Douglas & Lomason, Troy, Missouri

Minivan Seat Manufacturer Creates In-Plant Office Space With PortaFab

2,430 sq. ft. In plant offices with sound resistance an color coordinated look.

Flexibility to relocate and/or modify offices at a later date

Indoff – St. Louis, Missouri

The Situation
Douglas & Lomason is a seat manufacturer for Ford Aerostar minivans that was expecting to relocate within eight months. They were looking to add offices inside the warehouse that they would be able to dissemble and move to the new site at a later date. The customer also needed the flexibility to rearrange the structure should their plans change.

Since these "new" offices would be located close to the assembly line itself, using the building materials that would provide sound control and non-combustibility were also important considerations. Douglas & Lomason also preferred a "finished, professional-looking" office system solution.

The Evaluation
Early in the evaluation process, Douglas & Lomason ruled out conventional construction materials because of their high cost and immobility. They were also interested in finding an alternative that offered minimal disruption of their daily workflow. In order to maximize the space in their warehouse, it was decided that the new offices would be positioned on top of the existing steel mezzanine.

The Solution
After determining these parameters, Douglas & Lomason asked Chuck Early from Indoff to help design and install the office space in their production facility. Early was quick to include a PortaFab modular office in the project's design. In addition, says Early, "The customer was please with the plan's flexibility and the fact that there would be little plant disruption and no dust with the modular construction."

Indoff built the 2,430 square foot office space at the Douglas & Lomason plant in January. A Series III wall system was used because of its unmatched flexibility. Because of the structural design of the system, there was no need to install additional supports in the warehouse. Because the offices were to be positioned in close proximity of the production area, Douglas & Lomason also opted for the Fire and Sound Control Option. These noncombustible panels are constructed of a 2" polystyrene core between 1/2" vinyl-covered gypsum. This feature provides excellent fire protection and sound insulation and is commonly used in or near manufacturing areas.

The other major requirement for this project was an office area that would give the client total flexibility for relocation at a later date. Pre-fabricated and pre-engineered, PortaFab modular office system gives the customer the flexibility to meet both their immediate and future needs. According to Early, "The customer liked the flexibility so much, the design was changed frequently throughout the duration of the project." Since the system is non-progressive, the designers and builders were able to make these changes on the fly.

Early also added that since the installation, the customer has decided to reconfigure to make the accounting offices larger. Without PortaFab's modular construction, these changes would have been much more expensive and time-consuming.

To address Douglas & Lomason's concern about keeping the office space from "looking like a construction site", Early decided to use the MatchTone color-enhanced wall system. Its color-coordinated, neutral interior panels and matching MatchTone studs and framing components give any addition a finished, professional look.

Overall, the customer "is very pleased with the solution provided by Indoff and PortaFab, and would buy from them again." The combination of the flexibility, soundproofing and a professional look supplied by Series III met Douglas & Lomason's needs.

In-Plant Installation to Fit Changing Plans
When planning modular in-plant office installations that require maximum flexibility, the PortaFab building systems are an excellent choice. They can accommodate virtually any design and are easily modified for relocation or additions. Because the system is non-progressive, modifications are quick and can be done without reassembling the entire unit. For even greater flexibility and better space utilization, the system is available in two-story and load-bearing applications. The Fire and Sound Control option is very popular for manufacturing areas and provides maximum fire protection, as well as sound and thermal insulation.