March 19, 2024
All in the Family
This Building Division project is a new 50,000-square-foot, pre-engineered product warehouse for family-owned and operated Affordable Pet Supply, which includes companies White Dog Bone and K9 Granola Factory. Located in Abbottstown, Pennsylvania, their new building replaces leased space and provides room for future expansion.
Working since 2021 as the design-build contractor, we provided early design preconstruction services and self-performed the site and concrete work. Originally planned for an early 2022 start, construction was delayed multiple times due to complicated permitting issues. Once the site work started in April 2023, it was full steam ahead.
Family Ties
Sick of corporate life, Chuck Smyser started Affordable Pet Supply 30 years ago from his home and pick-up truck. Today, it is a thriving online business competing with the likes of Chewy and has grown into a family enterprise involving his wife Janie and children. After outgrowing several leased spaces, Chuck purchased 21 acres in Abbottstown to build his dream facility. Having grown up on a farm nearby, it made sense for him to build here, given his deep connection to the area.
Over one of their weekly breakfasts, Chuck mentioned to his good friend Dean that he didn’t know where to start when it came to constructing the new building. Dean said he’d talk to his grandson, who knows a thing or two about construction. Soon after, his grandson, our Building Division estimator Mason Bentzel, and Thom Conley, our executive vice president of development and strategy, met with Chuck to start turning his dream into reality. The first step was to help him navigate the design and permitting process.
Complicated Permitting
The first challenge the team encountered was the property itself. The farmland Chuck purchased had to be rezoned from agricultural to commercial use. In addition, it was under the jurisdiction of three municipalities. These factors made project planning and permitting complex and lengthy. One solution was to ensure the structure was placed on just one of those municipalities, but even this was complicated due to the stormwater system. Even though the construction footprint was in Abbottstown Borough, the stormwater system ran through a portion of Berwick Township.
Pricing the building also proved challenging amidst the material and supply chain volatility fueled by the pandemic. The Nucor pre engineered metal building went from a 12- to 30-week turnaround time and its price increased by $100,000 over four weeks. Based on these alarming figures that threatened to blow the schedule and budget out of the water, the team decided to place the Nucor order even though the design was only halfway complete.
Pre-engineered metal buildings are chosen because the cost to build them is usually more predictable than other construction methods; pricing is negotiated up-front based on the submitted design, and construction takes place off-site. But what you order is what you get, and modifications during manufacturing or in the field can be costly and time-consuming. Having the design details and specifications correct at the beginning is important, so we were taking a gamble by ordering the building before design was complete.
This was my first project where it was the owner’s dream building. I felt a responsibility to walk him through the construction process.
Chad Marks,
Superintendent
Fulfilling a Dream
In January 2023, the Nucor structure arrived on site, but because of the permitting delays, the material sat. In April, the permit was granted and site work began. By this time though, the owner had made changes to the building’s finishes and locations of overhead doors and windows. These field modifications added some time to the project schedule but were nothing our Building team couldn’t handle.
Project manager Al Gohn Jr. and superintendent Chad Marks worked closely with Chuck, helping him think proactively about his business and future needs for the building. They collaborated on modifications like the layout and number of electrical outlets needed for the dog treat bakery and floor prep for appliances. When Chad discovered where they wanted to place a walk-in freezer, he ensured the floor was ready for it by pouring a mud mat and installing insulated foam.
This winter our team substantially completed the project but remain on site to finalize the utility hookups. Despite its challenges, Chuck is pleased with the project and excited to move in and continue to grow the family business!
Chad did a great job working with the owner. He took time to talk to Chuck and help him make the best decisions for his building.
Al Gohn Jr.,
Project Manager