Received an ABC Merit Award for this project!
Late at night on June 18, 2010, a fire spread rapidly through Keller Bros Ford in Lititz, PA. The fire was caused by an electric fan right outside the showroom of the dealership. Roughly a quarter of the building was severely damaged by the fire and the entire structure was inundated with smoke damage.
Rewards and Recognition:
Compleat Restorations received an Award of Merit from ABC Keystone for their work on Keller Bros Ford. This program recognizes and publicizes outstanding projects built by members of ABC Keystone. It also promotes greater awareness of the quality workmanship produced by free enterprise contractors in central Pennsylvania, as well as the construction industry at large.
Issues and Equipment:
Compleat Restorations mobilized three onsite office trailers. These were fully furnished which allowed their staff areas to continue working. On site generators were brought in for power needs. Storage containers were also needed for salvageable content.
One of the critical steps up front was identifying what content would be salvageable. Keller Bros Ford has been in business since 1922 and in that time acquired many documents that were critical to their work. Thousands of repair manuals from all makes, models, and years of production were a figurative “holy grail” for their service department. The painstaking process of cleaning each manual, page by page, and effectively restoring them to pre-loss condition was extremely important.
It was quickly determined that the entire structure needed to be gutted due to the extensive soot damage. This was necessary to prevent any smoke odor by sealing off the innermost components of the structure. Keller Bros decided to utilize a more open floor plan, changed the layout of their office areas, and custom cabinets were used throughout. The waiting room was moved and changed to resemble a livingroom-like space complete with a kitchen, wet sink, refrigerator, and custom countertops. Comfortable contemporary seating, state-of-the-art televisions and toys and books for children were added to give a warm feeling and a personal touch for any visiting customer.