Changing with the times.

CK Howard Sales Agency prides itself on keeping in tune with industry changes, advancements and trends.

From its beginnings in the steam-driven processes and product lines of the l950s, with technology, CK Howard has evolved to become a major Northern Ontario source for boilers, pumps, fire pumps, heat exchange systems and variable frequency drives. They represent many major manufacturers, including S.A. Armstrong, for pumps, heat exchange systems and fire pumps, and RBI for boilers.

"Clients want more information these days," says Gilles Leduc, owner and operator of CK Howard. Simply knowing that a product "will work" is no longer good enough. Customers want to know how the product is going to improve their efficiency and save them money. With the increasing cost of utilities "the more efficiently that a piece of equipment or heating system works.. the more money the customer saves in the long run," Leduc points out.

Customers are also concerned with service after the sale has been made and technical support, he adds. George Muhr at Electro Windings is a designated master warranty depot for most of the product lines that CK Howard represents.

Retrofitting old boilers is just one of many areas of expertise CK Howard can offer. By working closely with contractors and engineers CK Howard is able to recommend the most efficient product line for each project on an individual basis.

Technological advancements are not the only driving force for change, he notes.

"Pumps have not changed much over the years, but the variable frequency drives have made them more efficient." Leduc says.

The rules and regulations, however, for the fire pumps have changed. Fire pumps, for example, are regulated by NFPA20. Fire pumps must meet or exceed the requirements of National Fire Protection Agency, he adds.

The biggest industry trend in construction - implementation of building control automation systems is just beginning to develop and grow in popularity. Electronic Controls Monitoring System (ECMS), a subsidiary company of CK Howard, has evolved as a result of this trend.

Automation is the biggest advancement for monitoring and system efficiency control, he adds. Through the use of software applications, accessing, programming and monitoring controls can be carried out through one system, eliminating inefficiencies, he points out.

The technology of automation creates 'smart buildings,' buildings which use information technology in development. An increasing number of people want their buildings to be 'smart' and therefore opt to tie in sensors and controls to central computer systems, he adds.

By monitoring and controlling systems through computers, temperatures can be monitored and controlled by using variable frequency drives, again reducing inefficiencies, he points out.

When a building's systems have been automated, it also becomes much easier to troubleshoot potential problems since productivity information is directly linked to the computer monitoring system.

ECMS and CK Howard Sales Agency complement each other by implementing state-of-the-art monitoring and control processes and then recommending the best product lines, creating productive, efficient and cost effective heat exchange systems for any project.

High-profile projects

Sudbury Catholic District School Board - CK Howard was retained to retrofit the schools within the Sudbury Catholic District School Board with new boilers in order to improve cost efficiency.

Sudbury YMCA - CK Howard was retained to provide heat exchangers and pumps for the pools and heating systems in the newly developed YMCA, Centre for Life. Variable frequency drives were implemented to control the heating and cooling " systems for greater efficiency.

Sudbury Neutrino Observatory - Gilles Leduc, owner of CK Howard and ECMS conducted a thorough on-site evaluation at the neutrino observatory to determine the best-suited fire protection system. Fire pumps and systems were installed as recommended by Leduc.

Sudbury Regional Hospital - CK Howard supplied S.A. Armstrong pumps with IPS integrated pumping system using variable frequency drives to push heating or cooling into the system.

Le Conseil scolaire catholique du Nouvel-Ontario - CK Howard was retained to retrofit the schools, replacing old boilers with new ones, improving cost-efficiency.