Saputo

This new custom built, state-of-the-art fluid milk production facility was developed and constructed for Saputo Inc. (“Saputo”), a producer, marketer, and distributor of a variety of dairy products. Founded in Montreal in 1954, Saputo has grown from a humble family business into one of the top ten dairy processors in the world, with their products being sold in over 50 countries. With the continued success of the company, Saputo required a new purpose-built fluid milk production facility to better serve the dairy market in Western Canada, with an annual distribution of over 230 million litres of product in BC alone. After careful consideration, it was decided the new facility would be built in Port Coquitlam, on a 30-acre brownfield site within a well-established industrial area. The property was formerly a foundry which had been occupying prime industrial space within a market where large parcels of industrial land are extremely scarce. Being able to accommodate a production facility of this magnitude within Metro Vancouver while maintaining a productive industrial land use in the region was critical. Furthermore, the largescale development added a significant number of industrial jobs to the employment base within the community and region. This location also offers convenient access to the Lower Mainland’s major thoroughfares and railways, ensuring prompt distribution of fresh products. Working in close collaboration with TKAD Architecture + Design, Wicke Herfst Maver Structural Engineers and Saputo, Beedie refined the building design to fit the complex requirements of both the client and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) Dairy Plant Design Standards. Composed of approximately 615 insulated concrete tilt up panels, the resulting facility totals 349,993 SF and contains three distinct areas across two levels: 206,329 SF of processing, 12,072 SF of warehouse, and 17,593 SF of office space. This project is unique in that it required over 500 sloped slabs with floor drains throughout the facility. As a result, most of the panels were formed on casting beds and panels were tilted before slabs were poured, making for an exciting challenge for the entire project team. Considering the unique geometry of the building, meticulous planning and logistics were required for the tilting of the interior panels. Furthermore, given that these tilt panels would be providing structural support for Saputo’s equipment and racking requirements, tilt up concrete was used in place of typical IMP as it is more durable and can withstand damage caused by heavy machinery which Saputo relies on daily to process their products. Saputo’s sprawling new dairy processing facility allows for their continued growth to meet Western Canada’s dairy demands, while consolidating the production, warehouse and office branches of the company to increase productivity and maintain the freshness of their products. The extensive use of tilt-up concrete for this project ensures the building will stand the test of time and continue to exceed the expectations of the company and its valued customers for years to come.