Quell Sprinkler System: The Best Fire Protection for Cold Storage Facilities

Source: Tyco Fire Protection Products

Many food distribution warehouse owners rely on a proven “ceiling only” fire protection system designed specifically for cold storage facilities. The Quell™ Fire Sprinkler System (K17), developed in 2006, has quickly become an industry standard for cold storage warehouses — and for good reason.

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Improve Your Food Plant’s Sustainability With These 5 Tips

Most food and beverage companies aren’t against being more eco-friendly — it’s just that achieving sustainability in a food processing plant can be easier said than done.

The upfront investment associated with energy-efficient solutions, such as “green” building materials and equipment, can be difficult to justify. How do you know which energy-efficient options will provide the best return on investment?

As we observe Earth Day this week, let’s look at ways to invest in your food plant that are both good for the planet and provide a solid return on investment (ROI).

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Food Plant Sanitation: Choosing Flooring, Walls, Ceilings and Doors to Improve Food Safety

Whether you’re designing a new food and beverage facility or renovating an existing one, it’s important to consider the materials you choose for to surround your processing — literally.

When it comes to food safety, these features sometimes get less attention than other factors — such as equipment, ingredient storage/segregation and product handling — but they can be a plant’s Achilles heel if ignored.

Today, we’re going to look at the best practices when selecting materials for your facility’s flooring, walls, ceilings and doors.

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A Cost Segregation Study Can Save Thousands on Your Next Facility Renovation or Construction Project

Renovating an older food manufacturing facility, or building a new one altogether, is a complex process with a lot of moving parts. You need to vet firms and contractors, navigate design decisions, select materials, choose equipment, consider the possibility of future expansion…the list goes on and on.

Like with any investment, there are always ways to cut costs based on what options you select for your facility — but what if you could reap savings off the top, regardless of what materials and equipment you choose? With a cost segregation study, you can.

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Cold Storage Roofing: 4 Things to Consider When Designing Your Facility

Generally speaking, a roof is designed to keep the interior of a building dry and safe from the elements. When it comes to roofing for cold storage facilities, however, just being water-tight isn’t enough: Vapor-tight and energy-efficient roof systems are a specialty requirement.

There are a number of variables to juggle when designing and building a cold storage warehouse, including flooring systems, doors, equipment options and whether you’re incorporating any value-added service offerings. But don’t forget to look up — the wrong roof can make or break the long-term success of a refrigerated facility.

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Food and Beverage Plant Flooring: 5 Questions to Ask When Selecting a Flooring System

Photo credit: Robert Pepple

Flooring systems are one of the most critical elements in food and beverage facility design. However, owners often don’t consider selecting a flooring system until after the preliminary design phase. This is the wrong approach. You should discuss flooring systems before they are specified and before designers are in the bidding phases to facilitate the most successful system for your facility.

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Are Your Doors Wasting Your Food Plant’s Energy?

Did you know a single weak link in your building envelope can have a major impact on your food plant’s energy efficiency? Take your facility’s doors and door openings. In an otherwise well-insulated and well-designed facility, an improperly designed door opening can erase a big portion of energy and utility savings. Your entire building envelope, from the windows to the walls, must be tightly sealed to achieve the utmost energy efficiency—including the doors.

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5 Things Poultry Processors Can Learn from Bell & Evans’ New Chicken Plant

Family-owned premium poultry processor Bell & Evans has remained at the front of its industry’s flock by prioritizing high quality from all angles—from its antibiotic-free chicken to the materials and processes within its facilities. The most recent example of this commitment? A 160,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art chicken packaging, further processing, par-fry and storage plant in its hometown of Fredericksburg, Pennsylvania. Stellar was the design-builder for the poultry plant project and found it to be unlike any other project we’ve been a part of. This new facility is infused with cutting edge innovation and durability inside and out, from its materials and finishes to its packaging process.

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[Infographic] Factors That Influence Cold Storage Warehouse Cost Savings

At the close of 2014, data released by the International Association of Refrigerated Warehouses showed that the total capacity of refrigerated warehouses has increased 20 percent since 2012. And over the past few months, trade magazines have been honing in on the topic, tapping into our team members at Stellar for insights into cold storage construction, including rising technologies, efficiencies and best practices. Continue Reading “[Infographic] Factors That Influence Cold Storage Warehouse Cost Savings”

Following Sanitary Design Best Practices Key to Avoiding Food Safety Recalls

Stellar is experiencing a major uptick in sanitary design projects, and we have a hunch as to why. The implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) has many food and beverage companies taking a deeper look at their processing practices, their plant designs and the equipment that goes inside their facilities. As food recalls litter the headlines and impact the health of consumers, food safety continues to be a crucial area of focus. A sound food safety program begins on the plant floor, and it all starts with following sanitary design best practices.

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