The challenge

A customer approached us with a proposition: they wanted to tie together a distribution center with a packaging and processing plant...and needed a partner to help make it happen. They turned to Hearthside.

The catch? Though this is all well within our wheelhouse, this type of request normally takes about a year from start to finish. This customer needed the job done in half the time in order to ensure a seamless transition from their former distribution network contract end date.

The process

As a greenfield project with an aggressive timeline, we jumped into action. This partner did the turnkey with us, effectively handing over the complete design and build of the facilities, as well as the installation of all equipment. No small task.

We took their requests, established a team, and ironed out working and construction documents to get the project underway. There were also the intricacies of government funding to consider; with conversations in concert with the customer, we were able to navigate these early and effectively. Then, we entered both the design and build simultaneously in order to establish a process that aligned with our timeline. We take deadlines seriously and in order to hit this one, we knew that we'd have to have several aspects of the project working in tandem.

On top of all of the construction planning and execution, this also meant hiring a completely new staff: from the plant, to plant managers, and all of the hourly workers.

This substantial amount of work along with the pressure of a condensed timeline called for an emphasis on clear, frequent communication. Throughout the entire process, we worked closely with the customer, keeping all channels of discourse open and active. Weekly meetings and progress reports helped ensure that everything was on track and aligned with their vision for the facilities.

The results

We made it through safely and on time, ensuring a seamless transition for our customer from their previous distribution network to this new site.

We had the distribution center completed in six months, the packaging aspect completed a month later, and the processing plants done a month after that.

We also managed to do all of this without a single construction accident on the site or during the build, which speaks to the incredible culture of safety and efficiency that we prioritize. With a tight schedule comes minimal room for error; keeping safety in check even while moving quickly allowed us to stay focused and on-schedule.