flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

A new precast home for a Minnesota institution

Sponsored Content

A new precast home for a Minnesota institution

Clam Outdoors, an iconic fishing equipment manufacturer, was out of space. Fabcon’s structural precast concrete helped the giant expand & plan for the future. 


By FABCON PRECAST | August 20, 2020
Fabcon structural precast panels are produced in one of our four, climate-controlled facilities ensuring uninterrupted production, quality and efficiency to every project.

At 150,000 square feet, Clam Outdoors’ new facility provided much-needed, unified space for manufacturing, storage and personnel.

In the state of Minnesota, winter is unavoidable. Every year we can look forward to each of our 10,000 lakes freezing with a topcoat of ice solid enough to support a semi-trailer. It’s no wonder this state is home to the granddaddy of ice fishing accommodations: Clam Outdoors, the undisputed world leader in ice-fishing house sales.

Clam’s multiple locations and a general lack of space was inefficient and hampering growth. Every day the company spent in its old, widespread facilities was another day of suboptimal performance. Since its humble beginnings in founder Dave Genz’s garage 40 years ago, Clam Outdoors has grown beyond his expectations. In fact, many credit the Minnesota company with revolutionizing the sport of ice fishing. The film Grumpy Old Men may have introduced parts of the country to the idea of fishing on a frozen lake, but the fact is, ice fishing is a huge industry.

Clam was looking to grow quickly, but intelligently. They wanted to bring all aspects of their business together under one roof: manufacturing, distribution and leadership. Any new facility would need to be big, versatile and efficient. Fabcon’s structural precast panels were the perfect solution. The product is ideal for large multi-use projects, especially when speed is a must and critical requirements for a facility are a moving target.

 

Fabcon structural precast panels are produced in one of our four, climate-controlled facilities ensuring uninterrupted production, quality and efficiency to every project.Fabcon installation crews can work efficiently through even the harshest winters, enabling full use of every month of the year.

 

Fabcon’s structural precast panels helped an iconic fishing equipment manufacturer accommodate its meteoric growth.

 

Fabcon Precast partnered with general contractor Kinghorn Construction to erect the 150,000 square-foot facility that Clam now calls home. Clam benefited from a shortened construction cycle and built a structure that will ultimately reduce operating costs and provide much-needed space for product as well as people. The new facility gave Clam the opportunity to grow and come together as an organization. Owner Dave Osborne said, “It was especially nice to have the whole team under one roof.” Previously, the organization was spread out across multiple locations. The new building, however, is large enough to accommodate all of Clam’s brands and operations—bringing everyone together flawlessly. Fabcon Sales Engineer Aaron Gordon explained that their panels were a perfect fit for Clam’s world headquarters: “Their plan called for 24 dock doors of varying sizes and the possibility of an additional 12 doors in future expansion. Our 10-foot panels make it a lot easier to execute that particular feature. Plus, at just over R-28, our panels provide excellent thermal performance and comfort…not unlike a Clam fish house, just on a much larger scale.” 

 

Fabcon’s structural precast panels contribute to a comfortable, versatile building envelope perfectly suited for people and products.

 

As always, a key advantage to working with Fabcon was their ability to produce panels even before the construction site was ready—a luxury not available with site-cast or block construction methods. “Clam was so pressed for space in their existing facility, they were extremely motivated to get into the new space. We had their new home enclosed within 13 days of the footings being completed,” added Gordon.

 

Fabcon structural precast panels are produced in one of our four, climate-controlled facilities ensuring uninterrupted production, quality and efficiency to every project.Dock doors are a snap with Fabcon’s 10-foot structural precast panels—and Clam’s project featured 24 of them. 

 

Their current site has the potential for an additional 50,000 square feet of expansion. Thanks to the modular aspects of Fabcon’s panels, expanding that footprint will be quick and much less disruptive than it would have been with most other forms of construction. If the plan calls for it, existing wall panels can even be detached and repurposed in the addition. As Clam continues its success story, Fabcon will be a part of it.  

 

Jim Houtman, VP of Sales & Marketing
jim.houtman@fabconprecast.com
Fabcon Precast
fabconprecast.com
(800) 727-4444

Tags

Related Stories

| Aug 11, 2010

BIM adoption rate exceeds 80% among nation’s largest AEC firms

The nation’s largest architecture, engineering, and construction companies are on the BIM bandwagon in a big way, according to Building Design+Construction’s premier Top 170 BIM Adopters ranking, published as part of the 2009 Giants 300 survey. Of the 320 AEC firms that participated in Giants survey, 83% report having at least one BIM seat license in house, and nearly a quarter (23%) have 100-plus seats.

| Aug 11, 2010

PCA partners with MIT on concrete research center

MIT today announced the creation of the Concrete Sustainability Hub, a research center established at MIT in collaboration with the Portland Cement Association (PCA) and Ready Mixed Concrete (RMC) Research & Education Foundation.

| Aug 11, 2010

Construction employment declined in 333 of 352 metro areas in June

Construction employment declined in all but 19 communities nationwide this June as compared to June-2008, according to a new analysis of metropolitan-area employment data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America.  The analysis shows that few places in America have been spared the widespread downturn in construction employment over the past year.

| Aug 11, 2010

Jacobs, Hensel Phelps among the nation's 50 largest design-build contractors

A ranking of the Top 50 Design-Build Contractors based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants

| Aug 11, 2010

Gilbane, Manhattan Construction top BD+C's ranking of the nation's 50 largest K-12 school contractors

A ranking of the Top 50 K-12 School Contractors based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants

| Aug 11, 2010

29 Great Solutions for the AEC Industry

AEC firms are hotbeds of invention and innovation to meet client needs in today's highly competitive environment. The editors of Building Design+Construction are pleased to present 29 "Great Solutions" to some of the most complex problems and issues facing Building Teams today. Our solutions cover eight key areas: Design, BIM + IT, Collaboration, Healthcare, Products, Technology, Business Management, and Green Building.

| Aug 11, 2010

Structure Tone, Turner among the nation's busiest reconstruction contractors, according to BD+C's Giants 300 report

A ranking of the Top 75 Reconstruction Contractors based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants

| Aug 11, 2010

Best AEC Firms of 2011/12

Later this year, we will launch Best AEC Firms 2012. We’re looking for firms that create truly positive workplaces for their AEC professionals and support staff. Keep an eye on this page for entry information. +

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category

Great Solutions

41 Great Solutions for architects, engineers, and contractors

AI ChatBots, ambient computing, floating MRIs, low-carbon cement, sunshine on demand, next-generation top-down construction. These and 35 other innovations make up our 2024 Great Solutions Report, which highlights fresh ideas and innovations from leading architecture, engineering, and construction firms.




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021