2022 Year in Review – Week 2
12/06/2022
This week, our Year in Review series resumes as we continue to explore the variety of our construction projects across the Portland Metro Area. From storage facilities to auto dealerships, we demonstrate our ability to deliver successful results across multiple market sectors.
StorQuest Self Storage
This recently completed project features a 4-story, ground-up, self-storage facility in Happy Valley, Oregon. The project included a daylight basement, metal truss roofing, and a covered loading dock. The unique design included varying pitched roofs at different elevations and cultured stone on the corners of the building. Additionally, the project was built on a hillside next to Rock Creek, which required our teams to excavate and export substantial amounts of dirt from the site.
Due to rising costs, the project team sourced all materials during preconstruction to guarantee the project stayed on budget. According to Project Superintendent, Joe Kane, one of the greatest challenges of the project was the size of the building site. Because the site was so small, the material had to be stored offsite and trucked in ’just-in-time’ for installation. In addition, getting the concrete trucks and pump truck on site for pours was difficult, there was just enough room to back a single truck in. The others had to wait down to street to avoid blocking traffic on busy Sunnyside Road.
Perlo’s crews self-performed a variety of elements, including:
- Structural concrete footings
- Cast-in-place walls for the basement
Despite the tight job site and constant erosion control monitoring of Rock Creek on the west side of the building, the team completed an impressive concrete pour of a 4th floor deck and were successful in delivering the project on time.
Perlo Team
Jeremy Maynard | Project Director
Erich Schmidt | Senior Project Manager
Joe Kane | Superintendent
Gary Cox | Foreman
Brooke Carswell | APM
Mars Gracida | Field Safety Coordinator
Herzog-Meier Mazda
This project consisted of the new, ground-up construction of a two-story Mazda showroom, the remodel of an existing service and parts sales building, and the addition of a new, ground-up service, detailing, and photo booth building.
From the preconstruction phase, special considerations and planning needed to be made to accommodate existing conditions and ongoing showroom operations, including:
- Large, underground water retention storage facility
- Site logistics
- Customer safety
Like so many projects completed within the last couple of years, supply chain disruptions presented an enormous obstacle for the team, but they were able to draw from recent experiences to enact strategies to keep the schedule on track.
The Perlo work crews self-performed the following scopes:
- Structural concrete work
- Roof structure installation
Superintendent Jay Edgar reflected on what meant the most for him about this project, “This new dealership sits along the highway with four others that I have previously built. Each one was different in its own design. I am very proud of all these buildings”. The opportunity to perform multiple times for the same clients and those nearby are a true testament to the success that Perlo has achieved in the construction of Auto Dealerships.
Perlo Team
Jake Jensen | Senior Project Manager
Joe Sprando | Project Manager
Jay Edgar | Superintendent
Dave Castillo | Foreman
Regan Cloudy | Project Engineer
Crystal Bentley | Lead APM
Jadyn Bentley | Admin Assistant
True Terpenes
Located in Hillsboro, Oregon, this project consisted of a 22,000 SF tenant improvement in an existing office and warehouse space for a CBD production tenant. The scope of the project included constructing a second-level mezzanine, new office spaces, conference rooms, and a manufacturing space with clean rooms and warehouse storage.
To prepare for the project, special considerations needed to be made in the design to consider existing conditions, such as mechanical units, office spaces, and a stained concrete floor. The mezzanine was constructed above an existing office space which, according to Project Manager Adam Smelley, posed some challenges.
Perlo’s team self-performed the following scopes:
- Concrete pour back
- Doors, frames, and hardware installation
- Restroom accessories installation
- Miscellaneous accessories installation
Superintendent, Kyncade Hardy, explained that delays in sourcing the structural steel for the mezzanine as well as the custom-colored cloud ceilings requested for the open office area were both large hurdles to overcome. The team made sure to be honest and transparent in their communication with ownership about progress of the project to ensure that the completion of the project was on time, as well as finding creative solutions to work around these challenges. True Terpenes had a tight schedule to bring in their equipment, so finishing on time was critical.
The Perlo Podcast featured an onsite episode all about True Terpenes. View it now in our Newsroom.
Perlo Team
Adam Smelley | Project Manager
Kyncade Hardy | Superintendent
Nathan Wright | Foreman
Brooke Carswell | APM
Mike Souder | Field Safety Coordinator
Dragonberry Produce Expansion
This new 29,700 SF tilt-up concrete distribution center is located in Canby, Oregon and is the second facility Perlo has built for Dragonberry Produce. The building included a 6,100 SF cooler and a 2,500 SF freezer with high-speed doors, a natural gas generator, and two high-end office areas with a future separate tenant build-out area for nut processing. The site includes a loading dock, passenger car parking, two swales and drywells for storm water management, a truck scale, and two drive aisles for access.
There were two driving factors in the design of this project: flexibility and sustainability. As the Northwest’s premier specialty produce distributor, it was important to the client that their freezer have a dual function as both a freezer and cooler. To accommodate this, adjustments were made in the design, including a glycol system installed under the slab-on-grade to protect the concrete from freezing. Additionally, although natural gas generators are not common, this system was selected because it is more sustainable than diesel generators.
Perlo’s team self-performed the following scopes:
- Structural concrete
- Depressed freezer slabs
- Truck scale foundation
- Interior mezzanine wood structure
- Exterior wood accent wall
- Interior stairs
- Miscellaneous installations
The project team encountered multiple situations that required quick thinking and flexible maneuvering, including:
- The late addition of a truck scale.
- Jurisdictional requirements to change the site utility design
Both of these examples required coordinated efforts to provide the most timely and economical solutions for our client. Senior Project Manager, Jacob Leighter, recalls that “we had several onsite meetings with the city, Owner, Design Team, and Excavation Subcontractor to resolve the site utility problem quickly to keep the project moving.”
In the end, the project was successfully delivered by the project team.
Perlo Team
Jacob Leighter | Senior Project Manager
Steve Dusenberry | Superintendent
Philip Overbye | Foreman
Brooke Carswell | APM
Jadyn Bentley | Admin Assistant
Final Thoughts
Perlo embraces the opportunity to prove our ability to adapt to and persevere over any challenges or adversity that might arise in the course of our projects. Our Perlo Practice #2, “Solutions show up as problems” is the core of our approach to any project. We pride ourselves on the creative and innovative thinking our team brings to the table that ultimately drives our success. We look forward to continued growth across the Pacific Northwest and beyond.