Micro Matic USA
A multinational brewery equipment company needed a facility to match its core values of efficiency and pleasing aesthetics. Butler Manufacturing provided a solution that was “spot on.”
Project
Overview
If you’re a draft beer lover, you can probably name dozens of beer brands but likely have never heard of Micro Matic. Yet this company is a global leader in brewing equipment, selling dispensing systems for beer, cocktails, water and wine in more than 120 countries around the world.
The Denmark-based company has been on a fast growth curve in the United States. In 2010, the Micro Matic USA headquarters building in Brooksville, Fla., expanded from 50,000 square feet to 84,000 square feet. Yet the company needed even more manufacturing and warehouse space.
The solution? An additional 73,000-square-foot building on a separate site in a nearby industrial park.
For the new facility, Micro Matic turned to Wagner Construction Company, a Butler Builder®, and its owner Brennan Smith. Based in nearby Leesburg, Fla., Wagner Construction built the original headquarters in 2008 as well as the 2010 expansion.
Using Butler® structural, roof and wall systems, Wagner Construction delivered a striking new building that achieved both aesthetic and functional goals — as well as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.
Torben Toftegaard, president of Micro Matic USA, expected the new building to reflect high quality standards and visually appealing industrial design — hallmarks of the Micro Matic brand.
“The completed building is spot-on,” Toftegaard said. “Brennan Smith understands and respects design, and that made a big difference in the project.”
Smith and the Wagner Construction team worked in concert with Beck Architecture LLC to blend an impressive exterior look seamlessly throughout the building’s lobby, offices and warehouse.
“Inside and out, everything in the building is functional and aesthetically pleasing, yet done in the most economical fashion possible,” Smith said.
The new warehouse required an open floor plan with layout flexibility — a perfect fit for a structural system from Butler Manufacturing®. A 50-by-50 column line grid system allowed for minimal interior columns and a large expanse of floor space, plus a mezzanine level between the floor and ceiling.
With Micro Matic’s rapid growth, future expansion was another top-of-mind concern. Although much of the building is concrete tilt-wall construction, Wagner Construction added a 26-gauge Shadowall™ end wall from Butler. That means the building can easily expand from its current 73,000 square feet up to 140,000 square feet.
When you consider the functionality, the attractive design, LEED certification and everything else that went into this building, I think we checked all the important boxes. The building exceeds industry standards on all fronts.
“With the Shadowall end wall in place, we can construct an addition without disrupting operations in the existing building. After we take down the end panel, the customer can move into the new area immediately,” Smith said.
For the roof, the team chose the MR-24® roof system from Butler, a durable 24-gauge standing seam option that integrated easily with the concrete tilt walls.
As a global company concerned with sustainability, Micro Matic wanted to minimize the building’s environmental impact.
“It’s a high priority for Micro Matic to reduce noise, ensure safety and protect the environment,” said Toftegaard. “It’s part of our company’s DNA.”
One of the biggest energy challenges for the Micro Matic project was central Florida’s hot, humid weather. Saving cooling costs was essential for the massive warehouse.
Nine inches of insulation achieve an R-30 energy rating for the MR-24 roof system, with another six inches of insulation between the concrete walls. After completion, a thorough energy model predicted that the Micro Matic facility will perform 25 percent better than comparable buildings.
The completed Micro Matic structure not only exceeded the customer’s expectations — it’s a model for design sophistication that’s not often seen in industrial settings.
“When you consider the functionality, the attractive design, LEED certification and everything else that went into this building, I think we checked all the important boxes,” Smith said. “The building exceeds industry standards on all fronts.”
Nine inches of insulation achieve an R-30 energy rating for the MR-24 roof system, with another six inches of insulation between the concrete walls. After completion, a thorough energy model predicted that the Micro Matic facility will perform 25 percent better than comparable buildings.
