Hal Collums Construction performed the installation of custom casework at a new cafe called Merchant located in The Maritime building in the Central Business District of New Orleans.

The custom millwork and casework was fabricated by Central City Millworks.

All work has been completed, and Merchant is now open for business as a cafe, coffee shop, and wine bar.

According to the Central City Millworks website:

When Ammar Eloueini of AEDS (Ammar Eloueini Digit-all Studio) and Edifice Builders came to Central City Millworks for help implementing a design concept for the Merchant cafe that focused on “dirty” top pine flooring and casework cladding, we knew that we were the perfect company for the job.

See the full story at Central City Millworks online.

One-piece stone countertop on its way to the 2nd story

Since the kitchen cabinets fit exactly in the space available (with no soffit, trim molding, nor fillers) the rough framing and drywall had to be square, level and plumb.

The island cabinet was rather large and the stone counter-top installer insisted that the island stone could not be installed in one piece. However, the client and the designer wanted the stone in one piece without seams. We ended up removing a window sash, renting a boom forklift and delivering the one piece stone through the second floor.

* UPDATE *

Our over-stocked supplies of heart pine flooring have been sold.

However, Central City Millworks has flooring available at regular prices…which still provide you with great value considering the quality.

Call Central City Millworks at 504-899-1345 for a price on the quantity you need.

* * *

Central City Millworks is offering 22,000+ sq.ft. of over-stocked heart pine flooring in New Orleans at 10% off already low prices.

The photos below document the three primary steps that transforms heart pine beams into flooring boards and then into beautiful New Orleans floors.

Click on the links above to find out more.

The heart pine beams prior to shipment down to New Orleans

100+ yr old beams milled into flooring

...and finally installed

It is time for another office expansion here at Hal Collums Construction and Central City Millworks!  It is our goal to create a more efficient workplace in order to best promote communication and increase productivity and staff morale.  Our craftsman are working very quickly to finish the job so we can move in immediately.

Expansion in progress

Once the project is completed, our drafting and estimating department will have their own private office.  Their job is very detailed oriented and they certainly need a quiet workspace.  Central City Millworks will gain more space to better service walk-in customers.  The additional space for Central City Millworks is really important because we seem to have walk-in customers for wood flooring, doors, windows, etc. on a daily basis.  Our stockroom will also benefit from the expansion.  Our inventory manager, Isaias Lopez, will be better able to optimize his stockroom inventory, thus creating an efficient method of inventory reporting.

We are very excited about the expansion of our New Orleans construction and millwork offices.  Please feel free to stop by and take a look!

New stockroom in our New Orleans construction offices

DesCours Digital Fabrication being cut on Central City Millworks' CNC Router

The contemporary architecture and art festival, DesCours, uses cutting edge new media and interactive installations to lure culturally adventurous art aficionadas into new visual experiences. This year’s DesCours, presented by the New Orleans chapter of the American Institute of Architects, is the third annual week-long event. Twenty-six architects and artist teams have prepared 11 sites in the French Quarter and Central Business District.

The installations are in unseen, abandoned and underutilized buildings, giving the viewer the added sensory opportunity to appreciate the art in normally unavailable architectural gems. These hidden areas become a natural “art gallery” to display art and media to showcase works from nationally known artists. This week-long celebration of architecture and art is completely free to the art patrons willing to seek out the installations.

Twenty-six architects and artist teams prepared 11 sites in the French Quarter and Central Business District

Central City Millworks frequently works with artists and architectural students to achieve their design goals with the use of our CNC router. A CNC (Computer Numerically Controlled) Router is similar to a printer for wood. Instead of creating a computer file and sending it to a printer, the CNC file is sent to our CNC Router that uses sheets of plywood as a printer would use paper. The plywood is hand loaded on a 5’x 12’ table with a powerful vacuum to hold it down.

The computer controlled router moves in 3 axis to cut out any shape to close tolerances. Complex concepts can be converted into reality easily with a CNC so many architects and artists design with it in mind. CCM has worked with Tulane Architecture Professor Marcella Del Signore cutting digital fabrications for art installations so when NanKo Studios asked her for a local shop to cut their 2009 DesCours fabrication, she recommended CCM. Nanko Studios emailed an autocad file that Rob Thornton (one of CCM’s CAD expert) then converted into a CAD file. The attached pictures show the project being cut on our CNC.

HCC workers replace Algiers Courthouse clock

Bryon Cornelison watched as an HCC crew installed the fourth face on the clock tower of the historic Algiers Courthouse. This was a goal he had worked to accomplish for the previous six months. As treasurer of the friends of the Algiers Courthouse, Bryon accepted the task of researching and replacing the clock tower. Unsure of how to proceed, Brian made his first precarious trip up the multiple ladders to the top of the clock tower. The numerals had completely faded, the mechanisms no longer kept accurate time and the backlighting was a corroded mess. Luckily, Bryon was able to find the name of the previous clock manufacturer. Soon upgraded, new clock assemblies were being custom made for the courthouse.

The install required a 65’ extension lift and some of HCC’s most experienced aerial workers

Bryon contracted with Hal Collums Construction to install the tower clocks when they arrived. Since the tower clock faces were over 50 foot high, the install required a 65’ extension lift, and some of HCC’s most experienced aerial workers. Two workers rode the lift up with the clock face while two more assisted from inside the tower.

After two days of work on the installation of the new atomic, satellite syncronized clocks the Algiers Courthouse once again displays accurate time for the timeless neighborhood it serves.

Thomas Nevitt with the George Rodrigue painting

Thomas Nevitt thought he had 24 hours to relax after spending six weeks working around the clock making sure our commitment to the WW2 Museum was completed on schedule. Thomas, Mill Manager for Central City Millworks (HCC’s sister company) had assumed the role of Project Manager for the installation of the store fixtures, front lobby wall panels, restaurant fixtures, reception desk, theatre millwork, USO Bar and numerous other custom architectural millwork items for the spectacular WW2 Museum opening November 7th, 2009. Thomas knew the importance of this job and had worked tirelessly to complete the job.

On Wednesday afternoon Thomas was overseeing several last minute repairs to damage created by the huge influx of tradesmen rushing to completion. During the previous few weeks he had helped Satterfield and Pontikis (the contractor) complete work that other finish subcontractors could not complete in time.

We were asked to design, fabricate, paint, and hang a support for the 600 lb painting in less than 24 hours!

As Thomas was having his workers wrap up for what he had been told was the last time before the opening ceremonies, S&P dropped a bomb on him. It turned out that the huge painting “Victory on Bayou St John” by talented Cajun artist George Rodrigue was to be unveiled at a ceremony the next afternoon. The painting was estimated to be 600 pounds with the custom frame. The contractor was asked at the last minute to engineer a solution to hang the picture and have it custom designed, fabricated, painted, and hung in less than 24 hours!

Unveiling George Rodrigue painting at WW II Museum

For Thomas, who had spent the last six weeks achieving the impossible daily, it was just another day at the office. He spent that evening designing the structure with the aid of a structural engineer. The next morning he put it in production at CCM’s 30,000 square foot facility in Central City New Orleans (less than 2 miles from the WW2 Museum). The scheduled unveiling occurred at 5:30 that evening without any of the attending dignitaries realizing Thomas and his crew were frantically hanging the picture 30 minute earlier. The photo above shows the picture immediately after it was unveiled.

(Click the following link to see a gallery of his crew’s fabulous New Orleans millwork)

HCC selected as Best Place to Work 2009

Back in July of 2009, our own Bryon Cornelison (HCC Project Manager) forwarded an email nominating Hal Collums for CityBusiness Best Place to Work in New Orleans.

“To be acknowledged by CityBusiness, and be able to show the City of New Orleans what we are made of, is a proud moment for me.”

Due to the excitement of the World War II Museum, Wilson Elementary and the Port Sulphur Government projects our business life was hectic and the email was forgotten.

In October, I received a voicemail, saying “we had been nominated for…”.  To my surprise, this cheery voice (Autumn Giusti) over the phone explained that we had won!!  To be acknowledged by CityBusiness, and be able to show the City of New Orleans what we are made of, is a proud moment for me.

New Orleans CityBusiness picks Hal Collums Construction as Best Place to Work in 2009

HCC Acquires Third Street Warehouse

Hal Collums Construction, LLC and Central City Millworks, LLC are pleased to announce the acquisition of the property located at 2611 Third Street.  This warehouse is adjacent to our home 2610 Second Street.

This extra space is crucial to our growth and will help us add an entirely new finishing facility.  Outside consultants from Sherwin Williams and others have come to help on the planning and logistics.  By early 2010, we will have a state of the art finishing assembly line.  We hope, Peter Dave, the head of the HCC Finishing / Paint Department, will be thrilled with his new work space!