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This is Fred Ball for Zions Bank, speaking on business.
When you enter Becden Dental Lab's new facility in Draper, the place reminds you more of an art studio than a dental lab. Colorful couches complete with orange pillows greet visitors, along with equally vibrant works of art. And still, once you pass through the entryway into the main production room the ambience of an art gallery follows. Instead of dental technicians lined in rows hunched over florescent-lit desks, Becden spread its employees out across the manufacturing floor and flooded the room with natural light. They also carpeted the floors and installed granite desktops at each workstation.
When designing the new facility, Becden president and co-founder Becky Vasquez says she wanted to create an atmosphere that highlighted the artistic nature of the company's work. For Becden, creating veneers and other similar products is an art. Many Becden technicians sculpt or paint when away from the office, and if desired, Becden can even tattoo a crown with the client's favorite design.
What impressed me most, though, was the manufacturing layout designed by Becky's husband, Dennis. Everyday nearly 200 requests from across the nation for crowns, bridges or veneers comes into Becden. Becden assigns a specific team to fill orders for each dentist. That way, the dentist always receives the same results.
In addition to providing top quality oral restorations for dentists, Becden also offers consulting and training seminars. The new building features a conference room where Becky advises dentists in business practices and Dennis instructs clients on new techniques and advancements in oral cosmetic care. Behind the conference room there is even a dentist's chair for up-close instruction.
Becky and Dennis tell me, as far as they know, no other facility like theirs exists in the industry, and they're probably right.
For Zions Bank, I'm Fred Ball. I'm speaking on business.
