How a Streamlined Construction Process Supports Efficient Expansions
An efficient commercial construction project starts with a clear plan and the right pieces working together from the beginning.
For a business expanding its facility, that can make a meaningful difference. The goal isn’t simply to build quickly. It’s to keep the project moving while minimizing the delays and handoffs that can slow construction down. At Rice Companies, our long-standing relationship with Butler Manufacturing helps streamline the process of ordering and delivering structural steel. Our self-performing crews give us greater project controls over key parts of the work and allow us to mobilize without waiting for subcontractor availability. Established relationships with trade partners and supplies also help keep the project coordinated from one stage to the next.
For an expanding business, that efficiency optimizes construction and enables businesses to be operational faster. The sooner a space is ready, the sooner production capacity is added, operations are improved, and the investment is put back to work.
Why an Integrated Design-Build Approach Keeps Growth Momentum Moving
With design-build, architecture and construction are brought together under one team. Instead of separate companies managing different parts of the process, the architect and builder work together from the beginning. That creates a more connected process for making decisions, solving challenges and keeping the project aligned with the owner’s goals.
At Rice Companies, our in-house architectural team works alongside our commercial construction teams on design-build projects. The same organization responsible for designing the building is also responsible for bringing that design to life.
That integration helps keep communication clear, decisions connected and the project moving in the same direction.
For businesses planning an expansion, that continuity can help maintain momentum from the first design conversation through construction and occupancy.
Gordini USA, Mankato, Minnesota: Built to Optimize and Grow
Gordini USA needed to relocate their distribution operations from Vermont to Minnesota under significant time pressure. Lease obligations were expiring and their new facility had specific operational requirements including high ceilings and substantial pallet capacity that had to be met before they could move. They also needed a construction partner who would include them in the process rather than manage around them.
Rice Companies delivered a 120,000 square foot distribution center on 13.7 acres in Mankato, Minnesota, designed with natural lighting throughout the warehouse. The project came in on schedule despite weather challenges and a compressed construction timeline. Project Manager Andrew Paplow guided the Gordini team through every decision along the way.
The client was clear about what the experience meant to them.
"Andrew was a great project manager. He made us understand all the decisions and was able to help us with some of the challenges we had, which included the weather and our time schedule."
The building itself exceeded their expectations.
to have is before you think you need to have it. Talk to Rice Companies about what your next project could look like.
"This is the best distribution center that I have ever worked in. It was designed perfectly and we are thrilled with our space."
What stood out as much as the building was how the relationship felt throughout the process.
"Rice's approach was different than anybody else that I have worked with. They treated us very fairly, did not speak down to us, included us in the decisions, and really had that spirit of partnership."
Gordini USA’s distribution center has done exactly what it was designed to do. Business has been strong, and with that growth came the need for more space. This fall, Gordini is completing a 60,000 square foot addition to their Mankato facility, adding warehouse storage and dock doors to support the demand their operation has generated.
What made that expansion achievable is a combination of Gordini’s success and the flexibility built into their building from the start. Pre-engineered metal building systems are designed with growth in mind. The structural system accommodates additions without requiring a full redesign, and when the time came to move forward, the path was already clear.
Andrew Paplow, who managed the original project, is leading the expansion. The same team, the same building, the next chapter.
Crystal Cabinets, Princeton: Expanding Without Slowing Down
Crystal Cabinets, a nationally recognized cabinet manufacturer, made a significant operational investment at their Princeton, Minnesota campus in 2024. A new fully automated paint line. Installing it required more than floor space. It required reorganizing entire departments to accommodate the new workflow, which meant Crystal Cabinets needed additional production area built and ready before the reorganization could begin.
Rice Companies served as both architect and general contractor on a 32,500 square foot north addition, growing the campus from approximately 285,000 square feet to over 323,000 square feet. The challenge was not just building fast. It was building alongside a manufacturing operation that could not stop.
To make that work, Rice developed a construction plan that would give Crystal Cabinets a protected boundary between their active production floor and the construction happening next to it. Manufacturing continued one side while steel went up on the other until the two spaced were ready to connect.
From the first day of work to substantial completion, the project took 94 days.
Ready to Plan Your Next Build?
Whether you are adding onto an existing facility, relocating operations, or planning growth you want to be ready for when the time comes, the right conversation to have is before you think you need to have it. Talk to Rice Companies about what your next project could look like.