Rudolph Libbe met the challenge: The new facility now produces First Solar鈥檚 advanced technology Series 6 thin film photovoltaic (PV) module and increased its U.S. capacity by 100% while adding 450 jobs.

探花精选 trades workers worked the majority of the nearly 750,000 man-hours on the project. Rudolph Libbe Inc. self-performed sitework, site concrete, site utilities, building foundations, concrete slabs and masonry. GEM Inc., another RLG company, performed building plumbing, HVAC, building electrical, central utility building electrical, process mechanical and substation electrical work, and equipment setting.

Rudolph Libbe Properties, another RLG company, used SiteLine, its proprietary property services program, to negotiate incentives with state and local government bodies, including funding for road improvements and utility extensions to the 250-acre site.

This project utilized off site pre-fabrication of many of the mechanical components to facilitate the accelerated schedule. The COVID-19 pandemic presented many challenges on how Rudolph Libbe would acquire its materials and equipment. Substitute materials and mock-ups of equipment were used to meet the fast-track schedule. Safety was planned into every aspect of the project.

The success of this project convinced First Solar to use Rudolph Libbe as design-builder for three more large manufacturing facility projects, one in Ohio, another in Alabama and a third in Louisiana.

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AU wasn鈥檛 simply looking to construct an additional building. It needed a partner capable of examining its operation in detail, and then propose options on how it could increase blending capacity while maintaining current operations, install new state-of-the-art equipment and controls, and improve safety and traffic flow.听

What made GEM Inc. stand out from the competition?听

It All Starts with a Conversation听

GEM used its Guided Process Solutions (GPS) system to collaborate with AU on the extensive 鈥渄eep dive鈥� needed to understand its operations, process flows, storage requirements and project goals. By coordinating all design and construction activities in-house, GEM was able to develop a cost-effective, creative solution that shaved months off the construction schedule. A Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) gave AU confidence it would not have to deal with costly change orders throughout the project.听

Project work included:听

• Construction of building addition and renovation of听offices
• Additional storage and blending tanks
• Revised truck traffic layout, entrance and flow
• Installation of new truck scale
• Explosion-proof rooms
• Updated fire pumps
• New hot boxes to keep materials at certain temperatures
• Electrical and process control upgrades
• An HPS pigging system for cleaning pipes

Modular Build Saves Time and Money听

One of the many ways GEM stands out from the competition is that it has continuous access to many disciplines that can fabricate major parts of the project. GEM used its in-house Virtual Design and Construction professionals to ensure what was fabricated is accurate, safe and would work in Tulsa.听

This allowed GEM to coordinate the work more efficiently instead of running into interferences that can happen during construction. Up to 600 individual designs for the project were created in-house and built by GEM鈥檚 on-site fabrication shop. Fourteen skids of prefabricated piping racks (including piping, insulation, control valves and electrical) were shipped from Ohio to Tulsa.听

The work was successful in meeting AU鈥檚 goals for expanded blending capacity, a safer work environment, state-of-the art-equipment and controls, improved accessibility for trucks entering and leaving the facility, and most importantly, meeting customer demand.

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With a $600 million investment to increase its capacity in the northern U.S., Ardagh needed to renovate or build a manufacturing plant that could help to meet this goal.

Huron, Ohio, proved to be an ideal location due to its proximity to multiple areas where the company supports its customers. Ardagh Metal Packaging, headquartered in Europe, is one of the world鈥檚 largest producers of aluminum beverage cans.

Rather than a greenfield build, Ardagh purchased an existing 300,000-square-foot existing facility. This older building required a massive interior demolition and renovation to add process lines, bulk storage warehouse/distribution, offices, toolroom, baler system, palletizing area and wastewater treatment.

All in all, the building would expand to approximately 900,000 square feet. GEM Inc., a member of the 探花精选 was chosen to lead this project due to a successful Guided Process Solution (GPS) design/build project at Ardagh鈥檚 Olive Branch, MS, facility. While working on that project, GEM鈥檚 electrical team proved that GPS could be used for multiple construction capabilities. As the Olive Branch project wound down, GPS team members met with Ardagh to begin talking about design for the Huron facility. At this stage, Ardagh didn鈥檛 yet know the scope of work. Their typical buying process is a three-quote procurement system that would be very challenging for Huron. GEM was able to show how using the GPS system would be more efficient in construction costs and timing to complete the project.

Together the GEM and Ardagh teams worked through the design process during the ongoing pandemic months, relying on technology for remote meetings. With so many construction disciplines involved, the teams broke into separate groups with RLG managing construction/demolition set to start the end of February 2021. In addition to preconstruction, estimating and budgeting, GEM Inc. and Rudolph Libbe Inc. workers from both northwest and northeast Ohio self-performed all trades; electrical, mechanical, sheet metal, plumbing, structural steel, concrete, rough setting embedded plates for 150,000-pound pieces of equipment, civil, and carpentry.

GPS Design/Build System Helps to Solve Unique Design Challenges

Some of these challenges were uncovered once the project began involving issues with the existing structure that were previously unknown. Rectifying would have taken more time
and costs had this been traditional construction management project delivery. With GPS, the team was able to pivot quickly to reallocate resources and correct while construction continued.

• Once foundations were started, residual oil from the previous owner鈥檚 process was discovered and required removal of three-quarters of the existing concrete and soil.
• The existing roof had to be completely replaced when it was found that existing insulation was painted and had begun flaking and falling. 听This would contaminate the process area, so mitigation was required. 听The old insulation was replaced with new foam insulation followed by installation of Thermoplastic Polyolefin (TPO) membrane over the standing-seam metal roof.
• Team members realized that none of the existing outdoor make-up area units (MAU) were able to be used due to their age, and in some cases, where additions were being installed, the units would have to be removed to make room.

Additions Accommodate Multiple Project Goals

• The 300,000-square-foot main canning process area was designed as two levels with a mezzanine for electrical controls of equipment and conveyors.
• 20,000-square-feet of the 50,000-square-foot main administrative office building and maintenance area will be LEED-certified Gold in support of Ardagh鈥檚 sustainability plans
• Another design change involved an increase in roof load to accommodate future rooftop solar panels.
• A substantial scrap system was built into the plant where aluminum is collected and taken to one of the three balers. As aluminum can be endlessly recycled, Ardagh is able to take full advantage of all scrap product

As of year-end 2022, there are four canning lines and two 鈥榚nd/top of can鈥� modular lines (producing 8 billion plus ends) running. Additional end modular lines are possible for the future. The footprint for the seven-line canning process became fully operational during the first quarter of 2023. With the new high-speed equipment installed in Olive Branch, Huron and a third plant, Ardagh has not only met but exceeded its capacity expectation.

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Specific work included:

鈥� Installation of anode/cathode mixing room lines including听stainless steel floor plates, process equipment setting and听alignment, utility piping, process piping, instrumentation听and electrical

鈥� Installation of battery component handling and racking听throughout the facility to transport material through the听numerous process stages

鈥� Utility piping required for process equipment throughout听the facility for controls

鈥� Vacuum process systems to extract fumes for specific听process lines within four (4) production areas

鈥� Installation and relocation of temporary walls required to听maintain cleanliness and humidity requirements between听production and construction areas

鈥� Mechanical, utility piping and electrical connections for听ancillary support equipment required as part of the major听process lines provided by specialized OEMs

Throughout the project, RLG was responsible for staging,听sequencing, uncrating, and trucking of process equipment听and materials into the facility receiving over 1,500 overseas听shipping containers and supporting commissioning activities.

The Virtual Design and Construction team from GEM Inc. completed a laser scan at the听project site to develop piping isometric and spool drawings.听This was done to facilitate shop fabrication for a vacuum听system at the Ultium site.

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Situated on two properties in North Ridgeville鈥檚 Mills Industrial Park, in 2018 RLG began building out its campus. Three existing buildings underwent extensive renovations to add more than 60,000-square-feet of offices and warehouse. This also included a new sheet metal/insulation/piping fabrication shop which moved from Oberlin and began operations in 2019.

Rudolph Libbe Properties, one of the 探花精选 companies, selected the site and financed the project to handle company growth in both work and personnel.

The offices were designed by the AoDK architectural firm, and serves as an interactive demonstration of the 探花精选鈥檚 design/build expertise and self-perform trade service capabilities. Its design features exposed ceilings, polished concrete floors, HVAC & ductwork, signifying pride in the quality of work the company provides.

Retrofitting the structure required converting 80 percent of the former warehouse into the single-elevation office space. An entirely new fa莽ade combined with new insulation, windows and doors boosts daylight harvesting and energy efficiency. Currently RLG鈥檚 Northeast Ohio team includes 30 full-time office and 400 field employees. With future growth predicted to double in the next five years, the facility can be renovated to add space as needed. GEM Service provides facility management and HVAC maintenance for the building.

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Andrea Kramer is the exceptionally busy president of City Apparel, a small business that sells a variety of promotional items. Managing the remodel of a building that has been in her family for more than 70 years while running her growing business was not an option.

She called on the 探花精选 with some ideas for the remodel, but quickly discovered that what she wanted was far above her budget. 听That’s when the Rudolph Libbe Inc. Special Accounts team got to work. This team of professionals has specific expertise and experience with smaller construction projects. 听RLI brought in GEM Inc.’s mechanical and electrical project managers to help with the plumbing and electrical design and installation.

The result: A renovation that was affordable, meets her business needs and makes employees proud to come to work.

鈥淭hey are crazy about the new space we are in,鈥� Kramer said. 鈥淓veryone is excited to show up every day.鈥�

What impressed her most was the constant communication she had with RLG associates over every aspect of the remodel. Kramer stated that the team made her feel like her project was their own business rather than simply checking boxes of tasks completed.

This experience with the remodel impressed her so much that she hired GEM Service, of the 探花精选, to handle her building鈥檚 HVAC services.

鈥淚 want to add to my positive comments about your team,鈥� Kramer wrote in an email. 鈥淚 have met with GEM about facility services. You should give yourself and your team a big 鈥渉igh five鈥� for employing great people! Excellent communications skills, strong follow up and easy to work with. I have signed an HVAC maintenance contract!鈥�

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The 探花精选 served as design/build contractor, with its own tradespeople self-performing much of the construction 鈥� sitework, utilities, concrete, masonry, plumbing, office HVAC, electrical, process mechanical, mechanical insulation and equipment setting.

Rudolph Libbe Properties SiteLine team led the confidential site selection process, providing options, research and rcommendations to the customer, who ultimately selected the 183-acre site in Lake Township.

First Solar selected the design/build project delivery method to meet the fast-track schedule. Design began in March 2018 before the property purchase was final and was completed in late April. The company broke ground as planned in May 2018, only 43 days after the project was publicly announced.

Long before ground was broken, however, the building was constructed and the vast amounts of process equipment installed in a computer model, coordinated by 探花精选鈥檚 Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) team to ensure accuracy and efficiency.

To meet the aggressive schedule, the massive building was enclosed in sections with the team digging foundations, placing concrete, installing utilities, and erecting precast steel and panels simultaneously, through a severe winter and wet spring. 听The team used load-bearing precast walls to reduce the amount of perimeter steel and an early suppression fast response (ESFR) sprinkler system which eliminated the requirement for heat/smoke vents and draft curtains.

GEM Inc. fabrication shop welders built uni-strut utility stands in-house, which plumbers then assembled to save field work. Field workers only had to tilt them up, anchor them to the ground, and make the tie-in.

Total number of pieces of equipment moved by GEM Inc. millwrights was 855 or 920 trucks of equipment unloaded. unloaded, uncrated and rough set. 听Equipment manufacturers from multiple countries completed the final setting.

Electricians from GEM Inc. managed the plant’s138kV/(2) 30 MVA substation as a design/build project including site work, foundation and equipment design. 听They also installed four electric vehicle car chargers at the plant.

GEM Inc.’s听mechanical group听designed systems and installed all elements within the plant’s wastewater and pure water treatment plants.

The project was completed on time and safely, with minimal incidents and zero lost-time for the entire project 鈥� 418,051 man-hours worked, vast amounts of materials and thousands of deliveries.

As a visible statement of its sustainability commitment, First Solar has a 2.4 MW rooftop array at its Perrysburg (PGT-1) manufacturing plant which was installed by the GEM Energy Solar Development team. GEM Energy is providing turn-key services to build a carport solar array at PGT-2 which will be up and running Spring of 2023.

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Our facilities are open with lights on more than 16 hours per day. We are only closed a couple of days each year. In addition, our buildings were built at various times… Some in the 60s, 70s, and 80s and others more recently. Most have gone through renovations and repairs over the decades.

Casey Holck, senior vice president and chief operating officer

YMCA of Greater Toledo

These factors led to inefficient and outdated electrical and mechanical systems, creating high energy costs and a need to assess equipment for repair or replacement.

Benefits of energy efficiency

Most nonprofit organizations are challenged to keep expenses low in order to provide the most services possible for their constituents. Implementing energy efficiency updates allows the YMCA to save money, which it can then invest back into its programs and member services.

GEM Service and the YMCA already had a working relationship which included an HVAC preventive maintenance contract at several of its facilities. 鈥淕EM understood our mechanical systems and the challenges facing our in-house facilities management team,鈥� says Casey. 鈥淎nd, they understood our funding issues and were willing to work with us to provide solutions.鈥�

Following a comprehensive energy audit, GEM and the YMCA determined that more than 60 projects were necessary for consistency,efficiency, reliability and improved overall member experience.听 These projects included:

• Interior and exterior LED lighting
• Water efficiency and plumbing improvements
• HVAC equipment replacements and upgrades
• Pool pump variable speed drives
• Updated building automation and control systems

Energy efficiency cost savings

A growing number of businesses improve their facilities鈥� energy efficiency to reduce operating costs, upgrade equipment, and achieve environmental goals, in order to better support mission-related activities. Many, however, still cite access to capital as the number one barrier to implementing projects.

Working together to identify the capital improvements necessary to accomplish its goals, the 听team began to develop the most cost-effective and comprehensive plan for upgrades and infrastructure modernizations.听In addition GEM assisted the YMCA in securing other incentives and savings, resulting in:

• more than $170,000 in annual energy savings
• more than $135,000 in annual maintenance savings
• utility cash incentives of $68,000
• funding via PACE financing

Funding energy improvements via PACE financing

Twenty-year was secured to make the energy improvements. PACE is a program that works with commercial property owners to save money through long-term financing solutions.

Over the 20-year life of the loan, efficiency projects will generate more than $111,480 in total energy savings and a CO2 reduction equivalent to eliminating the energy use of 75 homes annually.

Solving energy, maintenance and utility issues

The GEM team was charged with working on six YMCA sites, coordinating multiple skilled trades workers. The YMCA intends to utilize its existing facilities well into the future, so it was important to modernize and brighten the buildings to give them a fresher and more inviting appearance and atmosphere.

A majority of the work was done when the buildings were occupied, so minimal disruption to YMCA members and employees was critical. Each facility has different managers, requiring effective communication and coordination to schedule and implement the work.

In addition, many of the existing building controls were patched together over the years, with different systems at each facility. The lighting for each of the pool areas was also different at each facility. The team focused on creating consistency in all areas to make ongoing maintenance easier for facility

鈥淲e knew this work needed to be done, but also recognized that we did not have the available funds to fix everything within a reasonable time frame. We needed a partner to accomplish our goals,鈥� says Casey.听 鈥淕EM Energy was that partner.鈥�

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