Hartford Truck, celebrating its 30th anniversary, recently expanded its operations into a new 54,000 square foot pre-engineered metal building. This impressive structure measures 600’ x 75’ with a 28-foot single-sloped roof, a 9,000 square foot mezzanine, six 14’ x 14’ automatic roll-up doors, as well as various interior amenities such as offices, restrooms, showers, and supply closets.
PDS Engineering & Construction, Inc., based in Bloomfield, CT, successfully managed the design in-house, drawing on our 60 years of experience as a Design Build General Contractor.
The substantial growth of Hartford Truck over the past decade necessitated additional storage space for its truck accessories, parts, and other goods. Their new building now accommodates a wide array of products, including dump bodies, enclosed bodies, snowplows, liftgates, cranes, toolboxes, ladder racks, and more.
A significant hurdle of the project involved paving nearly 25 acres of the property's rear area. This required careful phasing to allow for the relocation of accessories while sections were paved. Providing power to the new building required digging a 420-foot trench, seamlessly connecting to the existing building's power source. Another crucial aspect was preparing the existing building for a future 10,000 square foot addition, including site work, footings, frost walls, and a concrete slab. This required careful planning to avoid any disruption once construction commenced.
Despite challenges with supply chain issues, the project was completed on schedule within eight months. PDS’ comprehensive quality management plan included a thorough submittal log and weekly meetings with subcontractors to ensure a smooth process from start to finish. All work performed underwent thorough observation, inspection, testing, and commissioning to ensure compliance with plans and specifications.
Award of Merit - Healthcare
Young Pharmaceuticals PDS Engineering & Construction, Inc.
Young Pharmaceuticals has been in business for over 45 years focusing on skin care and pharmaceutical products. In recent years their business has significantly expanded and they looked to PDS and Russell & Dawson to build a new 20,000 square foot two story steel-framed structure boasting an exterior brick veneer that exudes a sense of timelessness and durability replicating the Filoli Estate in Woodside, California. The building is 173’ x 67’ with a 28’ eave height. This new pharmaceutical facility is adorned with custom keystones that depict the Young Pharmaceuticals logo, showcasing the structure with a touch of personalization and originality. Because the site slopes gently downward, the North facing side of the building appears to be 1 story, while both floors are visible from the South.
The owner's new office is designed with refurbished wood paneling from an 18th century estate in England, custom wood flooring, a hidden door which enters into a private restroom and an exquisite wallpaper from Japan creating an ambiance that is warm, inviting, and reminiscent of a bygone era. The reception area is a sight to behold, with custom french 1” thick 4” x 4” granite tiles that adds a touch of refinement and class. The unique chemistry room has a centrifuge installed to mix all the skin care products.
The custom wall coverings and green tinted arched windows reflect sunrays and create an external mirrored window effect, add an element of elegance and artistry to the building. Another type of the wall coverings finish is a unique laminated split face granite wall that is in several rooms. The windowed production rooms allow spectators to witness the creation process of the skin care brands, adding an element of transparency and openness. The 20’ tall gold leaf cupola contains a clock tower which adds a finishing presence that can be seen while traveling north through Wethersfield, CT on the Berlin Turnpike. The roof is finished with Brava spanish clay tiles, guaranteeing a long-lasting and robust structure, with a precast fiberglass cornice around the entire eave. The rest of the building's features include a break room, kitchenette, locker room, storage, production room, IT room, stairwell, elevator, assembly room, shrink wrap room, business offices, restrooms and two fireplaces.
Award of Merit - Industrial
Nel Hydrogen Facility Upgrade & Refurbishment SLAM Construction Services
The facility upgrade and renovation project at Nel Hydrogen’s Wallingford, CT facility presented a unique and compelling opportunity for our team, given the complex nature of their product and specialized nature of their hydrogen fuel manufacturing equipment. When Nel engaged SLAM, our team embraced the challenge of venturing into a unique opportunity in order to help expand an emerging green energy manufacturing facility. With Nel at the forefront of pioneering hydrogen fuel production, SLAM was eager to help our client develop solutions for their development needs. To maintain their high operational standards, Nel consistently enhances and refines their equipment to optimize energy production processes. One significant advancement was the integration of new automated assembly technology to boost production efficiency. Our construction experts meticulously coordinated the delivery and installation of specialized machinery, including cell stack robotic arms, a nitride furnace, roll-2-roll machinery, and various other technological components. Adapting swiftly to industry-specific challenges, SLAM's construction personnel reconfigured layouts and facility settings to accommodate large-scale equipment like the nitride furnace, which stands over 12 feet tall. This proactive scheduling approach not only accelerated the project but also saved significant time for Nel, positioning their facility for early completion. Employing a strategic multi-phased strategy, SLAM established clear milestones and objectives to expedite the project progress. These time-saving measures proved instrumental for Nel, enabling their scientific, engineering, and assembly teams to commence hydrogen production in the new facility areas seamlessly. Concurrently, existing operations within the facility continued uninterrupted, which was further exemplified by the research and development team maintaining production levels amidst SLAM's expansive construction efforts. The successful completion of the Nel Hydrogen project stands as a testament to the collaborative efforts of SLAM's Design-Build team, Engineers, and dedicated subcontractors. Navigating the renovation and expansion of a rapidly evolving industrial sector proved exciting and rewarding for our team, emphasizing our commitment to our clients’ and their excellence for innovation.