We’ve completed about 1000 Fast>Track projects since we started the program in 2016. Of those, we’ve shipped on-time 98.6% to the day we promised our customer, which, to my knowledge, is unmatched in the industry and nobody comes close.
Leo Batenhorst – Co-Founder & Project Manager @ 9Wood
Manufacturers in our market are focusing on providing fast wood ceilings for their customers. After five years and over 1000+ projects delivered – here is what you need to know about Fast>Track.
What is most important to a wood ceiling project?
Sitting in the project management chair, the first thing I think of is, it’s a matter of time. Time is ultimately one of the big questions that gets asked continually through the process. The big challenge is you can run out of time, and in our industry, it usually takes about 8-10 weeks for production. That’s one of the standards that I’ve been aware of for most of my career in project management.
How long does it really take?
What people forget is that there is also an 8-10 week lead-time for approvals, sometimes maybe more, because there’s quite a bit of uncertainty. There are resubmittals, there’s a lot to get through, so when you add that all up, it’s a 16- to 20-week lead-time.
So, within the context of that challenge, we’ve introduced the Fast>Track program. Our total lead-times are 3 to 6 weeks, including approvals, and that’s one of the biggest advantages there. It’s really a double challenge, both approvals and production. We’ve narrowed that down to a total of six weeks with the industry’s only guaranteed ship date.
What is the guarantee?
Our Fast>Track guarantee is intended to be very cut and dried; we give you a $1000 every business day late and no fine print. In the rare event we are late we do not wait for you to contact us; instead, we reach out to contact you quickly and let you know you will receive a refund which will show as a deduction on your invoice.
Fast>Track options
We’ve completed about 1000 Fast>Track projects since we started the program in 2016. Of those, we’ve shipped on-time 98.6% to the day we promised our customer, which, to my knowledge, is unmatched in the industry and nobody comes close. We offer many of our most popular products; we offer grilles, our panelized linears, we also offer continuous linears, and tongue and groove linears with matching trims.
Is this available for big projects too?
The average Fast>Track project is about 700 square feet. In terms of scope, there is no Fast>Track project too small or too large that we will not consider making. If you have a project that does fall slightly outside the Fast>Track menu, we really encourage you to please contact us. We will do our best to provide you with a potential expedite option.
The species that are available in the Fast>Track program include solid western Hemlock, as well as four different types of veneers, which include walnut, cherry, white oak and maple.
We have three main finish options: clear, stains and opaques. Within opaques, we offer black and white; with our stains, we have standard color options, and we love to do custom colors. Please remember: In order to meet your three- to six-week lead-time, we need prior approval on your custom color.
How much does Fast>Track cost?
The typical price range for a Fast>Track project is between the mid-teens to the mid-twenties per square foot. Those prices do include a premium which accounts for the reserve capacity of materials, as well as the quick lead-time and the industry’s only guaranteed ship date. Customers ask if credit card payments are an option, and we say yes. We want to make it as convenient and quick as possible.
What I find exciting about Fast>Track: We call it a product but it’s actually a service as well. From an owner’s perspective, I would even say one of our founding values is servant leadership. To provide a service like that that’s very well received is also fulfilling some of those founding principles that we started.
Conclusion
We covered a lot of information about fast wood ceilings. You shouldn’t have to go about this all by yourself. Reach out to us; tell us about your project. Imagine going into your space with a beautiful custom wood ceiling per your design: the Fast>Track option can deliver that. So, spend a little bit of time on our website – we have a lot of great stuff there – and reach out to us. We look forward to working with you, and we’ll see you next time.