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Ford Motor Company found it challenging to maintain
comfortable temperatures for employees year-round in
its forty-year-old headquarters in Detroit - a twelve-story
building faced almost entirely with glass. Glare from
the sun also made it difficult for employees in the
building to see computer screens.
After forty years of trying various fixes to control
temperatures in the building, Ford's problem was solved
when Specialty Protective Coatings, a 3M-authorized
Dealer Applicator in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, applied
P18ARL Scotchtint™ window film to every one of
the building's 3,083 windows.
According to company owner Mike Roeder, Specialty Protective
Coatings covered more than 83,000 square feet of glass.
And, due to the expertise and efficiency of Specialty
Protective Coatings' experienced crew, the project was
completed six weeks ahead of schedule.
While the most important outcome has been improved comfort
for its employees, Ford says the company is now enjoying
the benefits of an energy consumption reduction that
could save them an estimated $57,000 a year.
Prior to the installation, Ford could cool the building
to no lower than 80° on hot summer days. Now, even
on 90° days, the building's temperature stays at
a comfortable 72°.
The company also enjoys the benefits of the building's
improved appearance and the reduction of glare on computer
screens. In the building's Trading Room, for instance,
Ford employees had not been able to open their drapes
for more than seven years because the sunlight made
it difficult to see their computer screens. Now, those
same employees enjoy being able to look outside during
working hours.
Ford had three proposals, but only one from a 3M-authorized
Dealer Applicator. "They had seen our work before;
and they liked the idea of using a 3M product because
3M has a great reputation," says Roeder. "That
had a lot to do with selling the project because Ford
knew that 3M would stand behind their service and their
product."
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