Working With Us
Early Design
During the design process, we share our expertise regarding material attributes and other aspects such as color options, illumination strategies, budget-conscious alternatives, and practical applications. Providing this information empowers the architecture and design community to make optimal material selections. The experience of over 2,000 successful implementations allows us to recognize potential issues early in the design process. If appropriate, targeted custom samples are created and provided to the design team for review and presentation. Sometimes a completely new material will result from a designer’s vision, and we will develop and create prototypes for testing and review.
Specification Support
During and after the material selection, Sensitile® continues to provide specification support to ensure accuracy in the records—a necessary step since there are numerous variations of each material attribute. We are also able to partner in the iterative process of revisions to original specifications, changes in design direction, or value engineering because the materials we offer not only have a unique aesthetic but also varying price points.
Bidding a Project
When a project goes out to bid we provide an estimate to each bidder based upon their material take-offs. We support our contractor customers with information about fabrication, detailing and installation requirements. At multiple stages of the process we ensure the successful integration of Sensitile® material into the project by projecting the expected lead time to produce the custom material and confirming the custom services that may be relevant including lighting and hardware selection and detailing.
Producing an Order
Producing an order begins with a thorough compilation of information we receive about the project, often piecemeal and in various formats, such as sketches/drawings/templates/ project related hardware/lighting/communication (verbal or electronic). Verification of this compilation (an approved shop drawing) is required before scheduling the order for production. Due diligence is a must at this step to ensure accuracy in the downstream process. Once a final approval for manufacturing is received, the detailed iterative process of production is initiated in our Ypsilanti, Michigan factory. We do not outsource any part of this process, which insures the high degree of precision required for our complex materials.
Packaging & Shipping
Only after our materials have passed our stringent quality inspections are they carefully packaged in custom crates to ship to local or global destinations by ground, ocean or air transportation. We share the common goal with our clients of a high-quality, successful and timeless finished design.
Our Challenges
Counterfeit, low-quality goods claiming to be Sensitile® products are being produced in China. These copycat manufacturers victimize the unsuspecting by also copying our signature brand elements and trade-dress, including but not limited to stationary, font style and website design to appear as legitimate Sensitile manufacturing or distribution facilities. Some global brands are unable to control their own procurement practices tightly enough to prevent these aggressive manufacturers from making inroads. The implications of such rampant forgery and use of poor quality materials for prestigious brand designs has far-reaching effects on manufacturers like us who have invested significant time and resources into developing our Sensitile® materials to be of the premium quality expected by our customers. We rely heavily on the awareness in the architecture and design community of the need to protect original design as it relates to materials in addition to the other aspects of design.
Service Area
Manufactured in and shipped worldwide exclusively from Michigan, USA