Coborn's Corporate Support Center
A decades-long partnership between Butler and builder lead to solutions for a legacy company that go above and beyond expectations in steel structures.
Project
Overview
For Coborn’s, growth demanded more than space — it required a facility engineered for performance, efficiency and enduring value. With longtime Butler Builder® Rice Companies, Inc., the Minnesota-based grocer turned to Butler Manufacturing for the precision systems and engineering expertise that could bring its new 91,000-square-foot Corporate Support Center to life.
Designed and constructed in just 10 months, the three-story facility showcases the capability of Butler Conventional Steel Services, which applied advanced 3D modeling to ensure structural accuracy and accelerated assembly. Bolted structural connections minimized field welding, reducing labor time and ensuring consistent fit and finish across the build.
Additionally, the new office space creates a comfortable and inviting atmosphere. The interior décor features a modern look with many exposed steel structural supports as well as 8-foot-tall doors and working stone fireplaces in the lobby and lunchroom.
The result is a workplace built on precision — combining strength, efficiency, and architectural quality. Natural light, exposed structural steel, and efficient thermal performance create an environment that reflects Coborn’s commitment to well-being and productivity.
The project did not fit the parameters of the typical systems construction approach Butler uses, so Rice called in Butler Conventional Steel Services to supply the structural components.
“It was a team effort between our architects, Coborn’s and the Butler engineering team to identify this design. The Butler engineers are excellent to work with,” said Travis Lund of Rice Companies.
Inspiring happiness, healthy living and simplicity is a tenet of the Coborn’s corporate vision, and its space stays true to this perspective.
The building is situated on a large campus, and its design features ample windows for employee owners to enjoy woodland views and soak in natural light throughout the day. Plus, a walking path crisscrosses the lot. Employee owners can often be found conducting walking meetings.
Throughout the three years of planning and one year of construction, the small Coborn’s Corporate Support Center design team stayed tight-lipped about the caliber of office they were creating. Most employee owners saw the building for the first time when they moved in the week before Thanksgiving. Their thoughts on the building? It’s remarkable.
“It’s visually impressive; the design speaks for itself. It’s quite a building to build in about 10 months’ time,” said Dennis Host of Coborn’s.
We’ve had a long relationship with Butler Conventional Steel Services, and from the beginning thought of it as a project for that group. It was a team effort between our architects, Coborn’s and the Butler engineering team to identify this design. The Butler engineers are excellent to work with.
