How PDQ Hardware Helped Save the Historic Bucyrus Club
A historic industrial building in South Milwaukee was slated for destruction in 2015. Thanks to former employee of the Bucyrus Company, the building's namesake, Bob Jelinek and Ernie Wunsch of Skyline Catering. The building was renovated to become the Bucyrus Club. This project needed door hardware that could meet the security and life-safety demands of a bar, restaurant, event space, and museum, all while respecting a building with deep local manufacturing history. PDQ's MR Series locks, 6300 Series exit devices, 5300, 5500, and 7100 Series door closers now secure the fully renovated property.
About the property
The building, erected in 1892, is named the Bucyrus Club in honor of its longest use: as an employee center for the Bucyrus Company, later known as Bucyrus-Erie. In 1907, Bucyrus bought the building from the Racine Fire Engine and Motor Company, a manufacturer of brass horse-drawn fire pumpers, and it became the West Engine Machine Assembly Shop, producing the rail-mounted steam shovels that dug the Panama Canal. In 1919 the building was remodeled into a cafeteria and social club for workers. Bucyrus sold the building in 1994, and it passed through several owners before falling into disuse.
The Challenge
Bringing a 130-year-old, long-abandoned industrial building back as a public bar, restaurant, events venue, and museum meant meeting current security and life-safety code in a structure never designed for that kind of public use, without stripping out the character that made the building worth saving in the first place.
The Bucyrus Club opened in 2021 with a hardware package built to meet public-venue security and life-safety code across a building never originally designed for that use.
Related Healthcare projects
Carhartt
Company Headquarters
Carhartt
Company Headquarters
Carhartt was founded by Hamilton Carhartt in 1889 in Detroit, Michigan, to make work clothing for manual laborers. The company started with two sewing machines and five workers. Carhartt's first slogan was "Honest value for an honest dollar."
PDQ Industries
Company Headquarters
PDQ Industries
Company Headquarters
By 2017, PDQ Manufacturing had outgrown its 48,000 SF facility in Leola, PA. Most of the commercial hardware inventory already required an off-site warehouse. The new 80,000 SF building consolidates manufacturing and distribution under one roof.
Carhartt
Company Headquarters
Carhartt was founded by Hamilton Carhartt in 1889 in Detroit, Michigan, to make work clothing for manual laborers. The company started with two sewing machines and five workers. Carhartt's first slogan was "Honest value for an honest dollar."
PDQ Industries
Company Headquarters
By 2017, PDQ Manufacturing had outgrown its 48,000 SF facility in Leola, PA. Most of the commercial hardware inventory already required an off-site warehouse. The new 80,000 SF building consolidates manufacturing and distribution under one roof.
Talk To An Expert
PDQ has secured guest rooms, corridors, and back-of-house doors for major hospitality brands for more than 40 years. Tell us about your next extended-stay, full-service, or mixed-use project, and our team will help you spec the right lock, closer, and hardware package for every door on the property.