Commercial construction involves multiple trades, each responsible for specific tasks that can involve different skilled labor, materials, equipment and space needs. How do clients benefit when one or more trades prefabricate sheet metal, piping, plumbing, electrical and other assemblies offsite?

Bob Darling, a Project Manager for Baker Group’s Sheet Metal business unit, explains, “Our Advanced Manufacturing facility allows us to deliver prefabricated assemblies precisely when they’re needed at the worksite, install them, and then get out. This reduces field labor, worksite congestion, time-consuming ‘treasure hunts’ and change orders, all of which reduce our clients’ costs.”

Customized Sheet Metal ductwork, architectural metal, industrial assemblies and specialty products are prefabricated in units. “We carefully manage production to provide just-in-time deliveries to the worksite. For example, at the Krause Gateway Center project, one floor might be broken down into 20 different deliveries. If needs change from the original project schedule – and they always do – we can easily and quickly adapt.”

Customized Piping, Plumbing and Electrical Control Panels can entail thousands of pieces. Building these assemblies offsite in a controlled environment significantly reduces field labor and shortens construction time. Bill Stout, Baker Group Mechanical Superintendent, says, “Our Advanced Manufacturing capabilities make the job more efficient, make us faster and make it easier for the trades who come before and after us,” he says.

Multi-Trade Assemblies are also being prefabricated in a dedicated 9,000-sq. ft. area inside Baker Group’s Advanced Manufacturing facility. This allows multiple trades to work together to deliver better quality, faster fabrication and installation, and lower overall costs.

For a look inside Baker Group’s Advanced Manufacturing facility, watch our video.