Project Profile: Agua Caliente Casino Case Study – Rancho Mirage, CA

There are a number of different qualities that a building materials distributor must have in order to be successful. For local branch teams, it takes strong product knowledge, an in-depth understanding of the market, and the ability to form effective partnerships to make an impact on your customers’ projects.

In particular, acoustical ceilings is a dynamic market with a lot of opportunity to add value for L&W Supply’s customers, and this is where knowledgeable product experts can really make a difference.

“Acoustical ceilings are among the most important product categories when it comes to the ability for project managers to control costs and optimize the product selection,” says Mark Sweeney, L&W Supply Merchandising Manager for Ceilings. “The amount of variance throughout a ceiling system can have very different outcomes for acoustical performance and the ultimate cost.”

Here’s an example of how L&W Supply’s team members were able to use their product knowledge, architectural insight and delivery experience to achieve a win for the customer – Raymond San Diego – along with all the other parties involved.

Palm Springs, CA and nearby Rancho Mirage

The Initial Stages

In 2018, the Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage was set to undergo renovations. Located in Southern California, it is a popular destination for people living in nearby Palm Springs.

L&W Supply Redlands, led by Managing Partner Norma Serrato, was tasked with quoting the Agua Caliente Casino to our customer, Raymond San Diego. It was at this stage in the process that our team was able to identify a potential opportunity in regards to product selection for the ceiling system of the project.

“We often discover that when it comes to ceilings, there can great opportunity to add value at the bidding stage,” says Greg Zucchero, L&W Supply Business Development Manager. “This is the best time to help quote the appropriate products to meet the desired performance of each acoustical ceiling type.”

Typically, an architect will pick products from a website without the help of a ceiling sales representative to iron out the details. This is where the insight of L&W Supply’s associates can come into play. discovered that there was an opportunity for significant savings on the overall ceiling system while still maintaining the high acoustical performance that the architect was striving to achieve.

Like many large projects, the Agua Caliente Casino incorporates products from several different ceiling manufacturers. Our team took the time to quote every product involved and made several recommendations for price-saving improvements. These recommendations helped Raymond San Diego achieve significant savings and secure the job.

Rancho Mirage, California Welcome Sign

The Next Steps

Once Raymond awarded the project to L&W Supply, our Redlands team delivered all the samples and submittal packages while addressing any grey areas. It was here that the project managers relied on the product knowledge of L&W Supply’s team in order to help parse the difference between the five different acoustical ceiling types involved.

After a ten minute call with the customer, our team was able to advise what would work best given the design and acoustical performance of the products involved.

“At one point, our customer threw up his hands and placed 100% faith in L&W Supply to get the order right,” says Greg Zucchero. “In the end, our team delivered top notch service, from entry level to billing accuracy, and this was directly linked to our knowledge of ceilings and acoustical performance.”

Following this call, our team was able to fulfill our promise to find the solution that worked from a design and a price standpoint. Coupled with our knowledge of the ceilings market, our sales reps were able to achieve cost savings in the ceiling system while providing the same level of sound absorption and sound barrier combination that the architect was looking for.

“This was a fast-paced job where there was no margin of error for delivering the right materials on time, and on budget,” says Norma Serrato, L&W Supply Redlands Branch Manager. “Knowing what was required and expected of us as a distributor helped us service the heck out of this project.”

L&W Supply Redlands determined the delivery schedule and coordinated the drop-off of all the materials needed to complete the job. Raymond San Diego praised our team’s high level of customer service and ceiling support, stating that they hope to choose us again to supply future jobs. Our teams look forward to high-demand projects like the Agua Caliente Casino because it gives us an opportunity to do outstanding work for our customers and demonstrate our Difference Delivered.

“This was probably the fastest-paced job I have ever been a part of, and Greg and Norma nailed it,” says Brian Sarff, Project Engineer at Raymond San Diego. “Greg helped us out immensely with his acoustical ceiling knowledge and every other bit of information regarding materials. Norma was very helpful from the branch standpoint. If I had concerns about an order, delivery dates, or in-stock materials, she always took my call and helped me out.”

If you’d like to learn more about acoustical ceilings or L&W Supply’s top ceilings vendors, visit our ceilings category page.

Further Links

Ceilings and Acoustical

L&W Supply Redlands, CA

Raymond San Diego

How We Support Builders and Contractors