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We hope you enjoy our monthly newsletter as much as we enjoy making it available to you. We look forward to sharing stories and ideas that promote our customers, their businesses and how we all work together to come up with solutions to the challenges we face together. We also look forward to hearing from you with your comments, feedback or story ideas to make our newsletter more valuable to you.

Barbara Ragsdale, CFO & Editor

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WINERIES  Beringer Blass Wine Estates Cooperage

Not only has Knights' Electric commercial department done extensive work at the Beringer Blass Winemaking Facility in Asti, Knights' Electric has also been called upon to perform work at the Beringer Blass Wine Estates Cooperage in Cloverdale. Originally a woodworking shop, the cooperage or barrel making facility, was totally gutted and remodeled into the present day structure of 30,000 square feet. The cooperage consists of a small wing of offices with the bulk of the building devoted to the barrel-making production area that produces 15,000 barrels yearly for the Beringer Blass Wine Estates family of wineries. Nathan Roberts, Cooperage Production Supervisor, says that over the next four years the facility plans to double production to 30,000 barrels yearly.

Beringer Blass Wine Estates Cooperage production area with large metal duct dust control system overhead. Knights' Electric installed the metal halide lighting and wire way gutter, visible to the upper right of photo above dust duct, which holds the power lines for machinery.

Beringer Blass Wine Estates Cooperage production area with large metal duct dust control system overhead. Knights' Electric installed the metal halide lighting and wire way gutter, visible to the upper right of photo above dust duct, which holds the power lines for machinery.

Knights' Electric's first task was to replace the entire electrical system to fit the remodeled layout. This included a new power panel and mapping out the wiring routes to the barrel making machinery. Knights' Electric utilized an overhead wire way gutter to lay the power lines and dropped down the lines to the machines with metal conduit enclosures. This system keeps power lines organized and off the floor. The power lines are easily accessed and offer flexibility for future changes in the production layout.

Knights' Electric installed the power and control wiring for the dust controller that captures air born wood dust from the production area and carries it through large metal ducts, trapping it with filtration in the outdoor dust tower. The toasting room, where the barrels are shaped and toasted, required an exhaust system with controls installed by Knights' Electric. Knights' Electric also installed metal halide lighting throughout the production facility.

Roberts says that Knights' Electric is his best resource for electrical parts, "All of our equipment is from Europe - Knights' Electric gets us the parts we need and they deliver them." Roberts also calls upon Knights' Electric when he faces an electrical breakdown with production machinery, "If it's something we can't handle ? we call Knights' to come out and troubleshoot the problem and they get the machines back onto production."
 

COMMERCIAL   Nickel & Nickel's Vintage Look

Nickel & Nickel Winery is in the process of constructing their production and hospitality buildings in the same spirit of the fermentation barn, which was built with century-old, exposed old growth fir beams and attached with oak pegs in mortise & tenon fashion. The fermentation barn was completed and utilized for Nickel & Nickel's inaugural crush last fall. The production and hospitality buildings will be completed in time for the wine tourist season this year.

Restoration on this 230-year old barn is underway at Nickel & Nickel Winery. James Nolan Construction, Inc. will transform the barn, which was deconstructed in New Hampshire and then shipped to Oakville, into the production building.

Restoration on this 230-year old barn is underway at Nickel & Nickel Winery. James Nolan Construction, Inc. will transform the barn, which was deconstructed in New Hampshire and then shipped to Oakville, into the production building.
The production building has a history. It's a 230-year-old barn from New Hampshire that was deconstructed and shipped to Oakville for reconstruction. The Nickel family went to New England and purchased the barn from The Barn People, a company that buys old barns and packages them for resale. Keith Burnham, Project Manager for James Nolan Construction, the general contractor building the winery, explains "The Nickels want an authentic, vintage feel for the winery, a farmstead look, reminiscent of when it was first established in the 1880s." Knights' Electric's commercial department is completing the rough electrical for the timber framed production building that has structural foam-insulated paneling. The barn structure sits on a concrete slab with footings, connected with steel.

The third building undergoing restoration at Nickel & Nickel is the Sullenger House, an existing 1880s Queen Anne, which will serve as guest reception and hospitality. The total remodel includes reclaimed barn board siding for the exterior, a new addition for the kitchen, a wrap around front porch and a basement. The house was moved over temporarily to excavate and pour the basement, which will be used for dining and wine tasting. The two-story structure will include tasting salons and offices for sales and marketing. Knights' Electric is installing the electrical power and wiring, cabling for telecom and the ambient lighting scheme. "Knights' has been really good in rolling with the changes, working with designers to get the lighting right," said Burnham.
 

RESIDENTIAL   Shiloh Estates Dream House

It's an extraordinary two-story wood framed home. It's situated at the west end of Shiloh Lake, a man-made 24-acre lake stocked with fish, a stopping place for Canadian Geese, Osprey and Blue Heron. The 7,200 square foot home with a 900 square foot cabana has a vanishing edge swimming pool that appears to be part of the lake when viewed from the terrace. Red Tailed Hawks circle the hilltops of Shiloh Estates, a gated community where deer and wild turkey roam among the spread out homes situated on lots of five to fifty-five acres.

Entry way for Shiloh Estates

Entry way for Shiloh Estates "Dream House" built by Jim Murphy & Associates. Knights' Electric installed the ambient lighting and home network control system that can be accessed via the Internet. The light chain in the photo can be electrically lowered to make cleaning the fixture an easy task.
Architect Jonathan Jang of Redwood City designed this French styled manor that features steep roofs finished with Hardi-Slate and curved dormers and a vast walking terrace surrounding the house with lighting that shows off its Italian limestone balustrades. Jim Murphy & Associates built this home with help from designer Rhonda Reed, who specializes in French design and materials. She brought innovative ideas to the house, such as, the exterior stucco being covered with a cementious paint called Boncote, creating a texture and mottled finish that is modern, but is also in keeping with the aged French design. The interior features extensive use of limestone and tile, some purchased in France. The wood flooring is comprised of eucalyptus spotted gum, in a chevron pattern, and distressed eastern white pine. Resplendent wood moldings highlight the walls and ceilings.

Larry Braughton, Superintendent for Jim Murphy & Associates, worked with all of the designers and subcontractors to pull the project together. Knights' Electric's residential department played a major role in the complex ambient lighting system, working with a lighting designer from Texas and installing the recessed lighting, cove lighting, counter lighting and chandelier fixtures. Knights' Electric also wired the entire home and worked with a networking company to install a home networking system.

IBM and Lutron Control Systems control this home in four areas; communications for voice, video and data; entertainment for surround sound, multi-sound, cable, antenna, satellite and closed circuit; security for fire and burglary and control for lighting, HVAC, motorized shades and awnings, appliances, exterior gas lighting, pool and spa equipment and water management. The home networking system can be accessed from remote locations via the Internet to control any of the functions mentioned.

This was the first time Jim Murphy & Associates had worked with Knights' Electric on a residential project. Project Manager Cris Wright said, "I was very happy with Knights' Electric and I recommended them to Jay True, our Vice President, and the other project managers." Knights' Electric has worked on a number of residential projects with Jim Murphy & Associates since then, including another Shiloh Estates home presently under construction.