FCL Builders Extends Construction Capabilities Beyond Warehousing And Distribution
FCL Builders has made a name for itself as the go-to firm for warehousing construction, building over 220M SF since 1976. While impressive, it barely scratches the surface of what the design/build firm offers its clients.
The firm has made its mark as a genuine manufacturing, food processing and cold storage design builder, and has built a strong résumé in the construction of brownfield to greenfield redevelopments, hazardous class buildings, underground and horizontal infrastructure and specialty projects across multiple industries, from food production to shipping.
In 2016, FCL was brought on by American Crystal Sugar Co. to build the largest freestanding sugar storage facility in the Midwest. American Crystal enlisted the firm to build a 134-foot storage dome and a series of transfer tunnels and passageways that run 40 feet below grade and extend upward of 18 stories. FCL’s experience working with underground infrastructure helped expedite the process.
The team also oversaw the construction of the entire 26K SF transfer facility, as well as a 5,500 linear foot track that ties into the BNSF railroad. The new facility will help the firm keep pace with seasonal demand for sugar among the nation’s baking companies.
FCL knows that demand well: The firm has built a number of bakeries, including a 300K SF USDA production building in Chicago and a 225K SF facility in Indianapolis. FCL has completed a nearly 1M SF portfolio of food production centers.
When not placating the nation’s sweet tooth, FCL's team ensures the country's largest refrigerators are running. Throughout the Midwest and in Texas, the firm has delivered almost 5M SF of cold storage for customers like Trader Joe’s, Sysco and a 1.4M SF building for MARS.
In Chicago, the firm designed and built Ford Motor Co.'s 55-acre, four-building, 1.6M SF just-in-time manufacturing campus. Constructed on the site of the historic company’s oldest continually operated automobile manufacturing plant, FCL transitioned the property from a brownfield to a greenfield development, earning the facility a National Phoenix Award from the Environmental Protection Agency.
Supply-side logistics companies and cargo facilities rely on FCL’s expertise. The firm worked with Aeroterm to design and build a 914K SF, three-phase airside facility at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. The airport welcomed four new airline tenants to its new northeast cargo facility last November.
FCL also helped create a 491K SF DHL forwarding center at O’Hare, DHL's largest property in the U.S.
Industrial properties span numerous property types and functions, and FCL is quickly becoming a leader across all categories. Rather than rest on its laurels or stay comfortably within a niche, the firm has continued to embrace new construction challenges, expanding its ability to meet more of its clients’ needs.
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