The Reunion Center

From the Generac featured case study, “The Reunion Center”

The Reunion Center was built in 1917 as the First National Bank of Tulsa, Oklahoma, also known as “The Oilman’s Bank”. Over the years, the grandeur of the building has changed as renovations covered up some historic features decades ago, but there are elements in the Reunion Center lobby, such as the original brass elevators and marble trim, that still take you back to the iconic era. In 2020, it was announced that the 10-story building was to be renovated into 79 apartment units. Atop the structure is a 7,000 square foot relaxation space for residents, including a grilling area, television and fire pit.

When transforming the historical building into a functional living space for residents, it was important for the customer to secure a backup generator. “The generator’s function is to provide backup power in case of power outage,” Larry Buxton, owner, Buxton Electric, LLC. “But its main purpose is to support the fire pump installed. The fire pump is what is going to provide water pressure all the way to the top of the building, in case there was ever a fire.”

Buxton Electric partnered with Clifford Power, a Generac Industrial Energy distributor, to ensure reliable backup power to the building. “Clifford Power has partnered with Buxton Electric on several projects over the years,” said Curt Bailey, territory manager, Clifford Power. “Our relationship has strengthened and we’ve been able to work through complex projects such as this one.” Bailey said when designing the project, Clifford Power contributed by providing expertise in generator sizing, fuel type consideration and rooftop applications. “Providing the proper motor starting load of the fire pump was absolutely critical and fuel availability at the rooftop level was also a concern,” said Bailey. “Once natural gas was selected as the fuel type, we coordinated the generator’s fuel supply requirements with the gas plumber to help ensure reliability. Working with partners like this is crucial to the success of the project.”

Buxton said a rooftop installation was necessary as the building is located in a compact metropolitan area and outdoor space for the generator was limited. “We needed to set a 200 kW generator over the top of a 10-story building onto a three-story structure behind it and that can be nerve racking,” said Buxton. “We had to deploy a crane to reach over the building to set the generator in the back, which brings its own set of challenges and design plans that you have to take into consideration whenever you’re doing these types of operations.”

Buxton said his company isn’t afraid to take on big projects. “No job is too big and when we say that, we mean it,” said Buxton. “It’s exhilarating to see that generator come over the building, set down on that structure, and everything happened flawlessly. This may have seemed insurmountable to others, but to us it was just part of our day, part of our work week and part of what we do.”

Buxton said the support from Generac made the difference in the final outcome of the generator installation. “We had Generac’s support from specification all the way through the final installation,” he said. “The reliability, the service and the response we receive from our local Generac team just can’t be beat. We would definitely recommend Clifford Power.”