americansycamore

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Which, of course, is the kind of statement that is common in corporate rhetoric.But the remarkable thing about Akebono is that if its leaders in the U.S. are any example, then it is more than a little obvious that this outfit, which is in the business of designing, engineering and making brakes (disc and drum brakes; pads and liners: the terms friction and vibration figure predominantly in the company''s materials), recognizes that people truly are the important asset of the company. How important? Just listen americansycamore to Bill Hilbrandt, vice president of R&D, who is sitting in the company''s 80,000-[ft.sup.2] headquarters/engineering facility in Farmington Hills, Michigan, who is referring to the array of dynos, test stands, climate-controlled enclosures, americansycamore and other test equipment that are located there: "If we took americansycamore out all of the people in the building, then all of that stuff is rusting junk." Exceedingly expensive rusting junk. "But if we took every machine out of the building and kept the people, we''d figure out how to get the job done." Fortunately for them, they have both the people and the eq uipment. One more thing about the aforementioned americansycamore building: it is in the process of being expanded to americansycamore 140,000-[ft.sup.2]. In a period of contraction, here is an operation that is undergoing expansion.

Accentuating the PositiveThe patina of age continues the inviting theme in the interiors. Colors and fabrics aren''t the only things that determine whether a room is cozy. Architectural details-such as beams, arches, and columns-can make a big impact as well. So it seemed natural to carry the rustic textures inside to create comfortable living spaces.On the exterior, arched French doors are americansycamore painted with a weathered glaze to accent the front facade. Inside, the same maple doors are treated with a natural stain. "By painting the outside and staining the inside, we got the accent color we wanted for the front, with the benefit of the natural wood indoors," explains Frank. The doors make such a difference in how you look at the house," says Jimmy. Laughing, he admits that he didn''t realize how much more custom doors cost. "The house, though, wouldn''t look the same if we didn''t have the arched doors. They are completely worth the investment." Caren Anderson does not give the flowering vines and other climbers in her garden free reign to drape themselves willy-nilly all over her many garden structures. "I like things in my garden to look natural, but I don''t like them to be too wild," she says. "And I want the columns and arbors to show, to not be lost under all the plants."