I would like to give a shout out to a couple of gentlemen that started out as clients and have become good friends. This is pretty easy when both business parties have the same goals. The two gentlemen that I am referring to are Dave Harman and Paul Maulden, both of Harman-Maulden Designs, Inc. producers of Great Room Shelters.
I’ve been working with the two of them for a couple of years now. They sought me out as a tornado shelter designer because they had heard after talking with several people that “I was the one” they needed to discuss their, new at the time, venture into tornado shelters. I typically will not agree to design pre-fabricated shelters because typical pre-fab shelter producers want you to do one design so they can go out and produce 1,000 of these “widgets”. What typical producers don’t understand as a designer of the “widget” makes me responsible for all 1,000 of them, but I only have been paid for one. So I was a little skeptical when Dave and Paul wanted to visit.
I quickly realized that these two men were not out to “revolutionize the tornado shelter industry” as many have claimed all the while profiting on the designer’s liability. These guys are out to do it right from the get go! For them, it’s not about a race to the bottom. It is about most importantly doing it right and protecting their clients from severe wind events. Now, that sounds pretty simple but the fact is, they are competing in an unregulated industry, where the common attitude is “how can I make it cheaper than the next guy even if I have to sacrifice safety or shelter guidelines or code standards so I can sell more shelters!” Their somewhat unique attitude toward shelters is why I agreed to work with them.
Dave and Paul are about quality, not quantity and as a shelter designer, how refreshing that is! They have a unique product, a shelter that is made out of wood…yes…wood! Solid 2x members stacked and squeezed together with steel vertical rods. Their wall system has been tested for 250 mph wind criteria and passed with flying colors. They have a residential model and have been working on a community type shelter for up to 150 occupants.
So if you are in the market for a residential shelter or even a small community shelter, give Great Room shelters a look at www.greatroomshelters.com. If you talk with Dave or Paul, tell them “Corey sent you!” Rest assured, at the very least, you will have a wonderful conversation with them!
Be careful out there!