Nucor Insulated Metal Panel Manufacturing Facility

Steel-behemoth Nucor has long had a presence in Utah, opening two major manufacturing facilities in 1981 as part of their westward expansion from their Charlotte, North Carolina headquarters: a 400,000-ton (annually) steel mini-mill in Plymouth, its fourth in the U.S. at the time, along with its sixth Vulcraft steel joist plant in Brigham City. 

In 1988, Nucor Building Systems began operations of a new plant in Indiana and has gradually grown that division into a $400 million per year business. Nucor added firms Metl-Span and Centria to its building systems portfolio in 2021 with a strong belief in the future of the insulated metal panel (IMP) market.

In April, Nucor Insulated Panel Systems (NIPS) opened a new $35 million, 127,000-SF facility in Brigham City—one that is built out of the very panels the plant makes—producing a comprehensive range of insulated wall and roof panels for use in end markets including warehousing, distribution, and data centers. IMPs facilitate cost-effective climate control in the built environment and reduce energy usage and overall operations-related greenhouse gas emissions for owners. Building its own facility with its own product was a golden opportunity. 

"We're in the beginning of the IMP revolution," said Thad Chapman, VP/GM of Nucor. "We were very confident in using Metl-Span’s own product line for the new plant. IMPs are often the best solution in a construction project. Specifically in this facility, we chose IMPs because it's in Utah, a relatively cold area that can also get very hot in the summer. It dramatically reduces our energy costs for operating the building. It's also air, water, vapor, and thermal all in one panel, which provides the ultimate protection that most buildings need."

Constructed by Burlington, Washington-based Fisher Construction Group (FCG), the insulated metal panels were incredibly flexible to work with and fast to install, while offering optimum insulation performance in tastefully contrasting gray, slate gray, and white colors. 

Installed by J&M Steel Solutions of Lehi, the panels are large in size compared to standard single-skin metal panels, and hung with a crane and panel picker, with similarities to tilt-up concrete techniques, according to Marvin Goeckeritz, General Manager for J&M. 

"What's great about an insulated metal panel system is the installer does not have to deal with installing the insulation separately," said Goeckritz.

Chapman said this project marks the tenth operating NIPS facility in the U.S. and Canada, bolstering its western presence. 

"Nucor is a growth company; in recent years we've been growing our core steel-making business as well as expanding into everything that has to do with steel," said Chapman.

Nucor Insulated Metal Panel Manufacturing Facility

Location: Brigham City

Construction Timeline: March 2023 - April 2024

Cost: $35 million

Square Footage: 127,000 SF

Owner: Nucor Building Systems

Architect: Fisher Construction Group

General Contractor: Fisher Construction Group

IMP Installer: J & M Steel Solutions 

Holcim/Elevate Manufacturing and Distribution Center

Located in Salt Lake City's burgeoning Northwest Quadrant industrial park, Holcim's new $70 million facility for its Elevate Commercial Roofing Systems division is a massive 659,000-SF building that will produce a slate of innovative and sustainably viable roofing materials.

Developed and owned by Copper Crossing Land Co. via Idaho Falls-based Riverbend Management, the LEED-certified facility includes Holcim's FortiCem 1P low CO2 cement in all concrete, motion-controlled LED lighting, high-tech HVAC control systems, low-use water fixtures, and anti-slip coatings on inside concrete floors and special primer on exterior walkways and loading docks.

The exterior includes actual Holcim/Elevate products, including insulation boards, roofing membrane, skylights, and metal panels, with a custom roof designed to support solar panels.

The 25% less CO2 cement is produced at Holcim's Devil's Slide plant in Morgan and was used in footings, foundation, floors, and tilt panels by Salt Lake-based Big-D Construction. It marks the largest commercial use of the lower-impact cement in Salt Lake.

"On this project and any project, the key to getting LEED certification is a driven client who is committed to the cause," said Robyn Vettraino, Principal for environmental consultants VCA Green in Orange, Calif., who helped guide the project to achieve the necessary 42 LEED points. "Where we think it's really going to shine is in operations," while alluding to the low CO2 cement, a 10% life-cycle reduced carbon footprint, and a 20% baseline reduction in energy costs through building envelope efficiency and a thoughtful system design to reduce energy during the manufacturing process.

Having a LEED Certified building was paramount to the owner and to the Holcim/Elevate team.

"It makes the property more valuable and stable over the long term—we won't sell this building," said Devin Belnap, VP of Real Estate for Riverbend Management.

Holcim/Elevate Manufacturing and Distribution Center

Location: Salt Lake City

Construction Timeline: July 2022 - April 2024

Cost: $70 million

Square Footage: 659,000 SF

Owner: Riverbend Management

Design Team

Architect: AE Urbia

Civil Engineer: Dominion Engineering

Electrical Engineer: Lynn Woodward Electric / BNA Consulting

Mechanical Engineer: DB Mechanical / David L. Jensen & Associates

Structural Engineer: AE Urbia

Geotechnical Engineer: GSH

Landscape Architect: Dominion Engineering

Construction Team

General Contractor: Big-D Construction           

Concrete: Big-D Construction   

Plumbing: DB Mechanical / MKB Plumbing

HVAC: DB Mechanical

Electrical: Lynn Woodward Electric       

Masonry: Allens Masonry         

Drywall: Jordan Enterprises     

Painting: Paintworks   

Tile/Stone: Midwest D-Vision Solutions

Millwork: Cabin Tree Cabinets 

Flooring: Midwest D-Vision Solutions   

Roofing: Redd Roofing 

Glazing/Curtain Wall: PC Glass

Waterproofing: Western States

Steel Fabrication: Wasatch Ornamental Iron

Steel Erection: Wasatch Ornamental / J&M Steel Erection

Excavation: Sunroc   

Leitner-Poma of America Skytrac Headquarters

Headquartered in Grand Junction, it was a natural move for aerial lift manufacturer Leitner-Poma of America (LPOA) to build the company's new $27 million, 132,000-SF Skytrac Headquarters in Tooele, given the Beehive State's robust ski industry and world-class resorts.

Known for engineering, manufacturing, and installing all types of cable transport systems, LPOA now has a world-class tilt-up concrete facility specifically for Skytrac products, a subsidiary it acquired in 2016, which will serve as its headquarters and sole manufacturing base of fixed-grip ski lifts. The new facility will house more than 40 unique pieces of manufacturing equipment while also providing expanded production for the lift manufacturer to service increasing demand in the ski industry and growth in urban markets while providing distribution capacity for other firm affiliates that manufacture snow groomers and snowmaking systems.

“It’s a great day in Utah as we celebrate the opening of our newest, largest manufacturing facility in the U.S.,” said Daren Cole, President/CEO of LPOA. “The demand for this new facility is a reflection of the growth in the resort industry as well as the growing interest of urban planners to seek out new, alternative forms of clean transportation. This new facility represents a significant investment in the State of Utah, our industry, and the talented people who’ll be manufacturing our products.” 

Located on a 25-acre campus in the Tooele Business Park, it marks the firm’s largest facility in the country at 130,000 SF, with 20,000 SF dedicated to office space, including a break room, conference/training rooms, and showers/lockers. At full capacity, it should employ 120 people.

The manufacturing space is highlighted by a 1,100-SF blast booth, 1,100-SF paint booth, saws, a plasma table, 13 jib cranes, 8 bridge cranes, and a robust welding area with 24 stations with 37 exhaust arms.

The facility also includes a notable investment in sustainability and renewable energy sources. The company installed a powerful LTW42 wind turbine that was developed by LPOA’s affiliate company LEITWIND. The turbine towers above the facility at 162 feet and has a capacity of 250 KW that should cover all of the plant’s electricity needs. The massive wind turbine is a unique solution that reduces carbon footprint while facilitating decentralized energy generation via a silent DirectDrive generator and bespoke technology. If market demand develops as expected, the turbines could be manufactured at the Utah facility and service the entire North American market. Solar panels are expected to be added to the building at a later date.

Leitner-Poma of America Skytrac Headquarters

Location: Tooele

Construction Timeline: August 2023 - June 2024

Cost: $27 Million

Square Footage: 132,000 SF

Owner: Leitner-Poma of America, Inc.

Design Team

Architect: Case Lowe & Hart

Civil Engineer: Reeve & Associates

Electrical Engineer: Helix Electric

Mechanical Engineer: CCI Mechanical

Structural Engineer: ARW Engineers

Geotechnical Engineer: Terracon

Landscape Architect: Reeve & Associates

Construction Team

General Contractor: R&O Construction             

Building Concrete: Suntec Concrete Inc.

Site Concrete: BH Inc.

Plumbing: CCI Mechanical, Inc.

HVAC: CCI Mechanical, Inc.

Electrical: Helix Electric              

Metal Wall Panels: Raymond Keller Construction

Drywall: Alpine Drywall & Fl. Cover

Painting: Stauffer Enterprises Inc.

Tile/Stone: Spectra Contract Flooring   

Millwork: Mapleleaf Cabinets Inc.         

Flooring: Spectra Contract Flooring       

Roofing: Redd Roofing & Construction

Glazing/Curtain Wall: NGI Glass

Steel Fabrication: Steel Encounters 

Steel Erection: G-10 Construction

Excavation: Sunroc Corporation

Landscaping: MD Property Services Inc.