One of our project teams made the stage twice at the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Iowa Excellence in Construction Awards Gala in Des Moines, IA, on April 8. The greenfield project for Tyson Fresh Meats in Eagle Mountain, UT, received the Award of Excellence in the Commercial-Electrical: Over $10 Million category. Our team was also the recipient of the Project of the Year, which is awarded to the project with the highest cumulative point total.
"The superior workmanship illustrates the high level of quality produced by merit shop contractors," said Greg Spenner, ABC of Iowa President and CEO.
The successful project was not without challenges, from unique compliance requests, like the Dark Sky Initiative, to a global pandemic. Like the other winners, the project was judged on attractiveness, innovation, budget compliance, and safety.
Dave Los, Vice President of Operations at Interstates, shared, "Winning this award demonstrates how we deliver for our clients and the high level of professionalism we bring to a project - from design to installation."
Project Scope
In Eagle Mountain, UT, our team worked under Salt Lake City-based general contractor Big-D Construction. This Tyson facility prepares case-ready food, which involves cutting meat, putting it on the trays you find at the grocery store, and shipping it out to big-box stores. We provided all power for the facility's core and shell, including temp power, power distribution, lighting, wireless network, fire alarm systems, security, and commercial office areas.
Tyson hasn't built a facility like this in over 20 years, and through their relationship with Interstates, they knew they could rely on us for this project. They could share their ideas, and we came up with the design to make it happen. Our experience with Tyson and other case-ready, red meat, and prepared facilities was key to the project's success.
Unique Times & Challenges
In 2014, the City of Eagle Mountain passed a Dark Sky Initiative to follow the International Dark-Sky Association standards, which means any outside lights can't produce uplight or light pollution during the night. This gave our team a bit of a challenge as they developed the relay controls.
What became tricky was the challenges of the global pandemic. Tyson was considered part of a critical industry, and we worked hard to keep the project moving. Our team developed a site-specific plan which involved implementing temp checks, masks, social distancing, and extra cleaning.
Adam Wilson, Project Manager at Interstates, gave his thoughts on the awards, "These awards are a testament to the overall strength of our team and to how well Interstates develops its people. You will not find a better collective group anywhere in the country. To be a link in that chain was truly an honor." Thanks to our teams that came together during a challenging year, the project was ultimately a success.
Read more about the project here.
