Felbro Food Products, Inc. was founded in 1946 by two brothers, Maury and Sid Feldmar. The original plant was located in a small 500 square foot building in Culver City, California. Stressing quality, the Feldmar brothers started initially with the production of fruit punch, lemonade and other non-carbonated drink bases. Continuing to grow and enlarge their facilities they added fountain syrups, sno-cone syrups and ice cream toppings.
Today, Felbro manufactures over 600 different line items, including gourmet sauces, soup bases, pancake syrups, flavorings, extracts and food colorings. When Flebro acquired a new facility, the concern for contamination and mold growth during the food processing development was high.
The “clean” rooms had to accommodate the facility’s 18-foot ceilings, a 17-foot wall on a one-foot high curve; and non conventional construction had to be utilized, because Felbro does not own the facility. Double swing impact doors, eight-feet wide by 10-feet high, were also a requirement.
The evaluation
Aztec Supply Company, a PortaFab distributor, was contacted to find the right solution for the new facility. Having worked closely on previous projects, providing clients with modular and mezzanine systems, Aztec contacted PortaFab to create the “wipe down” rooms for Felbro. PortaFab offered a wall system that could accommodate Felbro’s 17-foot wall on a one-foot high curve. This system, the PortaMax 458A Wall System, is available in heights up to 24 feet tall.
The solution
Neither PortaFab nor Aztec had come across a situation where a room needed to be completely cleanable, which opened a window for learning and problem solving from both companies. Through research and discussion, PortaFab came up with a solution, using the PortaMax 458A Aluminum Height Wall System. Electrical wires, air lines, central-vac, and water lines were run throughout the posts/studs of the PortaMax walls, making them completely cleanable.
Installation was completed on a timely basis at Felbro’s new facility and no production time was lost. When asked why he continues to choose PortaFab, Aztec’s Mark McClure said he likes the products they manufacture and that, “They are absolutely aces.”
Modular buildings can be assembled quickly, so there is practically no disruption; and you can expand or relocate the building as necessary.
For more information about PortaFab modular building systems, visit www.portafab.com
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