Upside’s Loading Dock Step Saves Developer $56,000

When choosing the right dock stairs for your project, it’s easy to default to what’s considered the “standard” – galvanized steel stairs. However, as Steve Harder, Project Manager at Flint Development, discovered, sometimes the standard isn’t always the best choice.

Loading Dock Stair Installation at Flint Development

Flint Development, a commercial real estate development firm based in Kansas City, was working on the Tucson Commerce Center project in Tucson, Arizona. The project involved three buildings, each requiring multiple stair installations. The General Contractor presented estimates for the traditional steel stairs and Upside Innovations’ Dock Step. Despite initial preconceptions that aluminum might not be as “stout” as steel, the significant cost savings offered by the Dock Step warranted consideration.

The Cost Benefit of Loading Dock Steps

Ultimately, the Dock Step won out – and for good reason. The project saved about $56,000 over traditional galvanized steel stairs, with a cost reduction of $2,000 on each of the 28 total installations. But the benefits didn’t stop at the financial savings.

Loading Dock Step Installation Time

Installation time was another major advantage of the Dock Step. Where a fabricator would typically take about three days to install the equivalent number of stairs, the Dock Step installation took just one day for an entire building. This was a significant time saving, especially considering that each stair unit from a fabricator would require two guys working for four hours.

The Dock Step units are prefabricated and modular, meaning they bolt together in about an hour. This is in stark contrast to the traditional steel stairs, which ship loose and need to be welded on-site.

Prefabricated Loading Dock Steps for Convenience

But perhaps the most surprising benefit was the sturdiness of the Dock Step. Despite initial biases, Steve found the Dock Step to be much sturdier than expected. He was also impressed by the installation and finish, which he found superior to custom fabrication with exposed welds.

Another key benefit of Upside’s prefabricated stairs is that parts can be replaced if a unit is damaged rather than the entire unit. This not only saves on cost but also on time, as there’s no need to wait for a whole new unit to be fabricated and shipped.

In conclusion, Upside Innovations’ Dock Step proved to be a superior choice for the Tucson Commerce Center project. It offered significant cost and time savings, surprising sturdiness, and a superior finish. It’s clear that when it comes to choosing dock stairs, the Dock Step is a step above the rest.