From the Ground Up: Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper Bottling Co. offices
Owner: Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper Bottling Co.
General contractor: Ross Construction Group LLC
Architect: Buxton Kubik Dodd Design Collective
Engineers: Own Inc., civil; Miller Engineering PC, structural; and Buxton Kubik Dodd Design Collective, mechanical, electrical and plumbing
Size: 47,625 square feet
Estimated cost: Would not disclose
Funding source: Would not disclose
Estimated completion: January 2025
Project description: Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper Bottling Co. finished its 67,750-square-foot manufacturing facility in May, and a call to the company revealed it is soon to wrap up the second part of the two-phase project, a 47,625-square-foot building devoted to meeting and office space. The mostly finished exterior belies the fact that much infill work continues with the goal of completion before the end of January 2025. It wasn’t too long ago, in early 2021, that the company completed a warehouse expansion, comprising 432,000 square feet and connected to the manufacturing facility by a conveyor, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting. The company’s products are distributed to four states, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, according to its website
From the Ground Up: Ebenezer Fire Station No. 1
1391 State Highway WW
BY: KAREN CRAIGO, REPORTERkcraigo@sbj.net
Owner: Ebenezer Fire Protection District
General contractor: RE Smith Construction Co.
Architect: Buxton Kubik Dodd Design Collective
Engineers: Own Inc., civil; Miller Engineering PC, structural; and Buxton Kubik Dodd Design Collective, mechanical, electrical and plumbing
Size: 20,000 square feet
Cost: $4.4 million
Funding source: Voter-approved bond passed in 2022
Estimated completion: December
Project description: In April 2022, voters residing within the Ebenezer Fire Protection District gave their approval to a $6 million bond to pay for new fire engines and equipment – and a fire station to put them in. A new Ebenezer Fire Station No. 1 is in the works to replace the current Station No. 1 at 7918 N. Farm Road 145. The station, to be constructed of preengineered metal, structural steel and concrete masonry, will serve the fire district with the largest coverage area in Springfield, according to project officials. The station will have four drive-thru apparatus bays, one apparatus maintenance bay and a living area with kitchen, sleeping quarters, workout area, community room and administrative offices.
Incredible project. Incredible team. Congratulations to James River Church , Miller Engineering, OWN, Inc. , Touche' Design Co. , Ross Construction Group and our own Jon Dodd, Nick Schurk (featured in video), Kent Sanders, Dylan Chorice, Adam Gullett and Luke Hauswirth. 2024 SCA Design Team Of The Year / James River Youth Building Addition.
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Convoy of Hope building $8M food packaging facility at HQ
BY: GEOFF PICKLE, DIGITAL EDITORgpickle@sbj.net
Posted online November 5, 2024 | 12:09 pm
Last edited 12:08 p.m., Nov. 6, 2024 [Editor's note: The groundbreaking ceremony date has been corrected.]
Around a year after opening its new headquarters in west Springfield, Convoy of Hope is adding a food packaging facility on the campus.
Ethan Forhetz, vice president of public engagement and the nonprofit's national spokesperson, said an Oct. 30 groundbreaking ceremony marked the official start of construction for the $8 million facility that would span 40,000 to 50,000 square feet.
"That allows us to package our own meals for our feeding programs, both internationally and domestically," Forhetz said.
Q and Co. LLC is serving as general contractor for the project designed by Buxton Kubik Dodd Design Collective, he said, pointing to a targeted completion date in the fourth quarter of 2025.
The project site is directly north of the David & Betty Cribbs World Distribution Center, Forhetz said. Convoy of Hope in October 2023 dedicated its $37 million, 200,000-square-foot Global Headquarters and Training Center, which is attached via a second-story skywalk to its 230,000-square-foot distribution center, according to past reporting.
Convoy of Hope ranked No. 3 this year on Springfield Business Journal's list of the area's largest local charitable nonprofits, with 283 local employees as of Feb. 5. The nonprofit reported a 2024 operating budget of $600 million.
Founded in 1994, the international humanitarian relief organization has served more than 250 million people, officials say.
John Deere Reman targets ’26 completion for $13.5M expansion
Investment would consolidate some company facilities
BY: GEOFF PICKLE, DIGITAL EDITORgpickle@sbj.net
Posted online October 18, 2024 | 9:59 am
A planned multimillion-dollar investment in Strafford by John Deere Reman will mean increased operational efficiencies in the Springfield area, a company official says.
The business operated by Moline, Illinois-based Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) announced Oct. 14 that it would invest $13.5 million to expand its plant in Strafford. The project would grow the 601 MO-125 facility, known as the John Deere Reman Core Center, by 120,000 square feet to bring its footprint to 400,000 square feet. Company officials are targeting a mid-2025 groundbreaking and 2026 completion for the expansion. Parking lot improvements are currently underway to prepare for the expansion, officials say.
Kevin Schrag, manager of John Deere Reman, said the expansion in Strafford would allow the company to consolidate some of its operations in the Springfield area under one roof.
“We’re spread out over multiple facilities. It’s a bit of a function of how we’ve grown in the area,” Schrag said, noting the company has five facilities in the area. “The key driver for this particular expansion is really consolidating some of our external warehousing operations to drive logistical improvements.”
Schrag said the current plan calls for two leased locations, including a facility operated in partnership with SRC Holdings Corp., to be consolidated into the John Deere Reman Core Center.
“We’ll work with them on the timing of that,” he said.
Local impact
John Deere Reman, which remanufactures engines and fuel and electronic components for agriculture and construction customers, started in Springfield in 1998 as a joint venture with Springfield Remanufacturing Corp. It became wholly owned by Deere 10 years later.
The John Deere Reman Core Center opened in 2012 and represented a roughly $14 million investment, according to Springfield Business Journal archives. Springfield-based Q and Co. LLC led construction of the project.
Schrag said Q and Co. has been hired for the expansion, as well, along with local architecture and engineering firms Buxton Kubik Dodd Design Collective, Miller Engineering PC and Olsson Inc.
“Quality is at the core of Q & Co., and we are proud to partner with John Deere and this exceptional design team on another project for a company that also values quality – John Deere,” said Darren Beck, construction manager at Q & Co., in a news release.
Schrag additionally said the city of Strafford has been instrumental in its growth plans. The John Deere Reman Core Center is located adjacent to the bustling Southwest Missouri Rail and Business Park, south of Interstate 44 on the southwest side of Strafford. Nearby neighbors include Warson Brands, L&W Industries and Dayton Freight. It’s about 4 miles northeast of Buc-ee’s, located en route to Strafford from Springfield along I-44.
“We have been honored to be home to this facility for over a decade, appreciating the solid legacy John Deere and its products represent,” Strafford City Administrator Martha Smartt said in the release. “We look forward to this expansion, recognizing the company’s investment has had a profound impact on our community and southwest Missouri.”
The John Deere Reman Core Center employs 211 people, said Schrag, noting the original plans for the Strafford facility called for around 55 jobs. Noting the company has more than 500 employees in the Springfield area, he said additional jobs likely would be on the way.
“My expectation is this space will allow us to grow the business,” Schrag said, declining to estimate the number of new jobs the facility expansion would create. “We have a very skilled and highly engaged employee base here. It’s the employees that drive all of the results in the end.”
A “relatively small number” of existing local employees would transition to Strafford amid the consolidation efforts, he added.
Global impact
The Strafford plans follow a 2021 move in which John Deere Reman added around 130 employees to its local workforce as it transitioned its drivetrain and hydraulic remanufacturing operations from a plant in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, which closed, according to past reporting.
“I would say this is the next logical step,” Schrag said. “All of John Deere Reman’s operations are centralized to the Springfield area. This investment is showing our continued commitment to that.”
Deere & Co., which has some 83,000 employees and more than 100 locations globally, is No. 64 on the 2024 Fortune 500 list that ranks U.S. companies based on annual revenues. The publication reported $61.3 billion in annual revenue for Deere in the list published this summer.
Deere’s fiscal fourth-quarter earnings report is scheduled for release on Nov. 21.
For the third quarter of fiscal 2024, Deere reported net income of $1.7 billion on net sales and revenues of $13.2 billion for the period ended July 28, according to an Aug. 15 news release. Those figures were down 42% and 17%, respectively, from a year earlier.
Deere & Co.’s stock closed Oct. 15 at $401.99, compared with a 52-week range of $340.20 to $420.47 per share.
810 W. Catalpa St.
BY: KAREN CRAIGO, REPORTERkcraigo@sbj.net
Posted online October 11, 2024 | 4:10 pm
Last edited 8:49 a.m., Nov. 8, 2024 [Editor's note: Own Inc. is the civil engineer. The company's previous name was used before.]
Owner: Boys and Girls Clubs of Springfield Inc.
General contractor: Ross Construction Group LLC
Architect: Buxton Kubik Dodd Design Collective
Engineers: Own Inc., civil; RTM Engineering Consultants LLC, structural; and Buxton Kubik Dodd Design Collective, mechanical, electrical and plumbing
Size: 30,500 square feet Cost: $12 million
Funding source: Capital campaign
Estimated completion: August 2025
Project description: Now that road and sidewalk improvements are completed, a lot of building construction is happening in the portion of the Grant Avenue Parkway south of Grand Street. Last week’s From the Ground Up featured a new multifamily development, The Wayfarer in the Dale, going up on 1112 S. Grant Avenue. Just south of that project, west of Grant on Catalpa Street, The Risdal Family Teen Center for Great Futures has begun to rise from its lot – itself located next to the new Nordic Landing affordable housing apartment building. The center has been in the works since July 2021, with a groundbreaking ceremony on Feb. 15. The goal is for the two-story center to be a safe place for middle- and high-school students to go after school to access programming in education, workforce readiness, the arts, character and leadership, health and wellness, and sports and recreation. It will have a gym and a game room, plus food, computers, laundry and shower facilities, with mental health care available. Services will be offered free of charge, Boys and Girls Club officials say. A portion of the second floor is intended to be leased for youth services and an overnight shelter, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting.
Thank you Evangel University for a powerful building dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony for The AG Financial Arena. So blessed to be there and witness those unique moments for this special building.
Congratulations to the students, families, and staff of Pittman Elementary! Our team from Buxton Kubik Dodd was on hand for the ribbon cutting ceremony as they opened their new multipurpose gymnasium and storm shelter yesterday. It's always a great feeling to help provide safe places for our community, especially when it includes a family member. Our very own Lisa Wampler's daughter attends Pittman, so it made this project even more special!
Ebenezer Fire Station No. 1
1391 State Highway WW
BY: KAREN CRAIGO, REPORTERkcraigo@sbj.net
Posted online September 20, 2024 | 4:01 pm
General contractor: RE Smith Construction Co.
Size: 20,000 square feet
Estimated cost: $4.4 million
Estimated completion: December
Project description: The new Ebenezer Fire Station No. 1 will serve the fire district with the largest coverage area in Springfield, according to project officials. Constructed of preengineered metal, structural steel and concrete masonry unit components, the station will feature four drive-thru apparatus bays, one apparatus maintenance bay, and a living area with kitchen, sleeping quarters, workout area, community room and administrative offices. The project architect is Buxton Kubik Dodd Design Collective, and engineers are Own Inc., civil; Miller Engineering PC, structural; and Buxton Kubik Dodd Design Collective, mechanical, electrical and plumbing.
Finley Ridge Apartments Phase II
2349 N. 20th St., Ozark
BY: KAREN CRAIGO, REPORTERkcraigo@sbj.net
Posted online September 20, 2024 | 3:04 pm
General contractor: Morelock Builders & Associates Inc.
Size: 204,368 square feet
Estimated cost: Would not disclose
Estimated completion: Dec. 15
Project description: Phase II of the Finley Ridge Apartments project includes a pair of four-story buildings with 48 units each. Building 1 is slated to be completed Oct. 15, with Building 2 scheduled to wrap up Dec. 15. Units range from one bedroom at 737 square feet to three bedrooms at 1,165 square feet. All together, project officials say, the complex will have 192 units with a shared community and fitness room, as well as an outdoor pool, community grill stations and green space. The project architect is Buxton Kubik Dodd Design Collective, and engineers are Toth & Associates Inc., civil; RTM Engineering Consultants LLC, structural; and Buxton Kubik Dodd Design Collective, mechanical, electrical and plumbing.
West Plains Vet Supply
2845 W. Kearney St.
BY: KAREN CRAIGO, REPORTERkcraigo@sbj.net
Posted online September 20, 2024 | 2:48 pm
General contractor: Hambey Construction LLC
Size: 30,540 square feet
Estimated cost: $3.4 million
Estimated completion: December
Project description: West Plains Veterinary Supply of Springfield Inc. is getting an addition to its wholesale sales building, to include some 3,000 square feet of retail space in front of the building and more than 27,000 square feet of warehouse space. The project architect is Buxton Kubik Dodd Design Collective, and engineers are Lee Engineering & Associates LLC, civil; Miller Engineering PC, structural; and Buxton Kubik Dodd Design Collective, mechanical, electrical and plumbing.
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Paul Mueller Co. breaks ground on $22M expansion
BY: MIKE CULLINAN, REPORTERmcullinan@sbj.net
Posted online August 27, 2024 | 11:56 am
Amid sweltering summer heat, Paul Mueller Co. (OTC: MUEL) officials broke ground Aug. 26 on a multimillion-dollar expansion project at its Springfield headquarters.
The groundbreaking ceremony, which included Gov. Mike Parson among state officials in attendance, was held outside on the future construction site near the corner of Phelps Street and LaFontaine Avenue. Dozens of employees at the 84-year-old stainless steel manufacturing company also were present for the kickoff of the $22 million expansion work that is expected to create 133 jobs, according to officials.
The new production facility, which will increase capacity for the assembly of large production modules, will add more than 100,000 square feet of space, including a clear-span, climate-controlled production area spanning 60,000 square feet, according to a news release. The facility will be at the northwest portion of the company’s 1600 W. Phelps St. campus, which sits at the intersection of Kansas and Chestnut Expressway.
“It will provide a column-free open manufacturing space where we can assemble and test larger systems for our pharmaceutical, food, beverage and chemical customers,” Mueller Co. President and CEO David Moore said in the release. “Our co-workers have made this possible by safely providing increased value to our customers, resulting in the largest backlog and highest profitability in our history. The facility will also expand product development and training capabilities to support our growth.”
After the ceremony, Moore said construction should begin immediately and expects the company will be operating in the building by next fall. Ross Construction Group LLC is general contractor on the project and architect is Buxton Kubik Dodd Design Collective.
“I would imagine the building will be complete in September [2025],” he said. “We’re building this building for a handful of product lines. Our pharmaceutical product line will probably move most of their production into it. We make large modules for pharmaceutical customers and that will free up more space in our tank shop for our other tank-based product lines.”
According to the release, the company is set to receive benefits from the Missouri Works program, which awards withholdings or tax credits in exchange for job creation. It also is receiving assistance from Missouri One Start, a division of the state Department of Economic Development that assists businesses with recruitment and training needs.
Michelle Hattaway, DED director, said at the groundbreaking that the expansion announcement is just the latest chapter of Mueller Co.’s long history of commitment to excellence in manufacturing.
“We’re excited to continue to follow along with your success story as you expand capacity for the assembly of large production modules,” she said, adding her state department also is proud to continue partnering with the Springfield-based company as it grows
Officials declined to disclose details of the economic incentives for the expansion project. However, Moore said the company’s planned addition of 130-plus jobs because of the expansion will likely be gradual.
“As the completion of the building nears, we’ll be trying to ramp up early,” he said.
The groundbreaking comes a few weeks after Mueller Co. reported its second-quarter financial report. Its second-quarter net income finished at $6.8 million, a 41% increase from the same three-month period in 2023.
The financial report also noted its backlog this year is $187.3 million, as of June 30, compared with $106 million on June 30, 2023. The majority of the total is in the U.S., where backlog is $181.2 million.
The company’s over-the-counter stock yesterday hit a 52-week high of $150 per share. The stock’s 52-week low is $47.03 per share.
Evangel approaches end of $24M arena work
New athletic facility prepares to host first game Sept. 19
BY: MIKE CULLINAN, REPORTERmcullinan@sbj.net
Posted online August 23, 2024 | 2:23 pm
As students make their return to Evangel University’s campus this month, they do so with the school’s highest-priced project in its near 70-year history about to wrap up.
The university’s AGFinancial Arena, a 71,268-square-foot athletic facility on the northwest corner of campus, is in the final weeks of construction, according to school officials.
It will serve as the new home for Evangel’s basketball, football, soccer and volleyball programs.
“It’s just a little bit under $24 million, and that’s all in – construction, furnishings, electronics, lighting,” said Michael Kolstad, Evangel’s chief of staff and executive vice president, of the project price tag.
The facility’s first scheduled event is a Sept. 19 home volleyball match against Columbia College, said Shawn Fink, a construction contractor for Evangel who serves as the owner’s representative for the project. He estimated work was about 90% complete as of Aug. 16. The arena’s opening is in advance of its ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for Oct. 4.
Williams Construction Co. is general contractor for the project designed by Buxton Kubik Dodd Design Collective. It’s the first new building to be added to campus in over a decade, Kolstad said.
“By price tag, it is our largest, but the excitement is already starting to build,” he said. “And as the students and the athletes come back, just that childlike enthusiasm, excitement, it’s worth a million dollars to see it on their faces as they walk in.”
Financial aid
Evangel officials say the project was funded through private donations, and the university will have no debt upon the building’s completion.
Its funding included a $10 million matching pledge made in November 2023 from the Green family, who own the Hobby Lobby and Mardel Christian & Education retail chains. The Greens’ pledge was to match up to $10 million in donations to Evangel through this November.
“We’re done. We’re going to make an announcement probably in the next two to four weeks,” Kolstad said of reaching the matching pledge total for the athletics facility, which was part of Evangel’s $24 million Here.Now capital campaign. “We were able to do it in eight months.”
The capital campaign also included the renovation of campus dormitory Walther Hall and installation of a field for intramural athletics. Both were completed in 2023, according to Evangel officials.
The Green family has a history of aiding Christian universities, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting. The family previously donated $5 million to help fund a 2013 merger of Evangel, Central Bible College and Assemblies of God Theological Seminary.
Additionally, the arena project in July received a naming-level donation – described by university officials as a capstone gift – from AGFinancial for an undisclosed amount, which Fink said resulted in the facility name change from the Valor Center. Founded in 1988, AGFinancial’s original purpose was to integrate the stewardship and financial service ministries of the Assemblies of God, according to its website. It provides loans, investment planning, insurance and other financial services to individuals, families, churches and ministries. Evangel is also affiliated with the Assemblies of God denomination.
AGFinancial Arena replaces the 37,200-square-foot J. Robert Ashcroft Facilities Center, opened in 1967, according to the university website.
“This was the last part of the campus that we had not upgraded, really since the start of the university back in 1955,” Kolstad said. “We have almost 500 student-athletes. And it was time.”
Arena amenities
Fink said construction of the building at Pine Lane and Park Drive started in May 2023. The southern portion, dubbed the Randy Rowden Training Center, primarily serves the football and soccer programs. It includes 16 locker rooms, 25 offices for the athletic department, an athletic medicine hub and a covered terrace area that overlooks the field used for men and women’s soccer home games and practice, football practice and marching band rehearsals.
Rowden, who died in 2013, was a longtime supporter of the university, according to Evangel officials. His widow, Shirley, wanted to honor him and provided Evangel with an initial gift to start the arena project.
“We actually accelerated the schedule on that portion of the building to try to get the soccer and football programs in so that their late summer, early fall programs could begin,” Fink said. “We were able to hit that goal, and so they’re in there and operating now.”
Practices are in full swing for soccer and football as their seasons start this month. The roster size for football is around 125, while roughly 35 students each participate on the men’s and women’s soccer teams, according to school officials.
The training center’s 4,060-square-foot weight room also more than doubles the size of the one in the Ashcroft Center. Fink pointed out the school’s Valor logo is embedded on much of the new equipment in the room, which also features padded flooring and artificial turf.
“That weight room, it’s like it’s an NFL-quality weight room,” Kolstad said. “These football players come in and they’re just grinning ear to ear. And I think a couple of tears here and there.”
On the north side of the facility is the gym, which includes two regulation-size cross courts for basketball and volleyball.
“The arena itself seats about 1,425, plus we have five box suites and some standing room,” Fink said, adding total capacity is around 1,600. “We have four visiting team locker rooms, which is a pretty huge amenity. Between that and the cross courts, it really elevates our ability to host tournaments, etc.”
Adjacent to the gym are the building’s main lobby and concourse, which include space for a ticket booth, concessions, restrooms and a store that will sell university and team apparel.
“The lobby for us will as well be multipurpose. We’ll use that for banquet facilities and other events,” Fink said, adding the space can hold roughly 100 people for gatherings.
Outside the arena, officials are planning for a student plaza in the southeast corner of the property. It will include a large exterior LED screen and parking room for food trucks.
“If you think pregame, whether it be soccer, football, basketball, volleyball in the arena, that’s really meant to be a place for students to come and congregate,” he said. “We’re putting some resources into that.”
As for the Ashcroft Center, a facility that has no air conditioning and sits across from AGFinancial Arena, Kolstad said there’s no plan to tear it down. The building, which has an arched roof and pointed spires, was designed after an airport terminal that was constructed in Texas, according to Evangel’s website.
Kolstad said the center’s future use is to be determined.
“We want to keep as much real estate as we can. We are going to take the year to study it,” he said. “It makes a nice facility for some of these other things that we’ve not had.”
Some ideas under consideration are an indoor practice facility for court sports, an additional location for intramural athletics and a pickleball venue.
“It’s not going anywhere. The bones of the structure are excellent,” he said. “It probably would make no sense to tear it down.”
This is the incredible story of one of our own family members. Brian Kubik's son, Cross Kubik, has written a book about his battles with cancer. It details his fight, his survival and his faith in our risen savior, Jesus Christ, that brought him through. We so appreciate the support by James River Church and John Lindell
From the Ground Up: Pittman Elementary School storm shelter
2934 E. Bennett St.
BY: KAREN CRAIGO, REPORTERkcraigo@sbj.net
Posted online August 9, 2024 | 1:04 pm
Owner: Springfield Public Schools
General contractor: BP Builders LLC
Architect: Buxton Kubik Dodd Design Collective
Engineers: Toth and Associates Inc., civil and structural; and Buxton Kubik Dodd Design Collective, mechanical, electrical and plumbing
Size: 9,617 square feet
Cost: $4.8 million
Funding source: Proposition S general obligation bond
Estimated completion: August
Project description: A storm shelter to provide protection to the school population during severe weather events is nearing completion at Pittman Elementary School in east Springfield. The prestressed concrete building will be used as a multipurpose gymnasium with basketball and volleyball courts and music room and is also equipped with restrooms. Bleacher seating is included with a platform for school activities. The shelter is joined to the school by a connecting corridor. The project is funded by Proposition S, the $220 million bond approved by voters in April 2023, and similar shelters are underway or already complete at five other SPS elementary schools.
