burritt motors
Under the watchful eye of an automotive manufacturer’s design team, Butler products are used to create the perfect solution for a new dealership.
Project
Overview
When Burritt Motors in Oswego, New York, set out to create a next-generation automotive facility under Chrysler’s new CDR+J program, Butler Manufacturing systems provided the precision, performance and reliability the project demanded.
Butler Builder® Whelan & Curry Construction Services, with decades of experience building Butler systems across Upstate New York, engineered a 31,000-square-foot structure that delivered both architectural alignment with Chrysler’s brand standards and long-term operational efficiency.
The facility utilizes a Butler clearspan system for unobstructed service bays, the MR-24® roof system for proven weathertight protection and the TBS™ Insulation System with Shadowall™ wall panels to achieve exceptional energy efficiency in the region’s harsh winter conditions.
Butler’s system precision allowed the design to adapt efficiently to dealership requirements without compromising schedule or cost. The project was completed on time and within budget, and now stands as one of the first fully realized CDR+J facilities in the state.
“The quality and precision of the Butler systems gave us the performance and appearance we needed — without compromise,” said owner Rich Burritt.
When a national brand influences a construction project, the brand typically provides conceptual design, schematic design, and the program based on the dealer’s sales volume. These guidelines include a floor plan, square footage requirements for different functions and a brand-preferred layout.
“But as a design-build contractor, our bread and butter is to figure out the technical components,” Corfield explained. “How are we going to take this program and determine how it’s going to be built? What’s the best way to build it? What’s the most cost-effective way to build it? We get into the details on the functionality of the building.”
“Chris knew what Butler could do,” said Burritt. “He understood the flexibility was there to achieve the design revisions I was asking for.”
We were adamant about using Butler products for the big portion of the building.
Burritt has some challenges with an older building he owns, so he knew up front that he wanted a pre-engineered metal building. “He knew some of the benefits, but we educated him on the Butler products, including the MR-24® roof,” Corfield said.
Other characteristics of the building, including the large clear span needed for the service area, also drove Corfield to recommend Butler products. The Butler Widespan™ structural system provided an ideal solution. Plus, Corfield knew a single slope configuration would provide enough room for the second-story space that the client wanted for offices and storage.
There was no shortage of requirements in this project, as Corfield remembers. Having the design team from Chrysler involved as an interested third party added a new twist. But when you’re a construction company in Upstate New York, there’s nothing new about energy code requirements. Once again, he used resources available from Butler, relying on expertise to match the best roof and wall systems with local code requirements.
Burritt Motors was just the second dealership in the state of New York to build with the new CDR+J design. That drew the attention of many other dealers, and they came from many parts of the state to get a look. “I’ve given tours to seven different dealers – and everyone loved the design. It was economical and created the image that the factory wanted,” Burritt said.
