Marriott Hotel, Kansas City

At the new Marriott Hotel in Kansas City Plaza, Benchmark Mechanical utilized Fast Trak on the first floor as a trial to see if it would fit into the project needs. It worked out great, and as a result, they opted to utilize Fast Trak on all the other floors as well. Benchmark worked with both Gripple’s local Territory Manager, Kevin Heese, and local distributor, Jorban‑Riscoe, to educate themselves on utilizing Fast Trak for installing their Daikin VRF system. Gripple provided detailed drawings showing where every Fast Trak drop would be installed, and the product was labeled and tagged by floor so Jorban‑Riscoe could deliver to the site as needed as the project progressed.

According to Drew Garcia, HVAC Superintendent at Benchmark Mechanical, the benefits of using Gripple Fast Trak are that you use less material (no nuts or washers), and it’s easy to level and change elevations as you’re running the pipe with just the push of a button. Using traditional threaded rod and strut would’ve taken a lot more time and would involve cutting the strut, cutting the rod, and tediously screwing or unscrewing nuts and washers on each drop until it’s level. Fast Trak allowed the contractor to get all their VRF systems installed tight to the deck, and it was a very fast and easy installation, such that one person could handle the entire install versus needing multiple workers.

The feedback we’ve received from the contractor is that Fast Trak is faster, more readily available, and the ability to quickly & easily adjust the height or length makes it easier. These days labor is real money, so
saving those hours of manpower adds up at the end, and it’s a win-win for everybody.
– Sam Dearth, Jorban-Riscoe