Stan Reiss, of Southwest Family Farms in Kismet, Kansas, stands in front of their 60 ft. x 60 ft. agricultural hangar. It has a 54 ft. x 16 ft. one-piece Schweiss hydraulic door. The door is windrated for 90 mph and has electric photo eye sensors, remote opener and backup system. (Photos courtesy of Chase Memories Photography, Jenny Chase - Photographer)
Plains, Kansas, with a population of about 1,200, is known by Ripley's Believe It or Not for having the widest Main Street in the USA. Today the street, including 12 foot wide sidewalks along the sides, measures 155 feet, 5 inches across, storefront to storefront, nearly a half block wide. When someone asked why they made it so wide, they answered, "There was plenty of no-good ground, so it just as well may be a street."
Well, the Plains, Kansas area also has some good ground. Stan Reiss, a fifth-generation farmer of Southwest Family Farms and other generations before and after him have been living off the land at Kismet, KS, seven miles southwest of Plains for decades.
Stan's great-great grandparents came to the U.S. from Germany, originally farming in Iowa. They made their way to central Kansas and then to Kismet, southwest Kansas in 1914 where they started farming about 320 acres and struggled through the early "Dirty 30s" Dust Bowl days when annual rainfall registered less than 10 inches a year, which it still does occasionally.
The 1979 Cessna 182 Skylane is flown to inspect over 40,000 acres of farmland and sprinkler systems. It has been modified with a Canard wing, 29" bush wheels for landing on fields, and it has a 31 knot stall speed.
The family farm is now run by Stan and his wife Cheri, sons Clint and Brett and their wives, Christina and Sarah, and grandmother Kathryn. During peak planting times they employ an additional four fulltime men and a couple of additional part-timers during harvest. They currently farm in Seward, Morton, and Stanton Counties.
As a family, they farm 7,380 acres of grain crop production in Seward County, just north of the Oklahoma Panhandle, producing corn, soybeans, milo and wheat. Southwest Family Farms tends another 25,000 acres for two other families in a custom-farming business. The family also farms 9,000 acres of ground in Morton and Stanton counties on the Colorado line. Some of this land is owned by Reiss, the rest is rented and/or crop shared from landowners and other farming partnerships.
Southwest Family Farms has a Vision Statement of being a highly-organized, profitable, and respected agricultural business. The family is planning to continue their growth, setting a new goal to manage a total of 50,000 acres in the future.
"We will be the premier agricultural business of choice for landowners, employees, and partners. We will drive growth through innovation," notes their website at southwestff.com
Stan Reiss came to Schweiss Doors after having a bad experience from another door manufacturer who took his downpayment money, but never delivered or gave him his money back. They told Stan after they went back into business that if he were to order new doors in the future they would sell them to him at a reduced rate. He was leery about that offer and stayed away from them altogether.
He is now happy with his 54 ft. x 16 ft. one piece hydraulic Schweiss hangar door which he put on a new 60x60 ft. steel building with 18 ft. sidewalls nearly four years ago. The door is windrated for 90 mph, has electric photo eye sensors and is equipped with an emergency drill-driven backup system and remote opener.
When the hydraulic 16 ft. tall door is open it provides a nice shaded canopy which aids in keeping the building cool.
Stan Reiss got a first-hand introduction to Schweiss Doors after talking to owner Mike Schweiss at the Schweiss booth during the Oshkosh airshow in Wisconsin.
"We had a peer group meeting close to that area. I was touring the grounds and saw Mike standing there and talked to him for a little bit. I'd seen Schweiss doors in magazines and other hangars and noticed they were better built doors," said Stan. "We just wanted a one-piece door. I like the simplicity and strength of the Schweiss hydraulic door, it's very strong. I've had zero issues with it, no leaks, it opens every time, it's a very good door and we're happy with it. We wanted the clearance to be able to put farm equipment in the building too. It also provides a nice shaded canopy; we need that out here."
Ron Eakes, owner of Mid-Plains Construction, Inc. in Plains, whose business name has since been changed to JKL Construction, built the 60 ft. x 60 ft steel building and adjoining 36 ft. x 72 ft business office for Reiss. His crew also installed the hydraulic door.
Eakes said the installation went well and noted the door arrived on time and in good condition and easily unloaded from the truck. He had some experience with Schweiss Doors in the past.
Reiss designed the hangar with a door that would provide enough vertical clearance to use it to store large farm equipment.
"I first worked with a Schweiss bifold cable door on a hangar here in Plains about 20 years ago, my brother also has a Schweiss door. This was our first Schweiss hydraulic door. Originally we were going to go with a different brand door, but that idea went upside down. At that point I told Stan we need to get a Schweiss door and put it on there. The mechanics of the door work very well. It went together well and works fine, I'd recommend them to others," said Eakes.
Stan and his son, Clint, are both pilots and use a 1979 Cessna 182 Skylane to scout their fields.
"It's very beneficial, we irrigate with pivot sprinklers, when I fly over, I can see if any nozzles are plugged and send someone out quickly to clean them. It's been modified, its stall speed is at 31 knots, but when cruising crops we usually fly about 60 to 70 knots. It has a Canard wing on the front of the nose that sticks out a couple of feet on each side. It also has big 29" bush wheels which enable us to land on any field safely," said Stan.
"I like the simplicity and strength of the Schweiss hydraulic door, it's very strong. I've had zero issues with it, no leaks, it opens every time, it's a very good door and we're happy with it. We wanted the clearance to be able to put farm equipment in the building too. It also provides a nice shaded canopy, we need that out here."
- Stan Reiss
Southwest Family Farms, Kismet, KS
Parts of Southwest Kansas are known for being extremely hot and dry and they have been experiencing drought conditions for five consecutive years. Even though Plains, KS is said to average 20 inches of rain and 16 inches of snow annually, Stan said they have been getting about 10 to 15 inches of rain more recently. The average temperature for the year in Plains is 55.4°F., about 77 degrees in May, but it has got as hot as 110 degrees in June. Ordinarily these temperatures and rainfall amounts make for good farming country on the farm's silty-loam soils. Just the same, farmers rely on irrigation systems to survive.
Strip-till is another system of conservation tillage they practice. They use a knife to apply fertilizer and create a seedbed. The knife is engaged into the soil about 10" deep and leaves a 6-8" wide strip of soil. They plant right on top of the strip. The fertilizer zone is located just below the roots for efficient nutrient uptake. The residue from the previous crop remains on top of the soil to protect the soil from erosion. The residue acts as a mulch to keep the soil from drying out and blowing.
With just a push of a button, or using the wireless remote opener, the hangar door opens swiftly and quietly.
At SWFF they "No-till" as much as possible and have invested substantial capital in equipment that aids in conserving crop residue and soil moisture. No-till has proven to be beneficial year after year. One example is a wheat header that strips the very top of the wheat plant off, leaving everything standing in the field except the wheat heads. The tall, standing stubble aids in catching snow in the winter and shades the ground from the hot summer sun.
Agricultural technology has advanced at a very rapid pace and it's technology that drives their farming operation. Clint Reiss, son of Stan Reiss is the Chief Financial Officer of Southwest Family Farms. A lot of his time is spent behind a desk. Brett Reiss is Chief Operating Officer for the farm.
Clint expects the farm will grow as long as it is able to deploy cutting-edge technology and sound production practices, always trying to stay a step ahead in the game. He lead an effort to integrate soil tests with GPS mapping technology using a Veris Technologies soil-type and testing system.
Four windows across the middle of the hydraulic door allow natural light inside the building and give the door operator a view to the outside when opening the door.
"When we no-till, the only operations that go across the field are spraying, planting, harvesting. We even try to fertilize, spray, and plant in one single pass to reduce fuel consumption and hours on equipment. To limit our fertilizer usage we have mapped all of our irrigated fields to find the different soil types and their capacity to hold nutrients. We layer these maps with yield maps from our combines to make informed agronomic decisions. We have invested in state of the art equipment that allows us to quickly and efficiently cover acre after acre," noted Reiss.
SWFF started with Variable Rate Technology (VRT) 10 years ago. It has allowed them to maximize their land's potential by placing fertilizer and other chemicals where they are needed. Overall fertilizer consumption has been reduced by using this technology.
Southwest Family Farms prides itself as being good stewards of the land. Their commitment is to remain a sustainable farm, using farming practices that will ensure that generations to come will have sufficient high quality food.
For all of your harvesting, fertilizing, planting and custom farming needs Southwest Family Farms can be reached at (620) 563-7212.
Southwest Family Farms, located seven miles southwest of Plains, Kansas near Kismet, is a five-generation farm. Stan, his two sons, Clint and Brett and their families farm over 40,000 acres of land in southwest Kansas.
JKL Construction, formerly known as Mid Plains Construction of Plains, KS is brainchild of owner, Ron Eakes, and is rated as the most successful construction company in Kansas and has around 70 employees. Since its founding in 1979 it has successfully delivered extensive construction services.
They offer services such as general construction, concrete construction, concrete forming, concrete ready mix sales, curing concrete, concrete install, and advanced concrete construction. to commercial, residential, hog, and dairy clients. Eakes was born in western part of Kansas, which is also called the Sunflower State or Wheat State of the US. He grew up in a farm house along with his 10 siblings.
Eakes also owns three ready mix plants and shares a partnership in two large scale dairies along with running JKL Construction.
JKL Construction is located at East Hwy 54 in Plains, KS. They can be reached by call 620-563-9382 or by emailing Ron Eakes at: ron@midplainsconstruction.net. Visit their website at: jklconstructioninc.net
An adjoining 36 ft. x 72 ft. building houses an office used almost daily for farm business, crop monitoring and cutting edge technology.
Photos courtesy of Chase Memories Photography, Jenny Chase - Photographer
Southwest Family Farms has visions of growth to meet 50,000 acres
Stan Reiss got a first-hand introduction to Schweiss Doors after talking to owner Mike Schweiss at the Schweiss booth during the Oshkosh airshow in Wisconsin. He is now happy with his 54 ft. x 16 ft. one piece hydraulic Schweiss hangar door which he put on a new 60 ft. x 60 ft. steel building with 18 ft. sidewalls nearly four years ago. The door is windrated for 90 mph, has electric photo eye sensors and is equipped with an emergency drill-driven backup system and remote opener. |
|
Baja Bush Pilots guides flyers to Mexico, whale petting and more
Fly-in trips to Mexico and other destinations from Chandler, Arizona is a service offered by Jack McCormick of Baja Bush Pilots International (BPI). Since 1996 McCormick figures he has spearheaded groups of other pilots ranging from five aircraft to 117 planes on vacation destinations that normally most pilots would not try to accomplish on their own. On the average, 20-25 pilots accompany BPI on each destination that varies from three to 10 days. |
|
Mobile container Bar Pod makes its debut at the 'Big Game'
Bar Pods have only been in production for about a year for research and construction of prototypes. They made their debut at the Nightclub and Bar Convention last year in Las Vegas. They are a deluxe, all-inclusive, velocity service, waste reducing concession bar for beer, wine, or mixed drinks (or all three in one unit), on tap that can be adapted to customer needs. They are equipped with the TurboTap, a patented retrofit draft beer-dispensing device made from high-grade stainless steel that slips over the end of a standard U.S. beer faucet. |
|
Designer door is precise fit for Kicking Horse Ski Resort home
Located in one of the most beautiful places on the face of the earth, Golden is near six of the most stunning National Parks Canada has to offer; Banff, Glacier, Jasper, Kootenay, Mount Revelstoke and Yoho. This place has long been well loved and well used by explorers, and even more recently for skiers and outdoor summer and winter enthusiasts. Situated at the base of the Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, this 3,500-square-foot residence is a gathering place for an active family of five. |
|
High in the sky . . .
|
|
Overseas market is booming... Schweiss 93 ft. bifold goes to Poland
The large 93.9 ft. wide x 34.9 ft. tall bifold door installed on a new steel hangar was designed for Category 4 windload and heavier cladding. If was fitted with full safety features which included autolatches, strap tension sensors, top overrides, photo eye sensors, bottom safety edge and internal and external beacon/sounders. One dozen liftstraps, rated to carry 29,000 lbs. each, easily lift and lower the heavy 93.9 ft. all-steel frame 20,000 lb. door. |
|
Architect revamps his old wood hangar
If architecture is your vocation, why not use your skills to revamp your own hangar? That's what Dennis Yates, AIA, of YCH Architects in Concord, North Carolina decided to do when time came for it to get a new door in place. His dual purpose 40 x 60 ft hangar/storage building is big enough to house two planes with room to spare for a workshop and general-use storage for his practice. A strong Schweiss hydraulic 39 ft. x 11 ft. 4.75" custom made door is mounted to a reinforced door surround that is about 48 ft. wide at the front. |
|
Belgian military looks to Schweiss Doors Europe for dependable bifold doors
When Belgian Airforce military personnel at Aerodrome Beauvechain needed reliable doors for their new helicopter hangars they went with the quality bifold straplift door offered by Schweiss Doors Europe in the UK. "It was a great honour to have been chosen to supply these doors to the Belgian military; they are the first Schweiss Europe has installed in Belgium despite installing hundreds of doors throughout the EU," said David Naylor, owner of Schweiss Doors Europe. |
|
Overheard compliment convinces Texas hangar owner to go Strap Bifold
Hower ordered a 45 ft. 11 inch x 14 ft. 11 inch Schweiss bifold liftstrap hangar door which gives him a 12 ft. 5 inch clear opening height for his Cessna 195. He learned about Schweiss bifold and hydraulic doors through various publications, but while at the Oshkosh Air Show he overheard another person comment on how he liked his Schweiss bifold liftstrap door. "The strap system is simply the only way to go and the best system by far," said Hower, a retired dentist. "I heard a man at Oshkosh tell your agent that he loved his liftstrap door. That influenced my decision. |
|
Beautiful Ohio airpark hangar accented by recessed bifold door
JT Strange and his family are in the process of building their new home alongside their just finished hangar in the Obannon Creek Aerodrome Airpark located in Goshen, Ohio. The newly-built hangar needed a big 45 ft. x 15 ft. 11" door for his Cessna 182T, which he also uses for business in nearby Milford, Ohio. |
|
Dentist with a drag car likes sleek look of his Schweiss hydraulic door
You might say that Dr. Michael Stephens, a dentist since 1968 in Muskogee, Oklahoma, is enjoying the twilight of his profession. He also makes the most of his time off hobby hitting the race track. Racing is normally known as a young man's game, but Stephens, age 72, says he slowed down to get into a faster mode of racing - drag racing. |
|
No more wrestling with slider doors for this Washington hangar home
John Stasny of Silverdale, Washington decided awhile back that he had enough of the four sliding doors on his hangar home. After a bunch of research, which included checking out door manufacturers, periodicals and talking to other pilots and friends he decided a Schweiss hydraulic one piece door was the only way to go. |
|
Maine contractor chooses Schweiss doors for New England and beyond
Irishspan Industries of Alfred, Maine bills itself as New England's Quality Source of Steel Buildings. They are fast becoming a prime installer and promoter of Schweiss hydraulic and bifold liftstrap doors as well. [Their] most recent project was modifying an existing steel hangar for Marine Home Center of Nantucket, Mass to accommodate a large Schweiss straplift bifold door. |
|
Schweiss Hydraulic Designer Doors make their debut at elegant China hotel
The architect and a project coordinator from China assigned to this lavish hotel wanted to see firsthand the workings of Schweiss Doors, so they boarded a plane in the middle of the winter to tour the Minnesota factory where their three doors were built. What they saw here, along with the information provided on the Schweiss website, reaffirmed them without a doubt that Schweiss Doors craftsmanship was up to their stringent standards. |
|
Italian senior designer visits Schweiss Doors seeking insight on bifold door designs for renowned Prado Museum of Art
Fabio De Ciechi and Schweiss Doors draftsman, Brent Krzmarzick, discuss AutoCAD paper engineering door drafts for the Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain. |
|
House of Air gives flight to the flightless; bifold door gives open air to the hangar
House of Air is an indoor trampoline park located in a historic airplane hangar at West Crissy Field in the Presidio of San Francisco, California, not far from the Golden Gate Bridge. What used to house high-flying aircraft, now houses hundreds of energetic youth-minded people, some of whom can now exercise a different style of high flight. |
|
All Inside Storage hangs 130 Schweiss Bifold Doors
There's nothing much more frustrating than when you discover someone scratched or rubbed against your vehicle or aircraft because it was parked too close to another while in storage. This is what John Obradovich, owner of All Inside Storage of Indio, California, describes as "Hangar Rash." |
|
Environmental design of Ontario Operations Centre has 20 Schweiss 'green' doors
Newmarket, Ontario, Canada is a 80,000 population town projected to grow to approximately 98,000 by 2026. Located north of the city of Toronto, it is part of the York Region and Golden Horseshoe of Southern Ontario. Due to these growing pains Newmarket was overdue for a new municipal operations building. For many years, the town of Newmarket's Public Works Services, including operations (water, roads, snow removal) and parks and property maintenance, had been operating out of three buildings at two existing facilities for years. |
|
SilverWing at Sandpoint offers the very best in airpark living
Such is the case at SilverWing at Sandpoint. This unique fly-in airpark community, set between Schweitzer Ski Mountain and Lake Pend Oreille, one of the West's largest lakes in northern Idaho, spans over 18 acres adjacent to the Sandpoint, Idaho public airport. This airpark has been in development since land was purchased in 2007. Now, several years later, the airpark is ready for people to move in. |
|
Maine EAA Chapter gathers forces to build a new hangar
Active organizations have a way of getting things done - done on time, done on budget and done with the help of individuals and the community they live in. The worldwide Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) has EAA Chapter 1210 of Biddeford, Maine in its ranks. Although relatively small they are non-the-less definitely an active "get it done" organization. |
|
Canadian waters-edge floatplane and boat hangar door opens up to the great outdoors
Dryden, Ontario, Canada, is where the rugged beauty of Ontario meets the bright lights of city life. It is a vibrant urban community surrounded by the unsurpassed beauty of the boreal forest, freshwater lakes and spectacular vistas. The settlement was founded as an agricultural community by John Dryden, Ontario's Minister of Agriculture in 1895. |
|
Aviation Experts in France rely on Schweiss Doors
Aviation Experts SARL is an established 15-year-old French aviation maintenance business and aerial photo survey and mapping business that services not only France and Europe but is called out to far reaching overseas locations. Its hangar and base of operations is located in Nangis, a 7,500 population commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France north-central region of France, approximately an hours drive south of Paris. |
|
Schweiss hydraulic doors inducted into Louisiana Hall of Fame
The headline is a bit ambiguous, but it sure sounds good. In all actuality, there really are Schweiss Hydraulic one piece doors on the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame - they were installed there, not formally inducted, and are for functional applications, not for sporting accolades. Just the same it's still an honor for them to be in this new and long awaited sports complex where visitors from all over the world come to pay homage to their Louisiana... |
|
Schweiss glass bifold door goes on exclusive New York Lexington Avenue hotel
Schweiss designer doors have gone on numerous exclusive hotels stretching from China to Europe. The latest to join this elite group is the Club Quarters Grand Central Hotel on Lexington Avenue, downtown New York City. |
|
Las Vegas Irish Pub features Schweiss designer doors on its outdoor patio bar
Words on the Nine Fine Irishmen pub website point out: "We Didn't Just Import Irish - We Imported The Whole Damn Country." Inspired by a group of nine famous men who fought for Irish independence, to some, they were patriotic heroes. To others, traitorous rebels. But, on to the story... |
|
Monster Schweiss doors open up for Ohio National Super Stock Champion
A 60 ft. bifold door isn't the biggest door by far ever built by Schweiss Doors, but just the same it's one heck of a big door. Shane Kellogg of Forest, Ohio needed a big door like this on his farm plus three other 40 ft. doors to store his farm equipment and his award winning pulling truck and semi that he uses to haul it to shows. |
|
Most everything starts from something.... The Evolution of the One-Piece Door
Bifold doors keep getting better thanks to Schweiss Doors. With proven Lift Straps and Auto Latches the door travels up faster and smoother. Say no to cables! Schweiss Patented Lifts Straps are the latest and greatest improvements to bifold doors that have been around for years... Bifold Doors just keep getting Better! |
|
Lake Tahoe beachfront watercraft rental buisness calls for Schweiss Door
Schweiss boathouse doors have a reputation of showing up at some of the most beautiful lakes in America, but perhaps the most beautiful of them all is the 989 ft. deep Lake Tahoe which borders Nevada and California. |
|
Born to Fly - The Rest is History
What you see at the David Burroughs fourth generation farm north of El Paso, Illinois, located halfway between Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Chicago, isn't your run of the mill ordinary hangar - it has class, inside and out. |
|
Continental Design Build puts five Schweiss bifold doors on California Executive hangars
They're long and sleek - over 60 foot long and stand 21.6 feet tall - big enough to open up for most any corporate prop or jet aircraft. Five Schweiss straplift bifold doors completed a summer order from Continental Design Build (CDBI) in Anaheim, California for new executive steel hangars they were building in Fullerton, California. |
|
Skydive Midwest operations begin and end at the hangar
The fun part of Skydive Midwest's operation mostly takes place the minute you go airborne to the time you step out of the jump plane and then safely land on terra firma. That's mainly what the jumpers look forward to, however there are many behind the scenes tasks that begin and end at the all-important hangar. The hangar, a place to pack parachutes, check weather and park planes; most airports can't get along without one, and wouldn't want to. |
|
The Door's Wide Open at Fagen Fighters WWII Museum
If your heart is into aviation, and you have money, there is no end as to what you can accomplish, including building a first-class aviation museum, and filling it with some of the finest examples of World War II aircraft. That's what ethanol entrepreneur, Ron Fagen, did in his hometown of Granite Falls, Minnesota. The museum is located at Granite Falls Municipal Airport/Lenzen-Roe Memorial Field (KGDB). |
|
Schweiss Bifold Doors go on newest Mills Fleet Farm store in Ankeny, Iowa
Mills Fleet Farm, founded in 1955 by the Mills family, is a growing company with a retail chain of 34 stores in Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Iowa. It's newest store recently celebrated its grand opening July 29, at Ankeny, Iowa - a midstate location of approximately 45,000 residents located along Interstate 35 and U.S. Route 69 approximately 10 miles north of downtown Des Moines bordering on an agricultural and suburban-based economy. |
|
Jamboree In The Hills stage rocks with a 80 ft. Schweiss Bifold door
For over 36 years, over 100,000 fans each year have flocked to the rolling hills of eastern Ohio to take part in the longest running and most popular country music festival in America. This "Country Music Capital" has hosted most of the big names coming out of Nashville and other parts of the USA. Close to 25 Country legends each year such as Merle Haggard, Reba McEntire, George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Boxcar Willie, and even The Beach Boys and ZZ Top, you name it, have taken to the stage there. |
|
California's Edison Language Academy goes to school with a Schweiss Bifold glass door.
The school doors are open at Edison Language Academy in Santa Monica, California. What's different at this school is not all the doors are the same, and that goes for its unique curriculum as well. Edison Language Academy is a bilingual magnet school that is one of only 10 dual-immersion K-12 programs in the United States. |
|
Greystone Construction is national award winner
Since Greystone Construction Company of Shakopee, Minnesota was formed in 1987, earning and receiving awards has been nothing new for them - their list of national and state awards for excellence, performance and merit are enough to decorate a large office or trophy room. |
|
'Your doors stood the test of time,' says Iowa rancher hit by tornado
When daylight hit after the evening of Oct. 4, people living and working at the Triple U Ranch in Washta, Iowa, got an eyeful of destruction. It was on that Friday that Mother Nature decided to reorganize the countryside. Brad Utesch, who farms 2,500 acres and produces 6,000 head of cattle a year, with his brothers Craig and Kirk were faced with a massive cleanup after what more than likely was a tornado set down... |
|
Glass adds a reflective touch of class to Denver contractors residential garage door
At certain times of the day the glass on Bruce Hamon's garage door reflects the beautiful Denver surroundings he lives in. While it allows others to see within, the big advantage is it allows him to see out as if looking through a picture window inside his home. And it adds a real touch of class to his residential property. |
|
California bike transit station utilizes three Schweiss glass designer doors
Who you gonna call when you need three top of the line glass bifold straplift doors for a bike transit station in California? You have two choices. You can go directly to Schweiss Doors in Minnesota or call a company that sells and installs Schweiss Doors. That would be McKendry Door Sales & Service of Santa Fe Springs. |
|
Schweiss Doors adds style to spicy new Sway Thai restaurant in Austin, Texas
Traditional Thai food has a reputation of being very spicy and hot enough to satisfy anyones taste for heat. A newly opened restaurant in Austin, Texas does that and more. Austin is a city of big flavors, but interestingly enough there are few that specialize in Thai food. That's where the long-awaited Thai Restaurant called "Sway," (meaning elevated, delicious) tops the bill. |
|
Billy Bishop Airport gets its first Schweiss Doors
Fame is where you find it and in many cases others try to feed off it. Such is the case with The Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada Regional Airport, named after revered World War I flying ace William Avery "Billy" Bishop. Their hometown hero was the most highly decorated Canadian pilot of that war with 72 air victories to his credit. |
|
Door adds sparkle to unique Scripps Ranch High School in San Diego
The administration at Scripps Ranch High School in San Diego, California, with the assistance of Casco Equipment Corporation and its assigned architects, knew exactly what they wanted in the four designer doors they ordered for their school. They wanted something that conformed to "green" standards and that would serve a useful classroom function as well. |
|
Schweiss hangar door shines like a big light on corporate hangar in Mexico
Ciudad Obregon is the second largest city in the northern Mexican state of Sonora. It is a historic and beautiful city of 405,000 population located near the Gulf of California about 395 miles north of Mazatlan and 400 miles straight south of Tucson, Arizona |
|
Rural pilot has nothing but praise for his three Schweiss Bifold doors
Gene Fuchs, 81, has been taking to the air since the age of 15 and bought his first airplane four years later. He has two Schweiss Bifold hangars doors and one large 45 ft. bifold machine shed door at his farmsite east of Morgan, Minnesota. He bought his first bifold door in the 1980s and hasn't had a lick of trouble with any of them. |
|
Now you see it, Now you don't. Crazy Cool garage door appears only half as big as it really is
Washington resident Herb Korthuis needed a tall garage door to fit his large motorhome into. A city zoning ordinance said he couldn't do it at first, but thanks to Schweiss Doors he now has a 16x12 ft. bifold door that blends into the rest of his house and neighborhood and which was OK'd by the building inspector despite its size. |
|
COMPOSITE FOAM PANELS TAKE KIEHM CONSTRUCTION NATIONWIDE
Back in 1980, Marty Kiehm, age 23 at the time, built his first structure, a 70' x 100' hangar with a 48' bifold hangar door at the Delavan, MN airport. Though not yet a licensed pilot, aviation blood was already trickling through his veins. His dad was an aerial applicator so 'flight talk' was a fairly routine part of family conversations. However following in his Dad's footprint wasn't his ambition. |
|
Top of the Line Schweiss Hydraulic Designer Door graces Under Armour building
Schweiss Designer Doors don't get much better than this. Under Armour Corporation in Baltimore, Maryland ordered this very attractive and unique metal perforated hydraulic one-piece canopy door as a showpiece for their store and office building in Baltimore, Maryland . The 28' 10" wide x 12' - 140 mph windrated door features two distinctly lighted Under Armour billboard-style logos which can be seen for miles around. |
|
One of a kind Texas hangar has its own control tower
"I come here every morning at 6 a.m. I spend all day here and I enjoy every minute of it." Those words from Patrick Aucoin, Aucoin and Associates, Inc., Spring, TX. And where he comes each day is to an 84' x 84' steel hangar at the Spring, TX airfield. But what a hangar! For 14 years this spot was only a concrete slab, the only remnant from a Texas tornado that wiped out the hangar which used to set on this hunk of concrete. But not so today. |
|
Pilots are appreciating the 80 schweiss liftstrap bifold hangar doors at Oshawa, Ontario airport
There aren't many airports in the U.S. or abroad that have as many Schweiss Bifold Liftstrap/Autolatch hangar doors as the Oshawa, Ontario, Canada airport. In a three-phase project a total of 80 Schweiss liftstrap and autolatch bifold doors have been put onto hangars there. In just the last order alone, 34 Schweiss bifold doors ranging in size from 41.5 ft wide to 47 ft. wide gives some solid proof of their popularity among hangar owners there. |
|
Innovative Schweiss lift gate gives versatility to 'The Paw'
Contemplate this description of a popular Mankato, Minnesota facility: Daycare, rehabilitation, grooming spa, spacious suites with in-floor heat, raised beds, exercise program, pool, reservations required, therapeutic laser class treatments, post operative care, hydrotherapy, kindergarten, parties and social activities. |
|
Big bifold glass door connects spaces at new Red Bull headquarters
Extreme sports enthusiasts are a key demographic for energy drink makers, and Red Bull's new North American headquarters in Santa Monica, CA was created with that audience in mind. Among the 105,000 sq. ft. buildings many impressive design features are 40' wide by 250' long, non-functioning skateboard platform and 28' tall by 40' wide, Schweiss glass-paneled bifold door. |
|
Arizona Stucco hydraulic door gives shade on hot days.
Aircraft enthusiasts from more than 70 nations go to the world famous Oshkosh Air Show with their eyes to the sky. It brings in more than 10,000 aircraft and displays nearly 2,500 aircraft of all makes and sizes. Dave Sirota, President of Bassuk Brothers Property Management firm in Oro Valley, Arizona, a bedroom community adjacent to Tucson, didn't go there to look at aircraft, he had another mission in mind. |
|
Schweiss Doors makes boathouse owner envy of beautiful Lake Vermilion
Schweiss Doors can't take all the credit for the envy. Ryan also goes first class with the 1955 Chris Craft Continental boat that cruises in and out of his boathouse. And for those not living on this lake, known worldwide as Lake Vermilion, that's also envious. |
|
Aero Country East is a Dallas, Texas area first-class aviation lifestyle community
"New North Dallas, Teaxs Aero Country East airpark goes exclusively with Schweiss "Red Power" hydraulic one-piece hangar doors. Many Country Club amenities and 39 custom townhomes and pool on privately-owned airport add first class appeal for pilots and families |
|
Washington Wallaby Ranch chooses Schweiss doors for its hangars
When you think of wallabies and kangaroos the first thing that comes to mind is Australia, "The Land Down Under." You don't have to travel that far, however, to see these marsupials, The Fall City Wallaby Ranch has 19. |
|
Kansas farmers Mancave has room for dragstrip racing cars and more
The term "mancave" has in recent times entered the American vernacular. It refers to a place where the guys can get together, lay back and talk about whatever is on their minds and solve the world problems and such over a cold one or two. Mancaves seem to be quite popular amongst football fans. |
|
Schweiss Doors installs 132 liftstrap Bifold T-Hangar doors for Bult Airfield
Only about 30 miles due south of downtown Chicago and surrounded by fields of corn, soybeans, wildlife habitat and even a few tree farms sits one of the newer and more intriguing airfields in America. Called Bult Field Airport and identified as C56, this country airport however dates back to 1942 when Paul Sanger, a Monee, Illinois aviation enthusiast started his 'grass strip' air field three nautical miles southeast of town. |
|
Napa Valley Winery puts Schweiss doors to special use
That's how Opus One building's architect, Scott Johnson, described this California Napa Valley winery located between St. Helena and Napa, almost straight north of San Francisco, California. Johnson was part of the design team behind the whole footprint of the Opus One building expansion. The suggestion and actual design of the unique Schweiss bifold and hydraulic doors was recommended by Wayne Leong, of Leong Architectural firm in St Helena, CA. |
|
Prestige Contractors of Canada is newest Schweiss Doors distributer
Most every contractor at heart wants to do the best job for their customer. Sometimes that means going above and beyond the call and at other times being able to offer the best product for them. |
|
Large Schweiss Bifold Liftstrap door perfectly fits farmshop needs
There's nothing cheap about building anymore but this project turned out wonderfully. The Schweiss door fits perfectly. We dressed up the shop and office area with some window shutter trim. Structural Building out of Becker, MN was the contractor and they did a great job |
|
Inadequate experience with another company leads farmer to Schweiss Doors
It was a 70 ft. hydraulic door, very lightly built, it came in two sections that didn't meet together when they put it together. It showed up bent, and when raised it would bend, very poor weld quality, with welds missing in places. It was a piece of crap, I've never seen something so poor, there was no engineering done on it. There was no quality control. |
|
Schweiss Red Power Pumps are a jump above the rest
Jumping over the best |
|
RiverEdge Park & Music Garden orders Schweiss Doors for new Illinois project
RiverEdge Park and Music Garden is a venue that not many people in the United States have heard of yet, but they will. It is becoming the centerpiece in a 10-year master plan for the city of Aurora, Illinois, that state's second largest city with a population of close to 200,000 people, making it the 112th largest city in the United States. Aurora is located about 45 miles west of Chicago and is accessible by commuter train from there. |
|
Schweiss has truckloads of top quality doors leaving the factory each week
Since Introducing "Red Power" Hydraulic Doors to the market this Spring, sales of Schweiss Hydraulic Doors have escalated, and as a result truckload-after-truckload of ready to assemble doors have been moving out to destinations within all corners of the United States and other locations around the globe. |
|
Sharp looking farm shop features office space and large hydraulic door
This eye catching farm shop is indeed a beautiful facility. All four exterior steel walls are white, however red is the accent color around the edges of this big hydraulic door, all windows in the door, plus other access doors into this incredible building. |
|
Taxi-through hangar speeds crop work for big time spraying operation
Twenty-seven years as an aerial applicator provides an historical perspective each spring for Rich Sigurdson, Olivia, MN. For cantankerous 2011 he simply responded,"This spring brought in a little more work than normal. This is the latest for putting crops in the ground since I've been in the business. |
|
Huge Army tanks and track vehicles pass through Ft. Carson liftstrap bifold doors
Getting 146 doors installed at one location speaks rather strongly about the quality and reliability of your door provider. But that's the current scorecard of Schweiss BiFold doors at Fort Carson, Colorado (Colorado Springs) where Mortenson Construction (Denver branch) has an ongoing contract with the U.S. Army for the construction of special heated maintenance shops called TEMFs (Tactical Equipment Maintenance Facilities). This means structures big enough for Army tanks and other special military tactical vehicles. |
|
Electrical engineer researches and chooses 40 ft. Hydraulic Hangar Door
I researched over a year what I wanted to do. I met Dave Schweiss at the Florida 'Fun in the Sun' air show and both Dave and Mike at the big Oshgosh, WS show. After meeting the guys and looking more closely at their product the choice was obvious. It simply was the best fit, the best design, the best door and in terms of value, the best deal. |
|
Fagen WWII museum purchases multiple large Schweiss Liftstrap Bifold Hangar Doors
Here are some shots of Fagen's warbirds. All mighty nice, mint condition airplanes! Just one of many unique planes that will be on display in the New Fagen Museum. It'll be the hot spot in Granite Falls, Minnesota to see some of the most beautiful Flying machines imaginable. |
|
Fast opening Schweiss hydraulic heated shop doors were just what this farmer needed
Obviously a guy doesn't spend several thousand dollars for a big hydraulic door because it opens and closes in 37 seconds. But surprisingly 'door speed' is a bit of a factor, at least for Terry Albright, Renville County farmer who also runs a fleet of 'over the road' semi rigs. |
|
New 75 ft. Ohio farm shop has Schweiss hydraulic door with special lighting
A slick, new 75' x 80' farm shop with special lighting, in-floor heating, a huge 40' door and a burgundy and beige color scheme is getting all sorts of attention on the farm of John Dulin, Kenton, Ohio. "The contractor that sold me the building has people coming here every week it seems to check out the building and especially that big hydraulic door. So it's a real treat for me and my farming partner son Dana, to show them the works," explained Dulin, who is also maintenance manager for six school buses in their local special education district. |
|
Wayzata resident loves his worry free liftstrap garage door conversion
Two bifold doors were on his Wayzata, Minn. home when he and his wife, Nancy, purchased it from a previous owner several years ago. He referred to the doors as "a bonus and attractive feature" and believed the architect chose the bifold style of doors for aesthetic reasons. |
|
Carriage House helicopter hangar is very likely the most unique in America!
The Carriage House on the lakeshore property of Sid Morris, Cornelius, NC is very likely the most unique in America! It doesn't house horses and horse buggies. It doesn't house antique autos. Instead it houses his R44 helicopter. And that chopper gets to the Carriage House by first landing on a helio pad on the end of his 200' dock. A small electrically driven dolly then gently lifts the chopper with operator then guiding the chopper to its proper stall inside this remarkable 4-star carriage house. |
|
Artists architectural glass door was perfect for Martha's Vineyard studio and guest house
At 27 years of age, film maker/artist/author Travis Wood appears to be adding architectural design to his intriguing resume. Evidence of this new dimension is a most unique structure, a combination studio/guest house that he and his father are constructing on their vacation property on Martha's Vineyard, hugging the south shore of Massachusetts. |
|
Funky Brooklyn Store Front Perforated Steel Bifold Doors add touch of class and security
Hugging the southwest corner of Long Island, New York, Brooklyn's earlier identity was mostly hitched to Coney Island beach and the Brooklyn Dodgers of baseball immortality. Today the city is enjoying a renaissance of rediscovery by artists, retailers, ambitious contractors and creative landscapers including the Andre Kikoski Architect firm which just wrapped up the complete renovation of two empty, abandoned warehouse buildings on 22-28 Wyckoff Ave. |
|
Multiple stores and doors are key to Arnold Company farm implement business expansion
Consolidation is that aggressive word which has been enveloping agricultural business for several years now. In simple terms, it results in fewer but bigger. And that certainly is the recent history of the farm implement business, which used to pride itself on having eight, 10, even 12 or more dealerships per county. Today three or four farm equipment dealers per county is more the usual. But ownership of farm implement stores today often includes multiple locations throughout an entire state. |
|
Former Alaskan has Bifold hangar doors for fishing and flying from private airstrip
Flying since he got the bug when working the fishing canaries in Alaska, Eric Hutchins, Grand Rapids, MN, has a rather diversified agenda these days. For example he runs a year-round Dairy Queen in this bustling tourist center town. He also does some part-time law enforcement work and occasionally flies fire detection with the MN DNR. When time permits, high on his agenda is getting together with his snowmobile buddies for a few miles through the beautiful lake and woodland country of Itasca County. |
|
Large 108 ft. Schweiss Bifold Strap Door is finishing touch for hangar renovation
In September of 2009, we started the rehabilitation of Hanger 155 at Chippewa County International Airport in Kincheloe, MI. Our first step was to remove 60 years worth of lead paint from the existing steel substructure and miles of asbestos-containing material. When the building was safe to work in, our demolition subcontractor started on the roof system. |
|
Midwest John Deere dealership and store installs a Schweiss One-Piece Door
It's big, 43,500 square feet. It has a special floral display unit out front courtesy of the employees and the general contractor. You walk into an 'eye catching' 100' x 160' 'Consumer Display' section complete with a 10' high shelf showcasing various John Deere 'consumer goods'. And greeting you at the retail counter is a colorful prairie scene with an old country barn, woodlots, fields of corn and wheat plus a depiction of the original 1-bottom plow that launched the John Deere machinery company. A show place of sorts? Yes, indeed. |
|
Classic Florida hangar home Schweiss wall/porch door is drawing national attention
Well, it's all of the above for 62-year-old Daniel Shaw, a plumbing contractor at Geneva, Fla. Who has given new meaning to the term "hangar home." The structure is 50' wide x 60' deep x 30' tall, all metal/ However, a 45' x 15' Schweiss hydraulic door sporting a wrap-around porch with decorator railing, table and chairs, a "walk through" door with stylish window, and veranda "roof" gets your attention. |
|
Schweiss doors open things up at the Renville County Fair
Schweiss Hydraulic and Bifold Doors recently installed four new hydraulic doors at the Renville County Fairgrounds located in Bird Island, MN. The Renville County Board approached Schweiss looking for a way to open up the event building located at the county's fairgrounds. The event building is used to host live bands, beer gardens and public auctions by Henslin Auction Services. Hydraulic doors seemed like the perfect solution to open up the building and allow easy access to the building for large groups of people. |
|
Minnesota Implement dealership spike in business calls for new facility liftstrap bifold doors
We're no longer just selling iron. Today we're selling precision farming products and that requires special training of both our personnel and our farm customers," says Paal Haug, general manager of Haug Implement with stores at Willmar and Litchfield |
|
Radiation-shielded Bifold Door designed specially for industrial x-ray system firm
The creativity of customers continues to be a driving force for many manufacturers. Take for example North Star Imaging, Inc., a Rogers, Minnesota manufacturer of industrial x-ray systems which are enclosed by a radiation shielding cabinet and access door and used by manufacturing firms in the aerospace, military, automotive, medical device, electronics, even the genetic seed industry and many more. |
|
Stylish North Carolina Target store Bifold gates serve dual purposes
How do you make the loading dock area for your store secure, yet still easily accessible and stylish? This Target store in North Carolina found the answer with two 39' x 17' bifold gates for their loading area. Give us your idea and we will get you the door. |
|
Unique Schweiss Bifold roof-door designed for East Coast sandblasting chamber
What looked like a near impossible situation without some totally new engineering design instead turned out to be a remarkable solution to an extreme challenge. The challenge? How to fit a "roof door" over a 20' by 30' sandblasting chamber used by SMS Millcraft, Oil City, PA. This firm specializes in refurbishing component parts for various Pennsylvania steel mills. |
|
Farm Air spraying operation relocates and builds new hangar with 76 ft. hydraulic door
It is rare that an Air Tractor dealership changes hands. It cant be done without an approval from Air Tractor, Inc. This requirement became all too apparent to Bill Taylor of Farm Air in Fairfield Illinois. Bill was starting to think about retiring from the business he formed in 1976. Shortly after forming Farm Air, Bill saw a need for Air Tractors in the Midwest, and approached Air Tractor about becoming a dealer. Over thirty successful years later, Bill decided it was time to sell Farm Air with its Air Tractor dealership intact. |
|
TGIF puts custom-made Schweiss Bifold glass doors on patio bar
This custom set of Schweiss Bifold Doors was the perfect solution to provide a unique dining experience for this restaurant's patio bar customers. |