Lewis Millanis, facilities director for the Elizabeth School District, wanted a fresh look for the school’s corridor floors that could withstand heavy foot traffic from students and faculty. In addition to durability, other important requirements for the school included slip-resistance and low maintenance. The Gillespie Group, a member of the New Jersey State Approved Co-Op of The Educational Services Commission of New Jersey (ESCNJ), was awarded the project and provided a flooring recommendation based on extensive experience in the education sector.
John Gillespie, vice president of operations for The Gillespie Group, said, “Whenever working on a school flooring project, we always look beyond the immediate functional requirements and consider factors such as long-term durability, heavy foot traffic, aesthetics and safety, which all have an influence on the recommendations we make.”
The Gillespie Group recommended the AcryliCon Flake system, a 2-3mm thick flooring containing decorative flakes within the coating. It has a similar look to Terrazzo flooring, but at a lower cost and with less maintenance required. AcryliCon is mainly designed for heavy foot traffic and moderate industrial environments, and can last up to 30 years. It also is the only industrial flooring authorized to incorporate Microban antimicrobial chemistry into the resin formula. AcryliCon features a cure time of less than two hours, minimizing downtime.
The Elizabeth School was one of three New Jersey school projects recently completed by The Gillespie Group using AcryliCon flooring. Flooring projects for Bedwell Elementary School and John F. Kennedy Elementary School were completed last summer.
Gillespie worked with Millanis to develop a comprehensive logistics plan to address three key issues during implementation: First, students in the building who were attending summer classes, which required working the project in sections and shifting the students to alternate areas of the school as each section was completed. Second, the project required removal of the existing epoxy flooring system, and prefilling of cracks prior to the AcryliCon application. Finally, the installation timeline had to revolve around the school’s schedule with completion before fall classes began.
“The AcryliCon flooring gave us a modern, updated look,” said Millanis. “Students, faculty, and even parents have commented favorably on it. The high levels of professionalism, organization and capabilities of The Gillespie Group from inception to project completion were evident. They did an outstanding job.”
The Gillespie Group is one of only a few certified installers of AcryliCon in North America, and has successfully completed more than 60 AcryliCon projects in the past five years. The company works on projects throughout the eastern half of the United States.
For more information, visit www.thegillespiegroup.com.
