Samsung Offers Glimpse Of The Future Retail Environment: It s Experience, Not Store. CONTENTS SUMMER 2016 SAMSUNG: THE FUTURE RETAIL ENVIRONMENT... 1 SAFETY WEEK... 2 SCHIMENTI LAUNCHES DSG/FIELD & STREAM PROJECT... 3 TAILOR-MADE REMODEL OF CONVERSE FLAGSHIP... 4 BEHIND THE EMPLOYEE... 5 FRESHDIRECT: FINAL STEEL BEAM... 6 ENR 2016 TOP 400... 7 WHAT S NEW?... 8 Schimenti Construction Company 650 Danbury Road Ridgefield, CT 06877 914.244.9100 622 Third Avenue 10017 212.246.9100 www.schimenti.com The face of retail may have changed forever thanks to Samsung s launch of its first foray into a physical retail experience. The company makes it clear that it is not offering a retail store in Samsung 837, a massive space located in New York City s Meatpacking District. Shopping was so yesterday. Consumers no longer want to wander aimlessly through shopping centers. Their online digital lifestyles shape their preferences something entirely different should they decide to visit a retail location. For example, sporting good companies that have offered a way to try the equipment on-site have led more consumers to expect a similar interactive experience from other retailers. The Un-Store Samsung has decided that consumers want what they are now offering in the form of what they term a cultural destination and digital playground. Alongside the ability for the public to come and experience the space, it will also serve as the home to Samsung s marketing team and be leveraged to express its brand through events and product discovery opportunities that will be held there. In explaining how Samsung was looking to enhance its Customer Experience (CX) capability, Zach Overton, Vice President and General Manager, Samsung 837, noted, Creating a flagship without retail might sound like a crazy idea, but consumers today are seeking interactions (experiences) rather than transactions. We wanted to create a two-way conversation with our customers and visitors a personal dialogue. Overton added, Samsung 837 showcases how modern brands are relating to consumers today in the connected age. At 837, we re connecting with our customers on a whole new level whether it s through checking out the state-of-the-art smart kitchen, taking a selfie on the world s largest mobile screen, discovering a new artist in our Music Studio, getting Samsung technology questions answered by one of our on-site experts, or gaining exclusive access to one of our private events or regular programming. It s essentially the unstore. [continued on page 2]
[The Future Retail Environment continued from page 1] A Constantly Evolving Digital Playground Now open to the general public, Samsung 837 features a living lab and digital playground with numerous installations and touch points across three floors. There is a one-of-a-kind digital screen, auditorium seating for performances and special events, a gallery for curated content experiences and a broadcast studio. A standout feature is the Social Galaxy which is composed of mirrors and screens across the entire installation. Before entering the tunnel, you can enter your Instagram handle so that, as you walk through it, all your Instagram descriptions, photos, and hashtags are projected across the screens that cover the entire tunnel. In this way, your experience there becomes truly personal and shared with all within visual sight of the Social Galaxy. Kenzo Digital, a freelance creative director, created the space and was behind the incredible Social Galaxy installation. When asked what kind of parameters he was given to design the space, Kenzo explained, Samsung wanted to create a space where artists who work with technology can build amazing experiences. Creatively, we were given a lot of freedom. We were told to create something that explored the intersection of technology and humanity and to find an organic way to integrate their technology into the experience. The Self Within the Experience In offering his opinion on how the Social Gallery Experience and VR Tunnel relate to the overall customer experience, Kenzo stated, The Social Galaxy experience is a really great way to inject an element of narrative magical realism into the space. Visitors enter a hyper-immersive infinitely reflected tunnel of their own Instagram account, effectively meeting their digital alter ego in dramatic fashion. Within the huge It s safety first during Safety Week and every week The best accident is the one that never happens. Like breathing, on-the-job safety is essential. But just like breathing although you always need to be doing it you re probably not always thinking about safety. Something so critical is worth re-emphasizing, and that s the purpose of Safety Week, celebrated May 2 6 this year. photo mosaic wall and photo booth, visitors can see themselves as a culmination of their experiences and the collective experiences of everyone that has been in the space in the past day. The response to the unique experiences that are only found at Samsung 837 have been phenomenal, according to Overton. Everyone who walks through our doors is wowed by the space itself and, of course, the incredible installations. We see tourists and NYC locals everyone from innovators and content creators to technology enthusiasts and novices come through the space daily. Through our immersive programming, our guests keep coming back to experience all that Samsung 837 has to offer. Brand Enhancement Via Experiences The plans are for Samsung 837 to continually evolve with an ever-growing number of experiences that will come from the space. This will encourage visitors to return on a regular basis to experience new content and visuals, creating further experiences that will enhance their perspective of the Samsung brand. When asked if other brands may emulate the unique efforts of Samsung, Kenzo said, Brands are starting to realize the value of having a physical experience for their customers that is not retail driven. Being able to tell the story of your brand in a non-traditional way and within a physical space is a potent way to create that kind of connectivity and relationship with customers. Certainly, Samsung s technology, signature services, and, more importantly, its brand have come to life through this experiential flagship space. It s only a matter of time before other retail brands see that this innovative CX strategy should be incorporated into their own retail marketing strategies. (Reprint from Forbes.com) Defined as a show of force, an opportunity for people and companies, even competitors, to work together and rally around a common and vitally important cause, Safety Week is coordinated by the Construction Industry Safety (CISI) group and the Incident and Injury Free (IIF) CEO Forum, which together comprise more than 40 national and global construction firms. Here at Schimenti Construction, we put safety first with week-long activities to raise awareness and educate our workforce about job-site safety. Among the initiatives were: Safety Week banners displayed at all our job sites Safety Week shirts provided to laborers Increased activity on social media to reinforce safety concepts and awareness Finally, safety-themed emails were sent to all Schimenti Construction employees throughout the week. Schimenti Construction launches DSG / Field & Stream project in Huntington, NY Open store remodel showcases Schimenti s innovative Customer Ready protocol. Schimenti Construction has begun work on Dick s Sporting Good s Huntington, NY store, deftly managing an Open Store Remodel / Tenant Fit-Out of the 95,000 square foot space. The DSG / Field & Stream project showcases the company s progressive Customer Ready protocol for open store remodels which involves working in demanding locations and managing projects to avoid disrupting normal business patterns. It s a different mind-set, said Project Manager John Taberna. We have to think differently in a remodel situation versus a new construction project. Working in an existing store sometimes Topics included: Giving a toolbox talk Using personal protective equipment (PPE) Preventing the top three types of accidents Keeping visitors safe Being aware of surroundings As the presenters of Safety Week say, We know that it s the little things, done well, every day and on every job, that make the difference. We at Schimenti Construction encourage each one of our employees and vendors to do the little things, day in and day out, that will keep us all safe and incident-free. requires night work, an increased focus on cleanliness, superior planning and coordination with store operations staff. Schimenti Construction is remodeling the existing DSG while simultaneously performing a tenant fit-out of previous Kohl s Department store. The building will include a detailed entry utilizing reclaimed wood shipped from Austria, construction of large loading dock and new vestibule, and signature features unique to a concept store setting. The Dick s Sporting Goods / Field & Stream is located at 870 Walt Whitman Road, Melville, NY (considered their Huntington, NY location) and is scheduled for a 28 week build-out.
Schimenti Construction Performs Tailor-Made Remodel of Converse Flagship and enclosures; and a new polished concrete floor custom blended to match the 100-year-old existing floor. Schimenti Construction also repurposed the building s original timber joists to create reclaimed wood paneling. In addition to the work done on the ground floor, another 6,500 square feet of sales and storage space was created in the cellar. Rob Crusan, Schimenti Construction Project Manager, said, Because the building is also currently under renovation by the landlord, this project required tight coordination between their construction scheduling and ours. Our whole team worked hard to complete this first part of the project with minimal interruption to Converse. Crusan was joined on the Schimenti Construction team by Superintendents Mike Georgakis, Bill Caracciolo and Adam Mical; and Project Coordinator JoAnn Marano. TPG Architecture was the architect and Converse project management was represented by the Mace Group. Converse found a perfect fit when it sought to renovate its Manhattan flagship store. It was imperative that the store have as little downtime as possible, and Schimenti Construction delivered a solution tailor made for the iconic sneaker retailer. After only one month of shutdown, Converse SoHo quickly reopened in its landmark building at 560 Broadway. To keep interruption to the 15,500-square-foot store s operation to a minimum, the project was broken into nine phases. Phases one through seven have now been completed, and the final two phases which will expand the storefront by 50 linear feet, are set to be completed by late 2016. During the one-month closure, the 8,000-square-foot ground floor sales area was renovated to match the earlier phased expansion into the cellar space that highlights the Converse Blank Canvas Customization Workshop. This new customization area that allows shoppers to create one-of-a-kind Chuck Taylors in about an hour. This area features large-format printers capable of printing directly on shoes and industrial-size ovens to bake the printed images into the material. Other distinctive details of the renovation include a glass and blackened steel elevator shaft; a blackened steel staircase; metal mesh ceiling panels Known as Schimenti Construction s go-to person for interactions with New York City s Department of Buildings, Lindsey Echevarria originally started down a very different career path: criminal justice. After earning her B.S. in 2006, Lindsey began working for a pool construction company and quickly became hooked on construction s fast pace and ever-changing environment. She was subsequently employed at Milrose Consultants, where she gained valuable knowledge and experience in working with municipalities and the NYC DOB. I love construction because it is amazing to see structures go from paper to fruition, says Lindsey. It is incredible to work together as a team and create something to be proud of and for others to share. Since joining Schimenti Construction in March 2015, Lindsey has used her expertise on several Behind the Employee: Lindsey Echevarria high-profile projects, including the COS, & Other Stories and H&M stores at the World Trade Center (COS and & Other Stories are H&M brands). Other projects include Chick-fil-A restaurants (on Sixth Avenue in Manhattan and in Port Jefferson, Hicksville and the Queens Center Mall) and stores for Nike, Victoria s Secret, Michaels, Best Buy and Aritzia. Additionally, Lindsey handles all the NYC DOB after-hours variance permits for the company. Outside of work, Lindsey loves to spend free time doing yoga; she belongs to a yoga community and practices multiple times a week. She finds meditation is a way to provide peace of mind in preparation for a long day, and she also enjoys photography and scrapbooking. On the personal front, Lindsey and her husband, Joe, were married in March, a day she describes as filled with love, family, friends and a whole lot of dancing! Lindsey Echevarria lechevarria@schimenti.com Project Coordinator
FreshDirect: Last steel beam set for new corporate headquarters and distribution facility FreshDirect estimates that the completed facility will support 1,000 full-time jobs, many of which will be filled by local residents. Located at 2 Saint Ann s Avenue near the Harlem River Yard, the complex will include production and processing areas, 49 loading docks for shipping and receiving; and a headquarters building that will feature multiple mezzanines, a terrace and an office area with a 40-by-40 foot skylight. Team members from Schimenti Construction recently joined with executives from FreshDirect to celebrate the placement of the final steel beam at the company s new facility in Harlem River Yards, Bronx, NY. The 650,000 square-foot space will serve as the new headquarters for the 12-year old company. The property is anticipated to be open for business in late 2017 and will serve as FreshDirect s corporate headquarters and food manufacturing and distribution facility. The event included a barbecue hosted by Fresh- Direct and beam-signing ceremony with all who had a hand in the completion of the project s initial phase. Typically with a project of this size, finishing the steel is a major milestone, said Schimenti Project Executive Jeff Hogan. Those that have been directly involved with the project signed the last steel beam and watched it hoisted into place. The signature beam was one of 2,085. The steelphase of the project also features 643 columns, 3,979 tons of structural steel, 927 tons of joist and 7,153 squares of roof and floor deck. The project came with many of the challenges that are unique to urban construction and included working in close proximity to the CSX rail line. We really partnered with CSX to coordinate safety and schedules, said Hogan. We worked around train schedules when raising steel. Wind was also a factor, resulting in 20 days of lost work, so we took advantage of Saturdays and staying late on certain days when the weather was cooperating to stay on schedule. Schimenti Construction named to ENR 2016 Top 400 Contractors List Schimenti Construction has been named to the Engineering News-Record (ENR) 2016 Top 400 Contractors Report. The annual ENR list reflects the top construction contractors based on revenue generated during the previous year. Schimenti Construction ranks on the list at number 317. We are proud to be part of the fabric of the construction industry in New York City and beyond, said Matthew Schimenti, President of Schimenti Construction. Our growth is a reflection of a team of professionals that is consistently developing, nurturing, and valuing client relationships while providing those clients with service that exceeds expectations. According to ENR, it was a banner year for the construction trades. The Top 400 generated $344.14 billion in contracting revenue in 2015, an increase of 3.7% from 2014 s $331.94 billion. The figure marks a record high for the Top 400, eclipsing the previous record of $338.38 billion in 2008. Engineering News-Record provides the engineering and construction news, analysis, commentary and data that construction industry professionals need to do their jobs more effectively. ENR reports on the top design firms, both architects and engineers, and the top construction companies as well as projects in the United States and around the world. The publication s report is based on contracting revenue and requires either a financial statement verifying the accuracy of each firm s survey or a sign-off by the company s CEO or senior officer affirming the accuracy of the data submitted. Schimenti was also recognized as Top 400 firm in 2013 and on the publication s 50 th Anniversary List in 2014.
What s new? Project: Saks Off 5 th Avenue Location: 135 East 57 th Street Size: 55,000 Sq. Ft. Project Manager: John Taberna Superintendent: Dan McGraw Great things in business are never done by one person. They re done by a team of people. - Steve Jobs Project: COS Location: 283 Greenwich Avenue Greenwich, CT Size: 4,319 Sq. Ft. Project Manager: Andrew Heller Superintendent: Tom Schimenti Project: Fossil - World Trade Center Location: 185 Greenwich Street Size: 1,935 Sq. Ft. Project Manager: JoeMcGowan Superintendent: Matthew Graham Project: T-Mobile Flagship Location: 1535 Broadway 46 th & Broadway Size: 3,500 Sq. Ft. Project Manager: Steve Nickles Superintendent: Anthony Alessi Schimenti Construction Company 650 Danbury Road Ridgefield, CT 06877 914.244.9100 622 Third Avenue 10017 212.246.9100 Project: Chick-Fil-A Location: 1180 6 th Avenue Size: 5,200 Sq. Ft. Project Manager: Mike Hanrahan Superintendent: Stanley Kobialka www.schimenti.com