3E

 

Paulson Electric recently completed construction of an exciting new addition to Waterloo: The Isle Casino and Hotel.  Construction of this $175 million project began in the spring of 2006 and was finished in time for the grand opening on June 30, 2007.  The hotel and casino employs approximately 750 team members, over 500 of which are residents of Black Hawk County.

The casino boasts 1,110 slots, over 80 video poker machines and 31 table games. Within the hotel and casino facility there are four restaurants and a Starbucks® Coffee and a bar in the center of the casino. The hotel/convention portion of the property houses 195 hotel rooms including 27 suites, convention space and numerous pre-function spaces.

The project schedule was so aggressive that by the time Paulson was brought on board, construction was already behind schedule.  Knowing that they had their work cut out for them, Paulson needed a distributor capable of supplying material with efficiency and expertise.  They called on the 3E team and their line-up of quality manufacturers. 

 “We found Todd Fisher (3E Inside Sales/Gear Quotations) and Mark Ranard (3E Account Representative) along with Larry Ness (Square D Field Engineer) to be of great assistance with this process,” said Jeff Penning, General Manager of Paulson Electric.

3E partnered with distribution equipment manufacturer, Square D, to provide such items as: (3) 2500 Amp 480V NEMA 3R metal enclosed switchgear lineups, an eight section 15kV switch lineup, QED switchboards, countless panel boards, transformers, NEMA and IEC motor control, and numerous disconnects. Square D Field Engineer, Larry Ness, played a crucial role when it came to the timely arrival of the power distribution equipment.  With his help, even the 15kV switch gear, with its typically long lead time didn’t delay the project.  

The Paulson team’s challenge was to assist in the project design, supply and manage material, tools, and labor, while staying within the project schedule and budget.  As the project unfolded, the designers upgraded the plans, so in mid-December, Paulson went through a complete redesign of the interior finishes of the casino, as well as part of the pavilion. This created new obstacles, including the changes in lighting fixtures needed. Time was an issue, so Paulson enlisted the help of 3E Waterloo Branch Manager Jim Budensiek.  Together they worked diligently to meet the designers’ needs while keeping within the project’s tight schedule. The fixtures selected included manufacturers such as Lithonia, Lightolier, Kim, Bega, and Winona.

“This project was one of the most challenging that I have ever worked on but has also been one of the most satisfying, looking back on the finished product,” said Penning.

The Paulson project team consisted of:  Jeff Penning (Project Manager), Lennie Thielen (Project Superintendent), Steve McBride (Assistant Project Superintendent Hotel and Pool), Kory Peterson (Assistant Project Superintendent Pavilion and Casino), and Kurt Frank (Waterloo Operations Manager). 

Congratulations to Paulson Electric and all those who helped build Waterloo’s latest attraction “The Isle Casino and Hotel”. Thank you to the Paulson team for choosing 3E as your supplier of choice. 

 

Last Updated ( Wednesday, 20 August 2008 )