Facility Expansion Update – Spring 2020
Punxsutawney Phil predicted an early spring, which means it’s time for a Tool Gauge expansion update and hopefully an end to the constant days of rain.
In case you’ve missed our previous expansion updates, we’ve hit some major milestones over the past few months including:
- • Taking occupancy in Phase 1
- • Receiving and installing 5 new Engel plastic injection machines
- • Evaluating new technology for plastics division
- • Demolishing the plastic legacy building
- • Beginning of Phase 2 construction
Despite the near 80 straight days of rain, Washington Patriot Construction was full steam ahead as the first few construction activities commenced. Much like Phase 1, construction started with site grading, footing and stem wall excavation and installation, underground plumbing and electrical placement.
Roughly 11 cement trucks visited the Tool Gauge construction site in early January to pour about 250 cubic yards of cement for the foundation of what will soon be offices, employee lunch and training rooms, QA and paint labs, and our lobby.
Soon after, the bones of the building were built as Washington Patriot installed steel beams, joists, and columns to complete the building structure by late January.
Exterior metal framing work started at the beginning of February along with the delivery and installation of two sets of steel staircases, sewer connection tie-in, and the build-out of the second-floor pan deck and mezzanine.
February 18th marked the first day of roof construction and took Washington Patriot close to a week to complete – just in time for a second concrete for the mezzanine floor.
The last two weeks in February including mechanical, electrical, plumbing rough-ins and the installation of fire sprinklers throughout the Phase 2 building, along with the completion of the exterior metal framing.
The beginning of March will mark a busy month for Washington Patriot and the expansion project team as they complete framing for storefront windows and the interior, installing insulated metal panels and mechanical ductwork, and delivering our new A/C units.
March milestones that we’re looking forward to reaching is the completion of the building dry-in and permanent power.
Phase 2 is projected to be complete in the third week of May with a definite date slated for an open house on June 12th.
Once completed, Phase 2 will house an industry-leading paint line, a new QA lab, employee lunch and training rooms, employee lockers, offices and a customer lobby. Other expansion details of the entire Tool Gauge expansion project include:
- • 80,000 sq ft in our plastics division
- • Expansion of our plastics press size range
- • Broadened secondary operations to improve flow and ergonomic assembly
- • Installation of industry-leading vertical paint system
- • New research and development center
- • Implementation of multiple collaborative robots (cobots)
- • 2,000 sq ft allocated for CNC machines and equipment within our metals division
Keep track of all the construction activities on our social media channels (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram) and through our live Workzone Camera [currently under construction].