Local Case Study
Wholestone Farms undergoes $200M expansion
Wholestone Farms is one of the largest pork processing plants in the Midwest, processing 10,600 hogs per day. Purchased in 2018 from Hormel Foods this new ownership decided to undertake a $200 million renovation to maximize workflow and necessary updates to compete with state-of-the-art facilities.
About the Project
The Challenge
Wholestone Farms bought the Hormel meat packing plant back in 2018 and decided to embark on a $200 million 1.5 year-long expansion plan. This two-phased renovation included a 75,000 sq ft upgrade to the administrative and cafeteria area. The first phase of the project was to gut the administrative offices and create additional space to maximize efficiency. This included an open concept cafeteria and a modernized locker room space. The second phase involved creating a state-of-the-art production floor, with better working environments including more space and natural light for the workers. The challenge? Keep the entire meat packing plant open and running during construction.
Why Midwest Storage Solutions?
The job was given to architect firm Epstein Global who was looking for a local distributor to get the job done. Midwest Storage Solutions was an easy choice and ended up helping much more than Epstein Global had anticipated. From the inception to the ribbon cutting, Midwest Storage Solutions was there every step of the way. Midwest Storage Solutions worked closely with ownership and design-build firm Epstein to cultivate a design that met the goals of the organization, produce mock-ups for product evaluations, led questionnaires with end users, and facilitated a phased installation schedule that ensured production and operation could continue during construction. This flawless partnership with Epstein made it a no-brainer for Wholestone Farms when it came to choosing a furniture supplier.
An INNOVATIVE Process
This project introduced a new way of doing business to Midwest Storage Solutions. Instead of installing furniture after the construction — furniture was done in tandem with construction. This unique and innovative process called for more careful planning and execution. Not only was the installation a new process but the layout and branding throughout the Wholestone Farms project was not the typical ‘old-school’ way they are used to seeing. The floorplan was open to encourage collaboration instead of segmented areas that closed employees off from one another. Additionally, the branding was intertwined throughout the installation to bring a fun and inviting experience for the staff. This new approach in an industrial environment showed the potential of what industrial manufacturing could look like by setting this new standard.
New Challenges
A couple months into the project COVID-19 hit which altered the course of the entire process and adjustments had to be made. Floorplans had to be modified due to social distancing and other safety precautions, cleaning crews and checkpoints were put in place to ensure no one was at risk of catching the virus. A cleaning schedule was put in place and every single night at 6:00 pm the construction areas and production floor were thoroughly cleaned. Every hour workers throughout the entire Wholestone Farms campus would stop and clean their specific work surface along with thermal cameras that checked temperatures of people coming in and out. Adding new precautionary measures was not the only change that COVID-19 brought — there were much longer lead times on products coming in overseas as those countries began shutting down. Not letting those problems affect the project — Midwest Storage Solutions swapped out products that were available so the project would not be slowed down anymore.
Finishing it All Up
The goal of Wholestone Farms was to become a leader and to show what the industrial space could become. Their new factory is innovative, welcoming, and made entirely with the end user in mind. Even with all the hurdles, from new project management methods to Covid-10, Midwest Storage Solutions unveiled the new plant 10 day ahead of schedule.
