EAD earned the trust of a global, Fortune 500 food manufacturer by designing and executing on their major food processing line expansion. EAD supported our client through our dedication to food and worker safety and our compliance with good manufacturing practices (GMPs). The project was completed in 2020 and may very well go down in our 20-year history as our biggest success story to date: We executed a $60MM project in 10 months in an existing, operating facility during Covid-19. EAD completed the project on-time, on-budget, and never missed a beat, even when some of the project staff had to be quarantined.
In early 2020, EAD was involved in a large-scale multi-discipline FEL-2 through FEL-4 project involving process, structural, mechanical, electrical, and controls engineering. EAD also provided project management, professional construction management support safety training, Covid-19 safety services, and start-up and commissioning support for our client’s new flexible production line in their existing plant. The complex project involved all of the client’s process and packaging systems, from the bulk materials storage, cooking, and flavor adding stations to their multi-stage drying, tempering, milling, toasting, and vitamin application and packaging stations.
EAD’s client needed to run up to eight different products at 170 lbs. / minute and 160,000 lbs. / day. Our client’s cereal product had not been produced at the plant for many years. But due to increasing demand from the US and Canada, our client decided to increase production. Sales of breakfast cereals were skyrocketing due to the eating habits of work from home consumers.
The client relied on EAD’s experience and project expertise for everything from engineering design and equipment procurement and layouts, to the management of the project schedule and construction activities. Since the manufacturing plant where the work was performed was over 50 years old, there was already a significant amount of piping ducting, and conduit in the area.
EAD completed a 3d scan covering approximately 41,000 sq. ft., which allowed the team to work around existing items and accurately identify what needed to be removed or relocated without disrupting the plant’s existing operations. EAD’s project execution plan was developed with the client’s goals and improved speed to market as the key project drivers.
An accelerated schedule utilized phased start up unit operations to accomplish the aggressive time frame. Construction phasing was aligned with the engineering packages and the client’s operational priorities. The project involved every EAD discipline from mechanical and controls engineering to construction management and drafting design. The EAD project manager was able to balance the installation phases with the contractor’s workload and the equipment deliveries to ensure the project was delivered on time.
The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated the project’s risks to the project including equipment deliveries and human resources management. EAD’s well documented and communicated Project Execution Plan, including a Covid-19 Response Plan, served the team well with risk and contingency planning. EAD effectively managed project disruption caused by the pandemic by implementing new safety protocols and cleaning procedures.
A dedicated EAD on-site safety resource assisted with safety oversight of the project and served as the single point of contact for handling all on-site COVID-19 safety compliance issues. EAD adapted their COVID plan in accordance with the changing pandemic conditions so as to mitigate the impact of virus caused staffing issues on the outcome of the client’s project. Integrating all stakeholders into the project team at the beginning of the project was critical to ensuring the team was on the same page in terms of the project vision and committed to supporting the project both on-site and remotely.
While the world navigated the uncertainty around Covid-19, the EAD team remained devoted to supporting our client’s complex, fast-tracked project. We achieved the project’s goals for increased flexibility and throughput, while optimizing our client’s capital investment. Our engineers, project managers, and consultants continue to be a source of new ideas and solutions during these challenging times. They also serve as a boots on the ground resource for our client.
Client: Fortune 500 Food Manufacturer
Location: North America
Market(s) Served: Food Manufacturing
Services
- Engineering
- Construction Management
- Process Management
- Automation
Project Highlights
- EAD supported our client on a large-scale, $60MM product line expansion that involved scope from multiple engineering and management disciplines
- EAD successfully managed the project on-time and on-budget while handling staff resourcing issues as a result of COVID-19
- EAD supported the team both on-site at the facility and remotely
- EAD managed to complete the project under and aggressive project timeframe
- EAD used 3D scanning technologies to accurately identify items that needed to be removed or relocated without disruption to plant operations
- EAD handled all safety and staffing issues in-house