Atlas Amplifier (Winter 2006): Atlas Revs Up - Atlas Van Lines

Titan Global DistributionMira AwardContinued From Previous Page“STG Vice President of Sales DavidCoulter and I met with representativesfrom Design Display Group and themarketing team of Benjamin Mooreto gain a clear understanding oftheir expectations,” says Mark. “Wetook the findings from that meetingto develop a solution using ourcombined strengths. Everyoneinvolved with the project hasbenefited from this collaboration.”Design Display Group is a leader inmerchandising design and displaybranding. Benjamin Moore & Co. is aleading U.S. manufacturer of premiumquality residential, commercial andindustrial maintenance coatings.Back To LifeAs the city of New Orleans returnsto life, one of its most famous hotelsundergoes a massive effort to restoreits elegant luster.The world-renowned Fairmont Hotel on the outskirtsof the French Quarter is the oldest hotel in New Orleans,dating to 1893 when it opened as the Grunewald.It is said to have housed the country’s first night club,The Cave, a subterranean supper club that featuredwaterfalls, stalactites, and chorus girls dancing toDixieland jazz. The name was later changed to TheRoosevelt in honor of Theodore Roosevelt. It becameknown as the Fairmont New Orleans in 1965.Ever since the city’s fateful encounter with Katrina,the Fairmont New Orleans has been vacant. But itsreturn to magnificence is on the horizon, and BDSWorldwide is playing a key role in the massive effort.“It’s amazing to see the difference that a relativelyshort distance made in the water levels downtown,”says BDS Director of Installation Bill Dickerson.Bill says that just twelve blocks west of the hotel’slocation at Baronne and Canal Streets, buildings wererelatively unscathed. But The Fairmont suffered severedamage when water submerged electrical and HVACsystems beneath the building.“We began work on July 5 to gut the building,” saysBill. “We emptied its 701 rooms of casework, artwork,and mirrors. Anything covered with fabric was a loss.”A 15-person BDS crew worked for 8 weeks, shuttlingthree trailer loads a night, or 120 total loads, to storage.They filled 52,000 square feet of a fully air-conditionedwarehouse. Inside the warehouse, restoration expertsperform the necessary cleaning and refinishing to makethe elegant wood furnishings and fixtures ready.The time frame for delivery and installation isuncertain, Bill says, pending decisions by buildingcode authorities.“Right now we are crating and organizing the pieces,and we’ll be ready when the building is ready,” says Bill.“We’ll work from the top down in 150-room lots...we have an extremely efficient plan.”The Fairmont Hotel in New Orleans is the city’s oldesthotel. It was rendered uninhabitable by Katrina. BDSWorldwide is working on the restoration team to readythe stately property for occupancy again.Atlas Earns Distinctionfor TechnologyIt’s billed as “an awards show where an entire state wins.”On May 19, at the Indiana Roof Ballroom in downtownIndianapolis, the Techpoint Mira Awards lauded AtlasWorld Group as a “finalist” for technology achievementsduring 2005. The annual event celebrates organizationsand individuals who make significant contributionsto technology in Indiana; Atlas earned distinctionamong Indiana companies engaged in transportation,distribution and logistics.“This is a great acknowledgement of Atlas’ efforts tostay on the leading edge of the technology curve in therelocation industry,” says Atlas Chief Technology OfficerRichard Arneson.A Year of Significant AdvancesAtlas pioneered three important technology initiativeslast year. To enhance the security and well-being ofcustomers, the company led the industry with a programof background checks for permanent and temporarylaborers. Using an intranet interface with a third-party firm,Atlas agents can now ascertain quickly whether potentialhelpers meet corporate eligibility standards.Likewise, Atlas became the first household goodscarrier to implement trailer tracking. The system enablescustomers to know the precise location of their belongingsthroughout a move. While many carriers offer a trackingservice, Atlas is the first to invest in a system that tracks thetrailer itself – the equipment that actually carries the goods.And Atlas World Group subsidiary Red Ball Internationalis the first to adapt Radio FrequencyIdentification (RFID) technology for thetransportation of household goods.The system allows users to trackan entire shipment andenables Red Ball to increasesecurity, improve efficiency andcreate peace of mind for militaryfamilies relocating overseas.Techpoint–Indiana’s statewide technology trade group–represents approximately400 corporate members.The annual Techpoint Mira Awards Program recognizesindividuals and companies for significant contributions to technology in Indiana.Atlas World Group has earned the distinction of “finalist” for technologyachievements during 2005.Atlas Director of Marketing Communications Barbara Cox acceptsthe Techpoint Mira Award, presented by Techpoint President &CEO Cameron Carter.The award recognizes Atlas World Groupas a finalist for technology achievements during 2005.16 Atlas Amplifier • Winter 2006 Atlas Amplifier • Winter 2006 17