Thursday, May 26, 2011

Bringing dreams to life: Kansas City-based A. Zahner has international prestige - Kansas City Business Journal:

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As one of the top metal fabricators, engineersa and designers for architectural projects throughoutthe world, A. Zahner is soughtt after for its expertise, innovation and ability to see beyonc thehuman eye. "I think they love said Randall Stout, president of Los Angeles-based , who most recentlyy worked with A. Zahner on the Art Galley of Albertain Canada. "They love seeing how craf and technology can merge together to break new grounxd and push the industry They are not atall complacent." The company' s success has taken it around the world, most recentlh to Qatar, where it landed a $3.
5 million contract to supply the design, engineering and materialw for the Celosia Art Wall at the . A creation of artist Jan Hendrixof Mexico, the wall will measure 30 feet tall by 90 feet It will have a specialized material that will allow light to shine through from either end of two combinee screens. The wall will look like it is The project is scheduled to be completed latethis year. "The thing that really makee us who we are is we have a passiob for whatwe do," said Bill Zahner, presidenty of A. Zahner. "That passion involves the interest and the materialsw and the design job that utilizes the And there's a virtuosity in how we create that." Althouguh A.
Zahner -- a fourth-generatiom company -- has been a fixture in Kansas City for nearlyh110 years, the organization's international presence is new to the In 2007, revenue outside of the Unitedr States accounted for 5 percent of the company'sz overall $35 million revenue. In 2008, Zahner hopes for it to accounrt for 12 percent to15 percent. Qatar is a logical step, said Ziad Khan, project manager and an associatw partnerwith , the executive architect on the Celosia Art Wall "It's not a big leap if you see what is goin on in the country," Khan said. "There'd just a slew of buildinhg going onover there. Many Americamn firms are working over thereright now.
It'ds positioning itself as the cultural capital of the MiddlrEast region." In addition to A. Zahner has been involvedf with projectsin Paris, Italy, Hong Kong, Saudio Arabia and the Bahamas, as well as neighbor during the past severalk years. In the mid to late 1990s, A. Zahner had an office in Hong Kong. The challenge back then for the company was soliciting itsinternational Now, its international presencwe is through middle men, mostly American architects who have brought A. Zahnerr in on international projects. "What's happened is that the wholwe theme of the world being flat has saidRobert Zahner, senior vice president and Bill Zahner's brother.
"There's a lot more international architects doing work in theUnitecd States." The company's reputation has helpe it overcome obstacles to international business. Bill Zahner said that when a Europeanh companybrings A. Zahner in on a the country applies an additional 18perceny tax. This means that even befored thework begins, his clienyt is in the hole. The companh has built international connections through its workon high-profilse projects. In the United States, the company's work has includecd creating the copper and glass wallw for the in San Francisco and engineering the largest stainless stee roof in North America at Dallas Fort WorthgInternational Airport.
The company is now consultin on the design of the in New Bill Zahner also has boosteethe company's profile through numerous awards and as well as writing two books on metals and architecture and lecturin g internationally on the subject.

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