SIMPLOT COMPANY
Project Description
Client: Simplot Company
Location: Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada
Project Size: 427,654 SF Expansion | 282,000 SF; 37,626 SF Mezzanine | 108,028 SF ASRS High-Bay Freezer | 2,100 SF Wastewater Pre-Treatment Building & Tanks
Facility Type: Potato Processing Plant
Tremendous Coordination Delivers Results Design Through Commissioning
Fisher Leads the Successful Multinational Team
The road to success is always under construction—Fisher Construction Group has shared more than 25 years of that journey with the J.R. Simplot Company. Fisher’s experience building and expanding Simplot facilities include Washington, Idaho, North Dakota, and Canada. Making Fisher the logical choice to lead the multinational effort of expanding Simplot’s processing plant in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. Originally built by Fisher in 2003, the facility expansion doubled the plant’s production capacity.
Designed and built to meet the highest food processing standards, the expansion added two new processing lines. Additionally it added a fully-automated low-oxygen freezer and a wastewater pre-treatment facility.
In addition to erecting the new facilities, the scale of the project dictated that pre-existing process support systems be upgraded. Furthermore, the existing building had to be reinforced, and additional piping loads needed adequate support. Fisher’s expert strategic planning and coordination made it possible to complete these upgrades while the existing processing lines remained fully operational.
From design through construction, Fisher solved the unique hurdles this facility, and its location, presented. For instance, architecting egress requirements for the two-hour fire-resistant walls running the 1,300 ft. length of the building. In addition, dealing with the extreme winds and low temperatures of the Canadian prairie. The challenges of building a highly automated facility of this size and scope in a moderately remote location extended to procurement, execution, and safety. Throughout the project Fisher kept the multinational team moving forward, Simplot fully operational, and the supply chain intact.
The successful outcome proves once again that where there is teamwork and collaboration, great things can be achieved.