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1956
The Beginning of the TURNKEY Solution
In 1956, while considering a heat load problem in a room
full of UNIVAC computers, equipped with exploding vacuum tubes, CEO, Martin
Gerard, realized just how important facilities infrastructure and support
technology was about to become.
After being asked to review plans for several client's computer rooms, (then usually a space or a room in the accounting dept)
he met with mainframe manufacturers, commercial office building owners
and managers, and came to three conclusions:
1. Downtime would be financially
disastrous to the banks, brokerage houses, and other Fortune 1000 companies
that were rushing to deploy computing power..
2. The comfort cooling,
electrical power, fire protection and security supplied by the office
building owners would be insufficient to meet the requirements of these giant
computers and could possibly be harmful.
3. There was a need for a
"SPECIAL ENVIRONMENT", designed, built and maintained, solely to
prevent downtime, as a result of under enabled homes for these machines.
He envisioned an "UNINTERRUPTIBLE ENVIRONMENT", facilities, designed, built
and maintained solely to intercept any interruption to these systems which
could result in downtime to computing operations. They would be specialized rooms and buildings, custom built to
insure the 24 X 7 output of these new machines. 9 to 5 - 5 days a week
was
about to become a thing of the past.
Within a relatively short time, Martin assembled a team of electrical, mechanical design and project engineers
who were already onto the need for expertise, in this developing area of
Data Processing Facilities infrastructure and support.
At a project meeting with architects, on a Monday morning in September of 1956, the president
and newly hired computer manager of a prestigious banking house were
flabbergasted when
they learned, it would take 11 months to design, engineer (drawings and specs) and construct (bid,
review, award and build)
a room for
the computers that were arriving in 4 months.
In a meeting the following
day, Martin used a two -page document to show the president and computer manager how, if DP Facilities was awarded the job by
Thursday, DPF could design, engineer and build the computer room, in
compliance with all the regulatory oversight, before the equipment was
delivered. It was a different time, and a handshake sealed the deal that
day. On Wednesday, DPF engineers were designing, specking and ordering
equipment and materials. Two days before the deadline, the computer room
was ready for the equipment to be delivered, connected and turned on.
In 1970 Laurence Gerard joined DPF
to spearhead the marketing of Fenwal's Fire Detection and Halon 1301
suppression systems for computer and other highly sensitive equipment rooms.
In 1977, Larry, Mark and Martin acquired world wide rights to Firejet, a
consumer sized Halon extinguishers for kitchen and a version used by the
military. They along with the manufacturer were the first to obtain a UL
listing for an aerosol container, solving a problem which along the way, won United States
Patent 4668407, for the innovation. The products were private labeled for
Black and Decker, Sears and sold under the trademarked Firejet brand. After
the Halon's were banned for environmental reasons, Larry returned to the
firm. In his spare time he is the webmaster for the New York Friars club.
In 1975 Mark Gerard joined the firm, working closely with his father and
infused with Martin's visionary revolution; he took his father's foresight
to a new level. In 1983, Mark became President of D.P. Facilities.
For the last 33 years Mark Gerard has had the innovation and flexibility to
provide facilities with the ability to change configurations as new
technology became available. His father's firm commitment to have full
service 24 X 7 is always primary in designing a facility and DPf's
trademark guarantee "on-time on-budget.
The company has designed, built, upgraded over 700 on a "Turnkey" basis, Facilities"
for Banks, Brokerage houses, Telecommunication companies and other Fortune 1,000 companies.
Providing factory trained and authorized support of electrical and mechanical installations
as well as inspection, preventative maintenance, and
emergency service. Liebert Air Conditioning, APC,
Distributor of Kidde Fenwal Fire Detection and Suppression systems are some
of the more familiar names that are part
of a DPF package.
Today DP Facilities is globally recognized as a leading firm in the industry,
and Mark Gerard been featured in industry publications and has been a key speaker internationally at 24-7
seminars. The domestic and international challenges of this continually transforming
industry are vast and DP Facilities market task is to stay ahead of the
curve.
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