Mountain Ridge Metals - Millersburg, Pennsylvania
Mowery Construction
Posted: February 28, 2023 | Projects
Mountain Ridge Metals is a family-owned manufacturing business located in Millersburg, Pennsylvania. They specialize in custom extruded aluminum and serve a multitude of industries — from construction materials to the automotive industry. They had outgrown their existing plant and needed to add another extrusion line. In 2020, they embarked on an expansion project, acquiring land nearby and placing the order for the new extrusion equipment from Germany. With a 16-month lead time, Mountain Ridge Metals turned to Mowery Construction to help them design and build a new facility which included space for the new equipment, a new office headquarters, improved amenities for their employees, and room for future growth.
Photograph courtesy of Mowery Construction & Steve Hulbert
They were focused on making the space as efficient, flexible, and resilient as possible. Mowery designed a 100,000-square-foot pre-engineered building with an attached 10,000-squarefoot conventional steel frame office appendage. The office space was provided beautiful views of both the plant operations and the mountain ridge after which the company was named. The office not only serves as an expanded space for their staff, but a showpiece for visitors who frequently come to the facility to see the full product offering and capabilities of the business.
The facility was uniquely designed from a mechanical, electrical, and plumbing perspective. The aluminum extrusion equipment generates enough waste heat through the process to eliminate the need for much additional heat. In the summer, the mechanical system is designed to create a vortex within the space, which exhausts heat from the top and brings in cooler air at the bottom. Both of these aspects drive down the ongoing operational costs significantly for Mountain Ridge Metals. Natural gas was unavailable at the new site, so a propane tank farm was created to serve the new machinery and the rest of the plant’s needs.
The design of the space was carefully coordinated over three months, utilizing their existing plant for a measuring stick of needs. They were able to identify the areas that they wanted in the new facility, and they were incorporated into the project by Mowery’s in-house design team. The office aesthetic was really intended to stand out as a focal point for the project, and was a unique feature in making the project look different from a typical manufacturing plant. Construction occurred during the time at which the aftereffects of the pandemic made certain materials hard to find; therefore, the team worked on creatively sourcing materials and utilizing regional subcontractors to ensure the impacts to the project from these outside constraints were minimized.
It was important for the business to have the right facility as they grow and expand, one which shows their commitment to their employees, their customers, and their vision for the future. This family run business has seen an improvement in employee engagement, morale, and overall productivity from the new facility.
Architect & General Contractor
Mowery Construction
1000 Bent Creek Boulevard, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050
www.rsmowery.com
Structural Engineer
Mowery Construction
1000 Bent Creek Boulevard, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050
Electrical Engineer
C.M. High, Inc.
341 King Street, Myerstown, PA 17067
Mechanical Engineer
Walton & Company,
1800 Industrial Highway, York, PA 17402
Cost Estimator
Mowery Construction
1000 Bent Creek Boulevard, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050
Location: Millersburg, Pennsylvania
Date Bid: Sep 2021
Construction Period: Jul 2021 to Jun 2022
Total Square Feet: 112,272
Building Sizes: Warehouse first floor, 102,372; office first floor, 3,300; second floor, 3,300; each additional floor, 3,300; total 112,272 square feet.
Building Height: 42'.
Number of Buildings: One.
Basic Construction Type: New/Pre-Engineered.
Foundation: Cast-in-place, slab-on-grade.
Exterior Walls: Steel frame, cladding, metal panels.
Roof: Membrane, pre-engineered metal building system roof.
Floors: Concrete.
Interior Walls: Metal stud drywall.
Interior Walls: CMU, metal stud drywall.
Click here to view the full cost details for this project in the March/April 2023 issue of DCD