MidAtlantic’s work for Acme Box was a two-year long expansion and phased renovation of an industrial corrugated box processing plant in Hatboro, PA. Work began with full site development, including construction of an approximately 850 foot long, 10 foot high retaining wall, placement of 10,122 CY of imported fill material, expanded parking for shipping vehicles and plant employees, and augmentation of existing utilities. Once site preparations were complete, work began on the 80,000 SF open-area warehouse addition.  The addition utilized tilt-up, precast concrete panels and structural steel to achieve the required 40’ high exterior walls.  A taller, 60’ high section is nested within the addition and extends into the structure of the existing building. The concrete slab is recessed three feet below surrounding areas at this location which, in conjunction with the higher ceiling, allows the facility to accommodate Acme Box’s new, fully automated racking system with two stacker cranes. The addition’s 16’ of additional height required a structural overbuild of adjacent portions of the original structure, raising the roof a full 3’ in these locations.

The renovation portion of this project connected the newly built addition to the existing building, including the installation of concrete foundations for a new corrugator which spanned nearly the combined length of the addition and previously existing building: approximately 450 feet.  Renovation work also included second floor office space, 2,500 SF of structural steel roof replacement to accommodate added snow loads, installation of a 3-stop elevator, a loading dock renovation, and construction of an upper mezzanine level with conference rooms featuring high-end finishes.

The project was completed in multiple phases to minimize disruption to the owner’s plant operations, including delivery, installation, and commissioning of the new corrugator.  The phases were as follows:

• The new addition was completed in time for corrugator delivery.
• The new corrugator was installed and commissioned prior to shut-down and removal of the original corrugator.
• Once the original corrugator was removed, existing building renovations and the 2nd half of the high-rack section were completed.
• Final paving and parking lot striping was the final step, also occurring across multiple phases to avoid disruption of shipping operations.