Laboratory Move Client – GZA
Laboratory Move Location – Portland, Maine
Laboratory Move Destination – South Portland, Maine
Laboratory Move Timetable – December 2019
At the end of 2019, GZA (www.gza.com), a national company specializing in ecological, water, and construction management services, moved its facility in Maine from the Time & Temperature Building in downtown Portland to nearby South Portland, Maine (GZA’s corporate offices are in Norwood, Massachusetts).
The move to a newer, more modern facility, would require overcoming a number of challenges beyond that of a “typical” lab move. First, the current GZA building was located in downtown Portland. So, the move needed to take place in the evening after the rush hour drive times. There was also some urgency in vacating the space as the Time & Temperature Building was slated for renovation in early 2020.
Formerly known as the Chapman Building, the Time & Temperature Building was erected in 1924 as a 12-story building with no loading dock. So, loading the truck with office furniture and lab equipment would need to be done at the street level.
The Time & Temperature Building also had a very small elevator, which would make transporting many of the pieces extremely difficult. Staircases would be required to move larger items, such as a conference table.
During the move, the freight elevator (if you want to call it a freight elevator) broke down and the crew had to be extracted as the door closure on the floor didn’t connect right with the elevator door. A service tech had to come in and repair the elevator during the move out. In the planning phase, we always have the elevator company on speed dial for older building just for cases like this. Luckily, we had a couple of passenger elevators that could be used as a substitute.
Finally, a large number of workstations and pieces of furniture stations would not be making the move to the new location. BTI would be responsible for decommissioning and disposing of those items.
Amidst a light snow fall, the load took place over a three-day period, December 18-19 and 20. The decommissioning of the furniture took three entire trucks. New furniture, workstations and shelving awaited BTI at the new lab at 707 Sable Oaks Drive in South Portland, Maine. BTI assembled the new shelving so it would be ready for the soil samples to be placed and in order.
BTI was able to access used shelving for the team in Portland, saving hundreds of dollars on the acquisition. The office furniture was moved in and set up in each office, including the desk returns. Some wall-mounted systems furniture was disassembled and decommissioned at the request of the office manager.
While the light falling snow presented some challenges, the load and move went off without a hitch and was completed on December 20. By late December, GZA lab professionals were able to go to work.
“I have been working with George from BTI for over 25 years for our office moves. George and his boys do a wonderful job and they are the best in the moving industry. I have moved offices in other states, and I can tell you it’s like night and day. No other mover even comes close to what the team from BTI does for GZA. I would highly recommend BTI to anyone moving their office and or lab.”
— Kenneth R. Johnston, Chief Administrative Officer, District Office Manager, Senior Principal, GZA