2020 News

Scope of Capabilities, Newer Technologies Seal Central Utility Plant Bid

Scope of Capabilities, Newer Technologies Seal Central Utility Plant Bid
05.25.2020

Three key factors gave Baker Group a distinct edge in its recent successful proposal to Vermeer Corporation . The project Request for Proposals (RFP) was to design and construct a new Central Utility Plant (CUP) that will serve multiple buildings at Vermeer’s Pella, Iowa, campus.     

“Our team’s design-build capabilities, strong relationships with Vermeer and M.A. Mortenson, as well as use of advanced technologies were all important aspects of the project proposal,” says Brandon Hummel, Vice President of Development. “We are honored to join Mortenson in re-building Vermeer’s campus for the future.”    Baker Group could bring together all facets of the project which favored its proposal because of the tight timeframe – 10 months – until completion. Ground work began in late February.

The proposal took shape in the form of an interactive model that allowed Vermeer company leaders to visually experience each detail, requirement and schedule twist of the project, and how those were determined. “It came down to who could provide the capacity within the timeframe and budget necessary,” says Hummel. Baker Group could. All on the team worked collaboratively as well as in-step with Vermeer and Mortenson.   

The CUP will make chilled water to condition several buildings on the campus, including a new, large primary manufacturing building that also includes a painting area. Hummel says Vermeer anticipates the conditioned building will serve as a tool in recruiting and retaining employees, a worker benefit. Manufacturing buildings usually are not conditioned.   

The timeline to submit the comprehensive proposal was extremely short– and our design-build team faced major bidding competition from other U.S. companies. Vermeer is a recognized global leader in design and production of heavy-duty equipment for agricultural, timber, landscape, surfacing mining, pipeline and utility industries, among others.

The RFP crossed many disciplines, including structural, mechanical and electrical engineering, architecture, BIM capabilities and manufacturing capabilities, including fabrication of 30- and 36-inch diameter pipes. Baker Group could perform or synchronize all of it.

“We also could include all aspects of building automation – controls that allow pumps, chillers, cooling towers and all involved components to talk to each other. The CUP will get feedback from the Vermeer campus buildings it serves to be able to adjust chilled water based on needs,” Hummel adds. Those efficiencies save on utility costs.

By using the REVIT virtual modeling tool, design-build team members who represented project components could work simultaneously as a team. They met daily.   

Steve Brommel, Virtual Design Construction Manager, explains that the technology allowed the team to work with a live model to craft the proposal and also to present it, which meant Vermeer leaders could see what they were going to get before work was underway.

“In order to achieve the design and schedule goals of the project, the amounts of waste – in costs and time – have to be minimal,” he says.  “From the owner standpoint, they can visualize problems before they occur. They are able to ensure safety, serviceability and equipment needs, and can use the live model as a maintenance tool.

CUP Construction is well underway on Vermeer’s campus and is slated to be operational by September 2020.

About Baker Group

Founded in 1963 and with 700 employees across Iowa, Baker Group is the Midwest’s premier full-service specialty contractor providing mechanical, sheet metal, electrical, compressed air, building automation, process automation, security systems, fire alarm systems, parking/revenue controls and 24/7/365 service. For more information, call 855.262.4000 or visit https://www.thebakergroup.com/.

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