The Odom Corp. Beverage Distribution Facilities

Background

To meet increasing demand for premier beverage distribution in the State of Washington, The Odom Corp. wanted to expand. As a popular wholesale distributor of premier beverages, they already had a Washington facility alongside operations throughout Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, and Oregon. However, they would need to expand their operations in Spokane, Washington.

With that in mind, The Odom Corp.’s design for their new Washington facility called for an 18,581-square meter (200,000-square foot) facility with over 1,486 m² (16,000 ft²) of refrigerated space. It would serve as a regional hub for beverage distribution across Central and Eastern Washington. So grocery stores, restaurants, and convenience stores there would be able to more easily receive The Odom Corp.’s imported and local beers, ciders, pop, and more.

Taking that into account, the design team led by the New Hampshire-based firm Design Group knew that the concrete floors for this new distribution facility would be subject to an extreme amount of abrasion from forklifts, pallet jacks, and sliding skids. To increase the wear life of the concrete and ensure the floor would remain safe and operationally efficient for workers and equipment, Design Group wanted a reliable concrete hardening solution.

Solution

Central Pre-Mix Concrete Co., an Oldcastle Materials company, recommended Hard-Cem, an integral concrete hardening admixture, as the best solution. After a thorough due diligence review of Hard-Cem, Design Group and their team went ahead and specified the admixture for the new Spokane facility.

It was a promising start as Hard-Cem doubles the wear life of concrete and provides significant erosion and abrasion protection for long-term durability. It is the best-in-class hardener for high-volume, high-traffic distribution facilities. And it maintains the concrete’s riding surface while reducing repair and facility downtime.

This effective hardening solution was such a success that The Odom Corp. chose to use it again for their next expansion in Hayden, Idaho, in 2015, creating an 8,547-square meter (92,000-square foot) distribution warehouse. Not long after, they favored Hard-Cem again for their new 18,581-square meter (200,000-square foot) warehouse in Alaska, which has been constructed by Watterson Construction with concrete supplied by AGGPRO, a Colaska company.