Food Production Facilities Require Special HVAC Consideration
Taco ’bout food production!
It’s no surprise that food production facilities require special HVAC consideration due to safety and health codes. Even the conditions within it, like elevated temperatures from large ovens, make reliable ventilation a key ingredient for production. Don Poncho in Salem, Oregon, is one such food production facility requiring special HVAC expertise of MacDonald-Miller to provide cool air & ventilation and help keep staff comfortable during their shifts.
Our relationship with Don Pancho was developed through Trane, a national HVAC supplier, who recommended us to install their rooftop units. Our installation team needed to work around a unique challenge – the factory never shuts down.
Don Pancho produces various tortilla products 24 hours a day, including corn, flour, spinach, and tomato tortillas. The company also produces tortilla chips, taco shells, and other Mexican-inspired products.
“When we want to install ductwork, it has to be coordinated with the production areas,” said Andy Mason, Portland account executive. Because the factory must maintain non-stop production to meet their clients’ high-order demands, MacMiller navigates this situation by working exclusively on the weekend and implementing a four-phase plan of action. The phases entail installing four units at a time in different production areas in tandem with Don Pancho’s schedule.
“We’re working with them to customize the settings and operation of the units to meet their unique environmental conditions,” said Mason. “They’ve got lots of ovens in there and we’re trying to make the air as cold as possible in certain spots where they’ve got ovens cooking. I think they have definitely treated us as a true partner in this installation.”
Mason continued that the crew has been “kicking butt” on the installation and gave a special shout-out to Willie McIntyre, a sheet metal journeyman, for his work as a lead on the project. This project speaks to the diverse type of environments MacMiller is known to support. And there are worse things than leaving the job site at the end of the day smelling like tacos!
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