Three major casinos abound in the greater Tulsa, Oklahoma, area, means a high-stakes arms race among them, and the need for each to adapt in an ever-evolving gaming business. This past fall, Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tulsa ascertained it’s in the game for the long haul. Completing an extensive remodeling of rooms, some of which were only five years old, as well an upgrade to the gaming floor, xTuple customer Cordeck was entrusted with the latter project ensuring the quality for such specialized work.
Always on deck for customers
Completing an extensive remodeling of rooms, some of which were only five years old, as well an upgrade to the gaming floor, Cordeck was entrusted with the latter project ensuring the quality for such specialized work.
“We’ve done a lot of casino projects and no two are ever the same,” says sales associate Patrick Johnson, who also holds the somewhat esoteric title of national wire management consultant at Cordeck’s headquarters in Kenosha, Wisconsin. “That’s why we get involved early with the design team and help them lay out the solution.”
Casinos want flexibility for the future, Johnson explains, and Cordeck has handled projects for gaming palaces throughout North America and beyond. With the contracts ranging from 10,000 to 100,000 square feet, the Tulsa casino would fall somewhere in between. Cordeck worked closely with architects, engineers, and the building owner to meet the power and data needs, while routing everything through the building’s structural steel.
Deck stacked for expertise
“’Whatever it takes’ is the motto and a quarter-century ago when the company was founded, we solely manufactured metal deck products so we had a slightly smaller audience who desired our products,” Johnson explains. “Since then, Cordeck has acquired a more diverse product line allowing for more specialized product, Cordeck Innovative Floor Solutions™. This has allowed us to expand our services to additional unique customers.”
Cordeck’s Innovative Floor Solutions™ was built on the company’s 2003 acquisition of N-R-G FLOR® and Walkerdeck® In Floor Cellular Raceway Systems from Walker Systems Inc., and subsequent acquisition of HH Robertson In Floor Cellular Raceway System from CENTRIA in 2015. These different products have been a great addition to Cordeck’s Metal Deck Solutions, Johnson assures. Cordeck’s credentials are well-established among general contractors, electrical engineers, and architects. Today’s buildings often involving casinos, fitness centers, libraries, universities, and office buildings and are wired with future technology in mind.
“Our long-time relationships with designers and builders enable us to work together very efficiently. The best situations are when our products are specified in the building’s design,” says President Ken Moore, who founded the company in 1994.
Among those results: The Acuity Insurance headquarters in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, where Cordeck played a role during two major expansions in 2015 and 2016.
Johnson notes with pride that a national publication has deemed the building “one of the coolest offices” in the country. Much of Cordeck’s contribution isn’t visible to the naked eye, but the Acuity work force can vouch for the efficiency of the installation of what’s known as the N-R-G FLOR® system, which provides the most versatile solution of wire and cable management.
“Our building expansion and renovation required a durable, high-quality in floor cellular raceway system that could be delivered on schedule,” says Acuity’s facilities director Kurt Lodl. “Cordeck’s system met all of these requirements, in addition to being easy to work with and easier to assemble than other products.”
The Main Line Health Center at Concordville, a three-story medical facility in Pennsylvania, might say the same, with Cordeck having placed power and data cables underneath exercise equipment in a manner that eliminates trip hazards and the chance of an unauthorized individual accessing or manipulating connections.
Other high-profile Cordeck clients include Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, MIT Media Lab in Massachusetts, the Navy’s Great Lakes Training Facility in Illinois, and Bobcat Co. in North Dakota.
Cordeck also is a mainstay for office projects in all industries as well as academia, libraries, correctional facilities and the public sector. And while residential work makes up just a small percent of Cordeck’s annual revenue, the company gladly accommodates the most modest needs.
Can-do attitude
“Can’ts just don’t exist here,” says Johnson, “Our strengths have always included being diversified. We may be a metal deck manufacturer, but that’s never stopped us from getting into other markets.”
Indeed Cordeck’s growth has been substantial enough to take it well outside its Wisconsin stronghold. With additional plants and distribution hubs in Houston, Memphis, Cincinnati, and Middlesex, New Jersey, and a second sales office in Austin, Texas, Cordeck is strategically placed to better serve a growing international clientele. Another facility is planned for an undisclosed location.
Boom times notwithstanding, marketing manager Kristine Stolfi assures there are some areas Cordeck won’t outgrow, including its commitment to customer service as well as the family atmosphere and opportunity for personal growth that intrigued her to come aboard in 2016 after a 15-year stretch at Cancer Treatment Centers of America, which provided her with a wealth of knowledge about customer service.
“This will always be a company that puts its customers first,” she says. “If there’s something they need, they’ll get it right away. If we don’t stock the product, we have connections with companies who do.”
Such treatment extends to the greater community, with the in-house charitable group Cordeck for a Cause active on multiple fronts. Several blood drives are conducted in the course of the year, and employees also volunteer during off-hours for community projects. The most recent project was improving the recreational area of the Bridges Community Center in Kenosha. Cordeck has long been in the forefront of supporting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, making it the flagship charity with donations raised from the Double Down for Diabetes Texas Hold’em Tournament and Casino Night held annually.
There will also be something else for Cordeck to celebrate in 2019: its 25th anniversary. With Cordeck’s adaptation of the FISH! Philosophy that supports a positive and energizing culture by being there for one another, making someone’s day, maintaining a positive attitude and mixing some fun in the job, the past quarter-century has passed quickly.
“Ken really cares about his employees,” Stolfi says. “It’s a great group of people who are creative and understanding.”
Written By Neil Cote | Produced by Ian Nichols