Page 94 - Flathead Living Fall 2014

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Walking into acutech’s Work-
space is a full-sensory experience: Sparks burst from torches touching down on metal, the short blasts and buzzes of the plasma cutter slice the air, and the smell of hot metal and oil waft from a far corner.
At first blush, it’s a highly technical, rigid and rigorously controlled envi- ronment, where humans use modern machinery to tame and shape wild, raw metal. And while that is true, it’s only part of the picture.
Take a deeper look, and there’s an undercurrent of creativity and beauty in the workshop that wouldn’t be out
of place in a painter’s studio, especially in the large workspace farthest south, where crews piece together humongous, steel chandeliers.
Acutech co-owner Dean Grommet is particularly fond of this part of the metal manufacturing company’s repertoire; it’s a place he can get artistic with the mate- rials and make something beautiful.
“It’s good for the spirit to create some- thing you enjoy,” he said. “It’s fulfilling for everyone.”
The project taking up most of the space and time at the shop in July and August was an order for about a dozen chandeliers to light a large home in
Lakeside. Initially, the clients ordered one, Grommet said, but when they saw what Acutech came up with for the style, they decided they needed more for the rest of the house.
The main chandelier is a massive piece of lighting, weighing in at about 700 pounds, with multiple tiers of rolled and hand-hammered steel tinted black with the company’s signature patina mixture.
It’s the result of weeks of collaborative work among the clients, Acutech’s engi- neer, and the crews building the fixtures.
First, a client comes in with an idea for custom work. The company’s engi- neer produces a 3D rendering of the
92 FLATHEAD LIVING | FALL 2014