PROJECT DETAILS

Owners:  Nilssen’s Foods

Location:  980 Cedar St., Baldwin, WI 54002

Size: 10,848 sq. ft. addition
22,326 sq. ft. remodel

Project Highlights:

  • Total remodel and addition while the store remained open and fully functional
  • New MEP systems
  • New refrigeration system

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Nilssen’s Foods Baldwin store underwent a significant addition and remodeling project while staying open for business. Manager Kevin Branstad provided these ideas and tips that helped things go as smoothly as possible:

  • I determined that it was very important to facilitate regular meetings with our entire We have nearly 100 employees and made the meetings mandatory due to the significance of communicating the project timelines, safety requirements, the importance of staying out of the workers way, not interrupting their work, and other topics throughout the project.
  • I created a communication board for our customers. I knew they would have questions and understood the impact of having things torn up would have on them.  I updated this weekly and shared the changes that were happening each week even if those changes weren’t visible to the customers.
  • The construction meetings every two weeks were invaluable. The communication across all trades, myself and Jason Nilssen were great for wrapping up the past two weeks work and looking ahead two weeks so we could plan for any interruptions to our business.
  • John Timmers, Derrick Building Solutions onsite supervisor, did a great job taping off areas that were slip or trip hazards. During the project our walk-in freezer had to remain right in the middle of the construction zone.  Our team had access during certain times and were provided hard hats for entering the area, and it was handled smoothly by all involved.
  • Construction work that would potentially interfere with our business would be scheduled at night or overnight for minimum disruption.

The months of planning and execution have paid off for Nilssen’s. The new enlarged store with an added Caribou Coffee (that even has a drive thru), have been well-received by their customers and employees. The store nearly doubled in size and thanks to the efforts made on efficiency projects, the energy bills decreased by $500 per month compared to the older, smaller space. Jason Nilssen added “I chose Derrick not because they were the cheapest, but because they were local and had a good recommendation from my wholesaler, Spartannash, who used them for their New Richmond Expansion.” Nilssen’s is a family-owned business serving our area since 1903.