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By Joe Boomgaard | MiBiz
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Crews at Fritz Wahlfield Construction have been working on an expansion project at Jack Brown Produce in Alpine Township that will allow for a new high-tech packing line to be installed. PHOTO: JOE BOOMGAARD

SPARTA — The continued expansion of the co-op Jack Brown Produce to meet the needs of Ridge-area fruit farmers in northwestern Kent County has resulted in a string of projects for one local contractor, Fritz Wahlfield Construction Co.

A current project involves the renovation of existing space in Jack Brown Produce’s packaging facility as well as the addition of approximately 30,000 square feet, much of which will be dedicated to a new state-of-the-art packing line. The new automated line will use the latest technology from New Zealand in the fruit packing process and can even work with two of the preparation lines at the same time. The addition along the north and east sides of the facility make way for the additional equipment, a mezzanine and cleanroom space where the apples are packaged.

On the south side of the facility, the construction crews also tore out an old shipping and receiving area and are in the process of building an even larger area where the produce can be packaged in advance and stored briefly for quicker turnaround on some orders. A new driveway, parking lot and drain field are also being constructed.

Fritz Wahlfield III, VP of Fritz Wahlfield Construction Co., the construction manager on the project, said crews have a tight 8-week timeline for completing the facility additions and renovations. The new packing equipment will be arriving soon, and the space had to be ready for the owner to install the new equipment and get it prepped for the upcoming apple season.

“With this addition, they’ll have one of the most advanced packing lines in Michigan for apples,” Wahlfield said.

When apples come into the facility from the area known as the Ridge, mostly in northwest Kent County and northeast Ottawa County, they are cleaned and waxed and moved into clean rooms where they are then packed and stored or prepared for immediate shipping.

To match the existing facility and to meet the aesthetic requirements from Alpine Township, Wahlfield said they worked to find the right concrete block combinations on the road-facing walls to make the project look right. He said it was a typical concrete masonry unit structure with steel columns, joists and decking in a mezzanine area and an EPDM roof.

The crews also didn’t have any issue in staging construction materials thanks to the size of the site and because they were able to use some available space in the produce company’s storage facility.

To protect the structure from the high humidity environment when the apples are being processed, Wahlfield said the steel joists had to be epoxy-coated onsite in temporary spray booths, but the hot, humid summer weather proved to be a challenge since the epoxy can only be applied when the humidity is 85 percent or less. Still, he said the project remains on track.

This most recent expansion at Jack Brown Produce is the latest in a line of projects Fritz Wahlfield Construction has built for the company. In fact, it’s an addition on a part of the plant they built some time ago. FWC built Jack Brown Produce’s main offices, as well as worked on an expansion last year that added a 30,000-square-foot, 17-room controlled atmosphere storage facility to be able to provide closer storage for many local growers.

Wahlfield said the business with Jack Brown Produce was a perfect example of the relationship-driven nature of FWC’s business.

“Over 85 percent of our work is from returning customers during the fiscal year,” Wahlfield said. “In this economy, it shows. Over the last three years, we’ve increased in sales and project sizes. We’ve been busy. The bottom line is there, but we really focus on quality and getting the job done.”

In 2010, FWC built a new funeral home in Comstock Park, as well as renovated Westgate Bowling Center. The company also worked on a project in downtown Grand Rapids for the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement division of the Department of Homeland Security. They’ve also had success following clients around the state and into adjacent states, particularly for some restaurants.

Wahlfield’s grandfather, Fritz Wahlfield, started the company in 1954. His father, Fritz Wahlfield II, is currently the president and CEO. Having been around for 57 years, the company has been able to establish a reputation and long-lasting relationships with clients across West Michigan. One key to continuing those relationships, he said, is that the executives at FWC have a close connection to the individual projects and are often onsite making sure the work is being done properly.

“Owners know what they’re getting (from our company). My grandfather built this company on handshake deals, so when we say something, we’ll do it. We’ll work on it until it’s done and done right,” he said. “We do a little bit of everything — whatever it takes to make the customer happy.”