For years, Korte & Luitjohan Contractors (K&L), based in Highland, IL, has been a customer of Vermeer Midwest, a leading distributor of heavy construction and agricultural equipment with locations across five states. Those roles were reversed when Vermeer Midwest selected K&L as the general contractor for its new facility in Collinsville, IL.
When the project was announced, Chad Soelen, Vermeer Midwest’s general manager of sales and service, said the new facility would support the company’s mission “to keep customers’ machines up and running and keep them productive and profitable.” Key features include a full-service shop, a six-bay service area equipped with overhead cranes, and expanded parts storage.
“There was an appreciation for seeing customer service from both sides,” said John Whitworth, vice president of K&L. “We were providing it to Vermeer, and Vermeer was providing it to its customers through this new building.”
The completed Vermeer Midwest facility includes 16,000 square feet of offices, showroom,
parts, service, and wash bay space, plus a 4,840-square-foot mezzanine with a training room
and additional parts storage, accessible by elevator.
The service garage features drive-through access, two overhead cranes, and utility drops for
power, compressed air, oil, and grease to support efficient equipment repairs.
The completed facility features 16,000 square feet on the main level, housing offices, a kitchen and breakroom, showroom, parts department, service garage, and wash bay. An additional 4,840-square-foot mezzanine includes a training room and expanded parts storage. An elevator located within the parts department provides convenient access to the mezzanine.
The service garage, designed with overhead doors on opposite sides of the building, accommodates equipment repairs and includes two overhead cranes along with utility drops for power, compressed air, oil, and grease.
The facility is a Varco Pruden (VP) pre-engineered metal building (PEMB) featuring insulated wall panels that meet Illinois energy code requirements. The panels are factory finished on both sides, giving the building a clean, modern appearance.
“The end result is a beautiful project that’s a great alternative to tilt-up concrete,” Whitworth said. “A pre-engineered metal building is not like a backyard pole barn. The lines are crisp and clean. The insulated wall panels, along with VP’s galvanized girts and purlins, required minimal painting only the structural steel columns and beams. The architect also did an excellent job developing the color scheme based on Vermeer’s vision.”
The project was completed through a collaborative design effort involving K&L, the architect, and the engineering team responsible for the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection systems. Drawing on its extensive design-build and construction management experience, K&L coordinated the delegated design process. According to Whitworth, Vermeer also introduced several enhancements during construction that gave the project “a design-build feel.”
K&L’s expertise proved especially valuable in coordinating the installation of the overhead crane rails with the overhead doors and the building’s supply and exhaust louvers. Careful planning eliminated potential conflicts while maximizing the cranes’ operating range.
The company’s commitment extended beyond the construction itself. K&L also assisted with assembling showroom casework and hanging artwork before the facility opened.
Whitworth said he is especially proud of the attention to detail and customer service K&L demonstrated throughout the project. The experience also provided valuable insights.
“We observed the workflow and efficiency of their service area and plan to incorporate some of those ideas into our own shop,” he said.
General Contractor
Korte & Luitjohan Contractors
12052 Highland Road, Highland, IL 62249
www.korteluitjohan.com
Project Team
Architect
Hurford Architects, Inc.
2246 Illinois Rte. 157, Suite 300, Glen Carbon, IL 62034
Structural Engineer
Case Engineering
782 Merus Court, St. Louis, MO 63026
Mechanical & Electrical Engineer
303rd Engineering Group, LLC
10420 Baur Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63132
Civil Engineer
Oates Associates
100 Lanter Court, Suite 100, Collinsville, IL 62234
Project General Description
Location: Collinsville, Illinois
Bid Date: Jun 2023
Construction Period: Jun 2023 to Nov 2024
Site: 5.5 acres
Total Square Feet: 20,500
Building Square Feet: First floor, 4,500; second floor, 4,500;
garage, 11,500; total, 20,500 square feet
Building Height: First floor, 9′; second floor, 9′; floor to floor,
12′; garage. 22′; total, 30′
Number of Buildings: One
Basic Construction Type: New/Pre-engineered
Foundation: Cast-in-place, pier & grade beam, reinforced,
slab-on-grade
Exterior Walls: Brick, insulated metal panels
Roof: Metal
Floors: Concrete
Interior Walls: CMU, metal stud drywall
BNi ACCESS™ Square Foot Case Number ID260916
To access the project cost data in BNi ACCESS™ Square Foot, enter “ID260916” into the search field on your main dashboard.
