Robert Busenbark (right), Plant Manager at FABCON, was awarded the Patriot Award in 2014.

Rob Busenbark, Plant Manager for FABCON Precast was recognized for showing extraordinary support of employees serving in the National Guard and Reserve.

The honor was given by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), an agency within the United States Department of Defense.

ESGR created The Patriot Award to publicly recognize individuals who provide outstanding Patriot advocacy and cooperation to their employees.

Busenbark and Fabcon were nominated by Charles Sherburne, a maintenance manager in Savage, MN.

Sherburne serves with the Minnesota National Guard Mechanical Maintenance team, providing supervision and technical guidance to soldiers. He and Busenbark have worked together at FABCON for two years now.

The management team at FABCON has been very generous in giving days off for Sherburne and other employees that need time off to perform guard duties.

“It’s our way of giving back to the people who serve our country,” says Busenbark. “It means a lot that Chuck wanted to recognize me and FABCON for helping him out.”

The Patriot Award reflects the efforts made to support Citizen Warriors through measures such as flexible schedules, time off prior to and after deployment, caring for families and granting leaves of absence if needed.

Busenbark indicated that employees who serve in National Guard bring unique talent and experiences to the job based on time spent in basic training and service in the Guard.

“There’s definitely a talent there that is probably overlooked,” said Busenbark.

As a supportive employer, FABCON recognizes the need to actively seek out veterans for employment with the company.

Paramount to ESGR’s mission is encouraging employment of active duty National Guards and Reservists who bring integrity, global perspective and proven leadership to the civilian workforce.  These values and capabilities align with The FABCON Way beliefs – integrity, respect and quality.

Employees can nominate a supervisor for a Patriot Award by going online to ESGR.mil/Employer-Awards/Patriot-Award.

The post Fabcon Supervisor Honored with Patriot Award appeared first on Fabcon USA.

Congratulations to FABCON sales engineer Dick Duckstad and the Central Minnesota Christian School (CMCS) project team on receiving awards for their excellent work on the beautiful new school in Prinsburg, MN.

CMCS received a National EIC Pyramid Award and an Eagle Award, the top honor bestowed by the Minnesota/North Dakota Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC).

As quoted in the recognition banquet program description:

“The new facility boasts 78,000 square feet that will be able to maintain and sustain a growing student enrollment for CMCS.”

Construction was split into three phases over a two-year schedule so that the school could stay in session during the academic year. Check out this video posted on the CMCS Facebook page of the Marcus Construction crew erecting FABCON precast wall panels last summer :

CMCS was nominated by the General Contractor, Marcus Construction, whose family has a long history with the school and the Prinsburg community. National recognition for the project will be given at the ABC Conference on March 5th in Fort Lauderdale.

You can read a copy of the project description in the Recognition Banquet Program.

The post FABCON Project Wins Award appeared first on Fabcon USA.

The post Popular Performing Arts Center Built with FABCON Precast Panels appeared first on Fabcon USA.

FABCON is a dedicated player in the business of sustainable construction, and we’re seeing this community of green builders continue to grow. But what does it mean to be sustainable in a precast world? And what are plants doing to increase efficiency, save money and become more sustainable at the same time?

These questions and more will be discussed at the 2015 Precast Show next month in Orlando, FL hosted by the National Precast Concrete Association. A new article on the NPCA website dives into this conversation about the business of sustainability:

Did you know that by 2017, green building is expected to comprise more than half of all new commercial construction in the United States? While we all want to be good stewards of the environment, there has never been a stronger business case to incorporate sustainability into your everyday production practices.

At FABCON, our precast wall panels are designed for durability to maximize the future resilience of buildings. When coupled with our sustainable manufacturing practices, precast concrete allows buildings to minimize energy usage and cost — reducing its carbon footprint.

For more information about The Precast Show educational series, Sustainability: Production, visit precast.org

The post Precast Educational Series on Sustainability appeared first on Fabcon USA.

We can all appreciate the benefits of precast – compressive strength, air content, watertightness, and the list goes on – but how many of us actually understand the thermal properties of precast concrete products? As more Americans view energy efficiency as a priority, the thermal resistance of precast continues to grow in importance.

According to a recent report from the NCPA:

When explaining the thermal properties of precast concrete, it’s important to avoid confusion about thermal mass versus thermal resistance . . . Together, they provide the best performance for keeping a building comfortable for its occupants, and that makes precast concrete an optimal choice for a building material.

So what is the difference between thermal mass and thermal resistance? To sum up the article: thermal mass allows precast concrete walls to absorb and distribute heat energy. It conserves energy by reducing heating and cooling loads on the building’s HVAC system. The thermal resistance property of precast allows the material to slow down the transfer of heat energy.

At FABCON, we design our panels to take advantage of precast concrete’s exceptional thermal properties, meeting increased demands for sustainable, energy-efficient buildings.

Read the full article at precast.org.

The post Understanding the Thermal Properties of Precast appeared first on Fabcon USA.

Our first plant began operations in 1971, producing slabs for use in apartment buildings and retail projects. Now, almost 45 years later, FABCON is manufacturing and erecting precast and prestressed concrete wall panels for every type of structure. Our projects range from a 10,000 square-foot machine shop to a one-million square foot distribution center, and from a single-story bakery to a 16-story housing facility.

In 2014 alone, FABCON manufactured over 11.7 million square feet of product. That’s nearly 2.5 times the size of the Mall of America!

Here are some other highlights from last year. 

The post FABCON by the Numbers: An Infographic appeared first on Fabcon USA.

Ask anyone who has spent just a few minutes with Fabcon’s affable Corporate Marketing Manager, Joy Svoboda, to give some insight on what her passions are, and no doubt they’ll be able to tell you that she loves her family, loves helping people, and LOVES the construction industry.  So, it’s no wonder she’d be on the Program Advisory Committee at Dunwoody College of Technology, helping young people find their way into construction careers that best suit their interests and passions.

Founded in 1914, Dunwoody is a private, not-for-profit, endowed institution of higher education. It is the oldest institution of its kind in the Upper Midwest, with an international reputation for outstanding educational programs. It is also the only non-profit, technical college in the Upper Midwest and one of a handful nationwide. 

www.dunwoody.edu.

Beyond its unique non-profit position among technical colleges nationally, Dunwoody enjoys a 100% placement rate among its graduates, no doubt a product of the 75+ full-time, numerous adjunct professors and external advisors, like Joy, that the College utilizes in developing real world experience for its student body.  

To drive that relevant experience, the Program Advisory Committee participates in career fairs, networking lunches, mock interviews and other skill building events outside of the classroom.  One of those events recently took place in Long Beach, CA, where the American Council for Construction Education held its Industry Advisory Board Best Practices Event.  As part of her commitment to supporting Dunwoody’s mission, Joy participated as a panelist at this event, which was attended by members of both the academic and construction industries.    

In her talk, Joy referenced Dunwoody’s passion for developing real world skills among its student body through hyper-relevant case studies derived from its faculty’s significant work experience.  She spoke of how her 21-years of experience in the commercial construction business and most recent experiences at Fabcon influence how she advises faculty about construction employment trends and curricula that will set the course for student success after degree completion.  And she spoke of her passionate commitment to the Dunwoody’s mission.  

And it wasn’t just lip service.  She employs the same communication strategies in her day-to-day work at Fabcon, focusing on developing content, and employing marketing strategies that are relevant to the marketplace as a whole.  Just as she advises others on the right path to success, Joy’s efforts to provide the most relevant information to Fabcon’s sales engineers ensures that clients choose the right path in their precast building envelope needs.  

With her curious and engaging personality, it’s no surprise that Joy’s efforts don’t go unnoticed at Dunwoody.  Heather Stafford Gay, from the Construction Sciences and Building Technology Department at Dunwoody recently quipped, “Joy offers a uniquely creative and insightful perspective to our program. I appreciate her presence and involvement at Dunwoody, and her dedication to the program’s mission.”  

And the relationship between Dunwoody and Fabcon goes far beyond Joy’s involvement.  In addition to providing an avenue for students to learn about the success behind Fabcon’s 45 years in the business, Fabcon employs nine Dunwoody alumni; four employees with family members who are current students or alumni; two who are current students, and four who are active volunteers at the College, including FABCON CEO/President Mike LeJeune, who serves on the Board of Trustees.  

And it’s not going to stop there.  With Dunwoody’s 100-year old mission to provide strong technical educational programming combined with direction from industry leaders with real world experience, there will be no shortage of top talent from which companies like Fabcon will continue to draw.    

For more information about Dunwoody Technical College, please visit www.dunwoody.edu.  For more information about Fabcon and potential careers/available positions, please visit www.Fabcon-USA.com.  

The post Fabcon’s Marketing Manager Joy Svoboda Speaks at Construction Education Conference appeared first on Fabcon USA.

Company to host career fair to fill another 35-40 jobs

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – FABCON Precast, manufacturer of precast, pre-stressed concrete wall panels, announces two key hires at its new Kansas City plant, in addition to its first project in the area and an upcoming career fair to help fill another 35-40 jobs at the plant.

Austin Partee was named the new Plant Manager and Michael Hayden will be the Production Manager. These are the top two roles at the plant.

“I am very confident with the help of the fine people of Kansas and these two leaders at the helm, our new Kansas facility will be a huge success,” says Dick Wesen, Senior Vice President at FABCON.

Partee began his career at FABCON in 2013 as the Plant Engineer at the Ohio facility and has served the last nine months as a Project Engineer, working on capital projects. He was also instrumental in assembling the budget for board approval of the Kansas plant. He and his wife will be leaving Ohio for a new start in Kansas.

“The reception of all of the people
I’ve met in Kansas and the enthusiasm around the town has been outstanding and it matches our enthusiasm level at FABCON,” says Partee. “We’re fully in agreement that this will be a win for Pleasanton and also for FABCON and the clients we’ll be serving.”

Hayden joined FABCON in July of 2012 as Production Supervisor in Minnesota.  Prior to joining FABCON, Hayden worked as Fabrication Supervisor for Liebherr Mining Equipment, Alcoa Power and Propulsion, and Ford Motor Company in varying capacities. Hayden is veteran who served as a member of the United States Marine Corps during Desert Storm.

Hayden and his wife are originally from St. Louis and are looking forward to transitioning closer to home where their parents still reside.

“I’m excited and encouraged to be with this new plant from the start to help shape a new culture,” says Hayden. “There’s one thing I love about this company and I see it at all three locations: everyone is willing to jump in and help everyone else and that creates a great team atmosphere.”

FABCON expanded into the Kansas City market in January to better serve customers in the country’s heartland. It was the company’s first expansion in 14 years and the fourth plant in the U.S. Other plants are located in Savage, Minn., Columbus, Ohio and Allentown, Pa. FABCON’s projects are typically located within proximity of the plants and include a range of commercial projects such as office buildings, schools, large distribution centers, retail stores, manufacturing/warehouse facilities and data centers.

Leadership is working on staffing the new plant and will host a career fair April 7 and 8 at the Municipal Center in Pleasanton from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. each day.  There will also be a recruiting fair for field personnel on April 9.  More about the fair, including position descriptions and registration information, can be found on the careers page at www.fabcon-usa.com

FABCON is looking to hire approximately 35-40 people including quality and safety assurance staff, skilled manufacturing laborers and construction field personnel, and administrative support. To help new employees on their career path, current FABCON employees will mentor and train new hires.

The plant’s first scheduled production will be to manufacture and construct a new Gander Mountain in Chesterfield, Missouri in May. FABCON has built a number of projects for the Wisconsin based outdoor retailer over the years.

In addition to Gander Mountain, FABCON supplies the wall panels for national retailers Walmart, Target, Cabela’s, Menards and Home Depot as well as regional businesses such as Nebraska Furniture Mart and many others. FABCON has manufactured millions of square feet of panels for developers OPUS, Duke Realty and Prologis, including several FedEx distribution centers.

Founded in 1971, FABCON is based in Savage, Minn. and currently employs over 800 people. The company began by producing 8-foot wide concrete wall panels and floor slabs for use in apartment buildings and retail projects, but over the years, expanded in capabilities and markets served. FABCON is committed to a tradition of quality, innovation, and a readiness to seize new opportunities to serve precast concrete customers.

The post FABCON Precast announces new hires, first project at Kansas City plant appeared first on Fabcon USA.

Precast concrete is one of the key materials in sustainable energy production, and nobody knows more about precast than Fabcon. Its unique properties offer many advantages over traditional steel turbine towers. In addition to offering exceptional stability, precast concrete bases are being used to build taller, sturdier and more efficient wind turbines. 

According to an article from Inhabitat:

The wider footprint of precast concrete bases adds stability to the foundation of wind turbines, and can reduce the amount of concrete needed to install them by 60-70% . . . and their rapid construction time means that more turbines can be built.

Concrete is essential for the installation of large wind turbines, and adding height to the towers ultimately increases power production. At FABCON, we engineer precast wind turbine towers to assemble quicker, soar higher and create less impact.

To read more about the how precast concrete improves wind turbine efficiency, visit inhabitat.com.

The post Precast Concrete Bases Improve Wind Turbine Efficiency appeared first on Fabcon USA.

Dave Anderson will tell you it took him about 15 seconds to say yes to a job in sales at FABCON in 1978. He’d already put in four years working as a draftsman, but he was ready for a new opportunity. He never would have guessed that his FABCON career would ultimately span 40 years.

“I never would have considered myself a salesperson either,” says Anderson. “I always felt like more of a consultant.”

When he joined FABCON, Anderson had been accepted to the University of Minnesota’s architectural program and his wife Joyce was pregnant with their first child. He considered school, but realized it was time to go to work to support his family.  “I knew it was a good opportunity,” says Anderson.

40 years later, Anderson has consulted on thousands of projects with hundreds of clients. His daily interactions with his coworkers and clients and dogged determination to get it right have earned him praise as one of the most devoted, hardest working and most reliable employees FABCON has seen.

“Nobody cares more than Dave,” says Amy Holliday, Anderson’s former sales assistant who will take over some of his clients when he retires. “He’s very passionate about everything he touches and that rubs off on people here in a positive way. He makes us all better.”

Read More: Dave Anderson Retires From FABCON After 1,901 Projects

The post Dave Anderson Retires From FABCON After 1,901 Projects appeared first on Fabcon USA.

FABCON is excited to welcome five new additions to our team!

• Christina Delisser – Production Assistant | Pleasanton, KS
• Marisela Hautman – HR Generalist | Savage, MN
• Christopher Herd – Drafter | Savage, MN
• Melissa Lowery – Sr. Buyer | Savage, MN
• Tate Smith – Drafter | Mahanoy City, PA

The post FABCON Announces Five New Hires appeared first on Fabcon USA.

Taking Shelter: Building Disaster Resistant Shelters with FABCON Precast Wall Panels

Two of the most devastating natural disasters, hurricanes and tornadoes, occur in the United States. Every year they cause thousands of injuries, fatalities, extensive property damage and loss. Tornadoes are especially devastating in a distinct region of the US dubbed Tornado Alley, which stretches from Texas to Minnesota and across Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, and Nebraska.

Between 1950 and 2011, tornadoes resulted in approximately 5,600 deaths in the US, more than both hurricanes and earthquakes combined during the same time period. The deadliest year for tornadoes was 2011, when 553 people lost their lives during tornadoes. The tor­nado with the greatest number of fatalities on record occurred in Joplin, MO, on May 22, 2011, with 161 fatalities.

Where Tornadoes Happen

According to the National Climatic Data Center, tornadoes can happen any time of year, anywhere in the US, so there isn’t an official tornado season like there is with Atlantic hurricanes. However, a higher percentage of tornadoes occur during spring and midsummer throughout a multi-state region called Tornado Alley, which consists of areas in northern Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska and southern Minnesota.

The reason this part of the country is more prone to tornadoes is because it is perfectly positioned for the formation of super-cell thunderstorms, which often produce EF-2 or greater tornadoes (the most violent). Most early spring tornadoes happen in the southeast and south central regions. Tornadoes that happen between February and April tend to occur in the Gulf States, such as Mississippi and Louisiana.

Tornadoes in late spring usually hit farther north into Kansas, Nebraska and Tennessee. By the middle of summer, Tornado Alley is active. During this time, tornadoes can show up anywhere in the United States. The end of summer can bring stronger tornados to the upper Midwest and Ohio valleys, with the pattern reversing in late fall. Winter is an unlikely time for a tornado but deadly tornados have happened during this time, so it’s important to be prepared. 

Protecting Against Disaster

Sadly, many of the injuries and fatalities of these storms could have been prevented with better evacuation procedures and access to disaster resistant storm shelters, safe rooms and refuges. For example, a community shelteris intended to provide protection for a large number of people, from as few as 12 to as many as several hundred people. These shelters include public shelters and private shelters for businesses and other organizations. Increasingly, community shelters are being built on existing structures such as school auditoriums.

FEMA has developed a set of hazard-resistant codes and standards for assessing how structures respond in a disaster, including the Standard for the Design and Construction of Storm Shelters, known as ICC 500. The purpose of this standard is to establish minimum requirements for the design, construction, and installation of storm shelters constructed for protection from high winds associated with tornadoes and hurricanes. Adoption of these standards can help save lives.

Shelters vs. Conventional Structures

Windborne debris, also referred to as “missiles”, cause many of the injuries and damage from tornadoes and hurricanes. In conventional buildings, windows and glazing in exterior doors are not required to resist windborne debris, except for buildings in windborne debris regions.

In most cases, non-shelter buildings are designed to withstand wind speeds typical for the area based on historical data. For example, the highest design wind speed in conventional construction can be found in coastal areas along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts where building designs are for winds in the range of 140–150 mph, 3-second gust in most locations. The FEMA recommended design wind speed for shelters in these same areas is 200–250 mph, 3-second gust. According to FEMA, this standard provides “near-absolute protection.”

Wind pressures are calculated as a function of the square of the design wind speed. As a result, the structural systems of a shelter are designed for forces up to three times higher than those used for typical building construction. Consequently, the structural systems of a shelter (and the connections between them) are very robust. (FEMA 2007)

Design Criteria for Different Types of Shelters

Shelters provide different levels of protection depending upon the design criteria used to build them. How much protection the structure provides depends on the design wind speed and the resulting wind pressure, as well as the windborne debris load criteria.

Design wind speed and wind pressure criteria: Wind pressure criteria specify how strong a shelter must be. The design wind speed is the major factor in determining the magnitude of the wind pressure that the building is designed to withstand.

In FEMA’s shelter publications, recommended design wind speeds range from 160 to 250 mph. The 2006 International Residential Code and the 2006 International Building Code, which establish the minimum requirements for residential and other building construction, include design wind speeds ranging from 90 to 150 mph throughout most of the country. (FEMA 2007)

Building Structure Safety Level

FEMA Safe Rooms

A safe room is an interior room, a space within a building, or an entirely separate building, designed and constructed to provide near absolute life-safety from tornadoes or hurricanes. If FEMA funds are used to build the safe room, it must meet the criteria outlined in ICC 500.

ICC Storm Shelters

Storm shelters provide life-safety protection, designed and constructed to meet ICC 500 criteria.

Best Available Refuge Area

These are areas within in an existing building that have been approved by a registered design professional to be least vulnerable to tornado damage. The building may or may not have been originally built to code. Because these buildings are not built to meet ICC 500 criteria, they may not provide life-protection to its occupants but they do provide a better chance for protection than in other areas of the building or outside.

You can learn more about refuge areas in FEMA publication P-431, Tornado Protection: Selecting Refuge Areas in Buildings.

New Construction vs. Retrofit

The easiest and more budget conscious way to construct a safe room or shelter is to include it in a new building. According to FEMA, the cost to retrofit safe rooms in FEMA-funded projects in the Midwest and southeast, cost 10-15 percent more than designing and constructing a safe room in a new building.

For large new building projects, the increase in cost for adding a safe room is negligible.
Many safe rooms constructed as part of a new school, each protecting 200-300 occupants, have added only 1- 2 percent to the total project cost when the safe room was included in the design process from the beginning of the project.|

Risk Assessment

Unless safe room installation is required by the building code or the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ), your safe room or shelter planning should begin with a risk assessment.

FEMA recommends a comprehensive risk assessment that includes:

- Type of extreme-wind hazard (tornado, hurricane or both)
- Threat or probability and potential severity of the hazard based on historic occurrences
- Vulnerability of the building or buildings in the community intended to be served by a community safe room
- Size of the population that is vulnerable
- Community-specific consequences that may result from the hazard’s occurrence

For more on risk assessment criteria, see chapter A2, “Extreme-Wind Risk Assessment and Analysis” in the FEMA publication Safe Rooms for Tornadoes and Hurricanes: Guidance for Community and Residential Safe.

Storm Shelters in Schools and Emergency Operation Centers

Kelly (OK) Elementary School’s designated refuge area for severe weather situations.

Schools and emergency operation centers have special criteria for storm shelters. The 2015 International Building Code (IBC) requires storm  shelters to comply with ICC 500 Standard for the Design and Construction of Storm Shelters in schools housing kindergarten through high school  students with more than 50 occupants and in critical emergency operation centers in tornado-prone areas.
Critical emergency operation centers include 911 call centers, fire, police, ambulance and rescue stations, and other occupancies specifically  intended to maintain essential functions and provide first responders with a necessary base of operations during emergency situations.

Tornado-prone areas include all of Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South  Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama and  Louisiana.

Shelters should be built to accommodate the entire occupancy of the building it serves. The shelter can be incorporated into another building or as  a stand-alone structure but must meet the applicable building code (2015 IBC) and ICC 500.

Building Strong to Save Lives

A storm shelter or safe room is only as strong as its walls. Precast concrete wall panels are known for being incredibly durable. Flexural strength, or the ability to resist bending, is how concrete panels are measured. FABCON’s panels have strengths of 8,000 to 11,000 psi, which is at least 3,000 above what the American Concrete Institute recommends. So not only is concrete strong, it’s also long-lasting. While masonry is susceptible to cracking and will need tuck-pointing, precast concrete requires only the occasional pressure wash and re-caulking to stay as strong as it was brand new.

It’s a surprising fact that average forward speed of a tornado is 30 mph, varying up to 70 mph. The average speed of a hurricane is 74 mph. FABCON panels can withstand 2×4 150 mph missiles and 75 lb. steel pipe missiles at 75 mph unscathed. You can see the results in our video. When it comes to protecting lives, this is the kind of protection you can count on.

You can find information on windborne debris load criteria on page 3 of FEMA’s publication Storm Shelters: Selecting Design Criteria. FABCON precast wall panels meet all windborne debris load standards and provide near absolute protection, as recommended by FEMA. On page 4 you’ll find a wind shelter design and construction codes, standards and guidance comparison table, which will help you during your planning phase.

Our engineers also are available to help you at any stage of your storm shelter or safe room construction project. We can answer questions you have about ICC 500 and IBC codes and regulations. To contact us or learn more about FABCON, please visit www.fabcon-usa.com.

The post Taking Shelter: Building Disaster Resistant Shelters with FABCON Precast Wall Panels appeared first on Fabcon USA.

In April, the FABCON team traveled to Las Vegas for the 2015 Data Center World Global Conference.   The Association for Data Center Management, celebrating their 35^th anniversary, attracted over 1,000 guests from more than 30 countries worldwide to this year’s event.  

The Data Center World Global Conference features hundreds of the sector’s leading vendors showcasing the latest industry technology and services.  Many attendees visited FABCON’s booth to learn more about the company’s ongoing data center development efforts.

“I was really happy with the turnout and interest in FABCON’s products at this year’s conference,” FABCON National Accounts Manager Don Johnson said.  “When people from all across the world recognize the FABCON name and what we’re doing, you begin to truly see the impact you’re making.”

The FABCON team’s presentation highlighted some current projects and the advantages of using precast concrete in data center construction.  Precast’s additional protection against extreme weather conditions has resulted in many new data center projects for companies like FABCON.

The post FABCON Travels to 2015 Data Center World Global Conference appeared first on Fabcon USA.

There From The Start: Daryl Stroman reflects on the first FABCON project and what kept him on board for 43 years

A Chance Encounter

When Daryl Stroman went to visit his brother Duane, a drafter at FABCON, he had no idea he would eventually go to work there and stay for more than 43 years.

“They needed help because they were already growing,” says Stroman, who had recently graduated from Bemidji State. “I started doing whatever they needed.”

That was in July of 1971. FABCON wasn’t even in production yet but they were about to be. The first beds were poured in August – and by then, Stroman had begun his job as a field operations coordinator. He has literally been with FABCON since the very first project began, doing whatever it took to get things done.

“Sometimes I ran back and forth to job sites with materials that they needed,” says Stroman. “If the president needed something, I’d deliver it.  And whenever someone forgot something, they’d call me.”

Eventually Stroman’s role grew and he managed all of the shipping. By then, jobs had expanded beyond Minnesota and into the Chicago area. Stroman would coordinate with the yard, the trucks, the clients and anyone with a hand in delivering panels.

“That was intense,” says Stroman. “It would start at 7:00 a.m. and I scrambled all day to cover loads.”

Stroman speaks highly of his boss and mentor, Jim Hasse who he says, never got frazzled.

“If he was gone, everyone turned to me for an answer. I started making decisions based on what Jim had taught me.”

Long Standing Relationships

After a few years with FABCON, Stroman had become part of FABCON’s backbone and enjoyed his experiences so much that he didn’t want to leave.

It worked out well for Bruce Buxton, current president and Chairman of the Board at Widseth, Smith and Nolting. He began working with Stroman and former colleague Jeff Nadeau in 1983. Together, they worked on all of the Mills’ Fleet Farms around the state.

“Jeff was the sales engineer and Daryl was the project manager for all of the stores and dealerships we put up for Mills properties,” explains Buxton. “It’s been a very strong relationship.”

Buxton says the reason for the decades-long partnership that spanned roughly 35 projects was Stroman’s ability to sit down and talk through any issues.

“He and Jeff always tried to make things better and as long as you can keep talking about things, it’ll always get better,” says Buxton.

He recalls a store they built in Carver, Minnesota, very close to Stroman’s home. Buxton says he stopped by frequently since it was so close and knew that project better than anyone.

“We’re sad to see him go but we understand and wish him the best,” says Buxton.

Mike Fish, construction manager on the Mills Fleet Farm account echoes that sentiment. He and Stroman worked together on all the Mills projects for 21 years.

“I’m going to miss the guy, that’s for sure,” says Fish. “He was always responsive, personable and did what he could to meet the needs of the client. He knows our system, too, which made things run more efficiently.”

Fish says it made him feel a little better knowing that Stroman was handling getting him his panels on projects in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and North Dakota.

“He would always rise to the occasion and gave us a straight answer which I appreciate because that’s how I operate,” says Fish. “I wish him well in retirement and hope he gets to enjoy the fruits of his labor.”

Paul Carlsted of Kraus Anderson Construction Company also worked with Stroman over the last 22 years. Their projects go from a 200,000 square foot Shell Warehouse to a 650,000 Uline warehouse.

“When Daryl said it was going to get there, we could take that to the bank,” says Carlsted. “He came to our site meetings and was involved through the whole process. He was always very responsive and timely. And when we were all screaming for our panels, he kept a cool head and gave us a straight answer.”

New Leadership, New Role

When Mike LeJeune became president in 1996, he launched a Project Management department. Stroman was a natural fit to lead it. He helped with the plant expansion into Ohio and Pennsylvania and getting project managers up to speed all over the company.

“I used to tell them that I had done a lot of things wrong so I could teach them what not to do,” laughs Stroman.

And with longevity comes wisdom. For Stroman, that included an intrinsic desire to help teach newcomers the ropes.

“A lot of them come to me for advice which is encouraging to me,” says Stroman. “I was working here before most of our drafting department was born.”

Bryan Fleck is one of Stroman’s many “students.” They’ve been working together since Fleck started in 1995.

“Daryl has been such a great resource because he’s been through so many situations,” explains Fleck.  “He’s always calm, cool and collected. He thinks through ways to address situations. That rubs off on people. Anyone he’s worked with has learned to calmly figure out a solution or ask Daryl since he’s been through just about everything.”

Kathy Phenow, Manager of Project Management, agrees.

“Daryl has always been good about wanting to help new people,” she says. “He was one of the first people to take me out to job sites, introduce me to FABCON methods and details, and explain some things that I should be aware of that could cause problems with customers later.”

She calls the knowledge Stroman gained over four decades of work “unmatched.”

“He created long term customer relationships and conveyed a strong sense of integrity,” she says. “He always worked to balance what was right for the customer and the company.”

Both Fleck and Phenow discovered another side to Stroman by working with him: his sense of humor.

“Daryl secretly has a funny side to him,” says Fleck.  “He likes old fashioned cartoon jokes.”

“And Sudoku puzzles,” says Phenow. “He used to photocopy them for me so we could work on them together to keep our minds sharp.”

Fleck and Stroman share a love of golf so they frequently talk courses, clubs and handicaps.  Fleck says Stroman likes to share his personal experiences almost as much as he likes to hear about his colleagues’ lives.

“His friendly demeanor, positive attitude and wealth of experience will be missed,” says Fleck. “Hopefully we can continue those attributes here at FABCON.”

Retirement Plans

During his 43 years at FABCON, Stroman also managed to raise four children with his wife Sandra. They were introduced in September of 1979, engaged in November and married by April of 1980.

“I was 32 and she was 29. We both knew what we were looking for and found it in each other very quickly,” says Stroman.

Their children Elika, Tyrell, Caleb and Logan were born over the course of the 80’s and are now having children of their own.

“Visits to Michigan to see my grandson Dray will be a big part of my retirement,” says Stroman.

Stroman also has plans to golf, fish and work on remodeling his 30-year old multi-level earth home with one of his sons. The house is one of a small number of homes built with FABCON products.

“It’s tornado proof, fire proof, hail proof and if there’s a storm, we find out about it on TV,” laughs Stroman. “I spent about eight years researching earth homes to come up with the design.  Luckily when I met Sandy she was on board with it right away.”

As far as leaving the fast pace of FABCON after nearly 44 years, Stroman says it’ll take some adjusting to learn to slow down.

“I’ll miss the people, not the stress,” he says. He suffered a stroke in 2012, which he said was one of the reasons he considered retiring. He remains nostalgic about his decades-long career.

“My biggest appreciation is the loyalty that they’ve shown me and I’ve tried to give back,” says Stroman. “There were times that things got slow and people got laid off but we kept going. I hope the reason I wasn’t let go was because of my hard work and dedication. I’m really grateful for the opportunity.”

67-year-old Stroman will take the memories of thousands of projects, four decades of work and countless friendships with him when he leaves in June.

The post Daryl Stroman Retires After 43 Years at FABCON appeared first on Fabcon USA.

CEO & President of Fabcon Companies Michael (Mike) LeJeune presented at Dunwoody College’s latest Leadership Lecture Series event on May 7, 2015. The series—offered the first Thursday of every month—has brought several prominent speakers to campus to speak on a variety of leadership topics.

The premise of Mike’s presentation was the “Importance of Corporate Culture” and what leaders can do to create a successful one.

Mike began his presentation by sharing the progression of his professional life with the audience, highlighting some of the challenges he first began to experience during his early years with Fabcon. Mike explained that after years of trying to find the root of the problem, he realized it was something much bigger than he was expecting: it was the overall culture of the organization.

“The most important thing I can do as a CEO is create a corporate culture where everyone can succeed,” Mike said.

Mike’s decision to shift the corporate culture of Fabcon ultimately shaped a set of important guidelines he and his employees now follow–something they call “the Fabcon way”:

1. Keep your integrity.
2. Focus on what is right instead of what is wrong.
3. Say thank you.
4. Treat everyone with respect.
5. Focus on the process, not the person.
6. Really listen.
7. Know it’s okay to make a mistake.
8. Explain why you want someone to do something; share with them the big picture.
9. Celebrate success.
10. Have fun.

Mike explained that by following this simple but effective list of corporate ethics, Fabcon—and its employees—have emerged stronger and more successful than ever. He hopes his story and these tips encourage organizational leaders in a similar situation to do the same.

The post FABCON CEO Mike LeJeune Speaks at Dunwoody College Leadership Lecture Series appeared first on Fabcon USA.

Building Efficient Data Centers with Smart Design
An industry report by FABCON PRECAST

The Drivers of Change

It seems like in the blink of an eye a new smart device is unveiled, whether it’s the new iPhone, Apple Watch, tablet or light-as-air laptop. Without a doubt, the world is increasingly connected and hungry for faster access to information. To support the data that fuels these devices, there’s an ever-growing need for storage.

“It isn’t about gigabytes of data, or even petabytes,” said GreenPages Technology Solutions CTO Chris Ward in a recent article published on CRN.com. “Now companies are talking in exabytes of capacity, which is 1 billion GBs.”

These needs create an environment of intense competition. According to a recent report by Emerson Power, The Four Trends Driving the Future of Data Center Infrastructure Design and Management, “the companies emerging as leaders will be the ones that are able to maintain or improve availability, while implementing technologies and services that reduce costs by improving design, management and operating efficiency.”

Rising to the Challenge

That means that new data centers not only need to provide enough space to house equipment, they need to help reduce energy consumption, cost less to build (and operate), and can get up and running quickly.

Another concern data center owners and operators have when planning new data centers, in addition to optimizing their current locations, is choosing the most efficient building materials. They need to be resistant to tornados, hurricanes and other natural disasters, as well as help reduce heat-load density, which is a growing concern, despite modern energy-saving equipment.

“We have a 6-month guarantee to our customers to have their data centers up and running, so I need to find a reliable, efficient solution, that is strong enough to meet our rigorous safety standards.  Fabcon’s precast walls provide that for us,” said Chris Crosby, CEO of Compass Data Centers.

Data center owners and operators have their work cut out for them. Those who can rise to the challenge will be positioned to meet the needs of their existing and potential clients now and in the future. So where do you begin? Is it possible to get everything on your data center wish-list? With smart planning and the right partners, the answer is yes.

Building the New Data Center

Building a new data center that meets all of today’s needs starts with a plan. Begin by identifying how much space you will need to service your current customers and how much space you will need to meet your growth demands and expansion goals. Make a list of your current challenges. Write down what those challenges cost your business. How can those issues be addressed in your new building? Steps like these ensure known factors are accounted for and future needs are designed into the plans.

Working with trusted architectural and engineering firms is crucial. It’s their job to be knowledgeable about the full range of technology, materials, and design trends to help you make an informed decision. They translate the requirements of your building into design specifications that support both the physical structure and the infrastructure of the facility.

At FABCON, we work directly with architects and engineers early in the planning process. Because the earlier we’re engaged, the more we can help cut costs and time. Our solutions may influence the architect’s recommendations and design plans, which can help build a more efficient, durable and cost effective data center.

Planning for a Data Center

Choose your tier: Many data center owners and operators find that Tier III buildings provide the best value, while providing the functionality they need to service their customer’s storage and data needs. This may or may not work for you. Consider the cost implications (savings, expenses and revenue) for choosing Tier I, Tier II and Tier IV buildings.

Choose your building materials: While saving money during the building phase is important, it shouldn’t come at the cost of quality. Choosing inferior building materials can have a major ripple effect and lead to long-term financial consequences, including higher utility bills and the worst-case scenario, your building or equipment destroyed by a natural disaster.

Selecting your building materials should is significant component of your data center planning—and it’s well worth the time. Before making a purchase or signing a contract, it’s important to have a thorough understanding of R-Values, design flexibility, and sustainability ratings for the materials used in your project.

If you’re unfamiliar with the different types of materials and their features and benefits, take some time to learn about them. While too extensive to cover them in totality here, following is some information about emerging trends in data center construction.

Sustainable Architecture = Energy Efficiency

If you’re not familiar with the term, sustainable architecture is the practice of designing and constructing more energy-efficient buildings that have a positive impact on their environments. And with higher energy-efficiency comes lower energy costs. The U.S. Department of Energy reports that building managers could save 20- 30% on energy bills by implementing energy-efficient improvements. So not factoring in sustainability into your data center plan is leaving money on the table.

VersaCore+Green™ wall systems, which were created by FABCON Precast, meet the criteria for sustainability, giving buildings a higher percentage of recycled-product content, a higher level of energy efficiency and  load bearing  wall panels that support equipment loads and protect your data from potential weather related or security damage. VersaCore+Green wall panels incorporate up to 58% recycled content, as well as the potential for increased LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) points and tax credits.

These precast wall systems help save energy and money by delivering R-Values that are three points higher than other precast wall panels. The panels also weigh less than other options, so shipping costs may be lower.

The Case for Precast

As mentioned in the previous section, precast wall panels are becoming a popular option for data center construction. One of the drivers of this trend is that precast wall panels are more durable than other materials. This durability improves the security of your structure, while increasing the energy efficiency and reducing life cycle costs, driving down your data center’s PUE.

Natural disasters also are a growing concern for data center owners and operators, so it’s important to have wall panels that are highly resistant to impact damage. Precast concrete panels offer a higher level of impact resistance and security for your building and the equipment and data it protects, making them an attractive option that creates a building that lasts and in less time because the panels arrive at your jobsite ready to erect.

“Providing our customers with the most efficient, technologically-advanced and damage-resistant data centers is our point of differentiation.  We do it better, faster and more efficiently than anyone in our space…and Fabcon’s precast panels are an important aspect to that success,” added Compass Data Center’s Crosby.

Fire is another concern. FABCON’S VersaCore+Greencan be modified for “solid” areas to meet Fire Manual requirements for fire ratings up to four hours. They also help control the internal environment. For example, the strength, density and insulation of VersaCore+Green create an insulated “sandwich” wall panel that provides very low permeance ratings (water vapor transmission) compared to other types of concrete construction.

The “perm” rating of the 12” VersaCore+Green panels is .16 versus .46 for “sitecast” concrete and 1.8 for CMU construction*, qualifying them as vapor barriers. The mix composition and manufacturing methods also reduce air infiltration, which can help with the heat-load density mentioned earlier.

FABCON wall panels are manufactured with high strength concrete utilizing pre-stressed reinforcement, while incorporating integral insulation.

In a study conducted by the Wind Science & Engineering (WISE) Research Center at the University of Texas to determine the debris impact resistance of FABCON panels for tornado and DOE 1020-02 protocols, they concluded that all panels tested sufficiently withstood impact from airborne debris. Read the report. Watch the video.

Precast or Site Cast, What’s the Difference?

Both precast and site cast concrete panels offer advantages over CMU and metal. However, there are some key differences between the two.

Precast concrete panels are manufactured year-round in a controlled environment with consistent, documented quality, whereas site cast is subject to variable weather conditions and restrictive pouring conditions. Site cast manufacture limits access of other trades to the construction site and often impacts construction schedules. Site cast requires pouring on the slab and possible damage or use of casting-beds on site, which further disrupt the job site and add to cost and schedule.

Conclusion

Today’s data centers have a lot of requirements. If you’re a data center owner or operator in charge of planning the construction of new data centers, the choices you make during the planning phase will have long-term implications. This report only scratches the surface as to all that you have to consider but provides an overview of the issues impacting data center construction and the trends we’ve seen.

FABCON has been in the business for 45 years, so we understand the variables that go into building a data center, whether it’s a 10,000 square-foot facility or 1,000,000 square feet. Contact us today to speak with a sales engineer, who will be happy to answer your questions and discuss how precast cement panels fit into your data center plans. To learn more about FABCON, please visit www.fabconprecast.com.

*CTL Group Permeability test results are available upon request.

The post Building Efficient Data Centers with Smart Design appeared first on Fabcon USA.

SAVAGE, Minn. – May 21, 2015 –FABCON is excited to welcome Brian Kopas as the company’s new Director of Manufacturing.  Brian joins FABCON most recently from Viracon, a manufacturer of architectural glass products based in Owatonna, MN.  Prior to Viracon, Brian spent time at Foldcraft in Kenyon, MN, a custom furnishing manufacturer for the restaurant industry. 

At both companies, Brian has been a strong leader of lean improvements and will play a vital role in FABCON’s lean transformation.  By leading kaizen events or improving organizational efforts, it is Brian’s hope to implement practices that allow everyone at FABCON to understand they can participate in continuous improvement efforts.  Brian brings a “been there, done that” mentality to FABCON and is extremely eager and excited to help lead the lean transformation.

Brian currently resides in Northfield, MN with wife and two children.

The post FABCON Hires Brian Kopas as Director of Manufacturing appeared first on Fabcon USA.

SAVAGE, Minn. – May 27, 2015 - FABCON is excited to welcome Dave Gorden as the new field superintendent at our Kansas facility.

Dave comes to Fabcon with 19 years of construction experience. His projects have ranged from small fast food restaurants, to huge international airports. Originally from Northern Minnesota, Dave is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys hunting and fishing of all kinds.

Dave and his wife Autumn of 18 years have 3 children; Hanna, 12 David Jr, 7 and Maxwell, 6.

The post FABCON Welcomes Dave Gorden as Kansas Facility Superintendent appeared first on Fabcon USA.

FABCON is excited to announce that casting has begun at our new Pleasanton, Kansas plant.

FABCON’s first casting at the Kansas plant.

The first full bed cast was completed on Friday May 29th – another significant milestone for FABCON.  “Way to go team! Big, big day in the history of Fabcon,” said FABCON CEO Mike LeJeune.

Photo of the Pleasanton plant’s first completed cast.

The post Casting Begins at FABCON’s Kansas Plant appeared first on Fabcon USA.

FABCON is excited to welcome Fred Purdy as the Quality Manager at our new Pleasanton, KS facility.  Fred brings 19 years of experience in the concrete industry to FABCON; working at CPI Concrete, IPC, and ATMI in the roles of Quality Manager, Staff Engineer, Field Services Manager and Plant Manager.

Although Fred is a new FABCON employee, he spent months on the team that was working to get the Kansas plant up and running; already proving to us, he is very resourceful and hard working.   

Fred stated in his original interview that he wants to stay in the Kansas area to be close to family and wants to be a part of building something special.   Having him as part of the Fabcon Team in Kansas should prove to be a win-win for everybody.

The post FABCON Welcomes Fred Purdy as Kansas Quality Manager appeared first on Fabcon USA.