The future of operable walls and the best direction for consumers, is to embrace the established, tried and true tested products and combine them when practical and necessary with innovative product features. This is Moderco’s position when it comes to new products and/or innovations. We will not develop or introduce a product or feature that does not have value in order to simply provide us with a competitive edge. Our position is in stark contrast to the sales and marketing program of one company who wishes to “create an uncontested market place by providing and promoting products and features that the competition does not have.” & “make the competition irrelevant”.
Moderco continues to be proactive when it comes to developing new ways or products to divide space and sound. It is our goal to develop products and features that we believe will be useful, will provide value, are easily maintained by owner personnel, serviceable by fully trained local distributors and competitively priced. These are the criteria upon which we base our product development. But never on simply obtaining a bidding advantage.
This strategy is best illustrated by the introduction and promotion of single panel “automated” (electric) wall systems. Basically they consist of single pre-programmed electrically driven panels that, with the push of a button, will on their own proceed to a specific location. In reverse they will return to the storage area. Sounds great and useful. Very innovative and desirable – until something goes wrong. They require extremely complicated and specialized track and trolley systems none of which are produced in North America, can only be repaired & serviced by trained technician specialists, reliant on “programs”, on-line connections, electrical power, have many complicated parts and systems that are subject to wear and failure, have limits on width and height and cost 2 ½ to 3 times as much as a manual system.
Manually operated systems on the other hand have for over 50 years accomplished the same desired space and sound division requirements and are reliable & trouble free. Factory trained individuals manually relocate the panels, set the seals, accomplish final closure, close the pocket doors etc. and within the same time frame as an “automated” system. There is very little difference between the time required to set in place a manual system as compared to the time required by an “automated” system. A manually operable wall system utilizes a minimum amount of “mechanical” components that are subject to wear, all can be serviced and repaired by local distributors and any parts that may fail are typically stocked by local distributor in addition to being the most price competitive option.
Moderco has a complete line of manually operated walls in paired panel and single panel configurations. Our Signature panel system design has been in continuous use for over 40 years while our Excel design systems have been in use for 14 years. Both work with few if any problems or customer concerns. Is it our intention to develop and manufacture “automated” wall systems? Yes – but we believe that the advantages of a manually operated system at this point in time far outweigh any advantages offered by present day “automated” system. Call Moderco at 1.800.363.3150 before you specify an “automated” system so we can compare costs, products and features.
