Increase plant space without construction

Aug. 16, 2010
According to a white paper from Cubic Designs Inc., answering a checklist of questions before embarking on a plant addition project can save thousands of dollars

According to a white paper from Cubic Designs Inc., answering a checklist of questions before embarking on a plant addition project can save thousands of dollars. Those questions are:

1. Can meaningful space improvements be made to the facility?
2. Is it possible to reorganize current operations to gain more space?
3. Is the entire cube/volume of the facility being maximized to full capacity?
4. Can leasing more space be a solution?
5. Can expansion be avoided by squeezing more floor space out of the current facility?

Site selection can also result in wide cost variations, the white paper’s author writes. For example, the cost to build a single-story 30,000 sq. ft. factory with a concrete block/steel frame in Atlanta, Georgia could run $100 per sq. ft or $3 million. A similar building in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, might run $119 per sq. ft. or $3.6 million. The same structure in Los Angeles or Chicago could approach $130+ per sq. ft. or nearly $4 million, excluding land acquisition costs.

The paper suggests that maximizing overhead cube space with structural mezzanines can double or triple the existing area. These structures can also be integrated with conveyors, vertical lifts, storage rack, in-plant offices, shelving systems and other material handling products to help maximize existing cube as well as improve product flow.

For a copy of this whitepaper, contact its author, David Omastiak, at [email protected].