Decorative, Precast Site Lighting Bases Save Contractor Thousands

After decades of service, the Big Boy restaurant in Petoskey, Michigan, was in dire need of a renovation. Sales were dropping, and in 2012, the owner decided to tear the building down and start over from scratch.

THE CHALLENGE

After decades of service, the Big Boy restaurant in Petoskey, Michigan was in dire need of renovation. Sales were dropping and in 2012, the owner decided to tear the building down and start over.

Plans for the new location included a complete aesthetic overhaul, with a cultured stone exterior, in an effort to improve the restaurant's overall image. But the parking lot, with its eight planned light pole bases, would be dull in comparison. That's where Pole Base came in.

THE SOLUTION

With its deep texture and natural stone color, the Ledgestone Pole Base was a perfect fit to match the existing color of the Big Boy's cultured stone exterior.

Brian Ludlow, the project's landowner, approved Pole Base due to its uniqueness, high-end look, and opportunity to save time and money on installation.

Alternative methods use cardboard tubing and wet concrete assembled on-site, making installation dependent on weather as water can deteriorate the tubing and concrete mix. Additionally, alternative methods require more space and time-on-site for assembly.

With Pole Base, the foundation is made in a controlled environment with a uniquely decorated face and arrives with the specified J-bolt and conduit patterns in place.

This means installers can save a considerable amount of time installing the decorative, precast site lighting bases because it only requires three steps: digging a hole, dropping the base into place, and backfilling.

Wayne McPhall of Wayne's Electric was the project installer. When the time came to install the eight bases, all of the project contractors were behind schedule due to setbacks. Installing the bases quickly became a necessity because "Whoever held up the project got a $10,000 a day fine, and I didn't want to get the fine," explained Wayne.

"The average installation time per base was 15 to 30 minutes. I saved at least 20 man-hours, so that saved me a couple of thousand dollars. Especially on a rushed project, it made a big difference."

"I would recommend these to any electrical contractor out there, especially if the client he's working for wants a new modern look, something that looks better than the neighbors' property. It's a very easy, simple, affordable solution compared to the Sonotube."

How can Pole Base help you on your next project? Find your local producer by entering your zip code below.

UPDATE

Eight years after this project was initially installed, we went back on-site to see how everything was looking. Check out the video to see for yourself how Pole Base precast units stand the test of time.

PROJECT DETAILS

Project: Petoskey Big Boy Renovation Engineer: Williams and Works Year Built: 2012 Manufacturer: MDC Contracting Installer: Wayne's Electric Location: Petoskey, MI Case: 001 - Big Boy