April 2010 Newsletter

Things change in time, even a short time.

Last month’s newsletter announced an IFMA Family Night at Huntington Park on June 8 with a picnic and baseball game pitting the Columbus Clippers against the Rochester Red Wings.

Both are still on, but the cost has changed—decreased considerably, that is!

At the last meeting of the Central Ohio Chapter’s board, it was decided NOT TO CHARGE  FOR THE PICNIC, only for the tickets for reserved seating to the game—Adults, $10; Youth (12 and under) $7, Seniors (60 and over) $7.

The picnic fare remains the same—hotdogs, hamburgers, cheese and relish trays, macaroni and cheese, potato salad, potato chips, cookies, water, and soda—with the chapter picking up the tab.  There will be a cash bar for those who feel the need for stronger drink.

The event will get underway at 5:30 p.m. and continue until about 7 p.m. when the game begins.  The picnic will be in a covered area on the Club Level patio, and tables and chairs will be available.

So, you ask, how do you take advantage of this generous offer?

It’s simple, just fill out the reservation form on the Web site with the number of tickets needed and send your check for the proper number to:

Lisa Schultz, Limbach Office
822 Cleveland Avenue
Columbus 43201

Checks should be made payable to IFMA Central Ohio Chapter.  They also may be presented to Schultz at IFMA meetings and events in May.  The deadline for submitting forms or contacting Schultz is close of business on May 25, and on-line registration is required.

The list of those attending will be given to officials at Huntington Park who will issue tickets for the game and wristbands for the picnic.  These will be available at Gate No. 1 which is along the first base line at Nationwide Blvd. and Hanover St.  Do not go to the Will Call Gate.

At Gate No. 1, give your name to the attendant and you will receive the proper number of tickets and wristbands for your family.  For those unfamiliar with the area, parking is available in nearby lots and garages at $3-5.

This will be a great chapter event, and a great opportunity to socialize and to meet the families of members.  You won’t want to miss one of the chapter’s premier events of the year.

Don’t delay, register today!

Photos of this event - click here

There’s absolutely no argument that Huntington Park, the new $56 million home of the Columbus Clippers that opened a year ago in the Arena District, is an outstanding baseball stadium.

It may even be the best, especially since it was named Ballpark of the Year in 2009 by Baseballparks.com, standing above all other new or significantly renovated baseball stadiums in the country.  This includes the new Yankee Stadium and the New York Mets’ new Citi Field.

The award is given to a new stadium with the “best combination of superior design, attractive site selection, and fan amenities,” according to Baseballparks.com.

It was to the stadium that members and guests of the Central Ohio IFMA Chapter trekked April 21 for a tour of the state-of-the-art facility.

IFMA will return to the stadium for a Family Night event Tuesday, June 8.  Details of this event may be found on the home page of this month’s newsletter.

However, as captivating as the 10,100-seat stadium might be because of its gleaming newness, its emptiness—the Clippers were playing in Indianapolis—cast a cold and lonely shadow over the group.

It only began to really sparkle when Joe Santry “stepped into the batter’s box.”  Santry, director of communications/media and team historian, served as IFMA guide and literally brought the stadium to life with “a million and one” tales about the ballclub’s illustrious history.

For example, 4,714 have played baseball in Columbus since 1866 for the Senators, who became the Red Birds, who became the Jets, who are now the Clippers.  Pictures of all but nine can be found in various locations throughout the stadium.

The tour was to begin with a visit to the Clippers’ dressing room, but the door was locked.  So, the entourage wound its way through the lower level of the stadium, past the indoor batting cages, and emerged into the Clippers’ dugout along the first base line.

From there it was to the main concourse where fans enter the seating areas and where concession stands are ready with baseball necessities such as hotdogs, brats, pretzels, peanuts, soft drinks, and beer.

It was there that Santry delighted the group with a story of Harold Cooper’s first job with the Red Birds.

(Cooper, for those who don’t know, has had a life-long affiliation with Columbus baseball and as a county commissioner is credited with the return of minor league baseball to the city.  Cooper Stadium, the Clippers’ former home, is named for him.)

When hired by the Red Birds as just a youth, Cooper, who thought he might be the batboy, was supposedly escorted to a small building or shack that contained numerous boxes of hotdogs.  He was given a cloth, a pail containing vinegar, and the envious task of wiping the mold from the franks before they were ready for cooking.  There was no refrigeration at the park in those days.

Santry pointed out that the Huntington Park concession stands were developed so fans are able to stand in line if they need to and still watch the game.  He also said there are five restaurants in the ballpark.

Throughout the concourse are pictures of past teams and tributes to players who made significant contributions to the game of baseball.  A picture of Jackie Robinson and a glove he used are encased along the outer wall.  There also is a picture and glove of Enos “Country” Slaughter, who played for the Red Birds before making it to the Major Leagues with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Both Robinson and Slaughter are in the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, NY.  While many consider Slaughter the greatest player to have played on a Columbus team, they are in for an argument with Derek Jeter fans.  Jeter, of course, played for the Clippers.

The tour continued to the left field area of the park where you find the east bleachers lovingly referred to as the “cheap seats,” and somewhat reminiscent of the bleachers of Wrigley field in Chicago.

They are adjacent to the Left Field Building that features a 100-foot bar with six open patios that overlook the field.  The bar area contains thousands of pieces of baseball memorabilia and pithy quotations from some of the game’s greats:
Baseball gives every American boy a chance to succeed.—Ted Williams.
Baseball is a red-blooded sport for red-blooded men.—Ty Cobb.
Never let the fear of striking out keep you from swinging.—Babe Ruth.

The first floor of the building contains the Clippers’ gift shop—a must stop for baseball fans young and old.

Following the tour, all were guests of Dupler Office, a chapter Platinum sponsor with offices at 330 W. Spring St., for sandwiches, finger food, and drinks of choice.  Dupler Office is a baseball throw from Huntington Park, and all were appreciative of the company’s hospitality, especially after a good walk on a warm day.

Dan Schellkopf has “served time” in just about every state penal institution in central Ohio, including the Women’s Reformatory in Marysville, the Correctional Reception Center in Orient., and the Franklin Pre-Release Center and Corrections Medical Center, both in Columbus.

He’s also “snooped” around the White House on a couple of trips to Washington, D.C., and has “invaded” a good number of multi-million dollar homes throughout the area. 

But, not to worry, despite all of this “unseemly activity,” Schellkopf maintains a good and close working relationship with Ohio authorities and is particularly well liked by the state police in Kentucky.

Schellkopf is owner of Solar Solutions, a 22-year-old Westerville company that specializes in window film for homes, institutions, and any business that is plagued with problems relating to solar heat gain and/or ultraviolet rays.

Schellkopf specializes in selling (he describes it as educating) and installing Vista Window Films, “a micro thin layer, high tech product that rejects high amounts of energy and 99.9 percent of ultraviolet light.” 

The product is manufactured by CPFilms of Martinsville, VA, a subsidiary of Solutia, Inc, in St. Louis.  CPFilms is the world’s largest manufacturer of solar control and safety window film for both building and automotive applications.  Schellkopf, however, does not work on automobiles.

While the company produces two lines of film, Llumar and Vista, Schellkopf uses primarily the Vista line.

“If you wanted to be a Llumar dealer, you could do so tomorrow, but not Vista.  Vista is very controlled.  You have to have a lot of experience and creditability to be a Vista dealer.  There are only a handful of us in the state as compared to a few hundred Llumar dealers,” he said.

Until about two years ago, his specialty was homes—about 70 percent—and businesses, about 30 percent.  The downturn in the economy has just about reversed this, Schellkopf said, with commercial now accounting for about 65 percent of his work.

“I wish I could tell you the window film industry (in central Ohio) is growing and getting more recognition.  It isn’t because it isn’t as well known in the midwest or in Ohio as it is in the southern states where they have to have film.

“The picture here may improve soon because CPFilms has just released a film that is unlike any other in the world and is ideal for use in the midwest.  This film has huge energy retaining, (along with energy rejecting), properties which in the past you couldn’t achieve with a window film.  You could do it with a low E window but not with a film.  This film makes a single pane window act like a double pane and a double pane like a triple,” he said.

Schellkopf already has one client interested in the film and believes it is a product that will be of great interest to designers, architects, builders, and building owners.

Schellkopf usually works within a 50-mile radius of Columbus, but has traveled to Chicago for a commercial job for a Columbus-based company, and to Sarasota, FL, where he has relatives and their friends in need of window film.  He is available through Performance Film Group to travel across the country if his expertise is needed.

His ventures into Ohio’s penal institutions had to do with installing film in control rooms and in other areas where guards needed to keep their eyes on inmates without being seen, or to control glare.

In Kentucky, Schellkopf donated and installed film on a memorial to fallen state troopers.  The memorial is on Trooper Island, which is in a secluded corner of Dale Hollow Lake in southern Kentucky not far from the Tennessee state line.

Trooper Island was created in 1965 by the Kentucky State Police for youth who might not otherwise be able to attend a summer camp.  Approximately 700 boys and girls from 10-12 years of age attend a free week-long camp there during the summer.  Funding for Trooper Island is provided solely through donations and various annual fundraising efforts.

The Fallen Trooper Memorial contains black and white and color 8X10 pictures and information of the 26 Kentucky state policemen killed in the line of duty.  There also is a folded U.S. Flag in the glass-fronted display.  Because of the hot summer sun, material in the display area had to be changed twice a year.

Schellkopf learned of Trooper Island when he and Ron Lanning, a Columbus police officer, took Lanning’s boat to the lake for a summer vacation. 

“As any police officer would, Ron had to visit Trooper Island and I tagged along.  During the tour, I saw the display case in the hot sun and asked, ‘Doesn’t this material (inside the case) fade?’  The trooper said, ‘Yes, we have to replace everything in the case twice each summer.’”

The following year (2005) Schellkopf and Lanning returned to Trooper Island., and Schellkopf took along Vista Spectra Select film and applied it to the glass. 

He hasn’t been back since but understands the material inside the glass has not been changed since the film was applied.  He plans a trip to the island this summer.

Schellkopf’s trips to the White House occurred during the previous administration as a guest of Kathy Rank, who was Ohio Teacher of the Year in 2004

“I had heard there was film on the White House windows, but that’s not true.  I looked behind the curtains.  What they did was create a storm window devise that goes behind the windows for protection and doesn’t change the appearance of the building from the street,” he said.

Later, in discussions with his manufacturer, Schellkopf learned they had actually been involved in the development of the overlays used in the White House.  While it was “top secret” at the time, CPFilms has since released the film for public use.  The film blocks all signals from passing through and is now used by most agencies in DC.

“There isn’t much commercial demand for this film at this time because it is so expensive,” he said.

Schellkopf was steered toward the Central Ohio IFMA Chapter by Tyler Steele of Greenovate, who has been involved in chapter activities and is considered Ohio’s leading supplier of green building materials.  Steele introduced Schellkopf to the IFMA Web site, and he joined last June.

Schellkopf spoke to the chapter’s Green Group as few months ago, which, according to Stephan Cooke, Programs Committee chair, was one of the groups best attended meetings.  

For fun and relaxation, Schellkopf enjoys kayaking, flying, and traveling.  He and his “rescued cat” Tasha live in Westerville.

In today’s business world, going green can be all the rage – but what about when it comes time to move your business? 

Commercial Works, a full service corporate relocation company with headquarters at 1299 Boltonfield St., constantly searches to develop ways to make its move services more earth friendly. 

None, however, has had more impact than the implementation of Commercial Work’s plastic crate moving system.

“We’ve all seen the familiar cardboard boxes packed in hallways prior to a move.  At Commercial Works, those boxes have been replaced on most moves with our re-usable plastic crate system,” says Commercial Works President Doug Hollingshead.

Commercial Works utilizes a recycled plastic crate and dolly system that has revolutionized the industry by eliminating the need for cardboard boxes in most moves.

Hollingshead said, “We made a significant investment a few years back, purchasing over 10,000 moving crates and dollies.  We wanted to be on the leading edge of what we felt would be a growing trend.  Right around 90 percent of all moves Commercial Works performs now utilizes the crate and dolly system.”

Ken Mulligan, Commercial Works Columbus sales manager, added, “Our plastic crates can hold heavier items than cardboard boxes, require no tape, and can be stacked up four high on a dolly.

“It’s really the best of both worlds for our clients – because they can move more efficiently, all while using a product made from recyclable materials that can be used over and over thousands of times.

“This has a significant and beneficial effect on the environment just by reducing the amount of cardboard used in every move.  In addition, more contents fit onto one dolly and, therefore, fewer elevator loads (less electricity) and fewer truckloads (less fuel) are required to transport your things.” 

Commercial Works has reduced its own usage of cardboard by over 60 percent in the last five years by utilizing the plastic crates whenever possible—not to mention reducing its tape usage and eliminating the fear of the boxes falling apart.

Mulligan said even a small four-to-five-person office move can require up to 100 or more cardboard boxes and endless rolls of tape.  Now that same office move can be completed with reusable crates requiring no tape, and with no materials to be thrown out after the move.

“Another benefit to clients,” Mulligan said, “is the ability to stack the crates and boxes prior to packing and after unpacking.  The crates can nestle within each other and 100 crates and dollies can fit into an area as little as five feet square.  You can’t do that with boxes that are taped up and strewn about the room.

“We’ve all been there with unpacked boxes littering the floor and getting in the way of everyone trying to pack or unpack – utilizing our crates can significantly reduce the amount of time it takes to pack, unpack, and clean up from a move – and that saves our clients valuable time, resources, and money.

“One thing is for sure, with all the advantage they provide moving crates are here to stay.  They have become a large part of Commercial Works commitment to ‘going green in the workplace.’”

Commercial Works is a Platinum level sponsor of the Central Ohio IFMA Chapter.  The company also has offices in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Louisville, Indianapolis, Charlotte, and Raleigh.