Prior to the tour the group was treated to a small buffet of lemon pepper chicken skewered, stuffed red skinned potatoes, quesadilla, artichoke dip with pesto flat bread and an assortment of hors d'oeuvres prepared by Lee Hirschhorn, who is in charge of food service and catering for the theatre.
Following the tour, Hirschhorn appeared again, this time with a platter of brownies. The brownies were to help digest the popcorn and soft drink for each of those who stayed for an exclusive showing of the movie, Bandit, in the "intimate 45-seat Hollywood 'studio-style' screening room."

Between the feedings, members saw a beautifully designed and styled theater unlike any in Columbus and perhaps the Midwest. The theatre features eight auditoriums with stadium seating and retractable armrests and cup holders.
Each has wall-to-wall screens, and two auditoriums have balcony seating. All feature Dolby Digital sound. The facility will accommodate 1,700 patrons at one time with viewing rooms ranging from the 45 to 500 seats.

All auditoriums are THX certified, meaning they were build to meet rigorous specifications designed to optimize equipment, room acoustics, background noise levels, and projection and viewing angles so moviegoers will see and hear the film exactly as the director intended.

Unlike most multiplexes, the theatre is tri-level with the second and third levels designated as the Grand Club, which features a café for light dining and a full-service bar open to all patrons. There also are three reserved seating sections on the Grand Club level. These are the two balconies and the 45-seat auditorium.

The Grand Club also offers extra-wide, luxurious leather rocking seats designed in France for the loge balconies, and reserved seating that gives patrons the luxury of showing up just minutes before the film starts and being guaranteed a great seat.

The main floor consists of the lobby with sweeping staircase leading to the upper levels, the main concession stand, and overflow stations at the concession stand to ensure short lines. Parking is available at an attached parking garage. The cost is $1, but you must have the ticket validated in the theater before leaving the garage.

Nuss, who speaks of the facility as one showing of their first newborn, says the theatre with its "incredible sound and awesome video" is being marketed to an adult audience.

'We aren't looking for teenagers. We aren't showing their type movies. We will show adult films and family films as we cater to family types-adults and kids. We are being very selective as to what movies we show. We want to cater to people who would come to the Arena area," he said.

While the general manager is Matt Riley, management is under the direction of Drexel Theatres Group and its co-founders, Kathy and Jeff Frank. The Franks have operated art-type theatres in Columbus for a number of years. Heinlein Schrock Architecture was the architect, and the theatre was built by Smoot Construction Co.

The Department of Labor is expected to propose a new national ergonomics standard by the end of the year that will be more acceptable than the one repealed last spring by President George W. Bush, members of the Central Ohio IFMA Chapter were told October 17.

Dr. W. Gary Allread, program director, Institute for Ergonomics, The Ohio State University, made the "prediction" while speaking to some 30 chapter members on "The Latest on Workplace Injury Risk Factors and the Current Status of Ergonomics Regulations." The program was at the Fawcett Center at Ohio State.

Bush's repeal followed House and Senate action to overturn the standard, the ergonomics rules passed in the last days of the Clinton administration. While labor representatives supported these workplace regulations to protect workers affected by musculoskeletal disorders (MSD), business groups saw them as too complex and costly, especially for small businesses. Approximately 1.8 million workers suffer ergonomics injuries each year with the cost attributed to MSDs estimated at $15-20 billion annually.

The Labor Department had expected to announce a plan of action on ergonomics last month. However, this was postponed because of the terrorists' attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. OSHA personnel have been heavily involved in the rescue and recovery efforts in both cities.

Allread said the new national standard should center on "what companies can do to increase productivity and reduce injuries." He suggested the new standard offer:

• Greater emphasis on prevention of injuries.
  
• Sound science based on the best available science and research.
  
• Cooperation between the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and employers.
  
• Flexibility, because of varying capabilities and characteristics of different businesses.
  
• Feasibility, recognizing the cost to small businesses.
  
• Clarity, a short, single commonsense approach to the problems.

Allread defined ergonomics as "The science of work, or the design of work systems around the capabilities and limitations of people." He pointed out that safety in the workplace and ergonomics are different issues, and the focus of each in their prevention should be different.

He said safety pertains to immediate incidents such as slips, falls, and cuts while ergonomics damage is usually associated with repeated trauma to the lower back or upper extremities and is something that has occurred over a long period of time.
Allread said a recent study of ergonomics literature by 19 scholars from around the country showed MDS is not only a drain on a company's bottom line, but that workplace and individual risk factors are intertwined and cannot be separated. Because of this, the focus on MDS should be to look at a variety of factors to see what causes injuries.

He said the panel cited numerous workplace factors that can contribute to MSD problems, including the physical work; frequency of bending and twisting; repetition, force, and vibration of the work or tools used; how work is organized; stress levels; and individual factors such as increasing age, gender, and body mass.

The panel concluded that if these and other factors can be modified injuries can be reduced. The group also looked at intervention literature and concluded that such programs should include both employee involvement and employer commitment.

Allread said the nature of the workplace will continue to change as more Asians and Hispanics enter the workforce. Jobs and employees will be more diverse, and employers will need to continue evaluating the work tasks and develop the appropriate interventions.
In addition to managing and conducting ergonomics research, training and educational programs at Ohio State, Allread provides ergonomics technical assistance for companies with the focus on reducing MSDs in the workplace. He has implemented ergonomics programs in several manufacturing facilities.

"I just want to do something," said Central Ohio IFMA President Ron Black, who is turning his gavel over to Vice President Fred Timm and heading for Spain where he will serve for three to five years as a senior engineer responsible for the strategic planning at Naval Station Rota.

While Black's decision to work overseas was made just prior to the September 11 terrorists' attacks in New York City and Washington D.C., the incident certainly was responsible for speeding the process along.

This decision not only affects Black, it also means his wife, Sue, and their children, Sarah, 8; Laura, 6; and Joey, 2, will say farewell to their home and friends in Gahanna and accompany their husband and father on the venture. The family is rapidly reviewing and practicing Spanish, and Black predicts "all will be fluent when we reach Rota in mid-November."

Rota is strategically located near the Straits of Gibraltar and at the halfway point between the U.S. and southwest Asia. Because of its location, the base provides support to both the U.S. Sixth Fleet units in the Mediterranean and to U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command units transiting to Germany and southwest Asia.

Black, a civilian employee with the government is senior engineer for the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS). He works from the Columbus DFAS Center at the Defense Construction Supply Center (DCSC) in Whitehall.

The government's Office of Personnel Management notified Black on September 7 that he had been selected as a candidate for the position from a resume file maintained for federal employees. He was interviewed by phone September 10, and offered the job four days later.

Black said his new position offers him an opportunity to "to serve our country in the field of facility management-it's what I do best." It didn't take a great deal of time for the Black family to decide to make the move after the attacks, "it only hardened our resolve to serve our nation. We all have trepidation about going overseas, and while these aren't the most stable times, there was never a question that we wouldn't go," Black said.

If all goes according to plan, the family expects to return to the central Ohio area at the end of the tour. Through the government, Black has "return rights" to his current position.

"I certainly hope to come back. I like Columbus. It's a wonderful place to raise a family."

Black is a New Mexico native, but his wife comes from Granville.
"So, the only question is how close we live to Granville when we get back," he said with a smile.

Black also regrets saying farewell to members of the Central Ohio Chapter, "the only group of people I ever met who knew that being a facility manager is all about. It has been a pleasure to openly share our common experiences in the field.

"During the years I have been associated with the chapter, I have marveled at its ability to get things done. The chapter's role as a mentor in my life has been wonderful. Many people have provided me their expertise and assistance in facility management.

"I became aware of the chapter while we were in the design phase of the Columbus Center in 1996 and joined. As a new member, I asked several people to tour their facilities. For example, Craig Thomas gave me a two-hour tour of Nationwide facilities. Sally Gardner took an afternoon to show me Chemical Abstracts Service, and Mark Haberman took me through the state's Riffe Center. I also visited Ashland Oil, The Ohio State University, American Electric Power, and many other buildings.

"To the person, the facility managers took the time to provide tours of their facilities, offer advise on design, and provide the 'what works, what doesn't' in facility design. As a result, the Columbus Center integrated many of the best traits from each facility.

"Suppliers such as Thomas Ruff provided countless hours of service and information for the interior of the building. Many people in the chapter encouraged me to continue my education and pursue becoming a certified facility manager. As I leave Ohio this year to accept my new assignment, I will look back at belonging to the chapter as one of my keys for success.
"But more than that, I leave a wonderful group of people that I am proud to call my friends. I wish you all the best, and ask for your prayers for all the men and women of our Armed Forces who stand ready to serve our country in these trying times."

In addition to serving as president for the past year, Black was chapter vice president in 2000 and a member of the Education Committee from 1998-99
When in Rota, the Blacks will have the option of living on the 6,000-acre Spanish Naval Base or the nearby town. The base has 3,100 active duty military members, 2,600 family members, and 240 civilian employees. The U.S. Navy has the responsibility for maintaining the station's infrastructure, which includes a 670-acre airfield, three active piers, 426 facilities, and 806 housing units, and is committing $250-500 million to this purpose.

Black came to the Columbus area in 1990. He had just entered civilian service and an engineering position at DSCC was open. The opportunity required little thought, especially with Columbus being only a short distance from Granville. Black moved to DFAS as facility engineer when the accounting agency came into being.

Among his major accomplishments at DFAS is the construction of the Columbus Center. Black managed the engineering, budgetary, and logistical requirements during the construction of the seven-story, 600,000-square-foot, $100 million building.

Last March, Black became senior engineer and team leader for the DFAS Engineering and Support Services Division with the responsibility for coordinating the master planning of all DFAS logistical services within the accounting agency.

Black received his bachelor's degree in engineering at New Mexico State University and a master's degree in management at Georgia Tech. He holds certificates in facility management, project management, and as a contracting specialist and budget officer. For two years, 1998-2000, Black also was an associate professor at Columbus State Community College, teaching computer science to students in the facility management program.

Black is an outstanding golfer and has managed to walk away with most of the cash during the annual IFMA golf outings in which he has participated. His departure will throw next year's "competition" wide open.

Sponsor Spotlight Bill Thomason & Associates

Bill Thomason, who heads Cincinnati-based Bill Thomason & Associates (BTA), and IFMA have a rich, long-standing relationship.

The two became "partners" when Thomason moved into Cincinnati from Lexington in 1985 to work for a company that represented Kruger International, now KI, manufacturers of a comprehensive and diverse line of office, commercial, institutional, and educational furniture.

Soon afterward, Thomason became affiliated with IFMA, "an organization that offered a valuable introduction into the professional community. IFMA meetings and outings have always provided a great opportunity to share ideas and to network with others in the business," he said.

In addition to serving as a sponsor of the Central Ohio Chapter, BTA supports IFMA chapters in Dayton and Cincinnati. Thomason attended the Central Ohio Chapter's Sponsors' Night program in August to receive a certificate for his company's affiliation with the group. He praised the group for being a strong organization and among IFMA's best.

Brian Hansen, who joined BTA in 1994, also has a strong IFMA background. Hansen now covers the Columbus and central Ohio market and is a member of the Central Ohio Chapter. Hansen and his family moved to Hilliard a year ago when an opening occurred here. He had been responsible for the western part of Ohio from Toledo to Dayton.

"Coming to Columbus was the best career move of my life," Hansen said. "I have loved it since I began working here in May 2000."

Hansen spends a great deal of his day on the road, covering a territory bounded by Mt. Vernon, Athens, Springfield, and Portsmouth.

"It's not an eight-hour day. It's more like a 12-hour day. I try to spend the 8-5 hours in front of customers or driving to and from customers, and the remainder of the time in responding to E-mail and performing other administrative-type duties from my home office."

Hansen joined the Dayton IFMA Chapter in 1996 and took over the BTA associate's membership when he moved here. While Hanson enjoyed his affiliation with the Dayton group, he says the Central Ohio Chapter has "a greater number of professional members who are very influential and very active in the chapter. It has inspired me to be more active."

He also has found "great business contacts" as well as a group that is "committed to having some fun--we have a good time, we network, we hang-out. The golf outing, for example, is a great event and one that isn't expensive." When Thomason arrived in Cincinnati, he represented KI in southern Ohio and eastern Kentucky. However, within four years one of his employers retired and Thomason formed BTA to represent KI in Ohio and eastern Kentucky. In mid-1993, BTA expanded its territory to cover all of Kentucky for KI, which owns:

• Pallas Textiles, which has contract upholstery fabrics and contract textiles wall coverings.
• AGI Industries, which creates and crafts contract furniture for business and healthcare facilities.
• ADD, which offers specialized seating technology that is designed for the healthcare and public seating area market.
• Period Furniture, manufacturer of wood desks and dormitory room furniture.

BTA also represents Krug Furniture of Canada, a wood casegoods company that offers workspace furniture, lounge seating, conference tables, occasional tables, and task seating.

Thomason says, "Each of these manufacturers fills a niche to round out our product offerings for the institutional buyer or manager. Our function is to generate interest in our manufacturers' products and set up distribution channels to effectively sell the product lines we represent. We call directly on end-users, architects and designers, and on our dealer distributors."

Thomason, who started BTA with two other representatives, has grown the company to 10 employees and expects to do $17 million in sales this year. His sales force covers all of Ohio and Kentucky.

Some of the region's best-known institutions and businesses are among the company's clients. They include The Ohio State University, Ohio University, Wright State University, University of Dayton, University of Kentucky, Owens Corning World Headquarters, Bank One, Lenscrafters, Woeste Automotive, and the K-12 school market.In addition to Hansen, BTA has representatives in Toledo, Cleveland, Akron, Dayton, Cincinnati, Lexington, and Louisville.

Sponsor Spotlight Commercial Movers

W. Daniel Cordray, founder of Commercial Movers, Inc., was a "lineman for the county" when he conceived the ideal of establishing a commercial moving company.

One account is that as he was stringing electrical wiring in the early 1970s for the Columbus & Southern Ohio Electric Co. (now part of American Electric Power) a light began to glow. He began to wonder how all these new and expanding companies in the rapidly growing Columbus area were getting their furnishings and equipment into their buildings.

"There was no specific commercial moving industry in those days, just residential movers doing commercial jobs," said Ken Mulligan, sales manager for commercial movers. "So, Cordray and two partners started the company in 1973 with two trucks and four men, concentrating strictly on office and industrial moves."

Not only was the idea perfect for the time, it created a significant rippling effect that over the years has led to acquisitions, creation of subsidiaries, and expansions into other mid-eastern and southern cities. The ripples continue today with cities in Virginia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee as likely targets.

As the company grew, Cordray bought out his partners and in 1979 became its sole proprietor. Cordray stepped down as president in April 2000, naming Doug Hollingshead president and chief operating officer and James Cunningham vice president of finance. However, Cordray remains actively involved with the company as founder, principal, and chief executive officer.

During those last 22 years, Cordray:

• Acquired in 1986 Executive Transfer & Storage, which operated as a household/residential moving company as an agent of North American Van Lines. This division of the company provides these same services today through Mayflower.
• Moved the following year into a new warehouse and operations facility on the city's west side enabling the commercial and household/residential operations to combine and operate as a one-service organization.
  
• Was instrumental in the development of a Panel Division to compliment the moving specialties of the company. This division involved the acquisition, refurbishing, selling and/or leasing of Steelcase 9000 and other major brands of systems furniture.
  
• Expanded the company geographically in 1990 moving into the Cleveland and Indianapolis markets. The success of these locations paved the way for moves in 1995 into Cincinnati and in 1998 into Charlotte and Louisville. Earlier this year, the company opened a Raleigh branch.
  
• Created Designed Moves, Inc., in 1994. This sister company offers a space design and move management service. The company is headed by Dorothy Leachman and has designers and service capabilities in all of the company's branch locations. (Designed Moves, Inc., is also active with the Central Ohio IFMA Chapter and will be one of the two sponsors featured in the November newsletter.)
  
• Acquired Shaw/Kilgore Industries and formed CMI Installations in Columbus and Cleveland. This division specializes in modular furniture installations, reconfiguration, and related services.
  
• Moved in April 2000 to its present location, 1299 Boltonfield St., opening a 175,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art corporate headquarters and warehousing facility. In all, the company's combined warehouse facilities exceed 400,000 square feet.

The company's success in the Columbus area set the tone for its growth and expansion, according to Mulligan.

"The company really took off in the 1980s and early '90s. This success and the uniqueness of the (commercial) industry, the dedication of our employees, and the same trial and error, philosophy, and know-how enabled us to be successful in other cities. We brought our business plan to those cities. We also have a lot of customers with multiple sites outside of Columbus, which has helped us grow and boom. A good example of this is Nationwide Insurance," he said.

With commercial moving continuing as the backbone of the company's business, the company has enjoyed a 25-30 percent growth per year for the last seven years. Last year, for example, the company handled some 8,000 moves-"anywhere from two men and one office to a company with 1,000 or more employees."

And once again Business First will include Commercial Movers among its fifty fastest-growing privately held companies in the Columbus area.

The listing, based on a three-year growth pattern, will be published in October or November. This will be the fifth consecutive time that Commercial Movers has made the "Fast 50" list since its inception in 1996.

"Only three companies have made the list five years in a row, and we feel pretty honored to be in that exclusive club." Mulligan said.

Commercial Movers has been associated with the Central Ohio IFMA Chapter for several years "because we see facility managers as the key to our success. Our involvement with IFMA is an opportunity to give back to our customers for their support.

I really enjoy our relationship with our end-users. It helps us to understand what they go through as facility managers. We want to support them in any way possible," Mulligan said.

So, what began as an idea and a dream in 1973 with four men and two trucks has blossomed into 400 employees-150 in the Columbus market-and a fleet of 70 or so trucks ready to "provide any service your business requires."

"We're not an 8-5 company, we're here to provide service seven days a week, twenty--four hours a day," Mulligan said.