Renovated production room with insulated metal panel walls and ceiling, ceiling-mounted refrigeration units, and insulated high-speed roll-up doors

Food Processing / Cold Storage

Runge Street Food Processing Facility

Franklin Park, IL

Size123,000 SF

Construction Value$22.3M

DeliveryDesign-Build

Wright Construction Management served as design-build construction manager for the comprehensive renovation and expansion of a 123,000 square-foot food processing facility on Runge Street in Franklin Park, Illinois, with a final construction cost of $22.3 million.

The project transformed the facility's production and cold storage environments, supporting the owner's operational growth in the highly regulated food and beverage sector.

Scope of Work

The scope covered a full interior renovation. New insulated metal panel (IMP) wall and ceiling systems were installed throughout, along with extensive underground plumbing including trench and floor drain systems.

Mechanical and electrical work included a new boiler and thermo-fluid heating system and significant refrigeration system upgrades. Structural concrete work encompassed both new floor slabs and exterior improvements, and a new primary electrical service was installed to support expanded operations.

Interior of the plant stripped to subgrade during demolition, with the existing structural steel columns and roof deck exposed — Interior demolition opened the floor to subgrade for new underground plumbing, trench drains, and floor slabs.

Insulated metal panel wall and ceiling installation underway, with scissor lifts and stacked panels staged across the production floor

New boiler and thermo-fluid heating equipment installed inside the facility

Working Around Live Production

WCM coordinated more than ten specialized trade contractors while the plant maintained partial operations — a complex logistical challenge in an active food processing environment.

Sequencing the work so production could continue drove how the interior was staged, how trades were released, and how each area was turned back over to the owner.

Production floor in operation with conveyor lines, packing stations, and product crates in a renovated area of the plant — Portions of the plant stayed in production while adjacent areas were under construction.

New primary electrical service equipment installed along an interior wall of the facility

Rooftop mechanical units and piping runs installed on the roof of the facility

Phasing and Permitting

Cold storage construction and food processing facility construction both carry demands that a general renovation does not. WCM managed the phased work and the rigorous permitting process with the Village of Franklin Park.

Pallet racking installed in the renovated cold storage area, with insulated metal panel walls and an evaporator at the far end — Renovated cold storage, racked and ready for turnover.

What Made It Demanding

Technical complexity, occupied-facility constraints, and the integration of advanced building systems defined this project. It reflects WCM's capacity to deliver large-scale, technically demanding industrial work while minimizing operational disruption for food and beverage clients.

Project Gallery

More from this project

Stainless steel processing equipment set against new insulated metal panel walls, with overhead utility drops

Completed production room with new floor slab, insulated metal panel finishes, and ceiling-mounted refrigeration units

Exterior of the renovated food processing facility in Franklin Park, Illinois

Let's talk

Expanding an active food plant?

Book a 15-minute feasibility call and we'll surface the biggest cost, schedule, and operational risks before design locks in.

Schedule a Call