In 1961, engineer Jack MacQueen began selling street sweepers. He took a chance on his career and started MacQueen Equipment, a hydraulic equipment supplier, with just a handful of employees and 4 trucks. His mission was to develop a culture of quality products, service, and relationships.

With hard work and a goal in mind, Jack built the roots of the St. Paul, Minnesota location of the MacQueen Equipment Group.

MacQueen Equipment impacts each and every household throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Iowa. Turning on the faucet, taking out the trash, driving to work—all things that would be impossible without the kind of equipment made by MacQueen. From snow removal vehicles to hydro-excavation equipment, MacQueen is the supplier for a plethora of needs. Their importance is apparent—today, the company has grown to about 100 employees and approximately 30 trucks in operation.

Fabcon used exposed aggregate to bring costs down and make the exterior panel assemblies a source of pride for those at MacQueen

MacQueen Equipment surpassed its location in the Midway District in St. Paul where it had been in operation for 50 years. The St. Paul Port Authority wanted an occupant that would add to the city and bring jobs to the community. MacQueen did just that. So, according to Curt Steffen, president of the MacQueen Equipment Group, it was extremely important that they stay in the St. Paul area.

MacQueen looked to Fabcon to hit their budget, size requirements, and aesthetic vision.

“We had outgrown our ability to service our equipment,” said Steffen. “We had a very robust sales team, but only so much room to service equipment and get it out the door. We had no room to grow.”

MacQueen looked to Fabcon and R.J. Ryan Construction, Inc. to hit their budget, size requirements, and aesthetic vision. Originally, MacQueen planned to utilize a sandblast finish from a different company, but they were unable to stay within their budget. That’s where Fabcon stepped in. On the 45,000-square-foot facility, Fabcon used exposed aggregate to bring costs down and make the exterior panel assemblies a source of pride for those at MacQueen.

“They needed a facility with durability, thermal performance and quality exterior appearance,” said Joe Dammann, Sales Engineer at Fabcon Precast. “They came to the right people. We really wanted their world headquarters to be something they’d truly be proud of.”

MACQUEEN’S exceptional facility will bring more jobs to the area, be a constant source of pride, and make a bigger and better impact on the community.

12” sandwich panels were used to achieve R-value approaching 30. To get the same thermal performance with masonry, the project would have been expensive…and detrimental to MacQueen’s timeline. They were also able to include a translucent panel on the ceiling for natural light—building with precast made this an easy task. Fabcon went with 8-foot-wide panels in red and buff aggregate to achieve MacQueen’s desired aesthetic. 30,000 square-feet of precast was erected in 10 days.

The MacQueen Equipment world headquarters houses corporate sales, parts and service facilities, more room to work on trucks, and a larger show floor. Their exceptional facility will bring more jobs to the area, be a constant source of pride, and make a bigger and better impact on the community.