After a lot of trial and error, including getting the delivery truck stuck in the mud, the second container is in place! We have been trying for a month to get both containers set so we can begin working on building them out for the repair facility and the air fill station.
The first container was delivered but it started raining so we did not feel comfortable bringing the second one in. We waited 2 weeks and tried to set the second one but the soil was too soft and the truck stuck into the mud before reaching the place to put it. After a few conversations with Jeremy and Zac, both of whom have experience with moving these types of units around, we resorted to 3/4″ plywood as a base (after we knocked down the ruts from last time). It worked!
Dave and Coad have already started framing out the repair center and Dave hopes to have the rough framing completed by Tuesday. Then we have to get the electrical put in, install a/c, the insulation, the drywall, flooring and finally the workbenches and shelving! It will take a little more time but we are making progress! Once the repair center is complete, we will build-out the fill station and move the compressor systems.
The goal is to have all of this completed by February-March in time for the March Open House.
New Facility
A New Facility – Open For Business
It has been a long road from looking for a new home to moving in but we are finally here! We are still rearranging things and moving them around to find the optimal position and placement. We had 23 years to do it in the old facility so it will take some time to find our way here but we are open and ready to show everyone around.
New product is once again arriving and we have a lot more space for it. The phone and computer installation crew is still working so everything is not away yet but as they say, “soon come.” The new facility has an entire room dedicated to environmental protection (i.e. wetsuits, drysuits, booties, etc.) and another for the technical and travel accessories. Ann has a larger space and highly polished floors. The Pure Fiji is on display and more is one the way. We have more dive computers and you should see the systems on display in the Orientation/Small Classroom space.
We are still waiting for the containers to arrive so our customer intake area is a little full and the compressor is still off-site but that will change soon.
Everyone is welcome to come in for a tour and a cup of coffee or an adult beverage. We would love to see you!
A New Facility – Still Unpacking
We have made a lot of progress in a week. The wetsuits are up on the racks and in order but the boots are temporarily stored under the suits awaiting their new home to arrive. Colin is putting the finishing touches on the new bench that will be in the wetsuit room next week. When it arrives, Colin has designed bins for the boots under the seating so things will look even cleaner in that room.
We have also been working on Dive Mom’s area. This is where you’ll find the dive computers, photo equipment and the Ocean Positive swimwear. As of yesterday, the Pure Fiji has been unpacked and arranged and the computers are now nicely displayed in the cabinet. WThe phones have been coming up and we should have all of that system set and in place by the end of the weekend.
Our computer consultants have been working to finish the cabling and installation and hope to have the majority of it completed by Sunday of next week. You can expect some new things in this area when everything comes up.
The kitchen/repair/storage/Coad’s desk is packed to the brim with repair parts and tools along with the rental and pool equipment and a few cylinders. But, Coad was amazing on Thursday and Friday and it really cam together. He even has a place to work now — not that we have time for him to sit.
Amelia transformed the Orientation room into a showroom this week so we can once again talk about diving and scuba systems with the appropriate displays and videos. You can even come and find a book or two since we have those set-out and displayed.
The travel and tech showroom is unpacked but not yet very organized. This is the next big area to attack. It should be more organized next week.
The classroom is relatively clean and we are now trying to make the final decisions for monitor placement and white board placement. We have a new table on hand and a new sofa that is REALLLY comfortable! It should be ready for classes by Tuesday or Wednesday (which is a good thing since we have some this week.
Eric’s office remains a disaster! We are missing parts for the bookcase, and Ann keeps sending boxes up. It will be a few weeks before it is ready for company.
Of course, what all of this means is — we are here and ready to help everyone with their diving adventures and education. Please come by and visit us!
A New Facility – Moving In
Over the past week we have had some special friends arrive to give us a hand. Dave and Zaide are amazing at just getting started. Coad jumped right in as did John, Madison and Loretta. Joe arrived to work on the ice machine to see if he could get it running. Zac, who helped remove the gridwall from the other store arrived and helped install more here. Rick and Josh have been on-site a lot helping run cables and wire the first floor and tie in everything into the phone systems and internet service.
Bess came by and helped Eric put his desk together (even running to Bearing for screws since the old ones disappeared into a box somewhere.
Amelia came back from Bali and has been trying to do some merchandising in the midst of mayhem. We still have a way to go before we are fully back in operation but we are open and serving clients. Come by and see us, but be aware, Ann may try to recruit you!
A New Facility – The Move
Desks had to be disassembled, wires put in boxes and lights removed. Dave arrived and worked hard at keeping everyone on task while Eric, Ann, Coad and Dave finished packing things up.
It was a little sad seeing everything move out of our home for the past 23 years. We have trained a lot of divers here and met some wonderful people over all of those years. But it is also exciting to move to a new place and to take our family of divers with us. The new facility will be very special — once we get things unpacked…
A New Facility – Packing 23 Years of Stuff
So, thanks to Coad, Zaide, Nicole, Alex, John, Zac, Bill, Ann and Eric, the store is 70% packed up now. We are hoping to get the rest of it done early today so we can start disconnecting and moving computers later this evening. The movers show up at 8:00 AM tomorrow.
All of this is happening while we continue to book diving, teach classes, and take people on an adventure (Ann leaves for the Philippines in 2 weeks).
So, what does this mean? You can find us at the Bissonnet location today and then the new store on Newcastle on
Friday. Keep watching our progress .. tomorrow the movers!