The Birmingham-based firm will oversee Buffalo Rock’s $75M renovation of a warehouse and office facility, the soft drink distributor’s largest infrastructure investment to date
HPM has been selected as the program manager for Buffalo Rock’s 1 million-square-foot expansion in Birmingham, Alabama. This includes the renovation of an 895,000-square-foot warehouse and an approximately 120,000-square-foot office building, which will serve as the central distribution hub for the premier provider of food and beverage products. HPM’s Senior Program Development Manager Bruce Quisno and Project Manager Jeremiah Owen will oversee the project on behalf of the client.
Buffalo Rock acquired the properties located at 400 Industrial Drive and 800 Lakeshore Drive earlier this year and recently announced plans for the massive expansion, which includes a $75 million investment in new technologies, infrastructure improvements and property renovations, leading to the creation of up to 50 new jobs in the initial phase of the project. As part of a strategic growth initiative to expand over the next decade, these state-of-the-art upgrades will double Buffalo Rock’s output, provide 90 loading docks, reduce the number of touches and improve efficiencies.
This office acquisition will significantly improve employee experience, increase productivity and allow for future growth. The renovated facilities are expected to be operational by the fall of 2021. Hoar Construction and GMC have partnered to be the lead Design-Build team for the project.
“Our team selected HPM for many reasons, but most notably because they demonstrated the ability to offer a full suite of planning solutions that carried us from acquisition to operation, and we couldn’t be happier with their performance at this stage of the journey,” said Matthew Dent, Buffalo Rock President and Chief Operating Officer. “We are not only moving with speed, but we are considering all options and addressing budget questions in real time as we bring this campus restoration to life. I am confident our employee-partners will love the experience this investment creates, and I am certain our customers will see the benefits this investment brings them in terms of service and quality.”
Buffalo Rock first tapped HPM to oversee programming and planning for the initial stages of the project. HPM led site analysis efforts, including a site assessment involving environmental studies and the hiring of consultants to perform upfront due diligence, which ultimately enabled Buffalo Rock to purchase the property. By performing a cost analysis and identifying which areas of the project to prioritize, HPM helped Buffalo Rock and its partners identify and control costs in planning, condensing the overall project timeline.
“I’m pleased with the strategic planning services we were able to provide Buffalo Rock as the company scouted various sites for its expansion, which led them to finding the ideal location off of Lakeshore Drive in Birmingham,” said HPM’s Quisno. “HPM’s expertise in preconstruction planning and site analysis positioned us as the perfect partner to ensure that every detail of the new site was carefully scrutinized and accounted for before any decisions were made, and now we’re ready to oversee the execution of Buffalo Rock’s expansion plans. I know our team is excited to see Buffalo Rock’s growth goals realized, and we’re honored to serve as a strategic partner for a company that continues to invest in Birmingham by expanding its operations here, creating jobs and partnering with the City to develop our community’s workforce.”
This assignment adds to HPM’s growing portfolio of clients and projects within the food and beverage industry, including the recent expansion and improvement of Royal Cup Coffee’s manufacturing facilities in Birmingham, Alabama. The project received a Manufacturing Innovation Award from ProFood World in 2019.
With a presence throughout the U.S. and with a total management portfolio value annually of $1+ billion, HPM has established itself as one of the industry’s leading program managers and owner’s representative companies. The firm ranked number 22 on Engineering News Record’s (ENR) list of top program management firms in 2020. HPM’s recent notable clients and accounts include a program management contract for Airbus’ campus including the A320 and A220 assembly lines in Mobile, Alabama; an assignment to lead the site selection process, planning, design and construction of Boom Supersonic’s first manufacturing facility; project management services for several major league spring training facilities in Florida; a construction administration contract for facilities owned by Regions Financial Corporation and a similar account for FedEx Express U.S. facilities; owner’s representative services for the Alabama Department of Corrections to replace and repair the statewide prison system; and program management services for multiple K-12 school districts and higher education institutions throughout the South.
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About HPM
HPM provides comprehensive planning, design and construction-related experience to offer clients a one-stop approach to complete program management and owner’s representation. From real estate acquisition analysis and facilities assessments to construction auditing and move management, HPM services clients in aerospace, automotive, sports and entertainment venues, commercial and industrial, higher education, K-12 and state and local government. With a footprint of accounts, projects and offices spanning throughout the US, the HPM team manages its work for national and international clients while providing a flexible, scalable team of experts at just the right time in the life of your facilities. For more information, please visit www.hpmleadership.com.
About Buffalo Rock Company
Buffalo Rock Company is the nation’s largest single family-owned Pepsi bottler. The company employs more than 2,100 employee-partners who service a population of more than seven million consumers throughout Alabama, western Georgia and the panhandle of Florida. James C. Lee III, chairman of the board and CEO, and fourth-generation Lee, leads the locally focused company that has been in business for more than 119 years. The company continues to evolve its operations and brand portfolio to meet the needs of the ever-changing beverage and snack consumer. For more information about Buffalo Rock Company, visit www.buffalorock.com.
