Planning to Expand? Lay the Foundations Now
If you haven’t already done some legwork, you might have to wait longer than you think when you’re finally ready to build that add-on or new facility.
Business is great. Your shop is filled to capacity, and if the good times continue, you might even need to add more space within the next year or two. You’ll just have to wait and see.
I certainly hope that hypothetical scenario rings true for you. If so, however, one construction contractor says the “wait and see” part could be a big mistake. Kevin Romanko of Romanko Sales and Service has worked with a lot of tool and die manufacturers during his 30-year career, and he says these companies are often surprised by the amount of hoops they have to jump through for even a small addition to an existing facility, let alone a new building.
Granted, manufacturing is a tough, volatile business, and you certainly don’t want to make a big move without being sure about it. But Romanko says that if an expansion is potentially in your future, it can be well worth it to spend some time now to at least find out what might be possible. How much space is actually available, versus what you think might be available? Do you have sufficient power? What about parking? Will the addition throw you out of compliance with fire codes? Do you know which local organizations will need to approve your expansion, and how to contact them? Click here to learn more about how answering such basic questions now can ward off a lot of potential headaches later.
