BUILT AMERICA MAGAZINE
That willingness has taken the company well beyond conventional storage structures.
During the North Dakota oil boom, a customer needed crew quarters capable of operating through severe winters while carrying their own water and sewage capabilities. General Shelters developed a climate-controlled solution incorporating onboard water, sewage systems and grinder pumps.
“We made them basically something that no one else had been able to do,” Koonce says.
For another customer, the company partnered with solar specialists to manufacture fully off-grid guard houses, combining solar panels, battery storage and generator backup. Today, General Shelters is producing construction trailers for another customer while working toward certification for approximately 10 additional states. “We’re building and meeting their deadlines,” Koonce says. “Actually, we’re ahead of their deadline.” That adaptability is particularly relevant as General Shelters enters the disaster response and resilient cities conversation. IF IT CAN GO DOWN THE HIGHWAY For Koonce, attending the Disasters Expo is an opportunity to understand what emergency- management organizations, contractors, municipalities and other organizations actually need — and where General Shelters may be able to build it. “What we want to see is: what do they need, and how can we help them develop what their needs are?” His description of the company’s capability is considerably simpler. “If it can go down the highway, we can pretty much build it.” That could mean relocatable structures, construction trailers or specialty units designed around a specific operational need.
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