Premier Beverage, The Charmer Sunbelt Group’s Florida operation, has recently been recognized for its new state-of-the-art facility in Tampa. This LEED Silver-eligible facility just won Beverage World’s Facility of the Year and the American Concrete Institute’s Outstanding Industrial Project awards.
Beverage World considered many candidates and criteria; however, it was an easy decision given the Premier facility’s focus on applying technology to maximize efficiency. The American Concrete Institute recognized how the facility used concrete as a sustainable building material. In fact, Premier’s new facility will be featured as a case study in a new book on sustainable design.
The building houses more than two miles of high-speed conveyors in addition to nearly 60,000 square feet of administrative office space. This building is one of the largest LEED-qualified buildings in the Southeast.
Some interesting facts about the new Tampa Warehouse:
Designer/Builder: RR Simmons (of Tampa)
LEED-eligible details:
- Largest LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) eligible project in Florida
- Qualifies for “Silver” level of LEED certification
- As of November 2009, under review by the US Green Building Council
- Reflective, white TPO roof system
- Storm water collection locations for irrigation
- Sustainable building products
- Highly efficient water-cooled, chilled water HVAC system
Reduction of Carbon Footprint:
Reduction of nearly 400,000 gallons in potable water usage each year.
Distribution features:
- Conveyor system is over 13,000 linear feet.
- 12 total pick lines: nine full-case, two split-case and one dedicated line for items not slotted in a forward pick location.
- 12 pick lines feed three 4:1 merges, which in turn feed a 3:1 high speed combiner.
- The sorter diverts product to any of 10 loading doors and is capable of sorting at 9,000 cases per hour.
- Each of the loading doors is equipped with a telescoping truck loader, which can extend out to load the nose of a 53’ trailer.
- High-frequency opportunity charging system allows operators to replenish forklift batteries at up to 80% of the full charge within 15 minutes.
Additional Warehouse Specs (source: RR Simmons):
- 12+ acres of roofing
- 570,000 square feet of warehouse space, the capacity equivalent to keeping a collection of 47 737-series airplanes
- Built with 24,000 cubic yards of concrete and 49,000 tons of steel