Idesco Forges Enduring Partnership With NYC’s Macmillan Publishers

Systems integrator Idesco Corp. provided an AMAG access control solution for the book publisher at its offices in New York’s iconic Flatiron Building.

NEW YORK CITY – For more than a century, the famous Flatiron Building here has occupied a piece of curiously shaped real estate at 175 Fifth Avenue, sitting on a small triangular island at 23rd Street and Broadway, facing Madison Square.

Designed by Chicago’s Daniel Burnham in the Beaux-Arts style, it was one of the tallest buildings in Manhattan upon its completion in 1902. Constructed using limestone and terra-cotta, the Flatiron was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Considered one of the most recognizable buildings in the world, it has appeared in numerous movies and on countless postcards and posters.

A heightened need to ensure the security of the Flatiron and its occupants arose when its sole tenant, Macmillan Publishers, signed author Salman Rushdie, who was well known for having received death threats over his novel, “The Satanic Verses.”

Although his signing came well after that, the book publisher still had concerns and wanted to take every precaution. Flatiron Director of Facilities Verna Shamblee commenced a search for a reputable systems integrator to provide bomb-proof doors, among other implementations.

Shamblee would ultimately select Idesco Corp., which would go on to install an AMAG Technology access control system. That was more than 15 years ago and today Shamblee and Idesco Vice President of Strategic Sales Andy Goldstone continue to foster their close working partnership.

“When I call, they are here,” Shamblee says. “The turnaround time on service calls, and also calls on new products, are handled in a prompt manner.”

Aside from ground floor retail space, the Flatiron’s interior is known for its oddly shaped offices, with walls that cut through at an angle on their way to the skyscraper’s famous point. These “point” offices feature northern views that look directly upon another famous Manhattan landmark, the Empire State Building.

Macmillan is currently using analog cameras at the building with no plans to migrate to a full-scale IP solution at the present time. Idesco did not feel the need to upgrade Macmillan and says the system has plenty of room to grow once the technology becomes obsolete, Goldstone says.

The relationship that Idesco has built with the publishing giant over the years is based on trust and honesty. Idesco works within Macmillan’s budget constraints to deliver and maintain the best security system to meet the facility’s needs. The recipe for success is a simple one, Goldstone says.

“Build up rapport with the client, make constant site visits, provide exceptional service,” he says.

There is also one other key factor, he continues: “I make sure other key members of Idesco know [Shamblee] by name.”

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