excalibur almaz is a private spaceflight company which plans to provide a variety of deep space crewed exploration missions , micro-gravity science , and payload delivery .

ea also aims to offer low earth orbit cargo and crew delivery and return .

as of 2012 plans , design and flight safety reviews were planned for 2015 .

according to a 2012 interview with art dula , the chairman of excalibur almaz , the excalibur almaz capsule was supposedly at a " very high level of technical readiness " and could be flown within two to three years .

the main issue of the first manned flight of the excalibur almaz capsule is regulatory , according to dula , as the va capsule had already completed nine unmanned test flights during the almaz program , all of which were successful .

the company has entered into an unfunded space act agreement with nasa as part of the commercial crew development round 2 ( ccdev2 ) activities in 2011 but was not selected to receive funding under any phases of it .

excalibur almaz

excalibur almaz ' s space tourism vehicle concept . ( credit : excalibur almaz )
excalibur almaz satellite spacecraft mahogany wood mode . . . excalibur almaz satellite spacecraft mahogany wood mode . . .
excalibur almaz had planned to adapt the va spacecraft for use as a private crew and cargo space transport . ( excalibur almaz )
excalibur almaz to showcase flown spacecraft to area students - excalibur almaz to showcase flown spacecraft to area students ( read full article ) .
donna beck sued houston patent attorney arthur dula , his companies excalibur exploration limited , excalibur limited , excalibur almaz limited and excalibur almaz usa inc . , and excalibur directors j . buckner hightower and christopher stott , in harris county court .
almaz , art dula , excalibur almaz , isle of man , j . buckner hightower , space station
an almaz space station module being transported on the isle of man . ( credit : excalibur almaz )
excalibur ' s concept of the tks transport ship upgraded with a service module . credit : excalibur - almaz
buckner hightower of excalibur almaz spoke at the frontiers of flight museum on saturday . his talk revealed some interesting details of excalibur almaz’s plans and current status .
an artist rendering , circa 2011 , depicts the excalibur - almaz space station and a passenger capsule based on the tks return vehicle . credit : excalibur - almaz
this is not the first lawsuit against dula alleging fraud in connection wit excalibur almaz .
excalibur almaz to showcase space stations on the isle of man ( read full article ) .
image above : an artist ' s conception of excalibur almaz inc . ' s human spacecraft concept for low earth orbit crew transportation . image credit : excalibur almaz inc . › larger image
horie also alleges that dula and excalibur almaz then resorted to attempted bribery to remedy the problem .
hightower believes excalibur almaz could perform its first l2 mission in about 30 months , after recapitalization .
the almaz - 205 space station acquired by excalibur - almaz and delivered to the isle of man in january 2011 . copyright © 2011 anatoly zak
above : a proposed configuration of the excalibur - almaz complex released in 2011 . notable is a new light - weight propulsion module on the reentry capsule . credit : npo machinostroenia / excalibur - almaz
excalibur almaz artist ' s conceptual cutaway drawing of the proposed space station . image released june 1 , 2011 .
in addition to buying several almaz reentry vehicles , the company has also bought two complete almaz space station hulls .
space exploration and tourism company excalibur almaz imported two capsules in 2011 and planned to use them for space holidays costing £100m .
a couple of updates on excalibur almaz , whose soviet - era space station and capsule were seen being shipped from one location to another on the isle of man . excalibur almaz founder and ceo art dula told the independent there wasn’t much to see there :
houston , oct . 1 , 2012 ( excalibur almaz pr ) — excalibur almaz , usa ( www . thealmazusa . com ) is pleased to announce that dennis k . diemoz has been named president of excalibur almaz , usa ( ea usa ) . he has also been appointed to the ea board of directors . mr . diemoz provides a rich history of aerospace industry executive management .
excalibur almaz limited ( ea ) , the international commercial space exploration company , is exporting two partially completed almaz space stations from russia to the iom today . the stations and excalibur almazâ€™ reusable return vehicles were developed by eaâ€™s russian associate , jsc mic npo mashinostroyenia .
japanese investor takafumie horie has brought a lawsuit against space development company excalibur almaz , alleging that the russian - built almaz capsules purchased by the company could only be used as
museum pieces
.
the interior of the soviet va spacecraft as outfitted by excalibur almaz . the space capsule flew twice without a crew . ( lempertz )
those conservative and aggressive estimates are from a market study entitled
market analysis of commercial human orbital and circumlunar spaceflight
carried out for excalibur almaz by the management consultancy futron . in 2009 , excalibur almaz officials told urltoken the company ' s first flight would be in 2013 .
space stations arrive on the isle of man - the excalibur almaz space stations arrive on the isle of man ( read full article ) .
bemannte raumfahrt presents all of nasa ' s competitors in the ccdev program . this time , excalibur ' s almaz , aka human spacecraft .
excalibur almaz’s goal is to create an affordable commercial space transportation to low earth orbit , lunar orbit , near earth objects and deep space .
excalibur almaz to pioneer private orbital manned space flight - excalibur almaz limited ( ea ) , an international space exploration company , today announced plans to open up a new era of private orbital space flight for commercial customers , using updated elements of the “almaz” space system originally developed by jsc mic npo mashinostroyenia ( npom ) of russia ( read full article ) .
excalibur almaz has purchased four tks capsules , which it has upgraded to rrv configuration with new electronics , as well as two almaz space stations . excalibur almaz believes it can use the capsules and space - station modules as part of a transportation system for flights to the moon , libration points , asteroids , and deep space , as well as the international space station .
my apologies for not responding promptly , as i was away for the day at the royal aeronautical society conference where the excalibur almaz announcement was made .
in 2014 , a year after his release from prison , takafumi horie — excalibur’s biggest investor to date — stumbled upon a trade paper article about an excalibur almaz space capsule sold at auction , and came to the same conclusion .
houston press has a long , sad look at one of the more curious newspace projects , excalibur almaz , and the man behind it , art dula .
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xcor to train excalibur almaz crews
.
commercial space companies are interested , however . xcor aerospace and excalibur almaz recently signed a memorandum of understanding that would open the door for xcor to provide training for excalibur almaz astronauts using the lynx spacecraft . if the idea catches on , suborbital spaceflight may become a standard part of the training toolkit for all future astronauts .
an artist ' s conception shows the excalibur almaz reusable re - entry vehicle , or rrv , which is based on formerly top - secret soviet military technology .
art dula is facing another lawsuit alleging fraud connected with excalibur almaz , a company that has been seeking to use old soviet space station hardware for commercial purposes .
' excalibur almaz is willing and able to send crewed missions deeper into space than would be possible aboard any other spacecraft in existence today , ' said mr dula .
it looks like the end of the road for excalibur almaz , the isle of man - based space company that has produced more lawsuits than space flights during its existence .
hightower said that excalibur almaz has completed all of its scheduled milestones under its unfunded space act agreement with nasa’s commercial crew and cargo development program . as part of this work , the eads astrium consortium developed a service - module concept for the four russian tks capsules which excalibur almaz has purchased . hightower said that excalibur almaz is prepared to step in and replace one of the primary ccdev partners , if unexpected difficulties arise , but ea’s primary focus is no longer on the international space station or low earth orbit .
excalibur almaz ceo art dula outlined the company’s plans on sunday during the international space development conference in washington . based upon twitter posts by attendees , here are the highlights :
at the end are a few photos of the almaz capsule on display at westminster .
the project is led by excalibur almaz limited ( ea ) , an international space exploration company that has teamed with the almaz rrv spacecraft manufacturer and other russian and u . s . companies . ea is led by art dula founder and ceo of the venture .
brazil has potential to establish one of the most rapidly developing space programs in the world . excalibur almaz’s space program developed from proven , flight - tested spacecraft can add further momentum to brazil’s and the agência espacial brasileira ( aeb ) ascendency . the aeb’s interest in space research and science as well as its development of launch capabilities and launch sites align with excalibur almaz’s strategic vision to be the world leader in providing space transportation services . excalibur almaz’s science and microgravity research opportunities can also benefit brazil’s national educational initiatives . with cargo missions launching as early as 2014 and crewed missions launching as early as 2015 , a partnership between brazil and excalibur almaz would greatly accelerate achievement of the goals of both parties .
we are pleased to add excalibur almaz to the group of ccdev2 companies and look forward to a productive partnership ,
said brent jett , commercial crew program deputy manager .
excalibur almaz participates in moscow air show - the excalibur almaz space vehicle made its long awaited public debut at the maks air show in moscow august 18 - 23 , 2009 . several thousand visitors were on - hand to see the spacecraft’s “smart space” design that combines proven , space flown technology with today’s advanced engineering and innovations ( read full article ) .
excalibur almaz is looking beyond sending its soviet - era space vehicles and stations into earth orbit and is actively working on human missions to the moon , asteroids and lagrange points .
suborbital spaceflight will be an integral part of the safety and education program to prepare excalibur almaz crews for orbital and deep - space expeditions . excalibur almaz founder and chairman art dula says , “the xcor [ lynx ] flights will enhance the overall spaceflight experience of our program and help ensure that our passengers are both mission and medically qualified to fly in space . ”
three almaz stations were launched into space under the pretence that they were civilian research craft .
an anonymous bidder has purchased one of four reusable reentry vehicles owned by excalibur almaz for $ 1 million . the vehicle had flown into space unmanned on two occasions during the 1970′s as part of the soviet union’s space station effort . whether excalibur almaz , based on the isle of man , is still pursuing its aim of commercial deep - space flight , is unclear .
michael levin , who is defending excalibur in horie’s lawsuit , said that dula , friedman and excalibur executive vice president buckner hightower would not be available for interview because of the pending litigation .
excalibur almaz hoped to use two leftover soviet - era almaz space stations and a pair of return capsules to launch its own space program . the company had a difficult time finding anyone to fund the program . last year , the company auctioned off one of the return capsules .
lempertz is also auctioning two russian sokol kv - 2 spacesuits worn by astronaut michael foale ( left ) and cosmonaut alexander kaleri to the international space station and mir . ( excalibur almaz )
art dula , founder and chief executive of isle of man - based excalibur almaz , told a space tourism meeting in london : ' we ' re ready to sell the tickets . '
the station is designed for a crew of six , but excalibur almaz would reconfigure it for a crew of five . this configuration would allow for a three - week mission at l2 .
art dula was at the royal aeronautical society’s 3rd european space tourism conference in london this week , promoting excalibur almaz ( ea ) and announcing an agreement with xcor aerospace for crew training .
astronaut dr leroy chiao and cosmonaut colonel vladimir titov were among a number of experienced space experts at the press launch of the excalibur almaz space project held at king william’s college on saturday .
one final full almaz station had been outfitted with large imaging radar panels for commercial remote sensing programs . a genuine unmanned almaz space station it was the largest remote sensing satellite ever launched .
nasa ' s commercial crew program is entering into an unfunded space act agreement with excalibur almaz , incorporated ( eai ) as part of the commercial crew development round 2 ( ccdev2 ) activities .
excalibur almaz did not reveal its anticipated price per trip in tuesday ' s announcement , but did detail plans to update the rrv spacecraft design with modern technology to support independent flights to orbit .
excalibur almaz is marketing a commercial space capsule called the rrv , or reusable reentry vehicle , based on the tks capsule developed by the soviet union during the cold war . the tks capsule was intended for use with the almaz ( military salyut ) space station . it was tested in an unmanned configuration , but the almaz program was cancelled before manned flights of the capsule were conducted .
excalibur almaz is marketing a commercial space capsule called the rrv , or reusable reentry vehicle , based on the tks capsule developed by the soviet union during the cold war . the tks capsule was intended for use with the almaz ( military salyut ) space station . it was tested in an unmanned configuration , but the almaz program was cancelled before manned flights of the capsule were conducted .
the spacecraft station modules owned by excalibur almaz are equivalent to modules flown in space on every space station since 1972 , including mir and iss . excalibur almaz is refurbishing the on - board equipment and adding a hall thruster system , manufactured in the u . s . by busec , which is powered by a solar array built by entech in fort worth , texas . ea spacecraft can be launched to low earth orbit ( leo ) on a commercial proton from kazakhstan . the proton has successfully launched more than 20 similar modules to leo ; including three stations like the excalibur almaz spacecraft .
the modules , which have never been launched , were built as part of almaz , a soviet military programme that sent astronauts into orbit to take reconnaissance photographs of earth . but excalibur has also bought four reusable almaz spacecraft , including one that was flown twice , which might be used much sooner .
excalibur has raised
tens of millions of dollars
to initiate what will become a several hundred million dollar program , dula tells spaceflight now . he has spent more than 20 years eying this specific almaz program , something i can vouch for from my own experience with the almaz program in russia .
excalibur almaz limited , based on the isle of man , has acquired several reusable return vehicles , or rrvs , spacecraft initially designed for flying cosmonauts to the former soviet union ' s super - secret almaz space stations of the 1970s , the firm announced tuesday at the moscow air show in russia .
excalibur has never taken its capsules to space , but the company has produced some fancy promotional videos .
when the soviets launched almaz craft throughout the 1970s and into the early 1980s , they were explained publicly as being part of the salyut program . one of the space stations was equipped with a very crude cannon . excalibur literature claims that its particular almaz equipment could withstand up to 15 more launches . the outer hulls just needed some paint and a fancy excalibur logo ; only the computerized guts needed updating .
a senior colleague forwarded me a media query from a financial times journalist regarding excalibur almaz ' s lunar plans . wrote some quick comments , but i was late getting the email and missed the deadline .
spacetek intends the giorgio fedon 1919 space explorer watch to be used onboard its private space station being developed by excalibur almaz . excalibur almaz acquired two salyut - class space stations from what was left over from the soviet space program of the 1970s . the isle of man - based company said it could launch its own station as soon as 2015 , though spacetek is planning to begin operations a few years later .
in a lawsuit , japanese investor takafumi horie accused excalibur almaz founders art dula and j buckner hightower of misleading him in order to obtain a $ 49 million investment in the company . horie says the soviet - era almaz space station hardware the company purchased were museum pieces that could never be launched into space .
along the way , excalibur almaz has been sued twice [ here and here ] by investors for alleged fraud . the company and its founders , art dula and j buckner hightower , have denied the claims .
senior executives from excalibur almaz ( ea ) , including ceo art dula , held a briefing on the company ' s plans for a wide range of corporate executives and government officials ( read full article ) .
npom designed , tested and flew several almaz space stations and rrv prototypes in the 1970s . the first almaz ( which means
diamond
in russian ) station to reach orbit was christened salyut 2 , but failed in 1973 . two others , dubbed salyuts 3 and 5 , later flew with much success . the rrvs flew about nine test flights , with two vehicles reaching orbit repeatedly , excalibur almaz officials said .
the good news is that excalibur almaz , a commercial aerospace company based on the isle of man , announced this week it ' s ready to sell tickets for flights aboard a spacecraft that will orbit the moon .
with this announcement , the dream of private orbital space exploration may become a reality in the very near future ,
veteran russian cosmonaut vladimir titov , an adviser to excalibur almaz , said in a statement .
excalibur almaz is now focusing on cislunar flights . the company wants to place one of its two salyut - class almaz space stations in a halo orbit around the earth - moon l2 point , on the far side of the moon . l2 would be the farthest human beings have ever ventured from the surface of the earth .
much of the excitement surrounding the island’s positioning in the commercial space race was tied to excalibur almaz , which had to shelve plans to launch multimillionaires into orbit because of what dula called a fourfold increase in transportation costs .
excalibur almaz is one of eight companies invited by nasa to further discuss their proposals for the commercial crew development ( ccdev ) program , space news reports . nasa plans to award $ 200 million in funding next month .
us space entrepreneur mr dula has acquired two soviet ' almaz ' space stations , designed for orbital spying operations .
it is a second chance for two relics of the cold war . shipped from russia , a pair of soviet space station modules arrived in the isle of man last week , home to the fledgling private space firm excalibur almaz .
isle of man today has an interesting story about how one astronaut and two cosmonauts have laid down cold era rivalries to work for excalibur almaz – a commercial company that is using old soviet hardware to launch space tourists into orbit .
the spaceflight firm excalibur almaz estimates that it can sell about 30 seats between 2015 and 2025 , for $ 150 million each , aboard moon - bound missions on a salyut - class space station driven by electric hall - effect thrusters .
according to excalibur almaz , the almaz program saw nine unmanned rrv test flights and use of the spacecraft for ferrying equipment and cargo to the almaz space stations . the rrvs were in orbit for up to 175 days , and while docked with the station they were occupied to validate the life support system . while the rrvs spent time in only low - earth orbit , the heat shield is designed to cope with the greater heat experienced from a moon - return trajectory .
excalibur almaz limited ( ea ) is an international commercial space transportation company based in the isle of man . its goal is the affordable and reliable transportation of humans and cargo to low earth orbit , libration point , the moon and beyond .
during his brief involvement with excalibur , says abbey , russian engineers were not offering any technical support in refurbishing the fleet .
the rich legacy of the almaz program continues to live in all space stations built to date . the orbital manned almaz space station is the origin of the salyut and mir space stations . the international space station ( iss ) inherited from almaz its main service module
zvezda
. the almaz transport vehicle provided the basis for the iss module
zarya
and also for the salyut - 7 space station module kosmos - 1686 and a line of modules for the mir space station .
to emphasise the company’s readiness to launch as early as 2015 , excalibur almaz is exhibiting one of its spacecraft at space base london , a one - off event at the london queen elizabeth ii exhibition centre from june 20 - 22 , 2012 .
the auctioned capsule was one of four reusable reentry vehicles ( rrv ) owned by excalibur almaz , which also acquired a pair of almaz space station modules that never flew . the company’s intent has been to recycle the hardware for use in crewed missions to earth orbit , cislunar space , libration points and deep space . however , the company has never announced a customer .
the company expects to have a test flight in 2013 and then slowly build the frequency of service of its almaz spacecraft .
whether excalibur almaz is still pursuing this aim is unclear . an email to rob lazaro , who is listed as the company’s public relations director on its website , has not been returned . the last news update on the site is from july 2012 .
this is a major milestone for spacetek , which has had strong interest from european and asian investors , and sets us on course to achieve our 2018 launch ,
said beher upon spacetek signing a memorandum of understanding with excalibur almaz in july .
excalibur could also get funding from nasa . it is set to issue awards this year to private firms working on ways to transport astronauts to and from low - earth orbit . with funding excalibur could have a vehicle flying within three years , chiao says .
because of that international involvement and expertise , excalibur almaz
is in a unique position to initiate a new era of private orbital space exploration ,
said the company ' s founder and ceo , art dula , a veteran attorney specializing in aerospace issues .
london , united kingdom ( xcor / ea pr ) — excalibur almaz limited ( ea ) , a commercial aerospace company based on the isle of man , british isles , signed a memorandum of understanding ( mou ) with california - based xcor aerospace for suborbital flight services . the agreement signed in conjunction with the royal aeronautical society’s 3rd european space tourism conference calls for xcor to provide suborbital flight familiarization and training using its lynx vehicle for excalibur almaz crews traveling on earth orbit , circumlunar , and deep space missions .
ea working with russians on hall thrusters for almaz stations to move to lagrange points . modules 20mt , 90m3 , 20yr life .
london , united kingdom , june 20 , 2012 - excalibur almaz limited ( ea ) , a commercial aerospace company based on the isle of man , british isles , signed a memorandum of understanding ( mou ) with california - based xcor aerospace for suborbital flight services . the agreement signed in conjunction with the royal aeronautical society ' s 3rd european space tourism conference calls for xcor to provide suborbital flight familiarization and training using its lynx vehicle for excalibur almaz crews traveling on earth orbit , circumlunar , and deep space missions .
as competition mounts in the new space race , excalibur almaz benefits from its high degree of technical readiness . this advantage includes already achieving nine successful reusable return vehicle ( rrv ) capsule flights , reentries and soft landings with one rrv being flight - tested three times in space and one rrv staying in orbit attached to a salyut space station for 175 days . numerous other ground and flight tests have also been performed on excalibur almaz ' s rrv capsules with each rrv expected to be reusable for up to 15 spaceflights .
when nasa and excalibur inked their agreement , it was with the understanding that excalibur could not share technical information with “russian entities” without prior approval , and the entities could not be on a national watch list . at the time , npo mash wasn’t , but it was added in 2014 , and it’s unclear what impact , if any , this would have on excalibur’s future dealings with the company .
this contention is seconded by excalibur’s former executive vice president , leroy chiao . a former astronaut who flew three shuttle missions and commanded a 2004 international space station expedition , chiao entered the private sector in 2005 , and , intrigued by dula’s dream , joined excalibur . unfortunately , he told the press , he and other excalibur directors did not have the full story of dula’s contract with the russians .
by the time beck had filed suit in 2012 , dula switched excalibur’s focus from mining to private space exploration . dula announced that the company would be selling tickets aboard one of the almaz capsules for $ 100 million . trips would start as early as 2015 .
candid moments around the world - cnn june 19 , 2012 a space capsule on display in ( parliament square , westminster ) london . today a british company called excalibur almaz announced plans to fly people to the moon in three years ( watch full video ) .
brit firm offers trips to the moon . . . for £100million - the sun june 20 , 2012 isle of man - based excalibur almaz will blast passengers into lunar orbit for a £100million “fare” . the first voyages - aboard russian shuttles once used to spy on the west - could launch in 2015 . until now space tourists have travelled only to the international space station and back . excalibur almaz has bought and recycled four re - entry capsules and two space stations from russian firm npo mashinostroyenia ( read full article ) .
“these allegations are baseless and will be vigorously defended . to set the record straight , excalibur almaz is not out of business and is vigorously pursuing a profitable commercial space program utilizing proven russian flight hardware capable of re - use , contrary to recent allegations . ”
excalibur almaz founder and chief executive officer art dula estimates it will take 24 to 30 months to develop the remaining technology needed and to refurbish the ex - soviet spacecraft and space stations the company already owns . it bought four 1970s - era soviet almaz program three - crew capsules and two russian salyut - class 63 , 800 - pound ( 29 , 000 kilograms ) space station pressure vessels .
a woman from houston in texas had brought the case against excalibur exploration chairman arthur m . dula and ceo j . buckner hightower .
fly to the moon for $ 150 million - fox business network june 26 , 2012 art dula , ceo of excalibur almaz , on space travel becoming a reality for the public as soon as 2015 with tickets costing more than $ 150 million ( watch video ) .
- london , june 20 , 2012 – excalibur almaz limited ( ea ) , a commercial aerospace company based on the isle of man , british isles , signed a memorandum of understanding ( mou ) with california - based xcor aerospace for suborbital flight services . the agreement signed in conjunction with the royal aeronautical society ' s 3rd european space tourism conference calls for xcor to provide suborbital flight familiarization and training using its lynx vehicle for excalibur almaz crews traveling on earth orbit , circumlunar , and deep space missions . ( read full article ) .
the inquiry further noted that much of the hoopla surrounding the supposedly booming industry had to do with the fact that excalibur almaz was one of only two companies with sights set on the moon , and neither company had done much of anything . the most exciting thing to happen to excalibur , it seemed , was when a bunch of manx schoolchildren were invited to the hangar to play around in the capsules .
but the becks didn’t bite until after a july 2006 dinner honoring heinlein , where dula presented the first $ 500 , 000 heinlein prize . the couple were impressed by the display , as well as the former astronauts and nasa officials in attendance , the suit alleges . before they cut a check , dula asked them to make it out not to excalibur mines — which would never be formed — but to something called excalibur almaz usa . dula then formed a company in the isle of man called excalibur exploration , where the becks’ shares went .
jenn sander , wearing a spacesuit once worn by us astronaut peggy whitson , sits inside a re - entry capsule owned by british space - exploration company excalibur almaz , who have announce plans to fly people to the moon for the first time since apollo 17 in 1972 .
excalibur almaz presents plan for commercial space flight - excalibur almaz ltd ( ea ) , an international space exploration company , today held a series of events to mark its announcement of plans to provide commercial flights to and from outer space . the events , including a press briefing and vip reception for the local business and educational community , were co - sponsored by the isle of man government and by king william’s college ( kwc ) , which is providing a temporary home for the spacecraft during its short stay on the island ( read full article ) .
excalibur almaz’s approach is to leverage the billions of dollars of past investment by governments of spacefaring nations and apply advanced technology on an as needed basis to develop a space architecture that provides efficient access to space for commercialization , research and exploration ,
said mr . dula .
excalibur almaz limited ( ea ) , an international space exploration company , today announced plans to open up a new era of private orbital space flight for commercial customers , using updated elements of the â€œalmazâ€ space system originally developed by jsc mic npo mashinostroyenia ( npom ) of russia .
instead , the us entrepreneur art dula proposed to use the station as a tourist destination and a commercial research outpost in the earth ' s orbit . in 2005 , the company called excalibur - almaz said it owned eight reusable descent modules of the tks spacecraft and one space station .
now it seems its dreams of taking on the americans , russians and chinese have crashed back to earth after the space tourism company excalibur almaz moved its russian space capsule and space station to an undisclosed location , claiming its lease had expired on the manx hangar where it was stored .
now there ' s another british company in on the action . excalibur almaz , based on the isle of man , has announced details of its plans not only to launch private “tours” into space , but also to operate the first moon missions since that of apollo 17 in 1972 .
over the past several years excalibur almaz has performed numerous technical feasibility and design studies related to the rrv’s and their subsystems as well as launch vehicle compatibility and overall program architecture . excalibur almaz also commissioned multiple independent market studies from futron corporation to examine demand for low earth orbit and manned cislunar spaceflight over a ten year period . ea has also acquired state department licenses for the hardware and for the technical services and export licenses from russia to use the equipment in space . the company also recently became the first to complete all of its space act agreement milestones with nasa’s commercial crew program .
to accompany the auction , a history of the capsule — and the almaz program in general — was written up by bernd hoefer , who is identified on excalibur’s website as the “adviser for finance and capital formation in the middle east . ” ( hoefer declined to comment for this story . )
excalibur almaz had one of its space capsules on show in london and pocket - lint was on hand to take a look . claustrophobes need not apply ; the three - man capsule , as our pictures show , is small , and the outward journey to space takes an epic 34 hours .
the several almaz reentry vehicles were never launched or returned manned because of conflicts in the russian space program between the military and civilian sides and between the more powerful energia ( that builds the single - use soyuz ) and nprom that had the reusable almaz - a major advance for the 1970s .
unlike tks , the design proposed by excalibur almaz featured no visible rendezvous antennas or docking hardware , suggesting that the va passenger capsule could be launched along with the station . ironically , this would require to launch the station in the
upside down
position comparing to the original liftoff arrangement of the soviet almaz . the development of the new propulsion module for the va capsule was reportedly delegated to an unnamed european organization as early as 2009 .
excalibur almaz has signed an unfunded space act agreement with nasa to obtain the space agency’s assistance with its bid to provide commercial crew services to the international space station . news of the oct . 17 agreement was included in a footnote in the charter of a house science committee hearing taking place this morning .
the project got little publicity until this year , when one partially assembled almaz space station ( almaz - 205 ) along with a hull of another vehicle ( almaz - 206 ) suddenly
landed
on the the isle of man , uk , of all places . at the beginning of january , the local press ran photos of heavy trucks with carefully draped oversize cylinders navigating the island ' s awfully steep and angled roads famous for extreme motorcycle races .
the project ' s primary technical partner in russia is npo mashinostroyenia ( pronounced machine - ah - st - roy - a - ya ( nprom ) . the highly regarded company which builds the reusable almaz reentry vehicles also built the almaz space stations that were at the heart of the military reconnaissance system .
other contenders for orbital space tourism include chicago - based planetspace , inc . , which is designing a space plane called the silver dart ; blue origin and its planned orbital space vehicle ; and excalibur almaz limited , based in the isle of man , which is retrofitting old soviet spaceships for future commercial flights .
at the time , a company ' s press - release said that initially all flights would be limited to the orbiting of the va crew capsule . in order to justify the launch of the refurbished almaz space station , the company would need a backlog of six missions a year . in the interim , excalibur - almaz hoped to upgrade the va capsule with a two - ton service module to provide additional habitable space during tourist missions lasting up to five days .
in addition to electric thrusters to propel a space station to the moon , excalibur almaz must pay for the development of digital flight - control computers , life support systems and an in - space propulsion system . dula indicated that his company has spent about $ 150 million on the in - orbit space propulsion module .
dula is not the first to offer commercial unmanned spacecraft science missions . spacex is planning its dragonlab service , the first of which the company ' s website launch manifest states will occur in 2014 . spacex ' s dragonlab fact sheet does not list any prices . for these missions , excalibur almaz would use a new module , which is being developed with the help of eads astrium . on its website , excalibur almaz describes a service module , which is used for storing consumables and acts as a habitation area , and a cargo module that can deliver up to 22 , 000 pounds ( 10 , 000 kg ) of cargo .
a critical feature of the rrvs is their reusability , which will reduce logistical , overhead and program costs for commercial access to space ,
excalibur almaz officials said , adding that the spacecraft will be designed to fit atop a variety of launch vehicles in order to lift off from different sites around the world .
dula told huffpost that the four reusable re - entry vehicles excalibur almaz purchased from russia will be launched atop soyuz - fg rockets . when one of the three - person shuttles reaches low earth orbit , it will rendevouz and dock with one of the two habitation modules , each of which will have their own propulsion systems .
the almaz space station was originally designed as a military reconnaissance station , which could photograph the earth and return photos with small ejectable reentry capsules . as a result , the almaz space station has a 2 - meter telescope which could be used to study the moon and the ability to eject small landers to the lunar surface .
using the modular architecture of our spacecraft and service / cargo modules , excalibur almaz transportation systems will provide the lowest development risk approach to create the first step in the infrastructure needed to provide commercially viable business activities in space , including asteroid and lunar mining , research and lunar and planetary exploration ,
said mr . dula .
excalbur almaz is a company based in the isle of man whose goal is to refurbish a couple of soviet - era almaz space stations and four crew return capsule for some type of space mission . the company has gone through numerous iterations , from space tourism to commercial space station to nasa commercial crew to deep space mining facility .
horie filed his lawsuit in harris county district court in november 2014 , accusing dula and two excalibur colleagues of fraud . most strikingly , horie alleged that , after snooping around , he learned that the contract between excalibur and the russian entity that sold the spaceships to dula expressly stipulated that the equipment was not to be modified for flight .
excalibur almaz inc . ( eai ) has successfully completed its commercial crew development round 2 ( ccdev2 ) partnership with nasa ' s commercial crew program . through ccdev2 , nasa is spurring innovation and development of safe , reliable and cost - effective spacecraft and launch vehicles capable of transporting astronauts to low earth orbit and the international space station .
and , at a reception in the excalibur airport hangar in the isle of man in 2012 , dula went so far as to call the company a “nasa contractor . ”
mr stott – who married nasa astronaut nicole stott at st peters in onchan – is a director of excalibur . his lawyers said claims against him had been “totally unfounded” .
“the excalibur almaz proposal was the lowest rated proposal of the eight companies selected for due diligence and it was the only one that received a yellow rating ( for business considerations ) . in addition , there was a consistent theme in many of the proposal’s weakness , which was that the proposal lacked sufficient detail to determine crucial aspects of the cts concept’s technical , business and safety content . for example , there was a lack of detail regarding the team’s engineering and manufacturing experience to fabricate and operate the almaz vehicle , lack of detail about integration of the vehicle , lack of detail about acquisition of hardware , and lack of detail about the resources need for the ccdev 2 work . i felt this lack of detail increased the risk for enabling a commercial cts capability . this fact , in conjunction with the relatively lower ratings , led me to not select excalibur almaz for award . ”
in april 2011 , excalibur - almaz released new drawings of the almaz space station integrated with a modified va crew capsule , which was designed to carry station ' s passengers to the earth orbit and back . although the capsule itself remained largely unchanged it was equipped with a compact propulsion module and a lattice structure attaching it to the tail end of the station . in the original soviet designs , the va capsule was connected to the massive fgb propulsion and storage module . together va and fgb would form the tks transport ship .
the architecture for the lunar mission involves a soviet almaz reusable return vehicle ( rrv ) , which can carry three people , launched by a soyuz - fg rocket . this rocket also launches russia ' s soyuz manned capsule . the rrv weighs 6 , 600 pounds ( 3 , 000 kg ) and has a habitable volume of 159 cubic feet ( 4 . 5 cubic meters ) . the lunar flight also uses a salyut - class 63 , 800 - pound ( 29 , 000 kg ) space station that is launched by a proton rocket . while excalibur almaz intends to use the soyuz - fg and proton initially , dula did not rule out using other rockets , including space exploration technologies ' ( spacex ) falcon 9 in the future . dula said excalibur almaz would wait for the falcon 9 to accumulate enough flights that it became feasible to insure the space station module aboard the rocket .
a bit more information on the sea launch bankruptcy reorganization – which includes excalibur alaz ( which is planning to launch a space station ) and u . s . - based planetspace :
an anonymous bidder snapped one of the company’s space capsules for $ 1 million euros ( $ 1 . 39 million ) on tuesday during an auction at the kunsthaus lempertz auction house in brussels , belgium . the vehicle had flown into space unmanned on two occasions during the 1970’s as part of the soviet union’s space station effort and had been refurbished by excalibur almaz .
- july 6 , 2012 – excalibur almaz , incorporated ( eai ) , a private u . s . company based in houston , tx , has successfully completed all the milestones for nasa’s commercial crew program second development round ( ccdev2 ) of space act agreements ( saa ) . eai’s milestones were fully verified and completed on june 19 ( read full article ) .
“suborbital flight experience will serve as an integral preparatory step for the safety , education and enjoyment of our customers traveling on crew expedition missions , ” said art dula , excalibur almaz founder and chairman . “the xcor flights will enhance the overall spaceflight experience of our program and will help ensure that our passengers are both mission and medically qualified to fly in space . ”
at least two other efforts to build commercial space stations for private orbital spaceflights : the isle of man - based excalibur almaz is currently working to build new stations based on proven soviet - era designs while the russian team of companies rsc energia and orbital technologies hopes to launch what it bills as the
world ' s first commercial space station
by 2016 .
and , if things work out , people will have that chance through excalibur . at the april northern space consortium conference , hightower gave a speech detailing the company’s interest in liverpool’s “precision manufacturing capability , ” which will come in handy for when excalibur begins building more spacecraft . so far , he said , the company has invested $ 30 million on its existing fleet .
excalibur almaz believes a mission to l2 could generate $ 900 million in revenues . that includes three seats which would be sold to sovereign government or private space explorers for $ 150 million apiece , delivery of satellites to l2 for $ 75 million apiece , delivery of small payloads to the lunar surface for $ 350 million apiece , and $ 32 million for naming rights .
for crew transport to low - earth orbit , dula said that nasa was distorting the market by paying $ 63 million per seat , but that his company is still part of nasa ' s commercial crew development ( ccdev ) program with a nonfunded space act agreement . dula said that excalibur almaz had achieved all of its ccdev milestones on time and on budget so far .
suborbital flight experience will serve as an integral preparatory step for the safety , education and enjoyment of our customers traveling on crew expedition missions ,
said art dula , excalibur almaz founder and chairman .
the xcor flights will enhance the overall spaceflight experience of our program and will help ensure that our passengers are both mission and medically qualified to fly in space .
that russian hardware will now be used to
open a new era of private orbital space flight for commercial customers , using updated elements of the almaz space system ,
says dula .
excalibur almaz rrvs and salyut - class spacecraft are tested and possess a history of reliability . this capability offers multiple mission profiles and unique opportunities to the customer . ea has the core leadership , support advisors and professional relationships to establish and operate this private space transportation company . the ea team is experienced in spaceflight ops , complex technical environments , program safety and international business challenges .
the cost is say $ 250 million ; we already have much of the nonrecurring expense [ engineering research and development ] paid for this ,
he said . this propulsion system is based on the european space agency ' s automated transfer vehicle ' s propulsion module . eads astrium is a contractor for excalibur almaz . another contractor is russian military and industrial joint stock company mashinostroyenia .
to drum up more publicity for excalibur’s $ 100 million tickets for space expeditions , dula sent one of the almaz capsules to london for outdoor display at the royal aeronautical society , in parliament square . this seemed to tick off beck , who noted in her suit that the capsule taking up real estate near parliament was supposed to have been planting flags on asteroids and making her rich .
isle of man firm offering £100m trips to moon - sky news june 19 , 2012 a british space company has announced details of a plan to take people to the moon for the first time since 1972 . excalibur almaz is offering members of the public a passport to orbit the moon - but budding space - travelers will have to find around £100m first ( read full article ) .
kennedy space center , fla . ( nasa pr ) — excalibur almaz inc . ( eai ) has successfully completed its commercial crew development round 2 ( ccdev2 ) partnership with nasa’s commercial crew program . through ccdev2 , nasa is spurring innovation and development of safe , reliable and cost - effective spacecraft and launch vehicles capable of transporting astronauts to low earth orbit and the international space station .
capt . david : - - - quote - - - jim - 20 / 3 / 2008 1 : 54 pm almaz was a dead end . it never
was
, and
could be
is not a valid . - - - end quote - - - now that ' s an interesting statement . since the almaz ops flew multiple times , the tks likewise , as also the va . . . the
dead end
is , of course , a dead statement . i ' m also at a loss for your definition of
never
. is that the
never
like was used by president clinton when he said he
never
had sex with that woman . . . ? as for the
could be
. . . the almaz program isn ' t over yet ! just ask the guys at
excalibur almaz
. i believe
rocket scientist
is the least of their list of credentials .


founded in 1954 by ben g. stone , scafco corporation ( now the stone group of companies ) is a privately held company headquartered in spokane , washington .

initially producing steel culvert for the construction industry as spokane culvert and fabrication company , scafco expanded in 1961 to manufacture grain storage systems and again in 1994 to produce steel framing products .

the original culvert product division was sold in 1986 , and the name was changed to simply scafco .

both divisions currently operate out of two 75,000-square-foot ( 7,000 m ² ) manufacturing facilities in spokane , washington .

scafco manufactures many types of steel products including grain storage bins and silos , water tanks , steel studs , steel framing equipment , curved and slotted track , and resilient sound channel .

scafco 's grain storage systems have been installed in over 80 countries worldwide .

scafco

jim mcdonald has joined scafco corporation as ceo of the scafco grain systems division .
scafco corporation has hired jim mcdonald as the new ceo of the scafco grain systems division .
cwalla , a preferred distributor of scafco steel framing , offers a special connection between scafco and our customers .
scafco grain systems , another subsidiary of scafco corp . , is located at 5400 e . broadway , in spokane valley .
spokane , washington , u . s . — jim mcdonald has joined scafco corp . as chief executive officer of the scafco grain systems division .
while it would be scafco’s desire to have a relationship with each customer , time , volume and distances around the world preclude this . however , scafco dealers do a fantastic job of representing scafco grain systems through providing support , education and services to the end - users . scafco grain systems dealers play a pivotal role in delivering scafco grain systems products along with their services to customers .
scafco’s press brake provides quick turnaround times on all parts up to 24’ long .
even so , stone said the playfair deal pencils out using scafco’s 2005 production numbers .
scafco corporation is still a privately owned company , directed by the son of the founder .
scafco steel stud company is a manufacturer of steel framing products and accessories for the drywall industry .
stone said scafco needs more space , and he prefers moving closer to the heart of the city .
the original culvert product division was sold in 1986 , and the company name was changed to scafco . scafco expanded again in 1994 to include the production of steel framing products , spokane steel stud company .
scafco grain systems is a market leader in the design and manufacturing of corrugated galvanized grain storage solutions . scafco engineers custom design to meet individual requirements and has supplied grain storage projects to over 80 countries worldwide . scafco products are engineered for quick on - site assembly , simple operation , and lasting quality .
playfair commerce park llc bought several large parcels in about 2014 where stone’s scafco steel stud systems plant is located .
our cwalla branch stores carry an extensive inventory of scafco steel framing and accessories , along with full access to scafco’s engineering team . they offer value engineering for innovative new solutions , efficient design opportunities and labor - saving product options .
on april 28 th , scafco corporation will celebrate its 60 th year of operation . scafco was established in spokane , washington in 1954 as a small business called spokane culvert and fabricating company , whose main product was corrugated steel culverts . in 1961 , the company expanded to include manufacturing of grain storage systems and which became scafco grain systems company .
scafco expanded again in 1994 to include the production of steel framing products and created the division known as spokane steel stud company . the original culvert product division was sold in 1986 and the company name was changed to scafco . scafco corporation is still a privately owned company , directed by the son of the original spokane culvert and fabricating company founder .
scafco is dedicated to meet the rising demands in product innovation and cost saving installation methods for the building and construction industry . implementing scafco’s suggested language can add value to your future projects , improve performance , and help meet completion targets .
in late june , scafco grain systems employees moved back to the improved offices at 5400 e broadway avenue . during the expansion , office employees worked off - site from the former scafco steel stud office while shop employees worked around construction crews .
scafco steel stud manufacturing provides a three - part specification guide that is current with the 2012 ibc’s including the product data references .
on april 28 th , scafco corporation will celebrate its 60 th year of operation . scafco was established in spokane , washington in 1954 . it began as a small business known as spokane culvert and fabricating company whose main product was corrugated steel culverts . in 1961 , the company expanded to include manufacturing of grain storage systems and started the division now known as scafco grain systems company .
lawrence b . stone ppty construction llc was the contractor on the scafco headquarters and stud plant projects that were completed in 2013 .
overall , scafco recognized dealers with bronze , silver , gold , and platinum awards for going above and beyond expectations . scafco grain systems has exceptional standards for products and service , and believes that customers should receive comprehensive product application information when they make a purchase . scafco dealers , in fulfilling this role , are selected and recognized for their superior standards , focus on education , and outstanding customer service .
if you find yourself in need of a design professional , scafco can also assist you in choosing a qualified firm to suit your needs .
scafco will move its steel stud plant from its factory near interstate 90 and sprague avenue . stone said the company will maintain its grain bin factory in spokane valley for the foreseeable future . scafco will sell or lease the rest of the property as the playfair business & industrial park .
scafco’s comprehensive team of engineers , administrative and office staff , craftsmen , and student interns focuses on providing customer - driven products at competitive prices . scafco currently has manufacturing facilities in washington and california , with distribution branches located in eight states , along with sales representatives around the world .
in the 53 years that scafco grain systems company has been operating , the product line has been developed to offer complete systems for grain storage and handling . this includes flat bottom and hopper bottom bins , aeration systems , material handling equipment , catwalks and towers . beyond grain storage , scafco also offers water storage and aggregate storage systems . with products installed in 83 countries , scafco corporation is proud of the growth that has been experienced in the past 60 years , and scafco looks forward to continued relationships with current customers and the opportunity to work with new customers all over the world .
scafco isn’t immune from the downturn . the company employs about 200 people – down from about 300 during the company’s boom years in 2007 and 2008 .
with almost 60 years of engineering and manufacturing experience , scafco has gained a worldwide reputation for high - quality products , great customer service , and strong corporate ethics . taking an active role in the local community , scafco contributes to several charities and foundations and is involved with many local educational institutions .
being a preferred distributor of scafco gives cwalla ultra - fast turnaround on all their custom brake shapes . we offer short lead times on all parts up to 24’ long , manufactured at scafco’s spokane , wa and stockton , ca plants . your custom shapes will be made according to your exact specifications .
when choosing a supplier , quality materials are a top priority . that’s why scafco steel framing products are manufactured from 100 % prime mill certified steel . scafco’s products exceed industry standards as they are manufactured from 57 ksi steel in place of 50 ksi and g90 in place of g60 for 68 mil and heavier .
scafco steel stud company is a manufacturer of a complete line of steel framing products and accessories . providing direct access to our engineering department , scafco allows contractors to leverage our team to save on labor costs and improve installation efficiency . we produce customers’ framing products to exact specifications , saving time and in - field modifications . scafco’ s distributors have large inventories of standard products , which limits lead time and eliminates work time lost while waiting for materials on the jobsite .
mr . mcdonald brings a wealth of both domestic and international management experience to scafco grain systems . prior to joining scafco , jim led an international organization with several sales and manufacturing operations in the usa and europe . while there , mcdonald implemented programs that led to increased sales , and greatly improved operational effectiveness .
copyright © 2018 , scafco grain systems co . • phone : + 1 509 - 535 - 1571 • contact us • all rights reserved . privacy policy
mcdonald brings a wealth of both domestic and international management experience to scafco grain systems . prior to joining scafco , mcdonald led an international organization with several sales and manufacturing operations in the u . s . and europe . while there , mcdonald implemented programs that led to increased sales and greatly improved operational effectiveness .
scafco and the ssfsa have teamed up with strucsoft solutions to expand our role in providing tools and resources for bim . the supreme framing system as well as many scafco products are available in revit through the strucsoft mwf pro wall add - in . these products can be easily used to quickly populate the building model with all the cold - formed metal framing members you will need . designers and drafters now have the ease of specifying scafco products throughout the drafting process .
we are happy to announce that construction is complete on the division headquarters , after several months of work on the scafco grain systems manufacturing plant and office building .
to request a more information please fill out the form below . a feed and grain team member will help connect you with the right representative at scafco grain systems co .
even in architecturally impressive san francisco , the wavy white façade of cwalla customer giampolini’s recent job stands out . the transbay terminal , built using scafco steel with the oversight of …
scafco grain systems recently recognized the company’s top performing dealers for the year 2013 . the recognition went to the dealerships that demonstrated exceptional customer service and exceeded sales projections for the year .
the approved permit is a $ 4 . 3 million , 63 , 750 - square - foot warehouse shell that would be built west of the intersection of ferry avenue and haven street . the new structure will be located just north of the two - year - old scafco corp . headquarters and scafco steel stud manufacturing co . buildings at 2800 e . main .
the country is in the midst of a significant recession , but that’s not stopping larry stone from making a significant investment in his grain storage and steel stud manufacturing company , scafco corp .
scafco offers a complete line of studs , track , and furring products . these are complemented by our specialty products of custom shapes , curved track and angle , serenity - rc resilient sound channel , shaft wall studs , pony wall supports , and slide - clips . scafco materials are available at over 20 distribution locations in the western united states , hawaii , and alaska .
as a customer of scafco steel stud company , you’ll have access to our team of dedicated engineers . call on their skills to help you save on labor costs and improve installation efficiency .
manufacturer of a complete line of steel framing products and accessories . scafco provides contractors direct access to our engineering department . leverage our team to save on labor costs and improve installation efficiency .
cwalla supplied the scafco studs for this building at wailea village center on maui . the maui news reports that the 43 , 000 - square - foot retail center is about halfway to completion . …
since then , seven companies , including scafco steel stud manufacturing co . , have established operations in three completed warehouses there with more than 400 workers earning family wages , says spokane mayor david condon .
scafco was established in spokane , washington in 1954 . it began as a small business known as spokane culvert and fabrication company , and it specialized mainly in the production of corrugated steel culverts . in 1961 , the company expanded to include manufacturing of grain storage systems and then steel framing products in 1994 . the original culvert product division was sold in 1986 and the company name was changed to scafco .
when the city first tried to sell the land last year , scafco met a $ 5 . 3 million minimum bid but demanded that the city pay for road and other improvements to the site . that deal faltered as the economy declined , and the city offered the land without setting a minimum price . in the new deal , scafco will pay for the infrastructure . no other party bid for the full acreage .
one of businessman larry stone’s companies is now overseeing the redevelopment of the land as playfair commerce park . stone also owns scafco , a manufacturer of steel building studs and other construction materials with headquarters at the playfair site .
public works director dave mandyke said considering infrastructure costs , scafco’s current deal is a few hundred thousand dollars less than the offer last year . most council members said the sooner the land gets on the tax rolls , the better .
the next warehouse building was constructed in 2014 at 301 n . haven , east of scafco’s headquarters . it has a total of 71 , 000 square feet of space , according to playfair commerce park’s most recent site plan map .
through our partnership with aec daily , scafco now offers one - hour courses to help you move forward with your studies . with topics from acoustic solutions and fire wall design innovations to improved construction methods for cold formed steel framing , these courses are…
from scafco steel stud manufacturing is a resilient channel that provides premium sound isolation for acoustic walls and ceilings . third party testing confirms its top - tier stc rating . serenity rc : premium results . radically affordable . the # 1 choice for resilient sound assemblies .
the newly expanded manufacturing plant and office building has nearly doubled the area that scafco grain systems has to operate , which will help us to perform more efficiently and meet our customers’ needs better . furthermore , the expanded office will accommodate the additional space required for our growing staff .
playfair commerce park : an infill development in east spokane , located on the site of a former horse racing track and grandstands , playfair is one of the region’s newer complexes and has two sites built out , scafco and ami metals , with several more sites ready for development .
lawrence stone , scafco’s president and ceo , also heads playfair commerce park . stone bought 48 acres of the 63 - acre former playfair property for $ 2 . 1 million from the city of spokane in 2010 , while the city retained 15 acres on the west end of the property .
those projects included constructing a $ 3 . 6 million , 24 , 000 - square - foot , two - story office building and a connected $ 5 . 7 million , 113 , 600 - square - foot manufacturing building . cwalla building materials co . occupies warehouse space along with scafco steel manufacturing .
playfair commerce park owns the property and is the developer of the project . divcon inc . , of spokane , is the contractor for the latest project . divcon project manager dustin smith referred inquiries about the project to wes southwick , a project manager at scafco , but southwick couldn’t be reached immediately for comment .
lawrence stone , president and ceo of scafco corp . and head of playfair commerce park llc , bought 48 acres of the 63 - acre former playfair horse racing track property from the city in 2010 for $ 2 . 1 million . stone bought another 10 acres from the city at the beginning of 2016 .
playfair commerce park was created in 2009 at the original playfair race track and is a development started by larry stone , the owner and ceo of our chamber partner scafco . larry has been a long time supporter of inba , and he is the original publisher of now defunct stonewall news , spokane’s first lgbt newspaper .
the university of california , davis , recently built what is known as a self - sufficient model of a winery for their college of agricultural and environmental sciences department . scafco water tanks were provided at two of the robert mondavi institute buildings . these are the teaching and research winery and the jess . s . jackson sustainable winery building .
the teaching and research winery consists of a 12 , 500 - square - foot winery along with a large experimental fermentation area which is used for research and courses for professors . scafco supplied this winery with four model 2105 water tanks with an approximate total storage capacity of 180 , 000 gallons ( 681 , 375 liters ) of water .
lawrence b . stone ppty construction llc was the contractor on the scafco headquarters and stud plant projects that were completed in 2013 . those projects included a $ 5 . 7 million , 113 , 600 - square - foot manufacturing building and a connected $ 3 . 6 million , 24 , 000 - square - foot , two - story office building .
scafco water tanks were also supplied at the jess s . jackson sustainable winery building . according to the uc davis website , this building “contains the technology needed to maximize the environmental capabilities of the adjacent winery , brewery , and food - processing complex . ” with the use of solar panels for energy , windows and skylights for natural lighting inside the building , rain water collection and water cleaning to reuse 90 percent of the water , this building is incredibly efficient and self - sustaining in water and energy requirements . “this makes the winery self - sustaining in energy and water and fully solar at peak load with a zero carbon footprint . ”
the spokane city council on monday voted 4 - 1 to accept stone’s $ 2 . 1 million bid to purchase 48 acres of the former playfair horse track in east central spokane .
“everyone’s just terribly frightened of doing any construction , ” stone said in an interview last week . “the good news is that it’s a great time to build in terms of cost . . ”
the city bought playfair in 2004 to build a sewage plant with spokane county . but negotiations with the county soured , and the county decided to build its own plant elsewhere .
in the deal approved monday , the city will sell the land at about half the price it paid per acre . the city is keeping 15 acres of the original site for a storm water system .
councilman bob apple , who cast the dissenting vote , said the city should wait for the economy to improve .
“i’m prohibited by state law from gifting public money , ” apple said . “it just to me looks like a situation that one could accuse ( the city ) of gifting public money . ”
“it’s a great company to have , ” said councilwoman nancy mclaughlin . “nobody else is coming up to the plate , and i’m tired of seeing that land just sit there with nothing . ”
“i love the fact that i’m going to have a shorter commute , ” stone said .
spokane buddhist temple started 1945 with a rented apartment and a group of six dedicated buddhists .
we would love to hear from you . email your questions or comments to us any time by filling out this form .
the grain systems division designs and manufactures complete grain storage and handling systems . our grain storage and hopper bins / silos range in size , so we can provide solutions for small farms or large commercial projects . we provide aeration equipment , bucket elevators , conveyors , augers , and a full line of accessories to meet all project requirements .
our grain storage and handling systems are in use in over 80 countries worldwide . this has provided us with vast experience designing solutions for various load capacities , as well as atmospheric and seismic conditions .
for inquiries related to this message please contact support . for sales inquiries , please visit urltoken
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with direct access to over 500 , 000 pounds of steel framing inventory at each location , cwalla can stock a wide variety of heavy gauge and light gauge steel studs and track , shaftwall , clips and backing products , and perfect curve products . cwalla can also help you order custom pieces for unique projects . we have equipped a select number of branches with an onsite press brake and shear that provides finished materials on the same day .
no matter the size of your steel - framing requirements , count on cwalla to have the quantity and selection you need to complete your project .
products available from the press brake include custom angles , deep leg track , custom studs , pitch track , and custom shapes and headers .
we recognize the benefit of coupling superior products with outstanding people . our unparalleled in - field service and support team is passionate about understanding your goals . the cwalla staff has the technical skills to meet your expectations and resolve your toughest problems quickly and efficiently . we manage our inventories based on commonly specified materials and years of will - call history to meet your project needs . rely on us for fast pick - up and delivery , accurate and timely stocking with expert crews that know the value of a safe job site .
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a book you should have : managing quality in architecture - integrating bim , risk and design process by charles nelson , 2017 .
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jim earned his bachelor of science in electrical engineering as well as his master of business administration from gonzaga university in spokane , washington , usa .
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mcdonald earned his bachelor ' s of science degree in electrical engineering as well as his master ' s of business administration from gonzaga university in spokane , washington , u . s .
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hours were good over time if you need it . the pay sucks for all the labor you put in , office staff couldnt get there orders correct . if you work here be ready to go home tired and sore .
bolted - together , all - galvanized steel catwalks are available in standard widths of 48 - , 58 - , and 68 - inches ( 1 . 22 - , 1 . 47 - , and 1 . 72 - meters ) , with clear spans up to 50 - feet ( 15 . 25 - meters )
available on all bins through 48 - foot ( 14 . 63 m ) diameter and 32 - foot ( 9 . 7 m ) eave height
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browse companies that make structural metal stud framing and view and download their free cad details , revit bim files , specifications and other content relating to structural metal stud framing as well as other product information formated for the architectural community .
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i am a native oregonian with a business degree from portland state university . i ' ve worked in a number of different fields including credit , finance , global logistics , and sustainability . i earned the cba designation in march 2014 , achieved the cbf designation in july 2014 , and the cce designation in march 2015 . i have served on the nacm oregon board since 2014 .
mark balstad , chair - elect area credit manager , crop production services , inc .
i’ve worked in the credit field for over 30 years , currently at crop production services , covering the pacific northwest territory . i attended olaf college in northfield , minnesota , where i earned a bachelor of arts in political science & religion . i have served on the board of directors for credit professionals international , credit women in construction , and idaho collectors association . i have served on the nacm inland northwest board of directors for numerous years .
i am a native oregonian born and raised in eugene . i moved to the portland area in 2007 with my husband and daughter . i started my credit career 24 years ago while working for a small ( at that time ) home improvement store in eugene . i started getting involved with nacm and cfdd while in that position which is where i received most of my credit education . i obtained my cba certification in 1999 and completed the gscfm course and cce certification in 2016 . i currently work for columbia river knife and tool as their credit & customer service manager . i served on the cfdd board from 2008 to 2015 and continue to stay involved with that organization . my husband and i have two beautiful daughters that keep us rather busy . we love camping , trips to the beach and just enjoying watching our “littles” grow up , though sometimes they grow to fast .
i am a washington native , raised in spokane , washington . for the last 20 years i have worked in credit , collections , and accounts receivable . prior to credit , i worked as a planner / buyer and in inventory management . i am proud to serve on the nacm northwest board of directors . i love taking part in nacm education and certification programs ; earning my cbf in 2015 . i have been married for 28 years with two wonderful children and a yellow lab named holly . i enjoy camping and snowmobiling with my family and friends .
i was born and raised in spokane , washington . after high school , i attended arizona state university to obtain a degree in finance . i have been in credit and collections for over 25 years . my last job as national credit manager of a staffing company brought me back to spokane . i have been with cpm development , my current employers , for six years . i earned my cba designation in 2013 . i’ve served on the nacm inland northwest board for five years . my wife works for the spokane regional health district and we have four children . i am a die - hard seahawk and sun devil fan . i enjoy hunting and the outdoors .
i started my financial career with a small s & l in spokane , washington where i first fell in love with credit . after attending the local community college in spokane , i went on to attend eastern washington university while continuing to grow my knowledge of finance . i took my knowledge of finance and used it to open several lending centers for banks and credit unions in spokane , boise , colorado springs , and denver . never losing my love for the pacific northwest , i returned in 2001 , and in 2003 i met my beautiful bride . it was 2004 i moved from banking to start a commercial services department for a spokane based credit union . at the credit union is where i became familiar with nacm , attending classes and finally becoming a board member from 2006 to 2013 . today i live and work in tri - cities , wa . my wife and i are blessed with two 27 - year - old daughters and a 12 - year - old son . between my wife’s passion for horses , my love of dogs ( particularly gundogs ) , our son’s schedule , and golf ( who doesn’t love golfing ? ) we stay pretty active . i am honored to have been asked to serve again on the nacm board of directors .
i was born and raised in north idaho and have lived in the spokane area for the past 17 years . i have been working in the banking industry for over 25 years and am currently employed with inb as a vice president / commercial banker . i received my bachelor ' s degree in business management from george fox university . i have two children ages 16 and 13 who i love to spend time with . in my free time , i enjoy traveling , snow skiing , and going to the lake .
i was born and raised in spokane , washington . i obtained my ba in business administration from washington state university . go cougs ! upon graduation , i went to work for a local collection agency , which started my career in credit & collections . after 8 years with that company , i was hired to be the credit manager at zak designs , inc . i am now in my 15th year at zak and enjoy my job very much . i’m currently serving on the nacm midwest consumer products group board and now the nacm northwest board of directors . my husband tim and i have two teenagers that keep us very busy . when we can get away , you can usually find us snow skiing !
i ' m a california native and have lived in oregon since 1989 . i have more than 25 years of experience in credit and collection . in the 25 years , nacm has been my source for information and education . it ' s an honor to be on the nacm oregon board to help with its continued success . i have been with food services of america for more than 19 years . i started as a district credit manager and now currently the branch credit manager . i attended san jose state ( go spartan ) , and finished with an accounting degree . i have four kids , one just graduated from college , one going into his third year in college and two in high school . i ' m an avid runner , and my hobbies include snowmobiling and snowboarding , wake boarding , and water sports in the summer . my greatest enjoyment is spending time with my family and running with my dogs .
i am proud to call myself an oregonian since 2005 . i manage the amazing credit team for orepac building products , one of oregon’s largest family owned companies . prior to joining the orepac family , highlights in my work experience ranged from sox compliance , sales force training and institutional trade support . i earned my b . s . degree in business management from metropolitan state university in denver and was awarded certifications in both the credit business fellow ( cbf ) in 2014 and the certified credit executive ( cce ) in 2016 . as an alum of nacm’s graduate school of credit and financial management ( gscfm ) program , i am passionate about promoting continuing education and the power of professional networking . in my spare time i enjoy fishing and crabbing with my husband and traveling to new places with family and friends .
i ' m a washington native and have lived in the portland area since 1980 . for me , credit and nacm are part of a diverse background in international business . i spent a few years in international banking operations , then for twenty - five years was with nike inc . in a variety of leadership roles related to foreign sales , international credit , regional and corporate operations , transition management , trade finance , and supply chain . i had the opportunity to do a lot of travel and to live overseas for a while . in may 2012 , i joined u . s . bank as vp , global trade consultant working with large companies across the western united states . early in my career , what was then nacm oregon played an important educational role for me and i ' ve enjoyed being a long time international trade group member and former chair . i strongly believe the organization that has grown and evolved to become nacm northwest provides a vital contribution to the business community , and i am honored to help with its continued success .
i am a native of portland , oregon who attended the university of oregon and portland state university studying journalism , business , and obtaining a bachelor’s degree in advertising . i began my 23 - year credit career in the outdoor apparel industry and 6 years ago redirected into the metals and mining industry with esco corporation in portland . i am an advocate of nacm’s educational and commercial offerings and hold the cce and cicp designations . i enjoy cycling , camping , gardening , off - roading , kayaking , and adventure travels with my wife , two adult children , and grandson .
i am a native washingtonian , growing up in central washington and eventually attending eastern washington university . i ' ve spent over 20 years in business credit management , beginning in commercial lending at a regional bank and transitioning over to the coo position of nacm inland northwest in 2007 . my husband of 25 years is a commercial marketing rep for costco wholesale . we have three beautiful and active children , keeping our household on the move every day . we spend a great amount of time at sporting events and enjoying most anything outdoors in the pacific northwest .
a native of colorado springs , colorado , i came to portland thirty - seven years ago and never left . i ' m a graduate of eastern washington university in cheney and york university in toronto . i ' ve spent a few decades working in and around finance and credit . for the last twenty - one years , i ' ve been an executive for nacm northwest , a trade association for business - to - business creditors . my wife is a sales representative for the bark , a dog - focused periodical , and we enjoy spending time with our three grown children .
playfair commerce park llc , of spokane , is taking the next step in the development of an industrial park at the site of the former horse racing track on the east side of spokane , securing a building permit for another structure there , city documents show .
though referred to in documents filed with the city and on the playfair commerce park’s website as the playfair 4 building , the planned structure would be built ahead of an envisioned playfair 3 building on land just to the east . the permit application shows it as a single - story building with an interior height of 40 feet .
one other structure , referred to as playfair 2 , also currently is located on the commerce park site , and five nearby lots , ranging in size from 1 . 98 to 5 . 12 acres , are available for future development , the development’s website shows .
architectural ven - tures , of spokane valley , is the project architect , while eclipse engineering inc . , also of spokane , is the project engineer .
early concepts of the overall playfair commerce park development included a number of buildings totaling up to 800 , 000 square feet .
a new road , shown going under the union pacific rail line at the west end of the playfair commerce park , is expected to provide better access to the east spokane development and potentially attract more tenants .
the owner and operators of the playfair commerce park predict within a year as many as 5 , 000 vehicles will traverse through the park as a result of a newly opened street connecting altamont street with ferry avenue at the west end of the complex in east spokane .
previously the only way to enter the park was at the intersection of ferry avenue and haven street on the park’s east side .
now , on altamont—just north of sprague avenue—the street runs underneath a union pacific corp . rail line and connects to ferry .
with clearance space of slightly over 11 feet , an overheight warning system has been installed to warn drivers if their vehicle exceeds 11 - feet - 2 - inches , a playfair commerce park official says .
playfair privately built the road and then donated it to the city of spokane . last week , park and city officials held a ribbon - cutting ceremony to mark the opening of the new street connector .
park representatives seeking to attract more tenants expect strong interest from businesses due to better access . the commerce park is bordered by the union pacific rail line to the south and west , and a burlington northern santa fe railway line to the north and west . haven street serves as the playfair property’s eastern border .
when fully developed , the playfair commerce park is expected to include 12 buildings with a total of 800 , 000 square feet of space .
“it’s turned out to be a good site for distribution and manufacturing companies , ” says mark lucas , kiemle & hagood co . ’s industrial specialist broker . “bn and up have rail lines there so it makes it convenient for those businesses . ”
ami metals inc . , a full - service cut - to - size metal service company for the aerospace industry , occupies the majority of the warehouse space , site plans show .
ami , with corporate offices based in brentwood , tenn . , has offices and warehouse space throughout the u . s . and europe . the other tenant is thomasville , ga . - based flowers foods inc . , say site plans .
the third warehouse building , constructed in 2015 at 2500 e . ferry , has a total of 64 , 000 square feet and is occupied by adi global distribution , airefco inc . , and idi distributors inc . , according to site plans .
adi , with more than 200 locations around the world , is a global wholesale distributor of security and low voltage products . airefco , a supplier of heating , ventilation , and air conditioning ( hvac ) parts and supplies , is based in tualatin , ore . idi , an insulation distribution company , has more than 40 locations around the u . s .
construction on a fourth warehouse building at the park—it’s scheduled to be a 52 , 000 - square - foot structure—started last october and hasn’t been completed yet .
the first horse racing track in the united states was built in 1665 in new york , and more than 300 were constructed over the next 200 - plus years . in the 1890s , a wave of anti - gambling sentiment shook the horse racing establishment .
bookmaking was banned and pari - mutuel betting was adopted . that meant all bets were placed in a pool , and after the track took its commission , the remaining pool of money was shared among winners .
spokane’s playfair race course , started in 1901 when the land was also the county fairgrounds , was a modest operation compared to glamorous venues in california , kentucky and new york .
although the fairgrounds moved to a site bounded by havana street and broadway avenue around 1935 , playfair continued to provide many hours of enjoyment to spokane racing fans who accessed the land – bounded on three sides by railroad tracks – using an underpass off main street and altamont .
the track struggled through the 1990s , partly because of the proliferation of other gambling options , such as card rooms , bingo halls , casinos and the lottery . the last race at the track was in december 2000 .
the city of spokane purchased playfair in 2004 , possibly for a new sewage plant . but the plant went elsewhere and the undeveloped land passed into private hands in 2014 .
the underpass at altamont was closed when playfair ended its run , complicating access to the site . the developers went to court and got it reopened . but at just over 11 feet , it’s too low to allow large trucks through .
recently , stone’s company privately funded the rebuilding of ferry street as an arterial through the development . commercial trucks can now get into and out of the commerce park without going through the altamont underpass . at the ribbon cutting for the street project july 11 , stone told the spokesman - review , “i am proud of what we are doing . ”
a new arterial route on altamont street and ferry avenue opened tuesday , serving the growing industrial area in east spokane .
the roadway swings under a union pacific railroad underpass on altamont and turns east to eventually connect with freya street and at a traffic light at alki avenue .
the roadway includes two warning systems for loads too tall to fit under the 11 - foot - 2 - inch underpass . they are the first warning systems of their kind in spokane county , officials said .
the warning system uses laser beams and led flashing lights to warn drivers of tall trucks that they are going to crash if they go through the underpass .
the roadway with curbs and sidewalks winds through the site of the former playfair horse race track , which is being redeveloped as the 40 - acre playfair commerce park .
lawrence b . stone , president of the stone group of companies , said the road was constructed with all private money from his company holdings .
stone threw a big party to cut the ribbon for the new street , supplying box lunches and shaved ice treats , with a backdrop of rock music . several hundred people attended .
“i am proud of what we are doing , ” he said in an interview .
stone said he had to convince the state department of transportation to preserve the altamont interchange on interstate 90 and then get city officials to let him use the underpass just north of sprague avenue .
he said the altamont underpass will preserve access in east spokane from north to south when trains might be blocking grade crossings from napa to park road , including freya .
jim hanley , an owner of acme tv home and office at the tin roof , said the street marks “a significant improvement in east central” spokane .
the city , under then - mayor jim west , bought the defunct race track property in 2004 for $ 6 . 3 million as a possible location for a new sewer plant , but that was before county officials chose an old stockyard site along freya to the east for the new plant .
the taxable property value of the park is $ 40 million , he said .
the extension of altamont provides a new route for emergency vehicles , condon said .
stone , who supports land stewardship , used ponderosa pines in the landscape strips along the new street .
mike peterson , executive director of the lands council , said playfair commerce park is a good example of urban infill that makes use of existing infrastructure .
dozens of industrial and office parks throughout the spokane area have an inventory mix of available space ready for move - in , as well as bare land ready for development .
optics are just a few of the available amenities . major tenants include inland empire distribution systems , spokane industries , fastenal inc . , and spokane packaging .
cheney industrial and commerce park : the city of cheney worked with cb richard ellis ( cbre ) to conduct an independent evaluation of the cheney industrial and commerce park . following that evaluation , cbre certified the complex as ready for development . located on 38 acres inside cheney , the park has in place high - speed fiber optics , as well as all other utilities . all environmental testing has been completed , and approvals are in place for conforming buildings . allpack container east llc is located in cheney ' s park .
central business park : with more than 500 , 000 square feet of floor space , this spokane valley park has a mix of available floor space , build - to suit opportunities , and open yard space . major tenants include pepsi and empire cold storage .
deer park business and industrial center : infrastructure improvements are underway and the first two tenants have committed to build on this 14 - parcel , 140 - acre project , located 15 miles north of spokane .
located in spokane valley with office , retail and flex space available . major occupants include purcell systems , american tire distributors , and southern wine & spirits .
located in spokane valley , natural language software company next it corp . is developing a 44 , 000 - square - foot headquarters building and plans to move its operations there later this year . the park has a total of 350 , 000 square feet of office space and a number of build - to - suit sites .
located five blocks north of the central busines district , five minutes from i - 90 , and ten minutes from spokane airport . four buildings host tenants such as pitney - bowes and ecova .
spokane international airport business park : distribution , offices and light manufacturing are the industries represented at commercial property surrounding spokane international airport .
in addition to existing buildings available for lease , nine real estate areas are designated for future development through third party development or build - to - suit .
iron bridge office campus : twenty - three acres close to downtown , located on the spokane river and centenial trail in the university district . space for lease and nine acres of land with completed utilities and infrastructure for buildings iv and v . tenants include paml , state farm , and delta dental of washington .