Ruark & Wyatt Architects: Project Challenge - Gatorade Distribution Center and conveyor bridge

3 Tough Projects for Gatorade
Client: Choate Construction Company / The Quaker Oats Company

Gatorade Distribution Center in Fulton County, GA
Gatorade Distribution Center
Fulton County, Georgia

Challenge: Beat a tight deadline and a tight budget with a faster, cheaper project than the other team can deliver.

Solution: We worked with Choate Construction to develop a strategy to win this distribution center project from an incumbent project team that had previously completed multiple projects for Gatorade on this site.

We optimized the project to meet Gatorade's program more efficiently. We delivered highly-detailed drawings that minimized change orders and RFIs while we worked closely with the county to expedite the permit review and approval process. Despite wet weather, we helped Choate deliver the project under budget and ahead of schedule.

Project Details…

Gatorade Overhead Conveyor Bridge in Fulton County, GA

Gatorade Overhead Conveyor Bridge
Fulton County, Georgia

Challenge: Find a way to move huge amounts of product across a road more cost-effectively than trucking.

Solution: For the first time ever, Gatorade decided to try a conveyor system rather than trucking products from the Gatorade manufacturing facility to a warehouse across the road. They asked the Ruark & Wyatt/Choate team to develop a prototype at the Fulton County Gatorade plant.

We developed an innovative elevated bridge that encloses two high-speed palletized product conveyor systems. The system moves 14,400 cases per hour up a 40-foot climb, 500 feet across a road and back down to the distribution facility on the other side. The RWA/Choate team delivered the project ahead of schedule and under budget. Due to the success of the prototype, Gatorade is considering using a similar system at another facility.

Project Details…

Gatorade Distribution Center Expansion
Kissimmee, Florida

Challenge: Deliver an efficient, cost-effective warehouse expansion on a tight, land-locked site.

Solution: We worked with Choate Construction to deliver a more cost-effective solution than what the client requested. We saved the client money and won the project over the incumbent design/build team. We carefully studied the land-locked site to maximize the building square footage, and successfully resolved the challenges of tying into an existing precast structure. Despite challenging sitework issues, we helped Choate deliver the project under budget and on time.

Project Details…


	Past Project Challenges Here are links to other projects featured on our previous Project Challenge pages. > Kendall Park Lane Distribution Center > Acuity Tenant Build-Out