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Construction Business Review
Industrial Building Group
Engineering Highly-Functional, Efficient Cold and Dry Storage Facilities
Karl Dickman, Founder and Managing Partner
All of this makes cold storage constructions a challenging and complex endeavor for operators of these businesses, prompting them to seek the assistance of an industry expert.
That’s where Industrial Building Group (IBG) comes to their aid.
A design-build general contractor with years of industry experience, IBG is ideally positioned to help clients construct highly functional cold storage and dry distribution facilities. Its specialization lies in providing personalized, reliable, and collaborative services that cover all phases of construction, from design and development to project completion.
In cold storage construction, IBG’s expertise covers designing and building a range of refrigeration and racking options, warehousing technologies, and automation systems—all based on client requirements and site selection restrictions. The company takes pride in its systematic approach to developing the tightest, most efficient core and shell, incorporating necessary accommodations for the proper material-handling equipment to achieve the design temperatures and full functionalities.
Applying the same principles, IBG builds dry warehousing and logistics facilities by considering variables such as size, clear heights, dock positions, ramps, and internal fit-up. Its expertise includes experiences with diverse floor slabs, from the simple unreinforced option to the ones equipped to withstand the increased point loading imposed by elaborate and very high racking systems. IBG goes the extra mile to provide product licensure and possesses expertise in the precise placement, finishing, and protection of particular slab options.
A dedicated team of experts with over two decades of experience is the foundation of IBG’s excellence. Its team brings a wealth of knowledge to the permitting, design and construction of cold and dry storage facilities. It has developed and maintained a sterling reputation for completing industrial facilities, evidenced by over 3,500,000 sq. ft. of facilities valued at over $500 million.
A Coordinated Approach to Customer Satisfaction
“Our goal is to enhance value and customer satisfaction by providing comprehensive guidance to owners and developers at every stage of the project, minimizing costs and optimizing efficiency,” says Karl Dickman, founder and managing partner of IBG.
IBG’s ability to work collaboratively and complete projects on time has won the trust of owners and developers. Customers typically rely on its team throughout the development process, beginning prior to the start of construction, for the site selections, pre-fit plans, due diligence, zoning reviews, pre-construction budgeting, and schedule development.
Clients can benefit from the lessons during the growth of the industry over the past 20 years and throughout the myriad advancements in technology that IBG’s seasoned staff and critical subs have learned during their careers in the cold and dry storage product industry.
IBG’s pre-construction services are instrumental in ensuring its clients have clarity on a project’s scope, cost, and associated benefits. The comprehensive suite of pre-construction services includes translating initial concepts—whether sketched on paper or presented as a rudimentary site plan—and guiding clients through the entire process. Outlining planned construction and the existing elements and identifying areas requiring adjustments provide a clear understanding of the project’s timeline, from initiation to completion. This is followed by the construction phase, where IBG carefully pushes the schedule, keeping safety in mind. The team emphasizes effective field coordination, expedites early release of long-lead components, and strategically integrates critical path scope for optimal efficiency.
The team at IBG commits their time and energy to prioritize prospects’ needs and projects from the initial engagement. A typical engagement begins with involvement in the due diligence and zoning analysis, conceptual site design, and preliminary budgeting to assess feasibility. As the project progresses, the design-build team works to deliver a set of construction drawings based on clients’ specific needs and local code requirements. Its collaborations with leading architectural consultants, such as RKB Architects, renowned for their expertise in cold and dry storage space, complement its expertise in creating top-notch designs. IBG also provides clients with plan elements of design and budgets, allowing them to quickly make various time-sensitive decisions.
As the plan review process proceeds, IBG coordinates the logistics and prepares sites for project commencement. Upon clients’ approval, IBG deploys a dedicated civil engineer to oversee zoning adherence and an architect to ensure compliance with building permit criteria. This dynamic duo plays a pivotal role in swift decision-making by leveraging their ability to navigate and comprehend jurisdictional requirements, even in unfamiliar territories. IBG also embraces a team concept to stay in tune with the products used in construction, reducing the possibility of significant RFI submissions and design conflicts. It prioritizes the delivery of top-quality products, a philosophy that underscores IBG’s quality-oriented, customer-centric business model.
Our Goal Is To Enhance Value And Customer Satisfaction By Providing Comprehensive Guidance To Owners And Developers At Every Stage Of The Project, Minimizing Costs And Optimizing Efficiency
IBG’s pre-construction services are instrumental in ensuring its clients have clarity on a project’s scope, cost, and associated benefits. The comprehensive suite of pre-construction services includes translating initial concepts—whether sketched on paper or presented as a rudimentary site plan—and guiding clients through the entire process. Outlining planned construction and the existing elements and identifying areas requiring adjustments provide a clear understanding of the project’s timeline, from initiation to completion. This is followed by the construction phase, where IBG carefully pushes the schedule, keeping safety in mind. The team emphasizes effective field coordination, expedites early release of long-lead components, and strategically integrates critical path scope for optimal efficiency.
IBG believes in streamlining the processes for the workforce and employs a premier, web-based construction management software, Procore, for a seamless and efficient user experience. This user-friendly software enables straightforward and accessible navigation, from the bidding and project management to project closeout, guaranteeing safe, on-time, and within-budget project completion.
Fostering Partnerships and Driving Transparency
IBG treats clients as partners and maintains full transparency throughout the project, from pre-construction and construction to closeout processes, guaranteeing the most cost-effective and highest-quality building. Project details, including the optimal pricing models and alternatives to meet clients’ specific needs, are shared with them.
“Our transparent communication involves sharing positive and challenging updates with clients in real time,” says Dickman. “We believe that transparent communication builds trust. And while we consider it our job to address and solve all the challenges that arise during a project, we also believe many clients like to stay informed throughout a project and to remain in dialogue about all issues that arise.”
The design-build framework allows IBG to have better control over the project trajectory, giving a seamless service delivery experience to clients. Its approach extends to a contracting model, where IBG operates on a guaranteed maximum price basis, establishing a definitive upper limit on client exposures.
A testimonial from the RKB Architects team goes, “Our team at RKB has been working with IBG since its inception and before that over 20 years working with Karl Dickman himself. We’re very fortunate to have an opportunity to work with a team who are all like-minded, focused, and have a drive to do what is right for clients and sub-contractors. We have worked across the country with various general contractors who worry about the bottom line and getting the project in on time no matter the corners they cut, so it is refreshing to work with a construction team that is about long-term relationships, doing what is right, and committed to producing successful projects for all parties involved. Their solid work, repeat clients, and high demand are proof that IBG is quickly becoming a leading contractor in not only the cold storage industry but also in the dry storage space across the country. We are looking forward to the future and our continued relationship with Karl and his IBG family.”
Nearly 90 percent of its projects operate under this contract, underscoring the company’s commitment as a design-builder to cap the highest allowable costs for specified buildings. Any costs surpassing this threshold are absorbed by IBG, alleviating financial burdens for clients. This ensures they are always informed about the absolute maximum expenditures, offering them financial assurance throughout the project lifecycle.
Forging a New Era of Excellence
A testament to IBG’s exceptional capabilities is a cold-storage project in Elizabeth, NJ, a leading full-service cold and dry storage facility that earned recognition as the New Jersey Industrial Deal of the Year by New Jersey NAIOP. The success of this project forged a lasting collaborative relationship with the cold-storage operator, resulting in three additional cold-storage facilities currently under construction. Its remarkable capability to execute these projects in a brief span underscores IBG’s dedication to delivering unparalleled services.
IBG’s ongoing collaborations with a leading third-party logistics and cold storage firm, Agile Cold Storage, also testifies to its ability to meet client objectives and build trust, fortifying a proven track record. Commencing with a first project in Delaware, IBG is now strategically advancing plans for four additional cold-storage warehouses for Agile over the next eighteen to twenty-four months.
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We Selected IBG Because They Exemplify Their Company Motto, “Working Smarter And Harder”
A testimonial from the RKB Architects team goes, “Our team at RKB has been working with IBG since its inception and before that over 20 years working with Karl Dickman himself. We’re very fortunate to have an opportunity to work with a team who are all like-minded, focused, and have a drive to do what is right for clients and sub-contractors. We have worked across the country with various general contractors who worry about the bottom line and getting the project in on time no matter the corners they cut, so it is refreshing to work with a construction team that is about long-term relationships, doing what is right, and committed to producing successful projects for all parties involved. Their solid work, repeat clients, and high demand are proof that IBG is quickly becoming a leading contractor in not only the cold storage industry but also in the dry storage space across the country. We are looking forward to the future and our continued relationship with Karl and his IBG family.”
These successes showcase the strength and expertise of the team and the value IBG places on fostering collaborations and transparency—the core principles that define its excellence in the niche.
Focused on continuous growth, IBG is rapidly expanding its footprints beyond Massachusetts and New Jersey to serve clients across Delaware, Texas, and North Carolina. The company envisions emerging as a premier global service provider, catering to customers irrespective of geographical location. Beyond footprint expansions, it is also eyeing significant technological advancements and innovations to consistently deliver high-quality, cost-effective, and efficient storage facilities, cementing its leadership position in the industry.
