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Richard (Rick) Cullwell is currently director of sales and marketing
for Macurco,
Inc. and has been with the company 8 ½ years. The company has grown
considerably during that time.
Marcurco, located in Englewood, Colorado, is a privately held
company, that was established in 1972 as a manufacturer of gas detection
and ventilation control systems.
EXPO1000 - I’m really not sure what gas
detection and ventilation control systems are. Could you give me a little
background?
RICK - Marcurco manufactures gas detection products for several
different markets – the fire and security market, the HVAC market, the
parking garage industry, and others. These products are for all different
types of gases including carbon monoxide (CO), heating gases (natural,
methane, propane, LP) , nitrogen dioxide, refrigerants, hydrogen, and
ammonia.
EXPO1000 - Why would I need such a system?
RICK - Most of the people we talk to in the parking garage industry
are interested in carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide. Both OSHA and
uniform building codes mandate that you keep both of these gases below
certain levels. Both these standards mandate that a long-term exposure
limit for carbon monoxide at 50 parts per million over an eight hour
period, for example. In order to comply, most people run their fans
24 hours a day, which can become very expensive when you are looking
at large fans. Macurco manufactures the control systems that
run the fans only when they are required, thus saving the energy needed
to run the fans continuously.
EXPO1000 - So the fans are controlled by
the level of the detected gases?
RICK - Yes, there is no reason to run a fan at 3 in the morning
when there are no cars driving in the garage and the carbon monoxide
is at a safe level. Macurco’s controllers are designed to activate
the fans when set levels of CO are reached. Another gas to be aware
of in a parking facility is nitrogen dioxide, a component of diesel
fuel. Several states are mandating safe nitrogen dioxide levels. The
OSHA limit for nitrogen dioxide is 5 parts per million over an 8 hour
period.
EXPO1000 - Tell me a little about how the
detectors are installed in the parking facilities.
RICK - The installation is based on the size of the facility.
We recommend a detector for every 5000 square feet, that’s about a 73-foot
center between units. Generally we suggest mounting the detectors at
breathing level or a little higher than breathing level because it is
a life safety device and you worry about the level of carbon monoxide
and nitrogen dioxide people are breathing.
EXPO1000 - Are there other factors to consider
in placement or configuration of the detectors?
RICK - Yes, another factor to take into consideration is airflow.
Restricted airflow areas - corridors, closed areas, and so forth - may
require additional detectors.
EXPO1000 - Does you company come in and
help with the requirements surveys?
RICK - Actually no. We sell almost 100% through distribution.
HVAC contractors and parking consultants are usually the people that
specify our products. Macurco does however have a full technical
support staff to assist and support both engineers and contractors when
specifying our products.
Macurco is a small company and we haven’t forgotten what customer
service is. No matter who calls – whether it’s a facility manager, contractor,
or distributor. We assist with everything from specifications for the
equipment and installation.
EXPO1000 - Generally, what is the cost of
the system and the return or payback on the investment?
RICK - If you take a case study we did a short while back using
a 50,000 square-foot parking garage, the cost of our products in the
garage was somewhere between $4,000 to $5,000. The study reported that
the payback was between four to five months. The energy savings came
from the electricity conserved by controlling the exhaust fans. Substantial
additional savings come in heated facilities.
EXPO1000 - Did the $4,000 to $5,000 include
the installation of the detectors?
RICK - No, that number was just the cost of the products from
us. The cost including installation will run approximately the same.
Therefore the total cost of the equipment and installation ran about
$6,000 to $8,000.
EXPO1000 - You must have quite a variety
of solutions?
RICK - Yes, we have everything from small stand-alone systems
to more integrated and complex control units. Macurco’s controllers
for the parking industry range from a stand-alone CO controller with
one fan control relay for output to a multi-zone control system capable
of detecting several types of gases and controlling multiple fans.
EXPO1000 - Are there other savings, such
as insurance?
RICK - Though we do get inquiries from insurance companies from
time to time I am currently unaware of any insurance company that offers
discounts based upon installing our type of products. The main reason
these devices are used are for human safety and cost savings.
EXPO1000 - Can our visitors get additional
information?
RICK - Macurco’s web site has a good deal of information including
a selection guide to help with the type of product required as well
as complete data sheets and operating instructions for all products.
There is also a white paper that describes the energy savings.
EXPO1000 - Could a garage operator have
its heatinig and air conditioning contractor get in touch with you?
RICK - Yes, we have a full technical staff on hand from 8:00
AM until 4:00 PM Mountain Time as well as an engineer who can help with
specifications.
EXPO1000 - Thank you very much for your
time, I think that our visitors need to know about this type of energy
saving and safety products.
RICK - One of the reasons we are seeing an increase in our
business in the last few years is that people are becoming more interested
in energy savings.
By the way, our systems are not used only in the parking garage industry.
The fire and burglar alarm industries also use our systems in offices,
chemical storage, and warehouses.
EXPO1000 - Thanks again. We hope our visitors can gain some insight and savings by looking into your
products.
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