with vendor partners including Green Mountain Roasters, Proctor & Gamble, Kraft and Tristar Products, M. Block & Sons is a leading distributor of consumer products to retailers across the country. In 2013, the company renovated its Chicago distribution facility, adding a modular insulated wall to maintain a clean, temperature-controlled environment.
The company’s Chicago location deals exclusively with coffee production, says Don Ward, corporate facilities manager. Because proprietary coffee packaging equipment requires a clean, temperature-controlled environment, the new insulated wall was designed for modular expansion.
After evaluating hard wall, dry wall and lumber, Ward’s team determined those materials were costly and did not account for future expansion. The new wall can expand quickly in increments of 5-foot panels while controlling temperature and humidity. An unexpected benefit was the noise control, which reduced machinery noise and preserved a comfortable talking and working environment.
The new wall was hung from the ceiling joists, worked around ventilation systems, and framed a series of roll-up doors. Within two weeks, the cleanroom was operational with little business interruption.
“We did a test and it was 94 degrees outside, 80 degrees in the warehouse, and 74 degrees in the packaging area,” Ward says. “We look forward to using this product as a part of our facility expansion in 2014.”
Randall Manufacturing
800-323-7424
randallmfg.com