4
BUSINESS NEWS DRESDNER ROBIN COMPLETES ENGINEERING WORK ON $25M BALDOR SPECIALTY FOODS HEADQUARTERS EXPANSION Dresdner Robin is proud to announce the completion of its engineering and general design work on a $25 million, 110,000-square-foot expansion of the Baldor Specialty Foods headquarters, storage, and distribution facility in Hunts Point, New York. The design increased floor space to 270,000 square feet, creating 300 new jobs and adding more than 50 new delivery trucks to accommodate increased production. “This expansion will help Baldor increase its product lines with new fruits and produce to serve the area’s top restaurants and grocery stores,” says Michael Muzyk, president, Baldor Specialty Foods. “Dresdner Robin’s incredible design added 42 loading docks and 300 parking spaces to the facility and they worked diligently to ensure construction did not interrupt our 24/7 operation.” Baldor Specialty Foods is one of the largest importers and distributors of fresh produce and specialty foods in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, employing nearly 1,600 people. It curates and delivers fresh produce, meats, dairy, and organics to stores and restaurants within a 120-mile radius of its Hunts Point facility. “We are very happy that our innovative design will help Baldor better serve its diverse set of customers,” says Joseph Mele, director of engineering, Dresdner Robin. “Baldor has some of the best food in the world going out to prime restaurants across the country.
Our expert team worked hard to minimize disruptions to the facility. We created an engineering timeline that allowed Baldor to remain open 24 hours per day, seven days per week during the design and construction process.” The construction and engineering of this project is being done in two phases. The first phase of the expansion is complete and is fully operational. Construction is nearing completion on the second phase, with 30 additional loading docks being added to the facility. Dresdner Robin was chosen for the expansion project because of its history and expertise in land-use consulting and design. Beginning work in 2015, the firm created a multi- phase plan for design and construction at the site. The parcel of land is owned by the New York Economic Development Corporation, so Dresdner Robin worked with the city to gain approvals and permits on all construction and engineering services on the site. “During the construction phase of the project we found many unforeseen obstructions such as subsurface utilities and remnant structures that caused our team to redesign the project on the fly so the project can keep moving forward and hit our targeted deadlines,” says Rob Laner, assistant project manager, Dresdner Robin. Other engineering challenges included high ground water on the site, requiring substantial dewatering for excavations, as well as a 42- inch gas line and 24-inch gas line from the
adjacent Con Edison site that the team had to design and construct around. Dresdner Robin partnered with architectural firm Cybul Cybul Wilhelm on the design of the expansion. “We worked closely with the architect, CCW, on this project to ensure that our visions matched to create an ideal expansion for Baldor,” continues Mele, of Dresdner Robin. “We’ve worked with CCW on numerous projects and recognize the importance of a strong partnership between the engineering firm and architect on large projects such as this.” Baldor has operated its Hunts Point, New York, facility since 2007, situated in the Hunts Point Food Distribution Center in the South Bronx. This center is comprised of more than 155 public and private wholesalers, including the Hunts Point Terminal Produce Market, the Cooperative Meat Market and the New Fulton Fish Market, which generates more than $3 billion in sales annually combined. Dresdner Robin is a land use consultancy headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey. The firm provides creative solutions that emphasize service, client satisfaction and technological innovation with specialties in site/civil engineering, land surveying, environmental service, planning, surveying, and the revival of urban landscapes. With offices in locations across the New York City and Philadelphia metro areas, Dresdner Robin prides itself on being comprised of the most creative, multi-functional engineering team in the region.
JENNIFER REEVES, from page 3
❚ ❚ Establish key metrics upfront to measure the progress and success of the culture change. ❚ ❚ Clearly communicate (frequently and using multiple chan- nels) what the new ways of working will be. ❚ ❚ Provide training to staff on desired behaviors and ensure that senior leaders role-model those behaviors daily. ❚ ❚ When employees resist the new culture, respond quickly with firm feedback and reiterate the desired behaviors. ❚ ❚ When employees demonstrate attitudes and behaviors that exemplify the new culture, respond quickly with praise and recognition. Senior management and human resources leaders must not only lead the change and serve as role models of the new culture; they must also work to mobilize employees to support the change while managing pockets of defiance. It’s a daunting task but not an impossible one; when approached with insight and commitment, the result is an energized, unified organization that withstands setbacks while continuing to gain strength from its newer, clearer, healthier culture. JENNIFER REEVES is director of people and culture North America, RPS. She can be reached at jennifer.reeves@rpsgroup.com.
An example is RPS. The diagnosis phase began with a global survey of the firm’s 5,600 staff to solicit feedback on topics including internal career opportunities, work/ life balance, benefits, leadership effectiveness, and client commitment. The survey’s results provided vital insights and ideas, which were solidified via post-survey focus groups. Next came a series of global workshops with staff at all levels to come to agreement on the culture that we will strive to create going forward. “Senior management and human resources leaders must not only lead the change and serve as role models of the new culture; they must also work to mobilize employees to support the change while managing pockets of defiance. It’s a daunting task but not an impossible one.” We are now entering the change phase and will navigate it using best practices including the following:
© Copyright 2019. Zweig Group. All rights reserved.
THE ZWEIG LETTER January 7, 2019, ISSUE 1278
Made with FlippingBook Annual report