31 Mar 2017

Boon Edam Inc., a manufacturer of security entrances and architectural revolving doors, has announced that Eastman, based in Kingsport, TN, installed a multi-layer security entrance strategy, utilising a combination of Boon Edam Tourlock security revolving doors and Speedlane 900 optical turnstiles, at its Corporate Business Centre.

Eastman Corporate Business Centre

Eastman manufactures advanced materials and specialty additives at approximately 50 locations worldwide, which are used by its customers as key ingredients to make products people use every day.

Eastman’s Corporate Business Centre opened in 2016 and is approximately 300,000 square feet in size. Prior to its construction, Eastman utilised SafeSec security revolving doors (a company acquired by Boon Edam), as well as Boon Edam Tourlocks at one of its manufacturing facilities. Both types of security revolving doors prevent tailgating and piggybacking without the need for manned supervision. “The operation and durability of those entrances was quite impressive,” said Kevin Repass, Senior Control Systems Technician. “So, when we were shopping for entrances for the new Corporate Centre, Boon Edam was at the top of our list.”

Tourlock and Speedlane access control

Employees use their access card to proceed either through the optical turnstiles or an interior Tourlock to access secure areas 

Presently, the Corporate Business Centre has a total of five Tourlock security revolving doors as well as three Speedlane 900 optical turnstiles; the latter are used during business hours only. At the main entrance is a large, double door vestibule with swinging doors leading into a supervised lobby.

Visitors can enter via the swinging doors to meet hosts, then proceed into the secure area through the Speedlane 900 turnstiles. Employees use their access card to proceed either through the optical turnstiles or an interior Tourlock to access the secure areas beyond the lobby. The main entrance also features a Tourlock next to the exterior swinging doors so that employees can enter the building from the outside after-hours using a card reader.

At the North and South far ends of the building, which are close to additional employee parking, three Tourlocks handle employees and prevent tailgating and piggybacking at any time of day without supervision. One of the Tourlocks is on the second floor leading to a pedestrian skywalk that enables employees to walk over a busy, four lane road to the parking lot and other buildings on the corporate campus.

Authorised card access

“We like the Speedlanes very much,” commented Kirk Jones, Global Security Manager, Americas, “but to use them at all of our entrances would have needed personnel to monitor them. So instead, we added Tourlocks at our perimeter entrances that are card-activated. At our Corporate Business Centre, or any Eastman building, you must have authorised card access to enter.”

“We also selected full height panels on the Speedlanes,” added Rusty Wallace, Manager, Global Security and Travel Services, “because anything less than a full height entrance would again require personnel monitoring to ensure an effective piggy-backing prevention strategy.”

"We have over 900 employees, so we have to address this population’s needs for easy, quick and secure entrances"

“We have over 900 employees at this location, so we have to address this population’s needs for easy, quick and secure entrances,” added Jones. “In the lobby, the full-height Speedlanes meet our throughput needs without looking intrusive, and they fit nicely with the state-of-the-art business centre.”

“Having a combination of the two different types of security entrances is really beneficial for us. We’re effectively controlling access at all of our entrances, but also achieving the throughput we need,” explained Wallace.

“We are very satisfied customers,” said Repass. “We are preventing piggybacking, so that is very successful from the security aspect. And the attractiveness of the Boon Edam entrances means we look like the Fortune 300 company that we are. The Boon Edam entrances are high quality and durable, and very rarely do we need any repairs. If we do, the customer service has been excellent.”