Almost every cold foods facility reaches a crossroads where a decision must be made to either move into a larger, new-build structure capable of handling a company’s business growth, or take the renovations route to update and expand an existing building.
“Renovations can update and fix a lot of problems, but more importantly, it gives you the opportunity to redesign the facility to match the requirements of your customers,” says Steve Tippmann, executive vice president, Tippmann Group. “In the public refrigerated warehouse business, I would look at location first, labor-efficient design second, and energy cost third and decide if the project should be a renovation or new-build. In food processing facilities, food safety, labor and design efficiency, and capacity are the major drivers in the decision.”