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27, 1999 Dear Joe, I have just returned from your latest training in Las Vegas and felt compelled to sit down and send you a memo about your latest program and the excitement I feel for the program and for the sprinkler industry as a whole. As per our conversations over the last few months, you know I started doing design in this industry since 1969 and have watch and participated in the growth of design and CAD. In 1983, I started to develop an object oriented program around Versa-cad based program, which in 1988 we took this product to market and was very well received. We actually marketed the product under the Island Solutions Inc.-Fire Solutions until 1993 with the backing of Everex, Houston Instruments, and Prime (owner of Versa-Cad). In 1993 there was a noticeable down turn in the industry and support with Versa-cad translators and product ceased and we shelved the product. Since that time I have reviewed and test many other programs that became available, but found none until now that would hold a candle to the Fire Solutions Program even though six years six years have past. You can’t imagine the excitement I felt when I heard about AutoSPRINK and read the brochure. My first reaction was, “If this program can do anything close to that which was stated in the brochure, this will do for the sprinkler industry design sector what thin wall pipe and groove fittings did for the installation of system.” Well, I’m here to tell you that the brochure didn’t do the program justice after seeing the demo, having a chance to work with the program for a very brief time and attending the training in Las Vegas this past week. AutoSPRINK and the staff at M.E.P.CAD are in a class all their own and make all other CAD programs for the Sprinkler Industries seem obsolete. I would compare this step forward as similar from going from hand drawn design to CAD design back in the beginning. An even more encouraging thing is the dedication and desire by M.E.P.CAD to advance the program both in the Sprinkler Industry and in the CAD world as a whole. Before I turn this into a novel, I will close, but do wish to tell you what a pleasure it is and has been to work not only with your program, but also with your staff, whom I found to be knowledgeable, professionals and above all human. My staff and I look forward to a long and lasting relationship. I must now get back to my drawings on AutoSPRINK. Respectfully and sincerely yours, Terrence E. Chapin,
Memo - December 5, 1999 Dear Joe, Joe, as per our previous conversations, you know about and have heard about the Fire Solutions CAD Program that I developed in the early 80’s. This program was, until the introduction of AutoSPRINK, one of the most coplete and user friendly programs ever developed for the sprinkler industry. The more I have used the program, AutoSPRINK, the more I have become convinced that this is now and the future of Sprinkler Design. I wanted to drop you a note to tell you of my experiences over the past few months in regard to using and telling people about AutoSPRINK and what a wonderful experience it has been. You and you people should be congradulated on the wonderful gift, regardless of the cost, you have presented to the Fire Protection Industry. Our in house design, which we do primarily for Architectual Farms, has been getting rave reviews for the presentations, drawings and reports that we generate on AutoSPRINK. We have found that our productivity has increased by a minimum of 35%. This gives us the opportunity to serve our customers faster but does present a puzzle. Do we take some well-deserved time off or increase our productivity? This is a nice dilemma and yes, we will probably just do more work. I must admit, that I have so much fun using AutoSPRINK, I find it hard to call this work and I feel like I now have a working retirement. In regard to telling people, and or giving them the brochure information, the most common response is: “If the Program does half of what you say, then this is by far the best program available.” Well after seeing the program in operation they are convinced that it does twice as much as they were told or the brochure said. Most commonly, the Sprinkler Contractor’s have said “I heard this all before.” But after seeing an actual demonstration they are convinced that here is a program that actually does what it said, plus more. They have thanked me for introducing them into AutoSPRINK and I must say that I have so much fun; the reward of seeing a glow in their eyes is priceless. I must say that the most wonderful thing is that AutoSPRINK is in it’s infancy and it already does so much, that being a part of the program now is and should be, important to every person in designing, reviewing, and specifying Automatic Sprinkler Systems. I look forward to the future using and talking about AutoSPRINK. And on behalf of all whom I have spoken with about AutoSPRINK, a big THANKS. Respectfully and sincerely yours, Terrence E. Chapin |