Expand & Conquer
Marvin Wood Products Industrial Construction Project
Completed: November 2018
Location: Baker City, OR
Size: Two-story (40 feet tall), 21,000 square feet
Type of Project: CM/GC – GMP
Skills Needed
Industrial Construction
Budget Forecasting
Constructability
Sequential Project Phasing
Cast-In-Place Concrete
Site Drainage
Heavy Duty Concrete Paving
Fall Protection Systems
Specialized Structures
Problem Solving
The Challenge
Expand Operations In a Wood-Processing Facility While Keeping It Open
Marvin Wood Products is a manufacturer of award-winning windows and doors, and happens to operate a location right here in Baker City! In fact, they are the largest private employer in all of Baker County. While Marvin’s headquarters are located in Minnesota, the Baker City plant processes the wood framing that will eventually be assembled with glass to create those beautiful, award-winning windows.
Marvin had a vision for a full expansion of their facility, which was originally intended to be completed in two distinct phases, back-to-back. This would allow them to expand their operations and crank out more wood product while producing less waste. The primary “RIPSCAN” machine that Marvin wanted installed would make the Baker City plant a state-of-the-art wood scanning facility and the only one of its kind in the country.
A major goal of the project was keeping the Marvin plant operable during construction. Sid Johnson & Co. was chosen to lead this project due to our expertise in project sequencing and working around difficult logistics that other construction companies would consider a nightmare. Not us! Helping businesses stay open and meeting deadlines is the name of our game.
Industrial Construction
The Process
Smart Project Management While Adapting to Ever-Changing Circumstances
Don’t drop anything! Some of the challenges involved in this project included running new data and power cables all overhead in the facility while employees remained working. This part of the project was completed in 2007.
The economic downturn in 2008 caused Marvin to pause the project for 9 years. When Marvin was ready to begin the project again, they chose to have us continue the work as we had developed a good amount of trust with them and in the community on projects of this scale.
Speed and Precision
We needed to move rapidly but carefully to get the project done on time and on budget while keeping the plant open. This included adapting our procedures to Marvin’s stringent safety protocols in order to keep the Marvin staff safe, and maintaining constant communication between the owners, architects, and our subcontractors to keep the plant open.
The final step was to install state-of-the-art equipment including computer controls, saws, and scanners. Sid Johnson & Co. dealt directly with the manufacturer of the equipment in order to prepare the building for their installation.
Construction Activities
For the Marvin Wood Products RIPSCAN Expansion
Heavy Equipment Structural Footings
Dual Air Compressor Room
Heat Recovery Duct System
Intricate LV Motor Controls
Office Space Construction
Specialized, Cast-in-place concrete structures
Expanded 3-Phase Power
MCC Room
Steel Building Construction
Heavy Duty Concrete Paving and Drainage
Fall Protection Systems
Results
Expanded Capacity and Happy Employees
The Marvin Wood Products RIPSCAN expansion project produced daily curve balls with changing demands from the owners, issues with supply availability, and weather complications. Fortunately, our ability to adapt our project schedule meant we were able to meet the ever-changing demands and find the right talent for every phase of the job. The icing on the cake is that we finished the project under budget.
Marvin Wood Products’ motto is to “raise the bar by building quality, beauty and simplicity into people’s everyday lives.” Of course, this process starts right at the heart of the company, with the employees themselves and their workspace. Sid Johnson & Co. was able to expand the operations of Marvin while creating a functional and safe working environment.
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