Career Course Change

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Author Message George A. Everding, AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA Senior Member Username: geverding Post Number: 558 Registered: 11-2004 Posted on Thursday, September 23, 2010 - 05:30 pm:    Friends- As some of you know, I got into full-time specification writing late in my career as an architect, which seems to be a fairly common path for many specifiers. Now, I am leaving Cannon Design tomorrow to pursue an even later in career course change – writing architectural door hardware specifications for Ingersoll Rand. It’s hard to believe that I have been doing this task long enough, more than a decade now, to be thought of by some in my hometown as somewhat of an “expert in specifications”. That always makes me laugh, especially when I read this discussion board, or attend a regional or national CSI event. The real experts are you who have been doing this for multiple decades, not just one. So I wanted to express my thanks to everyone who has helped me here and through CSI go from “real dumb to real smart real fast” about this complex and fascinating subject, specifications. I’ve never sought advice here or behind the scenes from any of those who regularly post here without receiving a thoughtful and often thought provoking response. Your collective generosity and kindness is as impressive as your knowledge and expertise. It’s amazing: no matter how obscure, perverse, or geeky ones interest, there is a place to explore and learn about it on the internet. And I guess door hardware is even more obscure, perverse and geeky than what I have been doing here for the last few years, so I probably need to find 4doors.com (no doubt an esoteric automobile site) or some other such thing for more learning opportunities. But fear not, I plan on lurking around here occasionally reading the discussion, and I hope to see many of you at CSI events down the road. George George A. Everding AIA CSI CCS CCCA St. Louis, MO Lynn Javoroski CSI CCS LEED® AP SCIP Affiliate Senior Member Username: lynn_javoroski Post Number: 1108 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Thursday, September 23, 2010 - 05:38 pm:    Wow - that is another turn. Knowing as little as I do about door hardware, I'm somewhat in awe. I hope that you'll allow me to ask questions! Seriously though, you'll be able to teach them something about writing a good specification, not just good hardware sets. It's very frustrating to get a document back from a hardware consultant that is poorly written, from both a spec practices standpoint and a word processing standpoint. None of them seem to understand how word processing works or what good spec language is. Give 'em heck, George! See you in Branson. (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Thursday, September 23, 2010 - 10:46 pm:    Perhaps you'll produce the first ever set of IR hardware specs that aren't laced with "lock-outs" of hidden proprietary requirements to shut out Assa Abloy distributors. We all know about the cast iron cylinders in LCN closers. And that Sargent exit devices aren't competitively priced. And perhaps you'll convince them that the "Preamble" is just as important as the hardware sets! Best of success, George. (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Friday, September 24, 2010 - 08:13 am:    I guess "congratulations" is the right word, hard as it is to say here. George I am deeply grateful for your kindness and friendship, and the great help you have been to me. Always a pragmatic and well founded, logical answer based on wealth of history and successful projects. We have good Rand people in our area, but I'll check with you, if you don't mind. The very best to you-- I'm sure this is a good move for you-- and as Lynn notes, much to do via teaching. Paul Gerber Senior Member Username: paulgerber Post Number: 26 Registered: 04-2010 Posted on Friday, September 24, 2010 - 09:26 am:    Congratulations and much success in this new career branch! For some reason the term expert has never been one that I wanted associated with myself. I always chuckle when I hear someone referred to as an expert. It goes back to an instructor I had in college who told us "I never want to be called an expert at anything because "X" is an unknown quantity and a "spurt" is a drip under pressure!" Ride it like you stole it!!! Specification Writer Senior Member Username: specification_writer Post Number: 17 Registered: 01-2009 Posted on Friday, September 24, 2010 - 09:52 am:    Congratulations on your new career! Does this mean that there is an opening at Cannon Design for a specification writer? Specification Writer Architect Washington, D.C. (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Friday, September 24, 2010 - 10:41 am:    Good luck George. If you write a spec for IR that includes Assa products, you will be back working for Cannon Design faster then you can say "IR employees cant write open specs?" John McGrann Senior Member Username: jmcgrann Post Number: 78 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Friday, September 24, 2010 - 12:12 pm:    Best wishes George. Once upon a time for Virginia publicly funded projects I developed a matrix of hardware to comply with the state’s “3-manufacturers and 3 products edict.” The schedule would refer back to the matrix for specific product selection. It was a truly awful way to specify hardware but it made the state reviewers at the time happy. Looking forward to you blessing us with many closed proprietary IR specs in the future! John T. McGrann, Jr., AIA, CSI, CCS, LEED AP Lynn Javoroski CSI CCS LEED® AP SCIP Affiliate Senior Member Username: lynn_javoroski Post Number: 1109 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Friday, September 24, 2010 - 02:15 pm:    George, Please make sure we can contact you...update your information on CSInet...email me at work when you get settled! (or before) Lynn Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI, CDT Senior Member Username: rliebing Post Number: 1217 Registered: 02-2003 Posted on Friday, September 24, 2010 - 03:26 pm:    George, that "unregistered guest" above about congratulations being correct, is mine-- goofed not having my name on it. Please do let me know where I can get in touch. George A. Everding, AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA Senior Member Username: geverding Post Number: 560 Registered: 11-2004 Posted on Friday, October 08, 2010 - 10:56 am:    Friends: Thanks for the kind comments. I finally got my email straightened out: you can keep in touch at geverdin@irco.com (note they drop the final "g" because of an eight character limit) George George A. Everding AIA CSI CCS CCCA Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies St. Louis, MO Lynn Javoroski CSI CCS LEED® AP SCIP Affiliate Senior Member Username: lynn_javoroski Post Number: 1118 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Friday, October 08, 2010 - 11:28 am:    Thanks, George! Richard L Matteo, AIA, CSI, CCS Senior Member Username: rlmat Post Number: 415 Registered: 10-2003 Posted on Sunday, February 13, 2011 - 03:12 pm:    George, That's really interesting. I worked on door & hardware specs (in-house) early in my career and did it for about 25 years, then in the mid 90's I started doing full-blown specs, in-house,including doors & hardware up until 2000. Now after 11 years of writing in-house specifications, the last 8-1/2 in CA, my current employer has decided that I'm a luxury they cannot afford, due to what appears to be a temporary lack of work. They want to hire me back as an outside consultant when they do get work, but in the meantime I'm seeking other opportunities and they may be in for a surprise when they come looking for me in 2 to 3 months Colin, I'm not sure if this is the appropriate place to put this, but if anyone knows of any opportunites in the Southern CA area I would apprciate it. As my employer e-mail will probably go away at the end of this month, my personal e-mail will be rm4matt@ca.rr.com at least thru March