To get an idea of just what a large company Panelized Structures, Inc. is, consider this: the company installs 35 million square feet of “Hybrid” roof structure each year for commercial and industrial buildings, while the entire industry—members of Structural Roof Erectors Association (SREA)—does 120 million square feet per year. Panelized Structures, the largest commercial “panelized” roof erector on the West Coast, has been doing business since 1989, hand-picking professionals from throughout the construction industry who are each recognized as being outstanding in their respective fields.

The company was founded by majority owner Peter “Hoppy” Post, who got his start working as a carpenter’s apprentice for a west coast heavy timber roof structure contracting firm in 1963. He eventually began directing construction crews, and then became involved in overall operation management, estimating and aiding in roof design.

The company is headquartered in Modesto, with regional offices in Chino, Reno, Las Vegas & Phoenix. They also do some work in Oregon, Texas and Washington. Panelized Structures’ 500 employees work on some 30 jobs at any one time, self-performing each one. The company’s minority owner and President is Keith Coonce.

One of the company’s current projects is the roof structure for a 1,141,000 square-foot Stater Brothers distribution facility in San Bernardino. According to Keith, this is a good job for the company, both challenging and one of the bigger ones they have built. Although Panelized Structures has done projects with up to 1.7 million square feet under a single roof structure, and as small as 5,000 square feet of roof structure, their average project is about 200,000 square feet.

“The challenge on this project is the clear height requirement,” Keith says. “The customer wants to be able to stack close to 40 feet inside the structure, so the ridge height of the facility, controlled by fire protection requirements, is 45 feet, which is tall for that size building.”

The Panelized Structures crew of 30 men will take 10 weeks to complete the project. They are using a Gradall 544 Telehandler with a 48-foot reach. According to Gradall, the “90-degree rear-pivot steering is what sets them apart, and gives the operator outstanding maneuverability even in the tightest work areas.”

The company uses reach and lift equipment from three different manufacturers, all which have a reach between 40 and 48 feet.

Panelized Structures stresses safety in all that they do. One example of this is their platform style erection method, known as “panelizing”. It is the safest and most efficient system of roof construction. A single Panelized Structures crew can routinely erect 20,000-plus square feet of roof structure per day. Anytime the company has crew members on the roof, they insist on 100% tie off whenever the crew members are within six feet of the edge. The company also has an on-going safety incentive program for its employees.

“Everything we do is safety first,” Keith comments. “With close to 30 crews, many doing 20,000 square feet per day, we could be erecting nearly 600,000 square feet of roof structure on any given day.”

		(Above) Wood structural elements attached to steel brace frame.

Panelized Structures uses the “Hybrid “panelized roof system, which was introduced by them and Vulcraft in 1992. The spotted owl situation and other factors drove the cost of “all wood” systems to an all time high, causing Panelized Structures to begin to search for alternatives. The panels are made of Oriented Strand Board, or OSB, and manufactured by Ainsworth. They are attached to steel framing.

The “panelized” process was initiated some 50 years ago by a small California company called Berkeley Plywood. Originally called the Berkeley Panelized System, this method of framing became the mainstay for large wood roof structures throughout the West Coast.

These days, the steps in the “panelized” process are: tilt and brace walls, joists arrive with nailers attached, OSB and all materials are delivered inside the building, girders and tie-joists are set per OSHA, and the sub-purlins are “hangered” with “F” hangers.

There are several advantages to the “Hybrid” roof: fast erection process cuts construction times, panelized method reduces labor costs and enhances job site safety since fewer man-hours are spent on the roof, safety on the roof is improved because workers have a solid working platform, wood roof decks offer excellent resistance to wind uplift forces, roofing can be attached directly to the roof deck, eliminating the need for rigid insulation or a barrier board, and maybe most importantly for customers, the “Hybrid” system saves $1 to $2.50 per square foot over metal deck systems.

In this day and age of heightened awareness of environmental issues, a big plus to this system is that the “Hybrid” roof structure is green. The open-web trusses are made from recycled steel, and the lumber comes from managed forests where companies are planting more trees than they are harvesting. Additionally, Ainsworth OSB is produced from faster growing northern species, not old growth coastal timber. Ainsworth has also actively replanted more than 22 million trees.

Some companies who use Panelized Structures “Hybrid” panelized roof structure system are Firestone, Stater Bros., Pier 1 imports, Maytag, Kawasaki Ford Motor Co, Home Depot and Mattel to name a few.

Keith says that Panelized Structures is the leader in the roof structure erection industry. He believes they are the largest, and says they have been innovators, constantly improving the product with new ideas. The company’s buying power helps ensure the lowest costs for their customers. And, because they cover all aspects of the process from design, engineering and detailing to final completion, the company can offer its customers the most structurally sound and cost effective roof system.

“Our core strength is our skilled employees commitment to customer service,” Keith says. “It’s about relationships for us, both with our customers and our employees’.”

Panelized Structures did $120 million in business in 2006.

For more information look online at www.panelized.com or call (209) 343-8600. Cc