General Mills

General Mills is constantly striving to improve their logistic network, and after evaluating a public vs. dedicated distribution solution, they determined the public option would not work because of location, commitment level, and cost, so they decided to build a new dedicated facility.

As an existing long-time Interstate Warehousing customer and past customer of Tippmann Construction, General Mills reached out to Tippmann Group for counsel on how to fast-track their construction project. Internal scheduling and traditional processes showed a timeline of 2 – 2 ½ years for them to complete the project, which would delay the savings associated with the new facility for much longer than they wanted.

Instead, in August 2013, Tippmann Group was commissioned to locate a site, negotiate incentives, design, permit and construct the multi-temperature building, while also finding an owner to provide a long-term lease for General Mills. All of this was handled very quickly, and construction began on General Mills’ new 157,000 square foot distribution center in November 2013. It was completed and open for business in July 2014, just 8 months later through one of the worst winters for construction projects in the past 50 years in Michigan.

Facility Details:

• 157,000 square foot distribution facility
• in-swing dock doors to enhance food safety
• wider warehouse aisles and set-back racking allow for greater fork truck maneuverability and reduced damage
• 62-foot deep dock, open to cooler
• southern dock exposure to minimize winter ice buildup