Industrial Construction Services for the Manufacturing Sector

By Ken Thomson

Building large manufacturing facilities and factories is a challenging undertaking in that such projects are usually very complex and carry significant risks. Manufacturing and Industrial construction services, done correctly, take into consideration how the factory will gather and concentrate its resources of laborers, capital goods and plant design. Contractors have to factor in numerous details, volumes of materials and large labor forces to fulfill their estimating and budgeting duties and eventually to deliver the completed product.

Manufacturing sector construction projects often require the contractor to go in several directions at once. The effort requires keeping track of all the details in an organized manner, referred to in the trade as large-scale construction management. An important component of this practice is the methodical execution of pre-construction services designed to bring to light the unique characteristics belonging to the particular project at hand that influence the direction of the entire project from concept to delivery.

industrial.JPGMany of the facilities built for manufacturing are warehouses or warehouse-like structures. Inside these facilities, contractors must install heavy equipment used in the manufacturing process and lay out assembly line stations. Understanding how the industrial flow operates is critical.

Familiarity with the fundamentals of commercial enterprise is essential to provide the construction services needed for a successful outcome. Some factories output discrete products (individual objects) while others produce what is known as continuous materials (e.g., chemicals). These process industries have special energy requirements used to transform raw materials into finished products.

maufacturing erection.jpgConstructing facilities for manufacturing then demands expertise in several areas. The contractor must know the ins and outs of warehouses, whether they are metal buildings or concrete structures made using tilt-up technology. He has to be exceptional at grasping specialized customer requirements related to their applications. The requirements may involve large dimensions or clear spans, designing for heavy crane loads or other particulars that pertain to their industry.

Also, the importance of expertise in construction management cannot be overstated because smooth and orderly execution of all project phases simply cannot happen without it. Careful collaboration between designers and builders makes for an economical and efficient outcome with risks minimized.

More and more, companies are choosing to hire a design builder rather than go the traditional design-bid-build route. This choice brings construction management skills to the forefront and frees the manufacturer of having to assume more responsibility and risk for the project than he is inclined to want.

Facility Builders & Erectors (FB&E) has been servicing the commercial, industrial and manufacturing sectors for many years. We have become familiar with many different processes, styles, equipment needs and layouts. Building warehouses and steel structures is one of our niche businesses, for we have the tools, staff and safety management techniques to do the job right. There are times other general contractors will contract with us just to provide the metal shell.

Our ability to adapt to different manufacturing processes is a natural byproduct of our construction management expertise. By visiting building sites at length, asking in-depth and detailed questions of project owners and conducting thorough constructability analyses with architects and engineers, we are better positioned to manage cost, risk, safety and schedules. The results show for themselves; we consistently delivery projects in a timely and cost-effective manner.

Another reason for FB&E's success is that we truly love what we do. Many of our contractual clients have become lifelong friends. We take the trouble to communicate during the entire building lifecycle. This helps us to fully understand what the owner wants and often helps him to discover that what he truly wants is different, to a degree, from what he at first envisioned. Let Facility Builders & Erectors provide the same rewarding service for you.