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MILLER BUILDING SYSTEMS WINS TWO FIRST-PLACE AWARDS
Projects Demonstrate Construction Speed of Miller's Systems-Built Methodology
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This Edwards Jones branch office in Exmore, Va. took first place honors from the Modular Building Institute.
Built by Miller Building Systems at the company's Leola, Pa. facility, the building competed in the category of Permanent Factory-Built: Office Under 10,000 sq. ft. Miller Building Systems' headquarters are located in Elkhart, Ind. |
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Elkhart, Ind.-- Miller Building Systems, Inc. received two first place Awards of Distinction and one Honorable Mention from the Modular Building Institute, according to Miller President Rick Bedell. The awards were presented during the Modular Building Institute's recent Annual Convention and Trade Show in Henderson, Nev.
Miller Building Systems, a subsidiary of Coachmen Industries (NYSE: COA), is a major manufacturer of commercial systems-built structures, built offsite in a precision-controlled environment that provides greater quality control, construction speed and protection from the elements.
"The Modular Building Institute is the primary association representing our industry, so being recognized by our peers is quite an achievement, and one we're very proud of," said Bedell.
In the category of Permanent Factory-Built: Office Under 10,000 sq. ft., Miller Building Systems received a first-place award for their work on an Edward Jones Investment Firm branch office building in Exmore, Va. Their other first-place award was in the category Temporary Factory-Built: Education Over 10,000 sq. ft. for building a temporary school in Southfield, Mich.
Miller also received an Honorable Mention award in the Permanent Factory-Built: Office Under 10,000 sq. ft category for a Border Patrol Center for U.S. Immigrations in Cape Vincent, N.Y.
To determine the Awards of Distinction, each commercial building is judged by an impartial panel on the following four criteria: architectural excellence, technical innovation, cost effectiveness/energy efficiency and calendar days to complete.
Bedell said Miller Building Systems operates two climate-controlled facilities: one in Leola, Pa., where they produced all the sections for the New York and Virginia projects; and their main facility in Elkhart, Ind., where they built the Southfield school.
The Edward Jones office building in Exmore, Va., needed a systems-built structure in order to meet two main goals: to be an enduring building; and to have it all completed in a short period of time.
"Our goal was to provide Edward Jones with a permanent building that not only matched the buildings in the surrounding area, in the time frame they required, but to also capture the credibility and prestige that Edward Jones puts forth to the community," said DeWitt Bauer, marketing and business development director for Wilmot Modular Structures. Based in White Marsh, Md., Wilmot served as the project director.
The finished 60' x 60' building includes a shingled hip roof, which is a roof that slopes from all four sides of a building at the same pitch on each side. It also features a brick exterior, a large conference room with built-in sound system, a second floor conference room, and a 9-foot-6-inch finished ceiling height.
"We worked with Miller on this project because they have the engineering expertise, along with the high quality manufacturing processes, that turned out to be exactly what the customer was looking for," said Bauer. "Miller was ready to build a superior unit in a rapid period of time, and the entire project went from design to occupancy in only 120 days"
When the Southfield, Mich., school district began renovating their existing school buildings, they needed to quickly put students in temporary classrooms so the school year wasn't disrupted. The company overseeing the temporary classroom project, Naperville, Ill.-based Innovative Modular Solutions, turned to Miller Building Systems for assistance. "Miller is one of our preferred manufacturers, and we have a very positive relationship with them," said Mary Roberts, Marketing Manager for Innovative.
Roberts noted that systems-built buildings, such as the type of classrooms Miller provided, are a perfect alternative to site-built structures for school systems. She said the cost per square foot is less so they're much more cost-effective, they can be built quicker, and they make it easier for a school system to expand its facilities if it needs to.
With Miller's help, Southfield had all the classroom buildings they needed, which allowed the renovations to be completed well ahead of schedule. "The entire project began on July 1, 2004, and we had all the temporary classrooms in place and occupied by October 1, 2004," said Roberts. "Teachers praised the temporary classrooms as being the best facilities in which they've ever taught."
In Cape Vincent, N.Y., the U.S. Government needed an upgraded customs facility that would also house representatives from the Border Patrol, Immigration and the State Police. Resun Leasing won the bid, and turned to Miller Building Systems for construction. "It was a great experience working with Miller," said Laura Moyer, Resun Territory Manager. "They were very helpful and thorough, and the building they built transported very well, which is an indication of how strong it is."
The 1,500 sq. ft. building contains two customized holding cells, rooms for interviews and searches, and several offices. Its design and exterior also blends into the architecture of the small border community situated on the shore of Lake Ontario. The project was on a tight timeline that Resun Leasing and Miller were able to meet, highlighting one of the many advantages of systems-built construction.
"Miller completed all construction in a controlled environment while we were able to do all the site preparation work, which saves a lot of time. When the building arrived, it was fully installed within a week. The time savings that systems-built construction offers is a huge benefit on any project," said Moyer.
"Systems-built construction offers a lot of advantages to businesses. While we're building the structure, the on-site construction work can take place, which allows the whole project to come together faster. We can sometimes reduce the project's overall construction time by as much as 40 percent. That lets the business move in and get to work and start earning revenue much sooner than a standard construction project," said Bedell.
About Miller Building Systems:
Miller Building Systems, Inc., founded in 1982, specializes in commercial systems-built structures. The Company has plants in Elkhart, Indiana, and Leola, Pennsylvania, and is a subsidiary of Elkhart, Indiana-based Coachmen Industries. About Coachmen Industries: Coachmen Industries, Inc., founded in 1964, is one of America's leading manufacturers of recreational vehicles, systems-built homes and commercial buildings, with prominent subsidiaries in each industry. The Company's well-known RV brand names include COACHMEN® , GEORGIE BOYTM , SPORTSCOACH® and VIKING®. Through ALL AMERICAN HOMES®, Coachmen is one of the nation's largest producers of systems-built homes, and also a major builder of commercial structures with its ALL AMERICAN BUILDING SYSTEMSTM and MILLER BUILDING SYSTEMSTM products. Prodesign, LLC, produces custom thermoformed plastic parts for numerous industries under the PRODESIGN® brand. Coachmen Industries, Inc. is a publicly held company with stock listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the ticker COA.
For more information:
Rich Allen, Corporate Communications, Coachmen Industries, Inc. 574-262-0123 (Elkhart, Ind.) rallen@coachmen.com
www.coachmen.com |
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