Leo Batenhorst, one of our founders and owners, talks about the Fast>Track program. Manufacturers in our market are focusing on providing fast wood ceilings for their customers. After five years and over 1000+ projects delivered – here is what you need to know about Fast>Track.
What is most important to a wood ceiling project?
Sitting in the project management chair, the first thing I think of is, it’s a matter of time. Time is ultimately one of the big questions that gets asked continually through the process. The big challenge is you can run out of time, and in our industry, it usually takes about 8-10 weeks for production. That’s one of the standards that I’ve been aware of for most of my career in project management.
How long does it really take?
What people forget is that there is also an 8-10 week lead-time for approvals, sometimes maybe more, because there’s quite a bit of uncertainty. There are resubmittals, there’s a lot to get through, so when you add that all up, it’s a 16- to 20-week lead-time.
So, within the context of that challenge, we’ve introduced the Fast>Track program. Our total lead-times are 3 to 6 weeks, including approvals, and that’s one of the biggest advantages there. It’s really a double challenge, both approvals and production. We’ve narrowed that down to a total of six weeks with the industry’s only guaranteed ship date.
What is the guarantee?
Our Fast>Track guarantee is intended to be very cut and dried; we give you a 5% refund for every business day late and no fine print. In the rare event we are late we do not wait for you to contact us; instead, we reach out to contact you quickly and let you know you will receive a refund which will show as a deduction on your invoice.
Fast>Track options
We’ve completed about 1000 Fast>Track projects since we started the program in 2016. Of those, we’ve shipped on-time 98.6% to the day we promised our customer, which, to my knowledge, is unmatched in the industry and nobody comes close. We offer many of our most popular products; we offer grilles, our panelized linears, we also offer continuous linears, and tongue and groove linears with matching trims.
1100 Cross Piece Grille
An elegant and practical system that is seismically compliant and simple to install and remove.
Species/Finishes
Clear Finish
Cherry Stain
Driftwood Stain
Ebony Stain
Fir Stain
Mahogany Stain
Maple Stain
Oak Stain
Teak Stain
Walnut Stain
Pickle Stain
White Opaque Stain
Black Opaque Stain
Custom Stain| SKU | Net Member Size | O.C. Spacing |
|---|---|---|
| 1112-6 | 5⁄8" x 1-3⁄8" | 2" |
| 1112-8 | 5⁄8" x 1-3⁄8" | 1-1⁄2" |
| 1113-6 | 5⁄8" x 2-1⁄4" | 2" |
| 1114-4 | 5⁄8" x 3-1⁄4" | 3" |
| 1123-4 | 1-3⁄8" x 2-1⁄4" | 3" |
| 1124-3 | 1-3⁄8" x 3-1⁄4" | 4" |
| Species | Nominal Lengths |
|---|---|
| Western Hemlock (Solid, Clear, Mixed Grain) |
4′ to 12′ |
2100 Panelized Linear
Stunning results, seismic compliance and straightforward installation.
Species/Finishes
Clear FinishCherry StainDriftwood StainEbony StainFir StainMahogany StainMaple StainOak StainTeak StainWalnut StainPickle StainWhite Opaque StainBlack Opaque StainCustom Stain| SKU | Net Member Size | O.C. Spacing |
|---|---|---|
| 2114-3 | 5⁄8" x 3-1⁄4" | 4" |
| Species | Nominal Lengths |
|---|---|
| Western Hemlock (Solid, Clear, Mixed Grain) |
4′ to 12′ |
2300 Continuous Linear
Budget-friendly system with clean, uninterrupted lines and reveals for acoustics. Fast progressive installation delivered thanks to our Speed-Lock clips.
Species/Finishes
Cherry
White Oak
Walnut
White Maple
Cherry Stain
Driftwood Stain
Ebony Stain
Fir Stain
Hemlock Stain
Mahogany Stain
Maple Stain
Oak Stain
Teak Stain
Walnut Stain
Black Opaque Finish
Pickle Finish
White Opaque Finish
Custom Stain| SKU | Net Member Size | O.C. Spacing |
|---|---|---|
| 2314-3 | 3⁄4" x 3-1⁄4" | 4" |
| 2316-2 | 3⁄4" x 5-1⁄4" | 6" |
| Species | Nominal Lengths |
|---|---|
| Cherry, White Maple, White Oak, or Walnut Veneer | 8′ |
2400 T & G Linear
The random lengths and joints of this tongue & groove celebrates the traditional feel of solid wood.
Species/Finishes
Clear FinishCherry StainDriftwood StainEbony StainFir StainMahogany StainMaple StainOak StainTeak StainWalnut StainPickle StainWhite Opaque StainBlack Opaque StainCustom Stain| SKU | Net Member Size | O.C. Spacing |
|---|---|---|
| 2414-4 | 5⁄8" x 3-1⁄4" (3" Face) | 3" |
| Species | Nominal Lengths |
|---|---|
| Western Hemlock (Solid, Clear, Mixed Grain) |
4′ to 8' |
0100 Trim
Vertical return trim gives your project a finished look. Available in solid Western Hemlock in a variety of tones.
Species/Finishes
Clear FinishCherry StainDriftwood StainEbony StainFir StainMahogany StainMaple StainOak StainTeak StainWalnut StainPickle StainWhite Opaque StainBlack Opaque StainCustom Stain| SKU | Net Member Size |
|---|---|
| 0100-14 | 5⁄8" x 3-1⁄4" |
| 0100-16 | 3⁄4" x 5-1⁄4" |
| Species | Nominal Lengths |
|---|---|
| Western Hemlock (Solid, Clear, Mixed Grain) |
8' |
Is this available for big projects too?
The average Fast>Track project is about 700 square feet. In terms of scope, there is no Fast>Track project too small or too large that we will not consider making. If you have a project that does fall slightly outside the Fast>Track menu, we really encourage you to please contact us. We will do our best to provide you with a potential expedite option.
The species that are available in the Fast>Track program include solid western Hemlock, as well as four different types of veneers, which include walnut, cherry, white oak and maple.
We have three main finish options: clear, stains and opaques. Within opaques, we offer black and white; with our stains, we have standard color options, and we love to do custom colors. Please remember: In order to meet your three- to six-week lead-time, we need prior approval on your custom color.
How much does Fast>Track cost?
The typical price range for a Fast>Track project is between the mid-teens to the mid-twenties per square foot. Those prices do include a premium which accounts for the reserve capacity of materials, as well as the quick lead-time and the industry’s only guaranteed ship date. Customers ask if credit card payments are an option, and we say yes. We want to make it as convenient and quick as possible.
What I find exciting about Fast>Track: We call it a product but it’s actually a service as well. From an owner’s perspective, I would even say one of our founding values is servant leadership. To provide a service like that that’s very well received is also fulfilling some of those founding principles that we started.
Conclusion
We covered a lot of information about fast wood ceilings. You shouldn’t have to go about this all by yourself. Reach out to us; tell us about your project. Imagine going into your space with a beautiful custom wood ceiling per your design: the Fast>Track option can deliver that. So, spend a little bit of time on our website – we have a lot of great stuff there – and reach out to us. We look forward to working with you, and we’ll see you next time.