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Triptek Construction LLC photo
Much like the tiny seedlings that rise from the soil, an $87 million peanut shelling and storage plant is emerging in Atmore, Ala. The facility, encompassing more than 400,000 sq. ft., is scheduled to begin operations in December 2021 and should be fully complete by January 2022. “There will be somewhere around 350 jobs, direct and indirect, and that will have a big impact on Atmore’s economy,” said Atmore Mayor Jim Staff. “This will create a new and different city. I foresee new business, school programs, just a good difference to our community.” The Escambia County plant, located on more than 60 acres, will bring additional jobs to the area during peak production times. Staff also noted that the farmers, as part owner By Cindy Riley
CEG CORRESPONDENT
of the plant, will get 20 percent more for their crop. “This will be spent in our community,” Staff said. “They will be able to have better equipment, farm smarter and be more diverse.” Federal tax credits from United Bank Community Dev. Dept. provided $13 million of equity to this project. “Without this $13 million, the 100-plus farmers who own Coastal Growers would not be able to raise the $20 million necessary to help build the plant,” said Staff. “This plant is located in Atmore’s industrial park to the west of town and next to the CSX Railroad, and a rail spur that was necessary for this plant to operate could be installed with little cost. “This park had all the utilities necessary to operate any size plant. It is shovel ready for more.” Coastal Growers LLC held an official groundbreaking
ceremony in March 2021. Directed by a board, Coastal Growers is owned by a cooperative of farm families. Most, but not all, are based in Alabama. “Coastal Growers is proving that Alabama’s economy remains strong and is bouncing back from what has been a hard year,” Gov. Kay Ivey said to reporters. “This partnership is a win-win for Atmore, the surrounding communities and the state of Alabama.” The Alabama Farmers Federation (AFF) and the Alabama Peanut Producers Association (APPA) both played a key role in the project’s development. According to the APPA’s news release, the cooperative shelling plant model gives growers the opportunity to collectively sell on the shelled goods market, as opposed to the traditional farmers stock market. see PEANUTS page 2
Page 2 • August 25, 2021 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide
Hollis & Spann Leads Peanut Plant Project in Atmore PEANUTS from page 1
Work on the highly anticipated project is continuing at a steady pace. With more than seven decades of experience overseeing jobs from Texas to Florida, Dothan-based Hollis & Spann serves as the general contractor. According to Hollis & Spann President Glenn Spivey, the main obstacle for crews at the site involved the top 3 to 4 ft. of soil that had to be replaced over the entire area. “The site work was started in the fall of 2020, and wet weather was challenging in moving this much dirt,” said Spivey. “Coastal purchased additional land to serve as a borrow pit for the needed material, and we designed berms to allow for onsite storage of the unsuitable soils. The winter weather was challenging for the site work portion of the project, and this June and July have been near record rainfall that has slowed some of the concrete work and paving.” The plant equipment (by LMC) install takes seven months and is 75 percent complete. The building is erected over the equipment. Site paving is being installed. Cold storage is under construction. The office and lab have been completed, and are being used by the Coastal team. Rail construction will begin soon. Spivey said that the storage warehouses are nearing completion and will receive farmers’ stock peanuts in September. There will be 60,000 tons of storage capacity. Equipment start-up and commissioning will begin in November. Main equipment needed to build the structure includes cranes, manlifts, forklifts, concrete pumps, dozers, excavators, rollers and off-road dump trucks. Significant materials include concrete, metal building, electrical and controls. As for the chief concerns when building a peanut shelling facility, said Spivey, “The plant will run year-round, but peanuts are harvested in the fall, and the facility must be able to receive peanuts in September.” Subcontractor Triptek Construction LLC, a full-service construction company, has been responsible for the mass grading of the site, along with base material, asphalt paving, concrete paving and stone surfacing around the warehouses, as well as site utilities. “We also constructed all of the support buildings outside the plant and warehouses, such as the main office, grading office, employee restroom/break room and ticket building,”
Triptek Construction LLC
The property was previously used for row crops, so the crew had to remove all the unsuitable material and then backfill with a more select material.
said Triptek owner Miles Smith. “We started construction in August of last year, and will be on site until around February of 2022.” Performing the mass grading of the site included over excavation to stabilize the site. The property was previously used for row crops, so the crew had to remove all the unsuitable material and then backfill with a more select material. “We were able to open an onsite borrow pit to harvest the select material, and we bermed the remaining spoil material,” said Smith. “The soil berms will be planted with pine trees at completion. “We handled 400,000-plus cubic yards of dirt/material on this project. At the peak of excavation, we had five 40-ton articulating off-road trucks [one Volvo, two Cat and two
John Deere], two John Deere 470 excavators, a John Deere 350 excavator, one Cat D6 dozer, one John Deere 750 dozer, a John Deere 700 dozer, two Bomag compactors, a John Deere loader and one International water truck.” Smith said the weather has been among the chief concerns for workers. “This year’s rain events have been an ongoing challenge, along with the heat.” Smith also said that while the hours may be long, it’s very rewarding to be a part of building a plant that will serve so many, while also having a positive impact on the local economy. “It feels great to be a part of something that is owned by farmers. I grew up farming with my dad and uncle, so it means a lot to me.” CEG
Triptek Construction LLC
Work on the highly anticipated project is continuing at a steady pace.
Hollis & Spann photo
Much like the tiny seedlings that rise from the soil, an $87 million peanut shelling and storage plant is emerging in Atmore, Ala.
Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • August 25, 2021 • Page 3
Atlanta, GA 404.696.7210 Birmingham, AL 205.841.6666 Madison, AL 256.350.0006 Mobile, AL 251.633.4020 Montgomery, AL 334.262.6642 Oxford, AL 256.832.5053 Tuscaloosa, AL 205.848.4147 Pensacola, FL 850.479.3004
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Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • August 25, 2021 • Page 5
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Ground Breaks for McClellan Training Center $31M Project Ground was broken July 29 for a new barracks complex at the Alabama Army National Guard’s Fort McClellan Training Center, the first step in a $31 million modernization project. The construction at the Alabama National Guard (ALNG) facility, located in Aniston, will replace 15 World War II-era barracks and facilities with three new two-story barracks, two single-story barracks, two dining halls, two company administration buildings and a battalion headquarters building, totaling 107,812 sq. ft. When finished, in 2½ years, the upgrade will provide living quarters for more than 350 personnel. A news release from the ALNG explained that the modern upgrades to the center’s barracks space will include wi-fi, improved heating and cooling, new laundry facilities and plenty of recreational space for off-duty hours. Some of the older barracks were demolished earlier in the summer, though service members in training will still have other lodgings at the training center, according to the Aniston Star. “The fact the construction is only taking place now is an indication of how well the barracks have been cared for over the years,” said Sandra Lucas, ALNG’s deputy director of public affairs, in speaking with the Aniston newspaper. “The soldiers clean every time they leave, repairs are always made, and maintenance helps the buildings last longer.” Better, more modern accommodations are one goal of the project, but the newer buildings should cost less to maintain and less to heat and cool, she explained. Lucas also told the Star that there had been a show of public support for the facility’s improvements since they were first announced in late July, some of which came from former trainees at the site. “We noticed a good bit of traffic on social media from soldiers, airmen and marines saying, ‘I stayed back there way back when,’” Lucas recalled. “It’s more than just buildings; there’s a whole sense of pride associated with it.” In announcing the groundbreaking on its Facebook page,
Alabama National Guard photo
Representatives from the Alabama National Guard, state, county and city governments, and the design, architecture, and construction firms involved in the development pose for a photo at a ceremony on the site of the new barracks project. Pictured are Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Sheryl Gordon; Anniston Mayor Jack Draper; Representative K.L. Brown; City Councilman Demetric Roberts; City Councilwoman Ciara Smith; Post Commander Col. Jeffrey Smith; Jacksonville State University President Don Killingsowrth; ALNG Senior Enlisted Leader Command Chief Master Sgt. David Bullard; Linda Hearn; Charles Keith Jr.; Mark Hearn; Aaron Acker; Julie Moss; Mike Rutland; Robert Garris; and Sean Smith.
the ALNG said the Fort McClellan Training Center “will provide modern lodging at the highest DoD standard to the soldiers, airmen, marines and civilians who come to train on our post.” The Facebook post added, “The new facilities represent an ongoing partnership between ALNG leaders, state, county and city officials, and local businesses that will pay dividends in the health, safety and quality of life for hundreds of thousands of service members for many years to come.”
JMR+H Architecture in Montgomery designed the new barracks complex at Fort McClellan. The Alabama National Guard’s Fort McClellan Training Center in Aniston acts as a center of military command for U.S. military personnel. The Army base houses personnel, conducts training operations for active duty and reservist forces, stores equipment and supports military operations not only for soldiers, but for service members representing the Air Force, Coast Guard, Marines and Navy.
Planned Manufacturing Facility in Opelika to Create 261 Jobs The Opelika City Council unanimously approved a project agreement with Hanwha Cimarron LLC on Aug. 3 that will lead to the construction of a new $130 million manufacturing facility in the Northeast Opelika Industrial Park in Alabama. The new plant also will create a projected 261 jobs. The South Korean-based company produces carbon fiber-wrapped, high pressure hydrogen storage tanks. “At Hanwha Cimarron we’re excited about what the future holds for us,” David Jeon, the CEO of Hanwha Cimarron, said in a statement. “Today we celebrate the announcement of a manufacturing facility to be located here in Opelika. This new facility will help continue our company’s growth in the Carbon Overwrap Pressure Vessel industry, catering to the needs of aerospace, drone, defense, marine, rail, on-vehicle, gas transport and ground storage solutions. “We’re excited about bringing over 200 good-paying jobs to the local area, and about
being a part of the greater Opelika community,” he continued. “We look forward to forming strong local partnerships that will benefit the community, the company and our employees.” The Opelika-Auburn News reported that as part of the project agreement, the city will provide financial enticements to Hanwha for the creation of the facility, including cash and performance incentives, tax abatements and a waiver of any municipal site plan review fees and building and construction permit fees. Hanwha Cimarron had asked the city for an abatement of all state and local non-education property taxes, construction-related transactional taxes not used to fund education, and all mortgage and recording taxes for a period of 15 years. The company is expected to wrap up construction of the plant by the beginning of July 2022. “Hanwha Cimarron’s decision to build a
new manufacturing facility in Opelika is great news for the city and for the state,” Gov. Kay Ivey noted in a press release issued by her office. “This is another project that will create jobs for our hard-working citizens while also showing Alabama offers the kind of business environment that companies seek for success.” The Opelika City Council also approved a motion to submit a grant application to the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) and the Alabama Industrial Access Road and Bridge Corporation for the construction of a new, 25-ft.-wide asphalt road to connect the new facility to Northpark Drive within the Northeast Opelika Industrial Park. As a part of the grant application, the city will be asking the state for $1.12 million to complete the project, which the city has estimated will cost $1.2 million. “We are so pleased that Hanwha
Cimarron is investing in Opelika and bringing significant job growth to our community,” Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller said in a statement. “We thank the leaders of Hanwha Cimarron for having confidence in Opelika. Our city provides a strong workforce and offers great living amenities. We are excited to support this new industry.” According to AL.com, Hanwha Solutions Corp. acquired Huntsville-based Cimarron Composites in December 2020 as part of an expansion into the hydrogen energy business. Cimarron, founded by a former NASA researcher in 2008, produced tanks for rockets, but its products also have potential implications for hydrogen-powered automobiles and charging stations. The Opelika project fulfills part of Hanwha’s plan for the acquisition, the online news service reported. Last year, Hanwha said it would invest at least $100 million in Cimarron Composites production by 2025.
Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • August 25, 2021 • Page 7
210 West Blvd Montgomery AL 36108
1797 Fulton Springs Rd Alabaster AL 35007
1-844-786-6373 www.stoneequipmentco.com
Page 8 • August 25, 2021 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide