Rand-Whitney Container Facility groundbreaking
Dover, NH – Excitement was in the air on November 20th as PROCON of Manchester, Rand-Whitney of Portsmouth, neighbors and local officials celebrated groundbreaking on a new 118,600 sf Rand-Whitney Container facility at Stonewall Industrial Park in Dover, NH. Rand-Whitney is a household name known for pioneering innovative and environmentally friendly corrugated packaging for nearly 80 years. PROCON is the designer and construction manager celebrating 80 years, and Summit Land Development of Dover is the developer. Cheers and congratulations abounded as speakers took to the podium to express their gratitude about the project that came together with remarkable teamwork and comradery by everyone involved.
Rand-Whitney is pleased that years of searching for a long-term facility have successfully concluded with the decision to construct a plant in Dover, where they began. Their new “home base” is conveniently located at Route 108 and the Spaulding Turnpike junction. According to Nick Smith, president & CEO of Rand-Whitney, “many of the employees are ecstatic about the move because they either come from Dover or other town’s father north, so it is a great area for us. At this location, we will be able to hire more employees, bring in new equipment and develop our relationship with our neighbor Stonewall Kitchen and other local businesses.”
Rand-Whitney operated a corrugated cardboard sheet plant in Dover from 1972 to 2002, but subsequent growth and expansion required relocations over the years to Rochester, then later to Pease. When the decision was made to construct a new plant to house their massive operations, Dover’s business friendly environment was the most viable option. Daniel Barufaldi, the Economic Development Director for Dover, weighed in on how the project developed. “Rand Whitney’s long history in this City and our relationship with PROCON made it a good match. It was a true team effort – everyone worked together, along with the capabilities of the City to move the project forward quickly and it was something of a miracle. They are back where they started, and that’s a wonderful thing.”
Smith also said the new building will be substantially larger than the current one on Corporate Drive in Portsmouth to allow for additional equipment and higher production volumes. The intended 35-foot high structure is to be segmented into 118,600 sf overall with 112,500 sf dedicated to the manufacturing/warehouse use and 6,100 sf dedicated to offices. Rand-Whitney will also be neighbors to specialty food company, Stonewall Kitchen who already has construction work underway on a 75,000 sf facility with plans to conclude by summer 2016.
The packaging firm’s move involves the relocation of its existing equipment to the completed facility, as well as adding new equipment and machinery in the prospective space. PROCON’s design team conducted an expert assessment of the Company’s existing equipment to incorporate old and new equipment accurately into the drawings. The intended structure is standard industrial building over a steel frame clad in a 3” structured insulated panel (SIP). A 2” thermal break was installed between the interior and exterior slab to prevent the perimeter slab from exposure to excessive cold, which in turn will help minimize the operation’s energy consumption within the structure.
In recent years, the City of Dover has been experiencing a surge in economic and industrial growth, as more companies are attracted to the City for its commitment to promoting a sound environment for prospective businesses to prosper. Rand-Whitney’s longevity, reputation for quality products and services, and dedication to customer success make it a gratifying addition to the Dover landscape. City of Dover Mayor Karen Weston was clearly elated about the enterprise, “our goal as a City has been to increase economic development and this is such a huge boost to our economy. We are already seeing the economic benefits of having Rand-Whitney here.”
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