Our Expertise
Dillon Works’ Legacy.
Dillon Works is a turnkey, custom design and fabrication company located just north of Seattle. For over 35 years, our creativity and high quality of fabrication execution has been integrated into projects in a variety of markets spanning the globe including, but not limited to Hospitality, Healthcare, Worship Facilities, Museums, Retail, Sports Venues, Casinos, Theme Parks and Tradeshow Exhibits.
Our work can be found all over the United States and in Russia, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Portugal, Estonia, International Waters, the UAE, Macau, Shanghai, Mexico, Germany, England and even Canada. We’ve created work that sells products, educates young minds, entertains families and delights audiences. We are innovators, problem solvers and creative partners. Our experienced staff brings to bear an array of technical knowledge acquired from years of working in industries such as theme parks, product design, architecture, advertising, museums, and film and television. A talented group of production managers, design directors and shop supervisors work together to manage an equally diverse group of artisans and craftspeople that represent some of the best working in the industry today.
But Dillon Works didn’t start out as the powerhouse we are today and so, a little history.
The journey begins.
The year was 1985. Mike Dillon, a former Disney “Imagineer” with a background in film and retail displays, decided that it was time to hang up his own shingle. And so, he did, in his grandmother-in-law’s garage. From those inauspicious beginnings, mostly making walk-around costumes and doing props and sets for television commercials, Dillon Works was born. In the years since then, the company has grown to become an internationally known design/fabrication leader with a list of globally recognized clients that represent a wide variety of industries.
At the helm, remains Mike Dillon, our president and the creative driving force at Dillon Works. We strive to strengthen the many relationships we have forged over the years while also continuing to make new ones. So, come join us if you will. We know the way.
Picture = 1000 words
We had to save ourselves, so we’re putting them on the Internet. We figure that once the fad wears off and the Internet’s batteries die, these images will be gone forever.
Here at Dillon Works, we have pictures. Lots of pictures. Sometimes it feels like all we make is pictures. This one guy was stuck under a 10-foot pile of pictures without food for almost four days.
Beacon
| biːkən | an intentionally conspicuous device designed to attract attention to a specific location.
The concept of advertising goes back to even before the Romans. The idea of having an eye-catching way to grab your customer’s attention and direct them toward where you want them to go might be more recent. (Think Cinderella’s castle or a giant bucket of chicken!) Either way, getting an individual’s attention in a busy, visually cluttered world still requires a lot of thought and creativity in its execution. We’ve used lights, motors, smoke, sound and often just sheer scale to say, “HEY! LOOK OVER HERE!” While these types of jobs serve an important purpose in increasing sales and heightening a company or product’s profile in a competitive marketplace, they’re often just plain fun.
Wow Factor
|waʊ ˈfaktər| – a quality or feature that is extremely impressive.
You wouldn’t believe the calls we get. People ask for the craziest stuff, but we don’t hang up. In fact, we sit up and start asking questions. “Well, how big? How heavy? When you say, “melt-y,” what exactly do you mean?”
Whimsical, elegant, mesmerizing or just plain cool…our work really runs the gamut. When a client calls us with an idea for something out of the ordinary, they’re often not even sure exactly what it is they want, or if it’s even possible. The thing is…it usually is possible, and fun, and exciting, and wholly worthwhile! Besides, we never get tired of hearing them say it.
“Wow.”
Budget Alignment
|ˈbʌdʒət əˈlaɪnmənt| – Finding an alternative with the most cost effective or highest achievable performance under the given constraints.
When we talk about creativity here at Dillon Works, we might be referring to the ways in which new ideas and concepts relate to the design aesthetic of a job. However, we might also be talking about clever ways in which we can spread out the resources available to achieve the most value for our clients’ dollar. While Value Engineering is a common concept in this industry, we prefer to think of it as Budget Alignment, because it’s not about cutting corners. It’s more about having the experience to know where to put the focus, how to streamline a process, and eliminate unnecessary expenditures where we find them. Our designers and project managers all work closely with our clients throughout the design/build process to stay within the parameters of the budget while also delivering an end product that exceeds their expectations.
Brand Amplification
| brænd ˌæmplɪfɪˈkeɪʃn̩ | – the marketing or promotion of a product or service through text and/or by visual means in order to make it more successful.
It takes years and a tremendous amount of effort and resources to establish a successful brand. Once established, it is essential to continuously strive to find ways to increase that brand’s equity within the marketplace and in the minds of consumers. At Dillon Works, we take the trust placed in us as partners to this endeavor with the utmost seriousness. That’s why we work closely with our clients to maintain a level of absolute integrity regarding existing characters, logos and designs as well as protecting new materials until they are ready to make their big debut.
Ultimately, it’s about the fresh ideas and creative solutions we can bring to the table as collaborators. Because, like any good wingman, we want to help you get the notice you deserve.
Educational
| edʒʊˈkeɪʃn̩əl |- intended or serving to educate or enlighten.
As any former student can tell you, someone who is engaged and excited about what they are teaching makes all the difference in the world. Learning can be interesting and fun and even inspiring if the subject matter is relayed with a sense of passion and creativity. This is our goal whenever we are tasked with creating an interpretive center, zoo exhibit or children’s museum. Of course, the teacher’s perspective is only half the equation.
We feel that by tapping into our own innate love of science and the natural world, we can better understand how fresh young minds absorb new concepts, ideas and information. Since most of the folks at Dillon Works are artist-types, that usually means getting our hands on things. The information that is imparted and the tactile experience provided are of equal importance to us. When it comes together just right, it is both the teachers’ passion and the students’ wide-eyed wonder at the world around them that comes across.
When that happens, we know we did our job right.
Comfort Zone
| ˈkʌmfərt ˈzoʊn | – a place or situation where one feels safe or at ease and without stress.
Hospitals, clinics and elder care facilities do important, often life-saving work. When medical professionals are dealing with the very young, or the elderly, the alleviation of stress factors brought about by what is often a scary and intimating experience have shown to be effective in the overall healing process. By paying attention to the way the surrounding environment affects a patient’s comfort level as well as their immediate physiological needs, caregivers are better able to serve the whole patient. This is where we can help.
Whether it’s an outdoor play facility or some cheerful distractions within the facility itself, our understanding of the specific needs and challenges unique to the healthcare industry is a source of great pride. Our work, although fun and playful in spirit, is designed to calm anxious patients so that doctors and health and wellness professionals can do what they do best. Sometimes “caring” takes the form of a glow-in-the-dark squid.