VIP Structures, Inc.

Owner:

Kris-Tech Wire

Scope Of Work

Delivery Method: Design-Build
Owner: Kris-Tech Wire

Kris-Tech Wire, headquartered in Rome, New York, is a leading copper and aluminum wire manufacturing company. Formed in 1984, the company initially supplied the cable TV, cathodic protection, and golf course irrigation industries. Sales doubled over the next several years and Kris-Tech continued to grow by expanding into other markets including explosives, directional drilling, commercial building wire, solar, roadway, and the water and gas industries.

To effectively manage this growth, Kris-Tech Wire had incrementally expanded their operations within their facility as needed, and even opened a second location in Southern California. Soon they occupied all of the Rome building and realized that, not only were no options available to expand the facility, but the plant, not originally designed to be a wire mill, was extremely inefficient for their process and restricted their production capacity.

As the third generation of this family business was taking over the management of the company, Kris-Tech was looking to maintain their leading position in the copper wire manufacturing industry, and to continue to expand their customer base. In order to do this, Kris-Tech determined that a new facility, designed specifically for wire manufacturing with emphasis on logical and efficient workflow, was required. While the new facility would immediately help satisfy the backlog of current orders, enhanced efficiency and production capability were also important. The new facility would have workflow improvements designed in its layout, and Kris-Tech would introduce new technology and added processes. It also would be designed with flexibility in mind, to accommodate a re-tooling within the production floor to allow an entrance into new markets or increased production capabilities in current markets, and would be designed for future expansion with minimal interruption and costs.

As a method to move forward, Kris-Tech Wire began speaking with area firms. After a short-listing procedure, they launched a design competition, engaging two firms to develop conceptual plans and budgets for a facility that would meet these goals. Due to our ability to demonstrate an early understanding of their company and goals, and our ability to develop unique, innovative, and cost-effective design solutions, we were retained for the project.

The design process was a “team effort” with Kris-Tech on many levels. We worked with their production managers to develop efficient equipment layouts and material flows within the manufacturing plant. Our engineers worked with their engineers to develop efficient and flexible process mechanical systems. Finally, we worked closely with company owners to develop a building design consistent with their needs and goals.