This 68,700-square-foot structure is the first phase of a three phase master plan that will ultimately replace Special-LIte's existing structure and increase the total size of the facility to 200,00 square feet.

Hard Work and Teamwork Pay Off for Special-Lite

Project Overview
Location: Decatur, Michigan
Project Type: Addition
Square Footage: 68,700
CSM Project Director: Curt Petersen
Owner’s Rep.: Barbara Serago, Director of Administration
Architect: Progressive A/E
Completion Date: Fall, 2005

At a time when many Michigan companies are downsizing, or threatening to leave the state or country altogether, Special-Lite, Inc. of Decatur, Michigan, is bucking that trend.

This manufacturer of high-performance, custom-fabricated entrance systems is building a freestanding, 68,700-square-foot structure just north of its current facility. This is the first phase of a three-phase master plan that will ultimately replace the existing structure and increase the total size of the new facility to 200,000 square feet, compared to the 90,000 square feet the current plant occupies, and will include new offices as well.

When all three phases are complete, the facility will be capable of supporting operations with up to $100,000 million in annual sales and 250 to 350 employees. By comparison, in 2004, sales were $28.5 million, and the company employed 140 people. Curt Petersen, Project Director at CSM Group, says, “The timing of subse-quent phases will depend on the pace of future company growth."

Growing up with nowhere to grow

Planning for this expansion began in 1999. “We were sitting on a small piece of land along County Road 668 in Decatur," said Barbara Serago, Director of Administration at Special-Lite. “Business was growing, so we needed to physically grow. Soil borings from land south of our facility showed it was unsuitable to support a building, and land to the west was protected wet-lands. So we were looking at vacant factory buildings and property around Southwest Michigan, and even in Northern Indiana."

But here is where the company distinguishes itself from so many others in Michigan: Following an “employees first" tradition established by majority owner and CEO Henry Upjohn years ago, Special-Lite surveyed employees to learn how far they would be willing to commute or move if the company relocated. “That’s unusual—in fact, unheard of—these days," says Serago.

CSM’s Petersen states, “When Decatur officials got wind of the possible relocation, they approached the company to determine what could be done to keep the business in the community."

Simply put, to expand, the company needed more land, access to the village’s water supply for improved fire protection, access to their sewage treatment system since the company’s septic system was at capacity, and an improved county road.

Getting help at all government levels

The Decatur Village Council has a policy of not providing water or sewer beyond the village’s boundaries. Therefore, local, county, state, federal and company officials worked together to annex Special-Lite’s property and seven acres north of the facility into the Village of Decatur. This made it possible for the Village to provide the needed water and sewer services.

Next, since the village’s two existing lagoons were near capacity, a $980,000 grant was obtained from the Federal Economic Development Administration to help construct a third sewage treatment lagoon. Then, the Michigan Department of Transportation provided $550,000 to rebuild almost a mile of road in front of the facility, creating an all-season surface with curbs and gutters. Finally, a $350,000 grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation was obtained for installing a storm sewer along the improved road and for extending water and sewer lines to the plant.

CSM Group Offers a Helping Hand

While those pieces of the puzzle were coming together, CSM Group worked with Special-Lite to help with land use considerations and preliminary project estimates. “By May of 2004," says Petersen, “everything was falling into place. So after soliciting several design proposals, we recommended getting Grand Rapids-based Progressive A/E involved in the project. We’ve worked with them before, most recently on several Meijer store projects, and we felt they were very capable of handling the Special-Lite project, too."

The first bids were let in January, contracts were awarded in February, and groundbreaking took place on March 11, 2005. In keeping with the company’s “family orientation" and to repay the com-munity for all its efforts, Special-Lite encouraged CSM Group to use local contractors for work.

The new, $3.7 million, conventional structural steel building with insulated wall panels is designed to provide 20% more manufacturing space and about 75% more warehousing space for raw materials. The remaining space is allocated to shipping/receiving docks: four outside docks for vendor pick-up and drop-off, and two inside docks where a large, overhead crane transfers extruded aluminum from Special-Lite trucks to storage.

Lower Costs Mean More Building

According to Kevin Hanley, Special-Lite President and COO, “CSM did a great job of anticipating market pricing and trends for our project. Curt Petersen recommended early on that they prepare an alternate bid for additional square footage because he felt contractors would be highly competitive. He was so right. In fact, we were able to add three more 40' x 60' bays to our planned 18 bays and still hit our budget target!"

The new facility is connected to the existing building by an “umbilical corridor," according to Ed Avink, Senior Project Leader at Progressive A/E. “We couldn’t join the two buildings directly because it would create too many drainage, footing and floor problems. Separating the buildings was much more cost-effective."

When the project is completed this fall, Special-Lite will already be looking at expansion during phases two and three. Avink explains that this structure was intentionally designed to easily accommodate these changes by in-stalling temporary north and east walls where the future buildings will be tied to the one being built now.

“The project has gone very smoothly so far," says Kevin Hanley. “CSM is at the site every day and right on top of things. Everything has been on schedule and as planned."

Mike Bryant, Project Manager for CSM Group, concurs. “For a project like this to stay on schedule, you need cooper-ation from all contractors. And we certainly have that on this job. We’re working with an excellent group of committed individuals."