Gestamp Alabama Plant Remains Operational throughout 8-Month Expansion Project

A 140,000-square-foot expansion at Gestamp Alabama, just two years after the plant originally opened in McCalla, Alabama, has recently been completed by Hoar Construction.

The $12.5-million Design-Build project will allow Gestamp to increase the number of metal automotive components it manufactures for the growing automotive industry around the state.

“Through a detailed preconstruction and design review, we were able to keep the plant operational throughout construction and ensure Gestamp could deliver on commitments to their customers without interruption,” said Project Manager Casey Cobern.

Hoar started working on the project in the fall of 2018, collaborating with the client and plant employees to plan and design the expansion. The challenge was demolishing one of the building’s exterior walls, building the new structure and tying the two buildings seamlessly together, without negatively impacting Gestamp’s ongoing work.

“We thought this was going to be a copy and paste of the current space,” Cobern said. “But when we really dove into the plans, we were not only able to improve our construction process but also aid their overall operations.”

For example, Hoar investigated and suggested a mechanical systems solution that increased efficiency, optimized machinery performance and reduced operating costs. In addition to making the changes in the design of the new structure, the contractor then replaced the mechanical components in the existing building to improve the plant’s entire operation.

Partners on the project included: Designform LLC, Tucker Jones Engineers, Sain Associates, RJ Mechanical, Ace Electric, American Fire Protection, Greater Georgia Concrete, Ingle Demolition & Salvage and ECS.