Last Friday, PLA team members Matt Uminski and Josh McDonald were generously invited by Worthington-Armstrong Joint Venture (WAVE) (also knows as ‘Armstrong World Industries’) to visit their manufacturing facility in Baltimore, Maryland (www.armstrong.com).
Josh and Matt flew down to Baltimore for a great tour of the plant and learn more about the Armstrong line of products. In addition, they were invited to see at Red Sox / Orioles game at Camden Yards. After a great game and overnight stay at one of Baltimore’s downtown hotels, they flew back to Boston, all courtesy of WAVE. Here is a big THANK YOU to our friends at WAVE, especially Bret Posnick and David Durfee!
The Armstrong Plant, just one of many factories around the country, focuses on the manufacturing of residential and commercial flooring products. Everything from floor/ceiling products to finishes are produced in similar plants around the country. A number of tile products are also developed for commercial uses, as well as a wide array of metal finishes and other plastics are produced. The plant produces as many as 2,000,000 square feet of product a day just at their Baltimore plant. That’s enough acoustic tiles to stretch about 400 miles, or from New York City to Boston and back to Time Square every day!
While the Armstrong Plant produces quite a bit of product and ships it all around the world, the intricate process can only be fully appreciated by seeing it firsthand. Josh McDonald and Matt Uminski were fortunate enough to have been shown around the plant, seeing a vast array of products, and finishes applicable for all kinds of design options.
As architects, there’s no better feeling than having a wide set of design options available in our design tool kit. At the same time, having too many options can sometimes be overwhelming. But for manufacturers like Armstrong, they provide available and recommended solutions for all potential ceiling conditions. By bringing in architects that use their products, Armstrong World Industries can process and integrate designers while continually improving their products. According to PLA’s Josh McDonald, Armstrong, “Armstrong wants to know what their clients are using and what their market wants, so they can adapt.”
Providing an inside look into the factories is so helpful in building client relationships, while offering designers a privileged learning experience. Josh and Matt enjoyed luxury viewing seats at Camden Yards, and witnessed the Red Sox win a rare game by a score of 5-3 in an exciting 10-inning Friday night game.
A fitting way for PLA’s Matt Uminski and Josh McDonald to see one of the last few games of the Red Sox season.
