This big 62-foot wide x 60-foot tall bifold liftstrap door at Portland Yacht Services, Maine, was the second tallest door ever manufactured by Schweiss doors. The tallest door was 69-foot tall and 90-feet wide, made for a SpaceX rocket hangar at Cape Canaveral. Ten windows on the door bring in natural light.
The addition of a large 80 ft. x 150 ft. marina service building with its large 62 ft. x 60 ft. tall Schweiss bifold liftstrap door and 330 metric-ton self-propelled Marine Travelift is part of a 38-year business plan for Phineas Sprague, Jr. and his wife Joanna, who founded Portland Yacht Services in Portland, Maine in 1981. The expansion was done with his customers in mind.
That list of customers numbers around 12,000, many of whom return once every three years to have their boats serviced. Sixty percent of the boats hauled in by the Travelift are for commercial use.
"The goal was to create a shipyard for my harbor that will last a long time after I'm gone. The building, the bifold door and the Travelift were designed specifically to service particular boats of large size that are in the harbor. The opportunity is to save these people a lot of money in what they used to have to do to maintain their boats. Having an expanded facility here in Portland now means they won't have to travel long distances away from home. It will allow them to do the work on their boats in the off-season in a more controlled environment and to make sure the coating systems on their boats last five or 10 years by having tighter control on the environment. As a subarctic State, the ability to haul boats and bring them inside out of the weather and do the work quickly and efficiently is major money in the pockets of the boats that we service," explained Sprague.
“The building, the bifold door and the Travelift were designed specifically to service particular boats of large size that are in the harbor. I think that the ability to produce a bifold door of this size allows the marine industry, in essentially a semi-arctic State, to be able to up the quality and efficiency and competently take care of the boats that have been made more complex by the added struggle with the vagaries of Mother Nature. It's impossible to do an excellent job applying modern coatings to a boat without a controlled environment; weather is uncontrollable, cyclical and a many edged sword when schedule is important.”
- Phineas Sprague, Jr.
Portland Yacht Services, Maine
"A good example of this benefit would be the value of more working revenue days for our customers. With this work, building the door, we are able to get a commercial boat out of the weather, turned around and back out on the water perhaps a month quicker because we are not waiting for the threshold of minimally acceptable weather conditions. Having the boat ready to work faster translates directly into found revenue. One owner said this performance improvement amounted to $100,000 a week," added Sprague.
Irishspan Industries owner, Dave Fitzpatrick, just completed his fourth project at Portland Yacht Services in Portland, Maine. Two of these buildings have large Schweiss Bifold doors. The marina service building has a 71 ft. tall eave height with a 112 roof pitch. Its 62 ft. wide x 60 ft. tall bifold liftstrap door is the second tallest door Schweiss has ever manufactured during its 40-year history, only second in height to a SpaceX rocket hangar door at Cape Canaveral in Florida that is 90 ft. wide x 61 ft. tall. Schweiss also has manufactured other bifold and hydraulic doors that have exceeded 100 ft. in width.
The big door, with sheeting, weighed in at 42,415 lbs. and is windrated at 115 mph. For added strength it has one exterior truss and five interior trusses. It is equipped with four 5 h.p. motors, 24 liftstraps and an automatic latching system. Ten windows were installed in the door in order to take advantage of natural light.
Even though this latest door had a clear opening height of 60 ft. tall, Fitzpatrick said it didn't pose any significant problems to install.
Some special engineering went into this big insulated bifold liftstrap automatic latching system door for Portland Yacht Services. For additional strength it has five interior trusses and one exterior truss and is windrated at 115 mph.
"There were a few challenges installing this big door. I leaned on Dave Schweiss a little bit and he was instrumental in helping us get the door to go up straight. The owner of Portland Yacht Services always liked the original Schweiss door we installed four years ago," said Fitzpatrick.
Portland Yacht Services is a full-service yacht repair facility performing repair and refit of yachts, sailboats, commercial craft and government vessels ranging from 20 ft. to 300 tons. Until now, larger fishing vessels, tugs, ferries, yachts and schooners needed to bypass or leave Portland Harbor for service and repair because of Portland Yacht Services limited hauling capacity.
The design criteria for the Travelift, tall bifold door and the new building were the two boats representing the extreme widths, heights and weight in the harbor. The new 300 metric-ton mobile Marine Travelift with a 42 foot width (replaces a 150-ton Travelift) is capable of pulling the many larger boats and yachts out of the water that require repair, painting or maintenance in general.
The 42 ft. inside dimension of the Travelift is designed for the widest boat in the harbor, the Ft. Gaines, which is a landing craft, capable of carrying 22 cars or up to five large dump trucks, heavy equipment and dangerous cargo such as explosives. With this criteria an unexpected market opened up. Portland Yacht Service can also now service some of the wide catamarans and other vessels year-round in their well insulated and heated floor building. The disruption is that prior to this they could only service a boat about 32 ft. in width and the work had to be done outdoors.
The Schweiss tall door opening and building dimensions were designed specifically so the Travelift can drive the largest Casco Bay Lines ferry boat into the building. Casco Bay Lines is a ferry system that provides year-round passenger, freight, postal and vehicle ferry service to the islands of Casco Bay from Portland, Maine.
Getting away from the vagaries of Maine weather is important where historically, in addition to winter months, rain delays especially during the month of June also added unwanted setbacks.
"I think that the ability to produce a bifold door of this size allows the marine industry, in essentially a semi-arctic State, to be able to up the quality and efficiency and competently take care of the boats that have been made more complex by the added struggle with the vagaries of Mother Nature. It's impossible to do an excellent job applying modern coatings to a boat without a controlled environment; weather is uncontrollable, cyclical and a many edged sword when schedule is important," noted Sprague.
“There were a few challenges installing this big door. I leaned on Dave Schweiss a little bit and he was instrumental in helping us get the door to go up straight. The owner has always liked the original Schweiss door we installed four years ago. I like Schweiss doors, they are designed and engineered well and I prefer the liftstraps over cables because they are easier, safer and cleaner looking. The straps have less moving parts and are less vulnerable to potential problems.”
- Dave Fitzpatrick, Owner
Irishspan Industries, Maine
Not only will Portland Yacht Service be able to serve a diverse fleet in Casco Bay including commercial fishing vessels, fireboats and pilot boats, ferries and public agency vessels but it will attract vessels from all over the region.
Sprague said he first became acquainted with Schweiss Doors when he contracted Legacy to erect a building for him. They recommended a Schweiss door, but there was a mix-up which didn't enable Schweiss enough time to build the door.
The original recommendation resonated so he ordered a Schweiss bifold door for his next building. In 2014 Irishspan erected a 160 ft. x 180 ft. building for Portland Yacht Services - it has a 50 ft. x 46 ft. Schweiss bifold liftstrap door on it. To date, Irishspan has installed nine Schweiss bifold doors.
Irishspan Industries is well known on the East Coast for its many large and small building projects; they specialize in pre-engineered steel buildings.
"Installation of Schweiss doors is easy and the owners have been happy with them. I like Schweiss doors, they are designed and engineered well and I prefer the liftstraps over cables because they are easier, safer and cleaner looking - it gives you a better feel. The straps have less moving parts and are less vulnerable to potential problems," added Fitzpatrick.
He said he also gets prompt and helpful service from the folks at Schweiss Doors and the doors are delivered on time and in good shape. He'd recommend them to anyone.
"I know what it takes to make a project run as smoothly as possible and number one is communication. I'm very involved in every project," noted Fitzpatrick. "I learned the hard way from my mistakes and I typically don't make the same mistakes twice. I'm involved in construction as well. I understand that it takes more today than 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to run a business and because of this, you can always expect to hear from me," said Fitzpatrick who runs everything out of his home office.
"I work best with the end-user and negotiated work, shying away from the bid jobs that have a 90-page manual with them. If we come to a situation in the project, we can talk about it and move on. I work with five different building manufacturers and subs so we are sure to put you in the building to best fit your application and budget."
Circumnavigators, Joanna and Phineas Sprague, Jr., founded their full-service boatyard and marina in 1981.
Portland Yacht Services is a full service boatyard and marina founded in 1981 by circumnavigators, Joanna and Phineas Sprague, Jr. It provides customers with a full spectrum of services for outfitting and maintaining a motor or sailing vessel. The Sprague's take pride in the fact they have never laid a person off in the history of the company. Their dedicated staff of about 40 employees with over 865 years of experience handles major restoration, refits and repair projects to wood and glass boats, including hull, engine, outboard, rigging, and electrical work, and they have an extensive marine parts department.
After graduating from Tabor Academy, an Honor Naval High School, Phineas was in his family coal mines, in the field and trained at Harvard as a geologist and has an engineering and nuclear field background.
"After my grandfather sold the company while I was in college, my world was shaken. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do so I decided that I wanted to sail and see the world - I'm allergic to the land and since six found relief being to windward in a small boat all day every day. It was a natural choice to find a place in the ocean to recover, learn, explore and think. I met my wife in Florida and married her in Bali. The trip was a four year geologic expedition to see all the places I studied and a personal growth experience," said Sprague.
Carving his own contribution with Portland Yacht Services, he still didn't fall far from the tree. His family is related to the founder of Portland and has a saltwater legacy since the 1600s, notably solving the first energy crisis having replaced wood heating with coal by reconnecting New England with the coal in West Virginia. C.H. Sprague & Son was a vertically integrated operation from the mines to the ships to the coal pockets, power plants, factories and homes. Including brief responsibility in WWII for export of all U.S. coal to Europe and in this role ran 50 Liberty ships - a tough record of excellence to run against.
Phineas went on to an ASME N Stamp Cat. 1 specialty steel fabrication company building nuclear power components, got his MBA, decided to stay in Maine, and was luckily asked to put a fender on a Boston Whaler in his garage and found joy. They went from there to build their current business.
Portland Yacht Services offers a full spectrum of services for motor or sailing vessels of any type or size from sales and maintenance to storage. They specialize in helping owners prepare for extended cruising. You can always trust Portland Yacht Service to provide you with worry-free boating 24-7, year-in and year-out. For 20 years, they've been providing state of the art mechanical services, hull repairs, electronic updates, indoor and outdoor storage, interior refurnishing, mast repairs, everything required to keep your boat safe and fun to be around. They can haul yachts up to 300 metric-tons, have a full-service rigging, welding, A/C electronics, fiberglass, paint/varnish, carpentry and cabinetry facility and more.
Preparing a vessel bound for the sea is a serious responsibility, and they adhere to the high standards of American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) and American Boat Builders & Repairers Association (ABBRA). Their mission is to guarantee that you can trust them to receive value and enjoyment from your boating experience and that it will always be worry-free. Whether on land or on sea, call or stop by to take advantage of all they have to offer you.
Portland Yacht Services, Inc. and their new One-Stop Service Center is located at 100 W. Commercial Street, Portland, ME. Ph. (207) 774-1067. portlandyacht.com
Twenty-four liftstraps powered by four 5 h.p. motors easily lift the bifold door that weighs in at 42,415 lbs. with the exterior siding.
The story about how Irishspan was formed is an interesting one that Fitzpatrick normally likes to share in person with his clients. He originally spent 25 years in the commercial bread business working for Thomas English muffins. With that career about to end, he was looking to start his own business. In the search he put together a list of prerequisites for a business and looked to see what would fit the bill. With zero construction experience, and halfway decent sales skills, he found one of the only things that fit the long list of prerequisites was selling pre-engineered steel buildings.
"So I got into steel buildings, surrounded myself with knowledgeable people within the industry and started with many hiccups 'Steel Buildings of Maine.' A year later, with a friend of mine who also had his own business, we formed Irishspan Industries, Inc. The name 'Irishspan' came from our heritage; I'm Irish and he's Spanish. We soon found out 'partners' are made for dancing and I now run the business by myself," explained Fitzpatrick.
More than a dozen years later, Fitzpatrick said he is looking at his best year ever.
Irishspan projects include building horse barns, riding arenas, hangars, commercial, retail, government and military buildings to include designing, concrete design and other general contracting work. No job is too big or too small; it takes him anywhere from New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and of course Maine. He has also quoted projects in Wyoming, Texas, Indiana out to the U.S. Virgin Islands.
At Irishspan, you are not just purchasing a building, you are buying peace of mind that the experience will be headache free from start to finish. Past clients and vendors would agree that when Irishspan commits to a project, they can count on them to deliver.
Irishspan is able to take your project from concept to design to erection, easily. They can be as involved as you want them to be or they can just simply provide you the building for your crew to construct.
Past projects include warehouses, horse barns, aircraft hangars, mini storage units and more. From a simple workshop to a commercial / retail building, from 700 sq. ft. to 50,000 sq. ft., no project is too big or too small. They have the experience and the resources to design your building to your requirements in accordance with all state and local building codes.
One of the many benefits of working with Irishspan is their service. From consultation to delivery, erection to punch-list, you will always be able to reach them directly.
Irishspan Industries is located in Arundel, Maine. Dave Fitzpatrick can be reached by calling (207) 229-2092. For more information visit their website at: https://www.irishspanindustries.com
Irishspan Industries workers in three man-lifts finish putting siding on the door. Their next task was to install the 10 windows.
Portland Yacht Services first Schweiss bifold liftstrap door went on this 160 ft. x 180 ft. Irishspan Industries building. The autolatch door measured 50 ft. x 46 ft.
Normally most Schweiss bifold and hydraulic doors are installed in one piece, but because of the size of this tall door a crane was used to put the top half in place after the lower half was secured to the building.
Insulation was placed on the doorframe prior to having it covered by siding. The 71 ft. tall service building built by Irishspan Industries is 80 ft. x 150 ft.
This Marine Travelift mobile boat hoist brings yachts and other vessels in from the docks and wheels them into the new service building. Portland Yacht Service is a full service boatyard and marina performing repair and refit of yachts, commercial craft and government vessels ranging from 30' to 300'.
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Tall 62 x 60-footer goes on Portland Yacht Services building
This big 62-foot wide x 60-foot tall bifold liftstrap door at Portland Yacht Services, Maine, was the second tallest door ever manufactured by Schweiss. The tallest door was 69-foot tall and 90-feet wide, made for a SpaceX rocket hangar at Cape Canaveral. Ten windows on the door bring in natural light. |
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Oklahoma City garage exudes class from floor to ceiling and door
Leo Kingston buys a Schweiss hydraulic door with a clear opening of 15.3' x 7.1' and its equipped with electric photo eye sensors and a remote opener. In order to give extra stability, to compensate for the extra weight of the glass-clad door, Kingston ordered it with a freestanding header that attaches to I-beams at the side and header of the door. |
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West Coast Self-Storage bifold doors enable developer to meet downtown criteria requirements and save money
Two Schweiss bifold doors, a 35 ft. x 19' and a 27 ft. x 19 ft. cleared up a city permit quandary and are being used to access loading bays and elevator lobby. Two hydraulic freight elevators take the work out of bringing storage holdings to the top two floors. Customers are only permitted to access the floor their unit is on through the use of a keypad that is interfaced to the elevator. |
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Iowa high school aviation academy has a Schweiss hydraulic door on its new hangar
Des Moines Aviation Academy builds new hangar. Their new 100' x 96' hangar has a 58.2' x 19.5' Schweiss hydraulic door equipped with electric photo eyes. The One-Piece Door was also ordered with manual windpins, warning lights and horns. The facility consists of a main hangar, mechanical shop, tool/equipment rooms, classrooms and office space. Building contractor on the school was DDVI of Indianola, Iowa. The door was installed by Skold Door Company of Des Moines. |
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Arizona corporate jet hangar has 86' Schweiss bifold liftstrap door
The new 7,360 sq. ft. Triple C Airpark Properties hangar in Scottsdale, Ariz. has a 86' x 26' Schweiss bifold liftstrap door. Schweiss Doors was called upon to provide a bifold liftstrap door with an automatic latch system for it. The massive door has 24 windows located on both halves and a walk door. An exterior truss gives additional strength to the door. The hangar is part of a 12,600 sq. ft. building that has 2,620 sq. ft. of offices, shop and storage space. |
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Thirteen Schweiss hi-tech container doors
The custom-made doors are 13’3” x 7’2” with manual latches and have a 145 mph windload. They have white liftstraps and the motors were painted white as well. The outside of the bifold door was clad in ACM panel. ACM provides a flat surface comparable to much thicker aluminum, at a more reasonable price. When you desire larger panel modules or panels with greater impact resistance, aluminum composite material is the way to go. |
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Ornate cafe-kiosk is part of San Francisco revitalization project
San Francisco's Bi-Rite kiosk offers the first time food has been available on the Civic Center Plaza. It has five beautiful Schweiss bifold designer liftstrap doors. These five doors open up on all sides and when they are closed they blend into the building design to where you can't really see that there are doors there at all. The largest door is 49.4' x 12' and the four other liftstrap doors vary in size from 16.8' to 12.11' in width. |
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Rooftop skylight bifold doors enhance natural light for California photo studio
Eight Schweiss liftstrap skylight designer doors were placed on a photography production studio building in Los Angeles, Calif. Six of these are on the rooftop. The idea came at the recommendation of the Culver City, Calif. architectural firm of Eric Owen Moss Architects (EOMA). These custom-made skylight doors, two of which are 24' x 15.2' and four that span 23.5' x 14.2,' were in addition to two other 23.6' x 15' bifold liftstrap doors placed on the side of the building. Beneath the skylight doors are 1" thick clear glass panels to keep the elements outside the building. The skylight doors have weatherproof electrical components, and the side doors are equipped with photo-eye sensors. |
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Superba Food + Bread opens its bifold door to a tantalizing menu
People at Superba Food + Bread of El Segundo, California insist on living well. They are a community born of the belief that the good things in life ought to be shared and that great food should be accessible to all who seek it. With good intentions, Superba decided on a custom-made 14' 3.5" x 9' 8.5" glass-clad bifold liftstrap door with black straps, electric photo eye sensors and manual latches. |
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Odd Job Johnny has a 'Now You See It - Now You Don't' North Carolina hydraulic garage door
Dennis Scearce of Mooresville, North Carolina, applied this Herb Korthuis principle to his design of his 25.4' x 9' hydraulic door on his 30' x 30' two story garage. When it's open, it looks every bit like a garage door, but when it's closed it looks just like an extension of his home. With two large double windows, it blends in very nicely and matches the rest of his home exterior. The door has remote opener, photo eye sensors and an interior truss. |
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Life Flight Network gets 70 ft. bifold door for new emergency response hangar
The Life Flight "Koala" helicopter stands ready next to the new hangar that has a Schweiss 70'x17' bifold liftstrap door at Lewiston-Nez Perce County Airport. Using state of the art aircraft and highly skilled medical and aviation professionals, Life Flight Network (LFN) provides life saving transport to seriously ill or injured patients from the scene of an emergency or from one hospital to another. |
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Ornate bifold grill design adorns Seattle's Pike Motorworks luxurious Apartment building
Adding to the historic look of the building are two custom-made decorative Schweiss bifold liftstrap designer doors; one of which is 11' 10" x 11' 11" and another at 11'1" x 10' 1." Instead of the conventional metal, glass or wood exterior cladding, these doors have a decorative exterior 12 gauge steel cladding that blends in very nicely with the exterior brick of the Pike Motorworks apartment building. |
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Newly opened Boston Art Center uses two unique concept Schweiss doors
The new Watershed art gallery has two unique Schweiss bifold liftstrap designer doors, 19.9' and 19.11' wide by 26.9' and 26.11' feet tall. It will showcase contemporary art and was built from the ruins of an abandoned copper pipe and sheet metal facility. |
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Bobby Hotel in Downtown Nashville features a 1956 rooftop bus with hydraulic doors
The newly renovated Bobby Hotel in downtown Nashville, Tenn. has a unique landmark, a 1956 Greyhound Scenicruiser bus hoisted 10 stories up on its roof. One side of the bus opens up with a 18’6” x 8’ Schweiss Hydraulic Door and another 8’ x 9’ rear bus door. The bus serves as part of the rooftop lounge. |
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Two glass-clad hydraulic doors open Sam's Tavern in Seattle to outside dining
Sam's Tavern Pike Street bar has two Schweiss 11'8" x 9' hydraulic glass-clad doors that open to an outside patio area. The bar in Seattle is acclaimed for its renowned USA Today endorsed Bakon Bloody Mary and great food. The restaurant and bar opened early this year as part of a newly constructed 13-story office building. |
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National particle physics lab architect calls on Schweiss for bifold door
As part of the Short Baseline Neutrino (SBN) program at Fermilab a 20.10' x 23.9' bifold liftstrap door was installed in the new 4,500 sq. ft. SBN Near Detector Building. The door features gray liftstraps, electric photo eye sensors, warning lights and horns, a top-drive motor, automatic latching system and an emergency back-up system. The door is clad with glass on the bottom quarter and high performance light transmitting Kalwall® panels covering the top three-quarters of the door, both to identically match the adjacent east wall of the building. |
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Business at PropWorks is zooming - Schweiss 60' x 16' bifold goes on new Edmonton facility
PropWorks of Canada recently underwent a expansion that included a new 14,000 sq. ft. steel hangar with a 60’ x 16’ Schweiss bifold liftstrap door. The hangar is capable of holding large aircraft like this Piper Cheyenne waiting to have some propeller work done. |
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Silicon Valley dream home has large Schweiss hydraulic glass Great Room curtain wall
The Great Room of this ultra-contemporary 9,991 sq. ft. Silicon Valley home has natural light flowing through a 23' tall by 36' wide glass hydraulic door that can be opened fully to create a true indoor/outdoor experience. |
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Shomotion is a company on the move
This unique 40' x 12' mobile container was designed and built by Shomotion LLC. Schweiss Doors custom-built a 28' x 7' 11" hydraulic door for it. Inside the container is a prototype fuselage of Mitsubishi's soon to be produced 70 to 90 passenger regional jet. |
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Big 50' Schweiss bifold opens up South Carolina hangar
Nick and Michelle Cwian are enjoying their new 50' x 16' Schweiss bifold liftstrap door. It is attached to their 60' x 70' hangar at Easley, SC. The liftstrap door, located on the 20' tall hangar sidewalls, is equipped with automatic latches. Their hangar holds their Aeronca Champ and an Aeronca Chief. Nick and Michelle live at the Williamsport Airpark. |
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Oregon BPA helicopter hangar has 40 ft. Schweiss bifold liftstrap door
The newest helicopter hanger utilized by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) at the Redmond, Oregon airport has a Schweiss 40' 4" x 20' bifold straplift hangar door. |
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Scenic mountain art studio-retreat is enhanced by Schweiss glass bifold doors
Forming a glass corner in an open two-story space are two 23' x 15'2" straplift bifold glass-clad doors that have electric photo eye sensors, door base safety edges and black liftstraps and quiet, fast opening top-drive motors. The up/down door control is located 60' away from the doors. |
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Michigan yacht restoration building is fitted with Schweiss bifold and hydraulic doors
The new fully insulated building also features a Schweiss 47.4' x 29.7' bifold automatic latching liftstrap door and a 45.11' x 34.1' hydraulic door, LED lighting, radiant floor heat, floor drains, 24/7 RFID key card access and a private ramp on the shore of Lake Macatawa. The changes make a transition to and from their beautiful storage/service facility effortless. |
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Polycarbonate clad bifold door gives hangar an exclusive look
With the decorative star and patriotic blue front it has all the looks of a hangar home that you might think was owned by Captain America. Jim Weitman, of Weitman Excavation in Sherwood, Oregon, and his wife, Star, live on a private grass airstrip just outside of North Plains, Oregon. The hangar portion of the home measures 40' x 40'. The Schweiss bifold liftstrap door on the hangar has a clear opening width of 38' and 9' 8.75" in height. It is also equipped with automatic latches, electric photo eye sensors and a remote opener. |
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'Guide Dogs of America' found way to integrate mission with bifold door
The 16,000 sq. ft. building has a Schweiss glass designer door measuring nearly 42' wide x 11' tall. The glass bifold liftstrap door blends in nicely with the rest of the buildings windows and architecture, so much so that it is hardly noticeable. The glass bifold door on the GDA building lets in ample amounts of daylight and also gives people within the building a great view of the surrounding mountain range. Two top drive electric motors easily lift the heavy door. |
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Schweiss bifold liftstrap door goes on beautiful Texas hangar home
"The liftstraps and automatic latch system are slick. I feel a lot safer with straps than a cable that can snap on me. I have one remote control in the plane and another in the golf cart. I'm opening and closing the door without bending over and pulling a pin," explained Jesse. "I like the aesthetics . . .not all doors are created equal; it's a good balance between beauty and functionality, I think it's a industrial-strength door." |
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Five Schweiss bifold designer doors add to Yankee Stadium off-season enhancements
The largest of the custom-made bifold doors is 27'5” x 11'4,” followed by two 23'4”x9'2” doors and two 21'10” x 9'2” doors. All the doors are fitted with electric photo eye sensors, black liftstraps, manual latches and alike-keyed opening and closing switches. Four of the doors are clad in a high tech brushed aluminum. They finished the facade and the door to basically match itself so when the doors are down they blend in with the facade and don't reveal what's inside. |
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Texas Music Factory looks to Schweiss for seven bifold doors
The Toyota Music Factory in Irving, Texas covers nearly 17 acres and seats 8,000 people indoors and outdoors. Seven Schweiss bifold liftstrap doors, which can be seen in the upper left of this architects rendition, were installed on the Pavilion live stage building. The doors open the concert to 4,000 overflow fans on a grass slope. |
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Hurricane Harvey tries to mess with Schweiss doors
Hangars with Schweiss bifold doors at the Rockport, Texas Airport were virtually undamaged by Hurricane Harvey. Many others next to them were demolished beyond repair |
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One of Tampa's oldest restaurants is revived - this time with Schweiss Bifold designer doors!
His new 4,000 sq. ft. restaurant has four glass-clad Schweiss Bifold Liftstrap designer doors. The largest of these doors is 12'5" x 7'6" tall. Two are 9'1" x 7'6" and the smallest is 6'5" x 7'6". The doors all have electric photo eye sensors, manual latches and one remote that can operate all four doors. The doors were fitted with black liftstraps and also painted with a dark green "fractured" paint old school design to give them the look of having been on the building for years. |
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Canadian hangar developer has 11 Schweiss bifold doors
Gjesdal has a total of 11 Schweiss doors on his hangars built over the past five years. Schweiss bifold liftstrap doors, with automatic strap latches and electric photo eye sensors were placed on his two newest 100' x 167' hangars. The doors vary in width from 57'8" to 50' and in clear opening height from 16'8" to 16'. His older hangars are equipped with six Schweiss 50' x 14' cable lift doors. All these doors also have walkdoors and remote openers. He opted to receive his doorframes painted in red. |
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Strap bifold doors are the premier choice for many hangars at the Waterloo airport
The Waterloo Regional Airport hangars in Waterloo, Iowa are leased by the city to private pilots and corporations. Three of the large hangars have jet aircraft in them; multiple planes, floatplanes, jets and helicopters are stored in other hangars throughout the airport. Two of the hangars are used as maintenance shops. |
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Husky Brigade is off to the sky minutes after pilots hit the open button on their Schweiss doors
Kerr said that along with somewhere around 18 Husky's on the Alpine field, not counting neighboring Husky's from the Double L Ranch and other style aircraft hangared at Alpine Airpark, over 45 of the 58 residents there have Schweiss doors on their hangars each with their own personal style and size to match their mountain vacation homes. |
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Hydraulic door added to mancave dream for helicopter and floatplane pilot
Easy access to the 11,160 sq. ft. hangar in his 80 ft x 152 ft. building is through a quiet-operating 50' x 17' 7.5" Schweiss hydraulic door. The hydraulic pump for the door is mounted out of sight above the rafters to make best use of all available space within the hangar. He also has a remote opener to enable him to open and close the door without having to leave the cockpit. Three 3.5' x 2.5' windows in the door give him optimum use of available light into the in-floor heated hangar and the hydraulic one-piece door, when open, provides a nice shaded canopy. |
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Former airline pilot chooses Schweiss hydraulics for door and lifting garage staircase
Gene Buboltz of Cold Spring, Minn. chose Schweiss Doors to install a small hydraulic door and lifting staircase on his lakehome to give him easy access to all levels of his home. As time progressed he turned this basement room into a rec. room and a place to store his flying memorabilia. |
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RV Bifold garage door was built for performance, designed for style and meeting zoning restrictions
Jay Hare and his wife, Kathy, of North Oaks, a suburb of St. Paul, Minn., had to deal with zoning restrictions on their RV garage door, but with the assistance of Schweiss Doors they were able to work around them. The finished look on their 12' x 16' RV bifold autolatch liftstrap door with remote opener and photo eye sensors gives them a clear opening of 14' but gives the outward appearance of a door half that size in height. |
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Texas aviation high school opens to new type of education with a 49' Schweiss aluminum bifold door
Ross Shaw Sterling Aviation School in Houston, Texas had this 49' 6" x 20' 2" Schweiss bifold liftstrap door placed on its new attached hangar. The custom-made aluminum frame door has galvanized windrails and siderails and a keyed switch entry system. |
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Unique Schweiss glass bifold doors open new Kings stadium entrance
Schweiss Doors engineered and built five one of a kind bifold strap latch doors to be used at the stadium entrance. Three of these doors measured 29' x 41'5" and the other two were 29'4" x 41' 5". Each door is lifted by three 5 h.p. motors and the liftstraps are 6" width, compared to the usual 3" width. The doors, with glass, weigh in at about 28,000 lbs. each. |
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Larry Robbins is a pilot living the dream
Like many young boys dreaming to be licensed pilots, Larry Robbins remembers at the age of six or seven scooting out the front screen door of his parents central Illinois farm house where he grew up to get an overhead glimpse of any and all planes that came within earshot. His love of aviation led him to pursuing a career as an Aeronautical Engineer and his latest job with Bojac Aviation Services. |
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Canadian Forces military base calls on Schweiss for hydraulic and bifold doors
Supplying doors for military bases is nothing new for Schweiss Doors, they've been doing it for years. Although Canadian Forces Base Borden didn't have a need for specialty blastproof doors like other military establishments, a recent building expansion project for its training school called for the use of Schweiss hydraulic and bifold liftstrap doors. |
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U of M physics building has clean room access with a Schweiss bifold door
Star Equipment of Blaine, MN was in charge of installing a 19' 11" x 22' 8" tall Schweiss bifold liftstrap door with automatic latches and electric photo eye sensors on the physics building. The specially designed door has a rather unique application of wide glass panels at the top that nearly surround it all the way to the man door alongside it. This allows as much natural light as possible to enter the building without it being an all-glass clad door. Strong black liftstraps and two top-drive motors open the door quickly and quietly. |
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Federales Mexican restaurant in Chicago features a fully retractable roof and Schweiss bifold doors
Nothing says summer like tacos and tequila. Chicago’s newest sprawling Federales Tequila & Tacos restaurant and bar in the West Loop offers plenty of both. Inspired by Mexico's roadside taco joints, Federales specializes in barbacoa-style tacos, starring such slow-cooked meats as pork belly al pastor and shredded beef brisket, served with warm corn or flour tortillas and taco trimmings. It truly has a vacation atmosphere featuring a fully retractable roof and two Schweiss bifold liftstrap 14' 3" x 14' 8" designer doors that open to beer garden. |
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Hangar with Schweiss bifold door has look of Texas flare
Who needs Europe? Fredericksburg, Texas in the Texas Hill Country, west of Austin and north of San Antonio, might be the next best thing to crossing the Atlantic. The region is lush, colorful and, unlike much of the pancake-flat state, dotted with beautiful green hills that are evocative of Tuscany or the south of France. Towns like Fredericksburg offer a taste of the Old World, with German-style biergartens, schnitzelhauser and a lot of wineries. |
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Big 70-foot hydraulic door opens Tennessee jet hangar
With nine locations in Tennessee and Mississippi Dr. Ron Bingham has an interesting business model requiring aircraft from his hangar in Jackson, Tennessee to visit his satellite clinics in rural areas. |
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Cubex in Calgary installs eight bifold doors
Cubex Limited of Calgary, Alberta, Canada is a busy fabrication business that underwent an extensive renovation project in order to get the best use out of their building. To do this they virtually knocked out several portions of one side of the building adding eight Schweiss bifold/liftstrap doors for easy access. |
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Pennsylvania hydraulic garage door has touch of class and a beautiful view
It's very satisfying for a business to hear from a client who mentions sincerely that he or she was equally satisfied with the service rendered as well as the product itself. It's been a highlight for Brian who says one of the best things about his new Schweiss hydraulic garage door is hearing favorable comments from people who see it. |
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Fast Fab erects CAID Industries Mid-West Structure of the year
CAID Industries called on Fast Fab Erectors, Inc. of Tucson, Arizona to do the design and building work for their new Tucson, Arizona facility, featuring metal products from Mid-West Steel Building Company.Part of the construction called for two large Schweiss hydraulic crane doors. A 30-ton crane has a lot of lifting power, but in many cases, it needs a door system to effectively do its job. |
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Glass bifold designer door serves California church expansion plans well
The Father's House church is listed at the top spot as one of the best 10 churches in Vacaville, California. It has shown amazing congregational and building expansion growth under the direction of founding Pastors Dave and Donna Patterson. The church was opened for worship in 1997 and has grown from a handful of families to thousands of attendees at multiple campuses in Vacaville, Napa and East Bay. The three locations are all within 40 minutes or less of each other. |
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Southern California Institute of Architecture selects bifold glass doors for new building
SCI-Arc in Los Angeles, California, is an independent, non-profit school offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in architecture. It offers community design and outreach programs, and free public access to frequent exhibitions and lectures by leading thinkers in architecture. Founded in 1972, SCI-Arc is widely regarded as one of the most avant-garde U.S. architecture schools, with a reputation for pushing the boundaries of academic study. |
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Modern Winnipeg home highlighted by pine-clad bifold garage doors
A lot of planning goes into new home construction. Tom Struthers of Winnipeg, Canada extended his attention to detail right down to his garages. The Schweiss Bifold liftstrap garage doors have an enhanced appearance utilizing a vertical pine wood exterior to highlight each of his three doors. |
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A 'tall order' was a cinch for Equal Door Industries and Alberta E-House, Inc.
Equal Door Industries of Calgary, Alberta, Canada and Schweiss Doors have been in business for many years and together they have received custom orders for doors of all sizes. |
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Princeton University Energy Plant has Schweiss bifold Chiller Building doors
Princeton University in New Jersey is a place where you can find a lot of very smart people, young and old. Apparently the administration relied on its research when it decided to choose top of the line Schweiss Doors for its new Energy Plant building. The Princeton Energy Plant is a district energy facility that provides electricity, steam, and chilled water to power, heat, and cool the buildings on the Princeton University campus. The creation of the plant and the continuous refinement of its operation have had a very positive impact on Princeton's carbon footprint. |
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Barrel & Bushel restaurant and bar opens up to outside patrons with Schweiss bifold glass doors
When Barrel & Bushel, a new beer-centric restaurant at Tysons Corner, Virginia says 'Handcrafted Just for You,' they are referring to more than their location, extensive menu and beverage list, but also to the upscale surroundings in which you can enjoy a place to relax and visit. |
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Alberta, Canada hangar shines like a brand new penny
If you think the exterior of Gary Acheson's Alberta, Canada hangar looks slick and clean, you ought to see the inside- it sparkles.
Acheson and his family who own a custom home building business, finished building their new 6,000 sq, ft, wood hangar located at the Villeneuve Airport located at St. Albert, a community of 64,000 residents about 6.5 miles (10 km) north of Edmonton in May of this year. |
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American Institute of Architects chooses a Schweiss designer door for use in new Atlanta Headquarters
For more than 150 years the American Institute of Architects (AIA) has served as the voice of the architecture profession and a resource to its members in service to society. Chartered in 1953, AIA Georgia consists of close to 2,000 members distributed over seven local chapters. AIA serves as the voice of the architecture profession and a resource to its members. The vision of the American Institute of Architects and AIA Atlanta and Georgia is Driving Positive Change through the Power of Design. |
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Schweiss Doors looks to MJ Kretsinger Digital Agency
The driving force behind a successful business depends a lot on marketing. Getting the word out in a clean, well understood and concise manner to potential clients that will prove from a marketing standpoint that you are a brand name company qualified to meet all their needs. The end result gives a customer the best product on the market for them to buy or recommend by word of mouth to their friends and other business acquaintances is paramount. |
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