a high volume of visitors. "Scaffolding takes a long time to set up, usually a day," he explains. "Then work happens the next day, and you have to close or section off that area in the meantime. This affects our revenues and attendance. And anyone can tell you, there's nothing pretty about scaffolding."

 

With Teupen's LEO machine, Beers says he can move the equipment in and out quickly; and if work needs to continue the next day, the lift is easily stored out of the way. The compact design of the machine allows it to move easily through double doors or any tight spaces where other lifts can't travel. 

 

Beers adds that the low floor load rating is another plus. "We don't want heavy lifts moving over our floors," he says. "This unit is under 7,000 pounds, and a normal lift can be more than 30,000 pounds. That's a lot of pressure on a floor, and it's unnecessary when you have the option of using the LEO."

 

In addition to the 9/11 Museum, Teupen USA provided equipment for other buildings in the new World Trade Center complex as well. Our lifts were used in the construction process for seven new buildings throughout this city block in lower Manhattan. 

 

The most pressing need for our equipment was on the exterior of one of the buildings. A conventional boom lift was simply too heavy for transport in an exterior elevator. But with the lighter weight of a Teupen lift, contractors were able to bring the machine all the way to the 80th floor to handle the necessary construction elements. Our equipment allowed for the access and precise control that a scissor lift couldn't provide. 

 

At Teupen USA, we value all our clients; but our connection to The National September 11 Memorial Museum is especially rewarding. We are very proud and honored that our equipment is considered critical to operations at a museum that means so much to our nation and stands as a symbol of hope and freedom to people around the world.