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Micro Matic Aerial View

Tapping Into Top-End Functionality

New Micro Matic warehouse is ultimate in efficiency and aesthetics

  • Inspired Design

    Bring the brand to life through the building design was imperative.

  • Surprising Flexibility

    One wall can “unzip” to allow for easy expansion in the future.

  • Impressive Efficiency

    The wall system minimizes heating costs with 3 inches of insulation.

A Building To Match The Brand

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. If you’re hoisting a cold one, chances are the suds traveled through tanks, cooling systems or keg valves made by Micro Matic.

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, Florida, 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, Florida, 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.

Understanding Design Needs

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. Located along the busy Suncoast Parkway north of Tampa, the completed building is an eye-catching landmark that is a visible reflection 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 the architectural firm, 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.

Functional Spaces

The new warehouse required an open floor plan with layout flexibility — a perfect fit for the Landmark™ 2000 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.

The Landmark 2000 system utilizes Truss PurlinXT ™ secondary structural members and rod bracing to enable column-free spans up to 60 feet — the longest bay size available on the market. With an acrylic-coated galvanized finish, Truss PurlinXT technology also delivers an attractive interior appearance.

Planning For Expansion

With Micro Matic’s rapid growth, future expansion was another top-of-mind concern. Although the majority 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.

“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.

“The MR-24 system was turnkey, including flashing, water management and waterproofing. We found it to be one of the better roof installations we’ve seen," said Mark Stenson, AIA, project manager at Beck Architecture LLC.

“The MR-24 system was turnkey, including flashing, water management and waterproofing.”
Mark Stenson, AIA, Beck Architecture LLC

Sustainable Construction Goals

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.”

The design and construction team set out to achieve LEED certification through material selection, construction practices and energy-efficient design. Taylor Ralph, president, REAL Building Consultants, stepped in to guide the process of reaching LEED certification.

As LEED consultants, Ralph and his team evaluate building design characteristics, keeping in mind efficiency, health and return on investment. Ralph recommends design features and sustainability best practices during construction. Upon building completion, the REAL team submits all paperwork to the U.S. Green Building Council to establish LEED certification.

As the largest material supplier for the project, Butler Manufacturing helped support the LEED application by documenting the manufacturing location and amount of recycled content in Butler® products. Other factors that contributed to LEED certification include construction waste recycling, efficient LED lighting, natural landscaping, sun shades and watersaving restroom fixtures. Post-construction, fuel-efficient vehicles get preferred parking spaces and smoking is prohibited within 25 feet of the Micro Matic building.

Cooling Cost-Efficiency

One of the biggest energy challenges for the Micro Matic project was central Florida’s hot, humid weather, Ralph said. Saving cooling costs was essential for the massive warehouse. “The roof system and wall systems from Butler were integral in creating a tight envelope that controls energy leakage and keeps a comfortable environment for people who work in the building,” said Ralph. Nine inches of insulation achieve an R-30 energy rating for the MR-24® roof system, with another 6 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 building is spot-on.”
Torben Toftegaard, Micro Matic USA

Checking All The Boxes

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.”