GROWTH IN PRODUCE
Since 1976, Four Seasons Produce of Ephrata, Pennsylvania has been dedicated to supplying the mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions with organic, local and conventional fresh produce. As their operations have grown over the years, so has their customer base, and to keep up with the demand, an expansion was imminent.
Our Site and Building teams worked together to expand the current 250,000-squarefoot warehouse by 131,000 square feet. The expansion included multi-temperature cold storage rooms, banana and avocado ripening rooms, and 39 additional dock doors.
THE PROBLEMS AT HAND
Our work began with our Site team self-performing all earthwork, rock excavation, stormwater management, sanitary sewer, water and gas line installation, and paving. After we began construction, our crews ran into significant challenges, such as sinkholes and unsuitable soils, that threatened the project schedule. Moving quickly to minimize any delays, our team worked with a civil engineer to safely remediate the sinkholes, keeping the project schedule on track.
Sinkholes weren’t the only challenge that our Site and Building teams had to face. The food distribution industry is a 24-hour business, and it was known from the start that Four Seasons would need to keep their business operational throughout construction. It was originally thought that their fleet of more than 50 trucks and trailers would park off site during construction, but once our work began, it was determined that off-site parking was not an option.
Our team devised a plan to address the parking problem at hand. We left half of the job site open for parking and focused on getting as much work done as possible before the trucks returned in the afternoons. Though it wasn’t always easy or ideal, our team pushed through and was able to get
the job done with excellent planning and communication.
NEW BEGINNINGS
Once the site work was completed, our Building team stepped up to construct the addition to the existing state-of-the-art warehouse at Four Seasons’ headquarters. We were able to complete this portion of the work with minimal disruptions, most of which were material delays.
Thanks to the hard work of our team and subcontractors, we were able to give Four Seasons Produce the space they needed for growth. Now with a newly constructed 48,000-square-foot multi-temperature receiving dock with 39 doors, 72,000 square feet of cold storage, 6,000 added pallet spaces, and 10 unique temperature zones suited for fresh produce, Four Seasons Produce can have a fresh start for their new warehouse and distribution endeavors.
Categories: Completed Projects, Projects in Construction
