[NHCOLL-L:1802] RE: prices for compactors

[Simmons, John E]

Rather than try to rely on someone else's estimates, I think you should
invite one or two companies to come look over your storage area and give you
an unofficial general estimate (or even make an official estimate if you
prefer).  The compactor business is very competitive--the major vendors will
be happy to do this for you.  It will save you a lot of headaches later!

Another approach (the one we used for a large compactor project) is to hire
an architect to work with you to write your specifications and to oversee
the bidding process.  We found the architects knowledge of materials and
layouts to be an excellent counterpoint to the information we received from
the vendors.  The architects services were worth every penny they cost.

--John

John E. Simmons
Collection Manager, Natural History Museum
and
Coordinator, Museum Studies Program
University of Kansas
Dyche Hall
1345 Jayhawk Boulevard
Lawrence, Kansas 66045-7561
Telephone 785-864-4508
FAX 785-864-5335
jsimmons at ku.edu
www.ku.edu/~museumst/

-----Original Message-----
From: colin favret [mailto:c-favret at life.uiuc.edu] 
Sent: Tuesday, January 07, 2003 10:07 AM
To: NHCOLL-L at lists.yale.edu
Subject: [NHCOLL-L:1801] prices for compactors

Hello all,
	Plans are underfoot to construct a new building for the 
Illinois Natural History Survey and we are now trying to figure out 
how much new compactors for the insect collection will cost. Our 
current compactors were installed in the 80s so I do not have a good 
idea as to how much these things run for today. I'm only interested 
in ballpark figures at the moment so do not want to have an official 
estimate made.
	If you have had compactors installed at your institution, 
would you be willing to share with me what the cost was and some of 
the specifics of the compactors (year of installation, approximate 
size, number and type of specimens, special features)? If I can 
gather enough data, I would be happy to summarize them and post them 
to the list (so let me know if you don't want your figures dispersed 
to the whole list). Thanks very much in advance and best wishes in 
the new year, colin