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February 15, 2017 - 11:41am

SEATTLE, February 15, 2017: When Nashville, Tenn.-based Nashville Machine Company Inc. got word that its existing construction management software would no longer be supported after Viewpoint Construction Software acquired Maxwell in 2014, the company’s executives knew they would have to soon survey the ERP construction software market. Hearing good things about Dexter + Chaney over the years, Nashville Machine’s executives were eager to meet with the Seattle-based developer and provider of the industry-leading, cloud-based, ERP platform—Spectrum® Construction Software.

Nashville Machine Secretary/Treasurer, J. Lynn Wilson said while his company was comfortable with Maxwell’s software, there were a lot of additional features available in Spectrum. “Given the fact that we were being forced to look elsewhere—and quite frankly there were no incentives to stay with, or move to Viewpoint and its Vista product—we immediately went to the market and looked at Spectrum,” Wilson said.

The more than 130-year old firm, which started as a humble plumbing supply company in 1887, today has grown into a massive operation, with a mechanical division covering plumbing, HVAC and industrial piping, along with an elevator installation and maintenance division. The company employs approximately 650 professionals, and enjoyed a record year in 2016 with more than $110 million in revenue.

Wilson said that as a large company, it was critical to have very streamlined operations and accounting. He noted the ease of use of Spectrum, with its simple navigation, automated processes and dedicated workflows fit well with the company’s streamlined principles. He also noted that Nashville Machine utilizes an outside IT department, so having access to the strong software support that Dexter + Chaney provided was critical.

“We’re a member of a national association of mechanical subcontractors, and through that group, we were able to visit with multiple software users. We met with Spectrum users and with Vista users. I came away from those meetings feeling like Spectrum was giving a lot more support to their customers,” Wilson said. The more we got into the product, and speaking with folks, the opportunity on the support side was much greater with Spectrum than it was going to be with Viewpoint.”

Wilson also noted that he and the executive team at Nashville Machine were also impressed by the management team at Dexter + Chaney—some of whom Wilson had known previously. He also lauded Dexter + Chaney’s business partner, CDP Inc., which took the lead during the demonstration and sales discussions.

“We weren’t pressured at all—it never felt like a sales pitch,” Wilson said. “It was more along the lines of, ‘let’s find out what you want and let’s see how we might be able to help.’ We had numerous meetings and at the end of those meetings there would always be questions. CDP and its representative, Mark Jones would go and immediately get the answers to those questions for us. He took care of our issues on the front end.”

When it comes to the future, Wilson said he sees a good stretch of continued growth ahead. “Fortunately, construction is very strong in the Nashville market right now—we’ve had a tremendous amount of growth and we’ve got a record backlog, so we’re looking at the very least, another 18 months of very strong volume,” he said.

Part of that growth has been aided by Nashville Machine’s elevator business, through which regular maintenance contracts have helped keep the company stable even in lean times. The elevator operations evolved through the company’s machine shop, which was formed not long after the company itself. The company fabricated freight elevators in the late 1920s through the 1950s up until becoming a distributor for Dover Elevator (Thyssen Krupp Elevator).

The company has always been privately held with Donald B. Orr, who joined the company in 1975, taking control of the company in the late 1990s from his father, Donald C. Orr. Donald C. Orr joined the company in the late-1950s which began the growth of the plumbing and mechanical contracting division along with the distributorship with Dover Elevator. Today, roughly 70 percent of the company’s work is in the mechanical division and the remaining 30 percent consisting of elevator installation and maintenance.

“Nashville Machine is a significant success story—built from the ground up, managed to last, and repeatedly proven itself year in and year out. We’re honored to help the company optimize growth and streamline operations by leveraging Spectrum,” said Dexter + Chaney President and CEO Norbert Orth. “It’s clear that Nashville Machine aimed to partner with a software and technology provider it can rely on and work closely with, which precisely how we operate.”


ABOUT DEXTER + CHANEY:

Dexter + Chaney has been providing complete construction management software for more than 35 years. From the office to the field, from accounting to project management, Dexter + Chaney software is used by more than 1,000 companies. Their clients come from all segments of the industry—heavy/highway and utility, general contractors, electrical, mechanical, and specialty subcontractors—and are companies of all sizes, from locally owned subcontractors to some of the world’s largest construction firms. Dexter + Chaney’s web-based software applications allow customers to get work done anywhere using any device with a web browser and without the need to download any software. For more information about Dexter + Chaney’s products and services, contact Wayne Newitts, Marketing Director, Dexter + Chaney, 9700 Lake City Way NE, Seattle, WA, 98115-2347; phone: 800-875-1400; e-mail: info@dexterchaney.com; web: www.dexterchaney.com.

ABOUT NASHVILLE MACHINE:

Nashville Machine is one of Tennessee's most widely respected companies, offering mechanical contracting, machine shop services, and building systems service, and it is one of the oldest and most respected installers and maintainers of elevators in the Southeast. As one of Tennessee's largest mechanical contractors, Nashville Machine has performed successful projects in the healthcare, commercial, industrial and institutional environments from tenant buildouts to a $38,000,000 District Energy Plant. The company’s Machine Shop Division provides precision machining (CNC and conventional), heavy fabrication, and assembly of special machines and fixtures. The division's wide range of experience and capabilities provide a convenient and economical source for our customers. Nashville Machine Elevator Company is the exclusive Middle Tennessee distributor for Thyssen Krupp Elevators (formerly Dover Elevator). Our 24/7 fleet of more than 30 service trucks provide installation and service over the mid-state area. Nashville Machine Company began installation and service of elevators in the 1920s, and today, it is the largest full-service elevator company serving the Middle Tennessee area. For more information, visit: www.nashvillemachine.com.

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