Wyatt Payne

Wyatt Payne

Senior Vice President, Cold Storage Facilities

Wyatt has more than 29 years of experience in the design, engineering and construction fields. Wyatt’s responsibilities include project development and management of construction personnel, which involves client relations, cost estimating, scheduling, constructability analysis, value engineering and proposal preparation. He has worked on projects for Keystone Foods, Tropicana, Maple Leaf, United States Cold Storage, Dot Foods and many others.

The latest from Wyatt Payne

Views: 2920

How Blockchain, IIoT and AI Make the Global Supply Chain More Resilient

The Suez Canal blockage in March 2021 pointed out a major pinch point — for lack of a better term — within the global supply chain. One ship getting blown off course during a predictable sandstorm halted 12% of global trade — an estimated $9.6 billion per day. While the Ever Given was freed after six days, the ripple effects of the event will be felt for months due to the thousands of ships delayed in those six days.

Witnessing the magnitude of what a single ship mishap can do to interrupt global trade makes it obvious that safeguards need to be put in place to prevent such events in the future. If an accident put a stop to 12% of global trade, what kind of damage could an intentional act inflict?

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Views: 2346

Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems: Advantages and Considerations for ASRS Warehouses

E-commerce retail is at an all-time high, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s latest quarterly report. Total e-commerce sales for 2020 were estimated at $791.7 billion, an increase of 32.4% (±1.8%) from 2019.

While this isn’t exactly unexpected, the COVID-19 pandemic has only sped up e-commerce trends that were already taking place. And that means distribution warehouses — and the workers and technology that power them — are in the spotlight.

This has more companies considering how to best capitalize on this demand, and automated robotics are taking the storage and distribution game to new heights — literally.

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Views: 5595

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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Views: 1625

Food Plant Construction: How We Cut Three Months of Weather Delays Down to One

Combating weather delays in a construction project is always a shifting challenge, but how do you cope with record-breaking rainfall, subzero temperatures, delayed equipment and an aggressive project schedule? Read on for lessons learned from a recent project we completed in the state with the second-coldest winter in the continental U.S.

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Views: 2966

How Drones are Impacting the Design and Construction Industry: Today and Tomorrow

Photo courtesy of DJI

Recently, 7-Eleven made headlines by using a drone to deliver “a chicken sandwich, donuts, hot coffee and candy.” This happened the same week Amazon “partnered with the British government to significantly expand drone testing.” Approximately 3,000 companies in the U.S. are currently authorized to use drones—a number that continues to grow. Stellar recently purchased our first drone, and we are using its aerial imaging capabilities during construction of a new food manufacturing facility.

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Views: 2226

5 Details to Give Your Design-Builder for a More Accurate Food Project Budget

At this time of year, many food processors are planning next year’s capital expenditures, which often means piecing together budgets for upcoming food plant construction projects. It is important to create the most accurate budget possible: a tricky task. Frequently, food processors prepare budgets without the assistance of an experienced design-builder. By doing so, they make assumptions that can skew their entire budget.

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Views: 1300

Food Processing Plant Site Due Diligence: Soft Costs to Expect

Before selecting a site for your food processing plant, are you sure you’re accounting for all of the costs involved? In our last post, we outlined some key considerations for building a better greenfield budget. Here, I dive in deeper with the often forgotten soft costs, or fees that fall outside the realm of direct construction costs. These include pre-construction permits, impact fees and utility connection fees. To help you with your site due diligence, be sure to account for these soft costs commonly associated with new facility sites.

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Views: 1450

Four Reasons Shrinkage-Compensating Floors Make Sense for Warehouses

The floors of food distribution facilities must endure a lot wear and tear, with heavy forklift traffic continually moving across the surface. As new warehouse facilities are being built, owners are choosing to invest in shrinkage-compensating concrete for the flooring, which eliminates control joints, reduces curling, and minimizes cracks.

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