Schweiss Counter Kicking Horse Resort | Schweiss Must See Photos
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Designer door is precise fit for Kicking Horse Ski Resort home

Beautiful night look at a home at the Kicking Horse Ski Resort

Timberframe construction using locally grown Douglas Fir timber was used on the HR Pacific Kicking Horse Mountain Resort homes. A custom-made 20 ft 8.5" garage door clad in Clear Heart Western Red Cedar blended in well on this Schweiss Hydraulic One-Piece Garage Door.
Photo © Nic Lehoux Architectural Photography.

Not only is Golden, British Columbia a place of spectacular scenery, but it is an authentic mountain town offering a rich history and plenty of cultural experiences.

Located in one of the most beautiful places on the face of the earth, Golden is near six of the most stunning National Parks Canada has to offer; Banff, Glacier, Jasper, Kootenay, Mount Revelstoke and Yoho. This place has long been well loved and well used by explorers, and even more recently for skiers and outdoor summer and winter enthusiasts.

Situated at the base of the Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, this 3,500-square-foot residence is a gathering place for an active family of five. The clients desired a space that would provide a direct connection to the landscape for seasonal recreation, as well as the flexibility to accommodate larger groups of family and friends.

They chose the architectural firm of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson (BJC) and the construction firm of HR Pacific to build this year-round home for them.


"The reason we used a hydraulic door was because we liked the cleanness of the one-piece door and the detail of the jambs in particular. From an architectural perspective it's fantastic. We really like the product, the appearance of it and the way it can be integrated seamlessly with the exterior materials of the house."


- Raymond Calabro, Architect
Bohlin Cywinski Jackson


The sloping site is adjacent to a ski trail and surrounded by an alpine forest of spruce and aspen. The house is arranged as two elements on the site: a dense bar along the northern edge containing the sleeping and bath spaces, and an open shell with living and dining spaces oriented toward the extraordinary mountain views. A glass volume links these forms, with the main entrance at the lower level and an upper landing for ski access on the west side. Careful positioning enables a sense of openness and transparency while screening the neighboring homes from view.

The primary entry to the home is located between two concrete walls, with a mahogany and steel staircase leading to the living spaces above. A single line of steel columns extends along the main hallway, emphasizing the angle of the bedroom roof plane, which folds over the peak to become an articulated metal wall with operable vents, bringing light and air into the loft spaces.

On the garage is a Schweiss One-Piece Hydraulic Designer Door clad in Clear Heart Western Red Cedar. The custom-made 20 ft. 8.5" x 8.1 ft, door has electric photo eye sensors, a door base safety edge and remote opener.

Ray Calabro, FAIA, and Principal in Charge for Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, said his architectural firm was selected for this project after the client was impressed with some of their previous work after seeing it in a book.

"We specified a Schweiss Bifold Door for this clients main home in Calgary," noted Calabro. The reason we used a hydraulic door (on the Kicking Horse residence) was because we liked the cleanness of the one-piece door and the detail of the jambs in particular. From an architectural perspective it's fantastic. We really like the product, the appearance of it and the way it can be integrated seamlessly with the exterior materials of the house."

Schweiss Hydraulic Door integrates seamlessly with building architecture

The architects were impressed, not only with the attractive and clean appearance, but also with the way the Schweiss Hydraulic one-piece door can be integrated seamlessly with the exterior materials of the house.
Photo © Nic Lehoux Architectural Photography.

BJC first learned of Schweiss door products while doing an Internet search for a good commercial garage door product that didn't have to have conventional jamb conditions. Because it's installed between two exposed concrete walls they wanted the jamb condition to be as minimal as possible and they wanted it installed flush and not set back like a typical garage door.

Calabro said they did the design work for the home after first visiting the site on snowshoes with the owner during the winter to better get a feel of the nature of the site. They took into consideration that neighbors were close on either side; the idea was to try and reinforce privacy with the close neighboring houses. The views of the ski hill, among other things, were also important.

David Ratzlaff, President of the general contracting firm of HR Pacific said they have built about 20 other homes at Kicking Horse and this home has won numerous architectural awards. This particular home followed the "Green Initiative" practices his company is known for. It has geothermal heat, which is now being installed on the majority of resort homes and heat recovery and ventilation systems are used in all resort homes along with high-efficient boiler and furnace systems.

The goal of HR Pacific is to build well designed, energy efficient resort homes. HR Pacific uses LEED Approved Icynene Insulation or Atlas Energy Shield exterior wall insulation. Foundations are constructed using insulated concrete board forms that show the grain of wood on the concrete when the wood is taken off of it. Locally grown Douglas Fir timber plywood from Golden is used inside all timberframes; this reduces trucking costs and fuel consumption. Framing carpenters are trained in R-2000 methods of construction. Ratzlaff said that building on a mountainside has its challenges.

"This ski hill at Kicking Horse is considered by the Homeowner Protection Office as being one of the hardest places in British Columbia to build because of our high snowload and spring thaw cycles. By law, any house built in British Columbia has to have a warranty. We have a real issue during excavation and after keeping the project dry. You get a tremendous amount of snow melt in the spring — water gravitates to any hole you dig. We have to be really careful about drainage issues and snow dump issues, we can get a massive amounts of snow coming off roofs," explained Ratzlaff.

The interior of the home is anchored by a tall, board-formed concrete fireplace, the geometric form containing the living and dining spaces floats above the forest floor. Smooth Douglas Fir plywood-clad wall and ceiling planes extend to the exterior, framing alpine views and sheltering an outdoor deck. The exterior is clad in a combination of black-stained and clear cedar siding that contrasts with the landscape. Fiber-cement panels with bold colors accent the natural wood finishes of the elevations.

The lofts contain bunk beds that allow flexible sleeping arrangements. Sleeping spaces cantilever over a board-formed concrete base containing the garage, mudroom, and playroom. The exposed wood structure and deep roof overhangs express the tectonic qualities of a mountain cabin.

Regarding installation of the Schweiss hydraulic door, Ratzlaff said it was an incredibly precise installation process because it was situated between two concrete poured form walls.

"Being at a remote site, it wasn't difficult as much as it was time consuming, the whole house was difficult," said Ratzlaff. "The whole point of it was it's located at the front face of the house and we had to make it look like it wasn't a garage door. Making it look good with a precise fit and hiding pipes and controls obviously makes the house. That's why you use an architect to make it look 100 percent. We love the door, you aren't going to buy it because it's the cheapest door out there, for architectural design unique application homes it's an ideal product. If we have another application like this, we would definitely use Schweiss Doors, they come with a good reputation and are very well built, heavy-duty and easy to insulate. The people at Schweiss were very helpful. If a world-class architect specifies you guys, it must be for a good reason."

Gorgeous mountain view behind this ski resort home

Special emphasis was given to create a sense of privacy while still retaining a spectacular mountain view for the homeowners who have neighboring homes in close proximity to a ski trail. The hydraulic door is equipped with electric photo eye sensors, a door base safety edge and remote opener.
Photo © Nic Lehoux Architectural Photography.


HR Pacific Construction Management

HR Pacific is a well established general contractor and builder with strong understanding of the construction industry. They strive to explore new building systems, green products, building information modeling (BIM) integration and efficient construction.

The HR Pacific family has expanded across British Columbia and Alberta allowing them to build in some of the most beautiful, unique and remote places. The expansion of HR Pacific coupled with truly outstanding architectural designs has given them a unique perspective on what a truly one-of-a-kind, architecturally designed home can and should be. Golden, British Columbia continues to be headquarters for HR Pacific.

HR Pacific has been involved in numerous commercial projects ranging from timberframe lodges to concrete and steel structures. They adore timberframe homes, but have also found admiration for modern, architecturally designed, contemporary homes. There is growing trend in the cities towards mountain architecture and HR Pacific is one of the leading general contractors in this field. Their projects range from timberframe resort homes, to innovative infill housing projects in downtown cores, to concrete tilt-up commercial and industrial projects.

HR Pacific's architectural awards are many including the winning project in the 2013 American Architecture Awards; Award of Merit in the 2013 Honor Awards for Washington Architecture for a Kicking Horse Residence. They were a 2012 Finalist for Custom Homes valued between $1,500,000 and $3,000,000 (Canadian Homebuilder's Association - Georgie Awards).

David Ratzlaff was honored to receive the Herman Rebneris Award at the Canadian Home Builders' Association of BC's Presidents' Night. This prestigious award is not given out every year. In November David and Ruth Ratzlaff will be traveling to Nicaragua with Bridges to Community to help build a school.

Based at 901 10th St. N, in Golden, BC, HR Pacific also has an office in Vancouver, B.C. They can be reached by calling 855-344-1050 or 250-344-4999 and by visiting their website at: hrpacific.com


"We love the door, for architectural design unique application homes it's an ideal product. If we have another application like this, we would definitely use Schweiss Doors, they come with a good reputation and are very well built, heavy-duty and easy to insulate. The people at Schweiss were very helpful. If a world-class architect specifies you guys, it must be for a good reason."


- David Ratzlaff, President
HR Pacific Construction



Bohlin Cywinski Jackson

Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, founded in 1965, has offices in Wilkes-Barre, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Seattle and San Francisco. Their practice is noted for elegant and humane design, ranging from modest houses to large academic, civic, cultural, commercial, and corporate buildings. They are deeply committed to active collaboration with their clients, emphasizing thorough research and analysis of each situation's particular human, technical, and economic circumstances. The result is exceptional architecture that resonates with its place.

Bohlin Cywinski Jackson has received 600 regional, national and international awards for design. The practice has won multiple awards for sustainable design, as well as the 1994 AIA Architecture Firm Award. In addition, founder Peter Bohlin received the 2010 AIA Gold Medal, the highest honor for lifetime achievement.

Their Seattle office is located at 1932 First Ave. Ste. 916, Seattle, WA 98101. They can be reached by calling 206-256-0862, or for more information, visit their website at: bcj.com


Nic Lehoux Architectural Photography

Nic Lehoux came to photography from a background in earth sciences and mathematics, and a lifelong interest in architecture. His style is unique, graphic, well-defined, and shows an understanding of the concepts of spatial relationships and light. His projects often incorporate a study of people within the built environment. Nic's work is regularly published in the architectural book and magazine press. He has established strong links with the world's best editors, ensuring that the projects he photographs get recognized internationally, his work takes him all over the world. You can view much of his work at niclehoux.com and he can be reached at 646-808-7535 or via email at: nic@niclehoux.com


Kicking Horse Mountain Resort

Surrounded by six pristine national parks, sitting at the confluence of two magnificent rivers Kicking Horse Mountain Resort is a spot of purity deep in the heart of the Rocky, Purcell and Selkirk Mountains. In the summer cool winds caress miles of spectacular ridges and alpine meadows carpeted with wildflowers. In winter, the snow is drier and deeper than anywhere else.

Three mountain ranges (Canadian Rockies, Selkirk and Purcell) have several zones for fantastic snowmobiling, resort skiing, cat and heli skiing, Nordic skiing, ski touring, ice climbing and snowboarding. They transform in warmer months to a hiking, biking, climbing and mountaineering mecca. Within reach are six national parks; Banff, Glacier, Jasper, Kootenay, Mount Revelstoke and Yoho.

During the winter two historic rivers, the Columbia and Kicking Horse, are frozen but come to life in Spring with wildlife to provide canoeing, paddle boarding, kayaking, rafting and fishing.

Setting the resort apart from other ski resorts is the Kicking Horse Grizzly Bear Refuge; the largest enclosed and protected grizzly bear habitat in the world.

The closest international airport to Kicking Horse Mountain Resort is Calgary International Airport, a 2.5-hour drive or shuttle ride from Golden along the scenic Trans Canada Highway.

For more information on Kicking Horse Resort, visit their website at: kickinghorseresort.com

Uniquely designed home in the mountains of British Columbia

HR Pacific Construction and the architectural firm of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson teamed up to build this 3,500 sq. ft. mountain residence for a family of five. The residents previously had a Schweiss Bifold Door installed at their main home in Calgary.
Photo © Nic Lehoux Architectural Photography.

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Schweiss Doors can't take all the credit for the envy. Ryan also goes first class with the 1955 Chris Craft Continental boat that cruises in and out of his boathouse. And for those not living on this lake, known worldwide as Lake Vermilion, that's also envious.
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"New North Dallas, Teaxs Aero Country East airpark goes exclusively with Schweiss "Red Power" hydraulic one-piece hangar doors. Many Country Club amenities and 39 custom townhomes and pool on privately-owned airport add first class appeal for pilots and families
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When you think of wallabies and kangaroos the first thing that comes to mind is Australia, "The Land Down Under." You don't have to travel that far, however, to see these marsupials, The Fall City Wallaby Ranch has 19.
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The term "mancave" has in recent times entered the American vernacular. It refers to a place where the guys can get together, lay back and talk about whatever is on their minds and solve the world problems and such over a cold one or two. Mancaves seem to be quite popular amongst football fans.
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Only about 30 miles due south of downtown Chicago and surrounded by fields of corn, soybeans, wildlife habitat and even a few tree farms sits one of the newer and more intriguing airfields in America. Called Bult Field Airport and identified as C56, this country airport however dates back to 1942 when Paul Sanger, a Monee, Illinois aviation enthusiast started his 'grass strip' air field three nautical miles southeast of town.
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That's how Opus One building's architect, Scott Johnson, described this California Napa Valley winery located between St. Helena and Napa, almost straight north of San Francisco, California. Johnson was part of the design team behind the whole footprint of the Opus One building expansion. The suggestion and actual design of the unique Schweiss bifold and hydraulic doors was recommended by Wayne Leong, of Leong Architectural firm in St Helena, CA.
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Most every contractor at heart wants to do the best job for their customer. Sometimes that means going above and beyond the call and at other times being able to offer the best product for them.
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There's nothing cheap about building anymore but this project turned out wonderfully. The Schweiss door fits perfectly. We dressed up the shop and office area with some window shutter trim. Structural Building out of Becker, MN was the contractor and they did a great job
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It was a 70 ft. hydraulic door, very lightly built, it came in two sections that didn't meet together when they put it together. It showed up bent, and when raised it would bend, very poor weld quality, with welds missing in places. It was a piece of crap, I've never seen something so poor, there was no engineering done on it. There was no quality control.
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Jumping over the best
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RiverEdge Park and Music Garden is a venue that not many people in the United States have heard of yet, but they will. It is becoming the centerpiece in a 10-year master plan for the city of Aurora, Illinois, that state's second largest city with a population of close to 200,000 people, making it the 112th largest city in the United States. Aurora is located about 45 miles west of Chicago and is accessible by commuter train from there.
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Since Introducing "Red Power" Hydraulic Doors to the market this Spring, sales of Schweiss Hydraulic Doors have escalated, and as a result truckload-after-truckload of ready to assemble doors have been moving out to destinations within all corners of the United States and other locations around the globe.
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This eye catching farm shop is indeed a beautiful facility. All four exterior steel walls are white, however red is the accent color around the edges of this big hydraulic door, all windows in the door, plus other access doors into this incredible building.
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Twenty-seven years as an aerial applicator provides an historical perspective each spring for Rich Sigurdson, Olivia, MN. For cantankerous 2011 he simply responded,"This spring brought in a little more work than normal. This is the latest for putting crops in the ground since I've been in the business.
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Getting 146 doors installed at one location speaks rather strongly about the quality and reliability of your door provider. But that's the current scorecard of Schweiss BiFold doors at Fort Carson, Colorado (Colorado Springs) where Mortenson Construction (Denver branch) has an ongoing contract with the U.S. Army for the construction of special heated maintenance shops called TEMFs (Tactical Equipment Maintenance Facilities). This means structures big enough for Army tanks and other special military tactical vehicles.
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I researched over a year what I wanted to do. I met Dave Schweiss at the Florida 'Fun in the Sun' air show and both Dave and Mike at the big Oshgosh, WS show. After meeting the guys and looking more closely at their product the choice was obvious. It simply was the best fit, the best design, the best door and in terms of value, the best deal.
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Here are some shots of Fagen's warbirds. All mighty nice, mint condition airplanes! Just one of many unique planes that will be on display in the New Fagen Museum. It'll be the hot spot in Granite Falls, Minnesota to see some of the most beautiful Flying machines imaginable.
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Obviously a guy doesn't spend several thousand dollars for a big hydraulic door because it opens and closes in 37 seconds. But surprisingly 'door speed' is a bit of a factor, at least for Terry Albright, Renville County farmer who also runs a fleet of 'over the road' semi rigs.
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A slick, new 75' x 80' farm shop with special lighting, in-floor heating, a huge 40' door and a burgundy and beige color scheme is getting all sorts of attention on the farm of John Dulin, Kenton, Ohio. "The contractor that sold me the building has people coming here every week it seems to check out the building and especially that big hydraulic door. So it's a real treat for me and my farming partner son Dana, to show them the works," explained Dulin, who is also maintenance manager for six school buses in their local special education district.
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Two bifold doors were on his Wayzata, Minn. home when he and his wife, Nancy, purchased it from a previous owner several years ago. He referred to the doors as "a bonus and attractive feature" and believed the architect chose the bifold style of doors for aesthetic reasons.
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The Carriage House on the lakeshore property of Sid Morris, Cornelius, NC is very likely the most unique in America! It doesn't house horses and horse buggies. It doesn't house antique autos. Instead it houses his R44 helicopter. And that chopper gets to the Carriage House by first landing on a helio pad on the end of his 200' dock. A small electrically driven dolly then gently lifts the chopper with operator then guiding the chopper to its proper stall inside this remarkable 4-star carriage house.
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At 27 years of age, film maker/artist/author Travis Wood appears to be adding architectural design to his intriguing resume. Evidence of this new dimension is a most unique structure, a combination studio/guest house that he and his father are constructing on their vacation property on Martha's Vineyard, hugging the south shore of Massachusetts.
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Hugging the southwest corner of Long Island, New York, Brooklyn's earlier identity was mostly hitched to Coney Island beach and the Brooklyn Dodgers of baseball immortality. Today the city is enjoying a renaissance of rediscovery by artists, retailers, ambitious contractors and creative landscapers including the Andre Kikoski Architect firm which just wrapped up the complete renovation of two empty, abandoned warehouse buildings on 22-28 Wyckoff Ave.
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Consolidation is that aggressive word which has been enveloping agricultural business for several years now. In simple terms, it results in fewer but bigger. And that certainly is the recent history of the farm implement business, which used to pride itself on having eight, 10, even 12 or more dealerships per county. Today three or four farm equipment dealers per county is more the usual. But ownership of farm implement stores today often includes multiple locations throughout an entire state.
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Flying since he got the bug when working the fishing canaries in Alaska, Eric Hutchins, Grand Rapids, MN, has a rather diversified agenda these days. For example he runs a year-round Dairy Queen in this bustling tourist center town. He also does some part-time law enforcement work and occasionally flies fire detection with the MN DNR. When time permits, high on his agenda is getting together with his snowmobile buddies for a few miles through the beautiful lake and woodland country of Itasca County.
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In September of 2009, we started the rehabilitation of Hanger 155 at Chippewa County International Airport in Kincheloe, MI. Our first step was to remove 60 years worth of lead paint from the existing steel substructure and miles of asbestos-containing material. When the building was safe to work in, our demolition subcontractor started on the roof system.
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It's big, 43,500 square feet. It has a special floral display unit out front courtesy of the employees and the general contractor. You walk into an 'eye catching' 100' x 160' 'Consumer Display' section complete with a 10' high shelf showcasing various John Deere 'consumer goods'. And greeting you at the retail counter is a colorful prairie scene with an old country barn, woodlots, fields of corn and wheat plus a depiction of the original 1-bottom plow that launched the John Deere machinery company. A show place of sorts? Yes, indeed.
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Well, it's all of the above for 62-year-old Daniel Shaw, a plumbing contractor at Geneva, Fla. Who has given new meaning to the term "hangar home." The structure is 50' wide x 60' deep x 30' tall, all metal/ However, a 45' x 15' Schweiss hydraulic door sporting a wrap-around porch with decorator railing, table and chairs, a "walk through" door with stylish window, and veranda "roof" gets your attention.
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Schweiss Hydraulic and Bifold Doors recently installed four new hydraulic doors at the Renville County Fairgrounds located in Bird Island, MN. The Renville County Board approached Schweiss looking for a way to open up the event building located at the county's fairgrounds. The event building is used to host live bands, beer gardens and public auctions by Henslin Auction Services. Hydraulic doors seemed like the perfect solution to open up the building and allow easy access to the building for large groups of people.
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We're no longer just selling iron. Today we're selling precision farming products and that requires special training of both our personnel and our farm customers," says Paal Haug, general manager of Haug Implement with stores at Willmar and Litchfield
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The creativity of customers continues to be a driving force for many manufacturers. Take for example North Star Imaging, Inc., a Rogers, Minnesota manufacturer of industrial x-ray systems which are enclosed by a radiation shielding cabinet and access door and used by manufacturing firms in the aerospace, military, automotive, medical device, electronics, even the genetic seed industry and many more.
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How do you make the loading dock area for your store secure, yet still easily accessible and stylish? This Target store in North Carolina found the answer with two 39' x 17' bifold gates for their loading area. Give us your idea and we will get you the door.
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What looked like a near impossible situation without some totally new engineering design instead turned out to be a remarkable solution to an extreme challenge. The challenge? How to fit a "roof door" over a 20' by 30' sandblasting chamber used by SMS Millcraft, Oil City, PA. This firm specializes in refurbishing component parts for various Pennsylvania steel mills.
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It is rare that an Air Tractor dealership changes hands. It cant be done without an approval from Air Tractor, Inc. This requirement became all too apparent to Bill Taylor of Farm Air in Fairfield Illinois. Bill was starting to think about retiring from the business he formed in 1976. Shortly after forming Farm Air, Bill saw a need for Air Tractors in the Midwest, and approached Air Tractor about becoming a dealer. Over thirty successful years later, Bill decided it was time to sell Farm Air with its Air Tractor dealership intact.
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This custom set of Schweiss Bifold Doors was the perfect solution to provide a unique dining experience for this restaurant's patio bar customers.
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