Susan Messier
In 1866, C.H. Campbell, a Scottish-American veteran of the Civil War founded a farm implement and hardware company in the Newton Corner section of Newton, Mass.  In 1924, this company was sold to Robert Bell of Framingham, Mass., another Scottish-American, who continued the business as a retail hardware store. Gradually, as the economics of the country changed, so did Campbell Hardware. The company adapted to these conditions in 1958 by placing its emphasis on the hardware specialty field now known as "contract hardware."  Contract hardware is explained simply as the contract to furnish a building project with all those products which are applied to doors and frames. These products consist of hinges, locks, exit devices, hydraulic door closers, protection plates, door stops and holders, electromagnetic life safety devices, key control systems, keying systems, weather-stripping, and many other miscellaneous items. These products are available in various types, designs, and finishes. Robert McCabe purchased the company in 1965, and as it was outgrowing its facility and expanding into hollow metal frames, doors, etc., moved it down the street to Watertown a few years later. The distributorship was sold in 1995, so now the company is an independent architectural hardware consulting firm with providing detailed specifications for all building types with a serious emphasis interface with access controls, building codes, barriers, regulations and sustainability.
The area of contract hardware has been, and continues to be, an area of "mystery" to most architects and building contractors. It takes many years of apprenticeship and experience to understand fully the complexity of this field. One of the reasons for this field is the fact that the value of hardware on any given project ranges from .005% to .02% of the total cost of the project.  Therefore, the number of dollars assigned to this segment of the building construction industry does not warrant investment into the education of its participants. In other words, hands-on experience is the only known proven method of learning this trade.
Campbell-McCabe has been recognized as one of the most knowledgeable companies in this field by hardware manufacturers - those with whom we deal and those with whom we do not deal, by manufacturers' representatives, and even by our competitors.  Architects hire us as a result of "word of mouth advertising."
Our consulting services include a review of the following with the architect during the planning stages of a building project:
a. Door and frame materials for proper application of hardware.
b. Openings to comply with both model building codes, the Life Safety Code, Access Barriers Regulations, NFPA-101, and ADA-Building Codes.
c. Coordination of the hardware (Section 08710) with other sections of the building specifications, i.e. electrical, carpentry, doors and frames, access controls and security interface.
d. Allowances and/or budgets for this section of the work.
e. Assisting the architects in evaluating shop drawings submitted.
We have consulted with architects on projects worldwide over the last 40 years on over 4,000 specifications, acting as construction administrators. These included hardware class 1 projects for hospitals, public schools, colleges, universities, government buildings, embassies, courthouses, office buildings, banks, hotels, mental institutions, prisons, historical buildings institution housing, housing for the elderly, police and fire stations, libraries, manufacturing facilities and biotechnology facilities.
We are able to draw on a large list of applications to solve almost any problem.   
Our firm's passion is providing architects with a finish hardware specification which clarifies all of the code and accessibility requirements. This allows architects to efficiently allocate time and resources towards their strengths. We often hear the stories of, "We end up leaving the door hardware to the end, because it is so complicated." We are so happy to be working with specialists like Campbell-McCabe. The architect's advantage in choosing an experienced independent finish hardware consultant lies in the freedom of product choice to solve the design challenge. We understand the dynamic nature of the building industry and take part in the evolution of solving the problems. Whether the architectural firm is comprehensive or specialized in education, hospitals, urban design, or preservation, Campbell-McCabe has the design/code/construction administration experience and awareness of emerging technologies to deliver the best solution.
Susan Messier is project manager for development at Campbell-McCabe, Waltham, Mass.