The idea of undertaking a commercial construction project may sound intimidating–and let’s be honest, it’s serious business. Whether you’re an old pro at building dealerships or you’re new to the game, Fabcon is a name you’ll want to remember.
There’s a common and unfortunate misconception surrounding structural precast construction: If you’re not building something bigger than a Wal-Mart, the economies of scale aren’t working in your favor. It’s true that if you’re building a structure 400,000 sq. feet or larger, it’s hard to compete with Fabcon, but we can be equally cost-effective with much smaller buildings. Our structural precast panels end up in a broad spectrum of projects: Grocery stores, ice arenas, fitness centers, home centers, data centers, manufacturing facilities…and car dealerships. Lots of them.
The strength of Fabcon’s vertical integration makes us a great organization to have in your corner right from the start. We design, manufacture and install our wall panels. As such, we’ve spent years partnering with just about every commercial GC and architectural firm this side of the Rockies. Additionally, we’ve worked alongside HVAC guys, ready-mix contractors, structural steel experts, excavators, glazing companies and more.
“My first conversation with a Fabcon Sales Engineer took a little more than an hour, but I speculate it saved me tens of thousands of dollars,” says Bob Johnson of the recently completed Bloomington Audi.
“The new Bloomington Audi dealership is a classic example of how Fabcon can deliver a huge amount of value to smaller-scale buildings,” comments Fabcon Sales Engineer Aaron Gordon. “The project called for a 65,000 sq. foot structure with four large dock doors for the service bay and moving cars in and out of the showroom.” Fabcon’s structural panels are 12 feet wide and can easily accommodate large doors without a lot of structural engineering work or a small army of specialty subcontractors. Fabcon’s ability to shrink timetables in the design stage and the building erection stage has a ripple effect.
“The actual project site was pretty tight. We were hemmed in on all fours sides by a freeway and existing structures. Our ability to get in, set the envelope and then get out of the way made it easier for everyone. Once the footings were in place, our crews had all the exterior walls up in less than two weeks. That meant the ceiling guys, HVAC crew and glazing contractors and the asphalt contractor could get started that much earlier…there’s only so much space to go around” adds Gordon.
Granted, a predictable, hassle-free construction process is all well and good, but none of it matters if you can’t build something you’re proud of. Fabcon’s flexibility and wide range of finish options give building owners a virtually limitless design palette. The car market is competitive, and a dealership’s curb appeal is a critical component of its brand experience.
Fabcon has helped a long list of auto industry clients. Our rare blend of Functional Aesthetics™ not only makes the process and the price tag more agreeable, it makes the end result priceless.
