A large US map hangs prominently in the offices of Amerail Systems Inc.
There are more than 200 small, multi-colored push pins in each of the 48 contiguous US states and Hawaii.
Each pen represents the location of an exterior renovation of the hotel completed by the Millcreek Township-based company at 2301 W. 12th St..
Alan Schaal, CEO of Amerail, said he gave up years ago updating the map with each of his company’s growing project lists.
His company, which once manufactured exterior railings exclusively for Holiday Inn, has performed exterior upgrades at more than 2,400 hotels in 49 states since Schaal founded Amerail in 1985.
Operating under the radar in Erie, Amerail has built a national following in the hospitality industry, working with major hotel brands such as Best Western, Choice Hotels, Marriott, Courtyard, SpringHill Suites, Hilton, Hyatt, Hampton Inn, DoubleTree and Wyndham.
“We Aim For Wow” is the Schaal company motto.
Its approximately 60 national contract crews are currently working on renovation projects for outdoor hotels in Philadelphia, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Ohio, Kentucky and South Carolina.
In 2020, Amerail completed 35 renovation projects under 15 hotel brands in 14 states.
The company’s featured projects included the renovation of a Hampton Inn in Birmingham, Alabama; a Hampton Inn in Santee, South Carolina; a Holiday Inn in Westbury, New York; and a Courtyard Hotel in Wood Dale, Illinois.
“(In business terms, 2020) has been flat, but it has been a win for us in the face of the pandemic, particularly in the hotel industry,” said America President Aaron Dearborn.
He sees a more favorable outlook for 2021.
“We believe there will be a slow start to this year with a strong finish,” said Dearborn. “There is a lot of catching up to do in our industry
“Every five to ten years they have to renovate their building to keep their franchise license, and that’s where we found our niche through these exterior renovations,” said Dearborn. “We do a lot of conversions too. Someone takes a Marriott and turns it into a Hilton or a Hilton into a Best Western.”
“We do the design,” said Schaal. “We have the architects and engineers. We are definitely the most cost-effective when it comes to exterior design.”
According to Schaal, design-build projects can be completed in less time by reducing quote time, planning for the project can begin before the design is complete, potential construction problems are identified early, and improved communication keeps everything moving.
“Our crews do the installation. In some cases we manufacture here in our own facility,” said Schaal. “We are a direct buyer of every product we use. You reduce the profit from each line and give it back to the customer. That way you stay cost-effective.”
Amerail projects can range from a small business valued at $ 10,000 to a complete renovation of the hotel valued at $ 3.5 million. Some of Amerail’s national renovation projects can be viewed on its website. www.amerailsys.com.
“Some of our smaller jobs may include detecting water leaks or damage, as well as forensic testing to determine where water is entering the building, as well as full exterior repairs to large 15-story hotels,” Dearborn said.
Fourteen employees are employees of Amerail in Erie. The number climbs to several hundred when you factor in Amerail’s nearly 60 national subcontractors, including some crews from Erie.
“We hope we can expand to have more Erie subcontractors working for us because we have several projects in Ohio and Pennsylvania and those projects wouldn’t take them away from their families as much,” said Schaal.
Amerail’s largest project was an exterior renovation of a hotel in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, worth $ 4 million in the early 1990s, Schaal said.
The tallest building his crews worked on is the 47-story Avenue Hotel in downtown Chicago.
Amerail is located on Schaal Plaza, which also includes Schaal Glass Co., which was founded in 1926 by Alan Schaal’s grandfather Clarence Schaal.
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While Amerail has been expanding and known nationally for decades, the Erie region’s hotel industry has not played a significant role in the company’s growth.
“Erie doesn’t have that many hotels that have aged enough to need our services,” said Schaal. We did the Avalon Hotel in 1987 when they all put green accents on it. We worked on the Bel-Aire Hotel, but for the most part, Erie isn’t our market yet. “
From the mid-1980s to the early 1990s, the Holiday Inn chain was Amerail’s largest customer.
In the early 1990s, Amerail switched to an outdoor hotel renovation and contracting specialist and soon began adding other hotel brands such as Choice International, Best Western, Marriott and Hilton.
“We did our first job in California in 1986,” recalls Schaal. “From the beginning we opened up and said: ‘OK, wherever there is a hotel’. With Holiday Inn being everywhere, our business has grown so. “
The company’s largest ongoing project is a $ 3 million renovation of the 12-story Renaissance Airport Hotel in Philadelphia.
The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to continue to affect growth this year, but 2022 could be a far more successful year across the industry, Schaal said.
“We worked with Marriott and they said there are 1,700 hotels that need renovation from 2022,” he said. “Most of these projects are seven-figure hotels. So you’re seeing a significant amount, including for us. If we run 10 hotels, it’s $ 10 million.”
Schaal believes Amerail is well positioned for future growth.
“We don’t expect 2021 to be overwhelming, but you will see a lot of work in 2022 and we’re excited about it,” said Schaal.
Contact Ron Leonardi at rleonardi@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNLeonardi.
