Epstein is one of the leading design and construction firms in the manufacturing industry. Since our founding in Chicago in 1921, we have been associated with landmark projects in the United States and across the globe. Our manufacturing projects include processing plants, distribution centers and product development facilities.
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Industrial Services
Epstein is a multi-disciplinary architecture, interior design, engineering and construction company.
Our engineers, architects and construction professionals utilize an integrated process to produce high-performance facilities that accommodate our clients’ operations. Because we are a multi-disciplinary organization, we are able to offer our clients a single source for their project requirements.
Our integrated services include:
• Strategic Planning
• Site Due Diligence
• Civil Site Design
• Infrastructure
• Utilities
• Rail Spurs
• Docking, Truck Access & Maneuvering
• Liquid Handling & Delivery
• Master Planning
• Sustainability
• Facility Design & Engineering
• Refrigeration Engineering
• Process & Packaging Engineering
• Material Handling
• Construction
• DesignBuild
We have supported clients throughout the United States and in many international locations, including Mexico, Central America, Poland, Russia, France and Spain.
1921 Manufacturing is in our DNA.
Founded in 1921 as a trusted design and engineering consultant to Chicago’s famed Union Stockyards, Epstein has grown into a leading design, engineering and construction company known for delivering efficient, flexible and cost-effective industrial facilities for manufacturers throughout the world.
2024
We design & build some advanced manufacturing the world.
some of the most manufacturing facilities in 01
G & W Electric
BOLINGBROOK, ILLINOIS
Epstein provided DesignBuild services for the renovation and modification of an existing 370,000 square foot speculative industrial building in Bolingbrook, Illinois into a new LEED-NC Gold headquarters and manufacturing facility for G & W Electric.
G&W produced high-voltage electrical equipment in their previous facility for over 50 years, and witnessed substantial expansion of product lines and increases in overall product volume over several years.
The Bolingbrook facility was adequate, however, the building required significant structural modifications and alterations to serve as a proper headquarters and manufacturing facility. Epstein’s designers and engineers were tasked with developing a design solution that was forward looking and high-tech, like G & W’s on-going research and product-development efforts.
A new 4,000 square foot high-voltage testing and research laboratory was designed on the front façade flanking the east end of the entry court. This striking structure features two-toned colors and texture on the walls. The high-voltage lab includes a new steel structure with architectural metal panels affixed to the outside of the structure with a maximum exterior height of 40’. The space also contains overhead crane coverage over the entire floor with a minimum under-hook clearance of 29’.
The high-voltage structure also consists of 4,000 square feet of laboratory and assembly space for G & W researchers.
The 300,000 square foot manufacturing space, which produces high-voltage switchgear, features a full-height demising wall between the manufacturing and assembly areas of the plant. The entire manufacturing area is also air conditioned and positively pressurized to promote cleanliness.
Epstein also designed an enclosure around G&W’s laser metal cutter and positively pressurize the space to prevent SF6 contamination. Two new drive-in doors for flat bed loading and unloading have also been provided, as well as a trench drain and water/ oil separator in each bay. A centralized air compressor room was designed and provides a 4” compressed air loop throughout the building.
The facility features many sustainable design elements including:
• High efficiency plumbing fixtures (35-40% reduction from baseline)
• A Measurement and Verification Plan – using submeters and BAS to monitor energy use and empower decision making
• Low-emitting materials as well as regional and recycled materials
• FSC-Certified Wood for at least 50% of wood and wood products
• Design to meet ASHREA 55-2004 requirements for thermal comfort and exceed ASHRAE 62.1-2007 for outside air by 30%
Epstein: A single-source your project needs
Newly Weds
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
Epstein provided multi-disciplinary design services including, architecture and interiors, and civil, MEP and structural engineering and construction for a new 300,000 square foot, 2-story manufacturing building.
The new manufacturing and research building sits on a 6-acre site. The scope of work included the design of a new 275-space parking lot with 11 ADA spaces, a parking and staging area for 14 trailers, 10 loading docks, and two solid waste docks. A truck maneuvering study was performed using AutoTurn to verify semi-trailer access to the trailer staging and loading docks.
Epstein also provided the design for site grading, asphalt and concrete paving, water, sanitary, and storm sewer design. The extent of the grading included establishing positive slopes for drainage as well as ensuring ADA compliance by grading the public and private sidewalks with acceptable cross-slopes. The water main design included an 8” ductile iron pipe loop around the site to serve both domestic and fire protection services.
The sanitary sewer service included a grease interceptor prior to its connection to the public combine sewer. The storm sewer consisted of trench drains and catch basins that collected stormwater and routed it to an underground corrugated metal pipe detention system that is located under the employee parking lot. The detention piping was designed with perforations to allow for infiltration. Stormwater runoff is discharged at a controlled rate to the City sewer system. Due to the low elevations of the shipping and receiving loading docks, two pump stations were designed to lift the stormwater up into the gravity sewer pipe. Erosion and sediment control was provided to ensure stormwater quality during construction.
Stable. Sustainable.
Cedar Concepts
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
The Cedar Concepts Chemical Manufacturing Facility is a new production facility located in Chicago, Illinois. Built on 41st St., the facility runs along the north side of the site, Packers Ave. along the east side of the site, an existing rail runs along the west side of the site and W. Exchange Ave runs along the south side of the site.
The project included a tank farm, five truck loading docks, a truck scale, rail spur, and guest and employee parking with two electric car battery charging stations. Cedar Concepts relocated all current manufacturing operations from their original facility to this 41st & Packers facility, including most process equipment and process support equipment (i.e. chiller, cooling towers, compressors and hot box, which is used to liquefy raw materials stored in drums or totes).
The new facility consists of a two-story mixed occupancy of approximately 60,000 square feet in total area. The new facility is divided up into the following two main functions; business and industrial. The business portion of the program consists of a two-story office building of approximately 12,000 square feet with the following program elements; lobby, board room, server room, owner’s office, private offices, open office, training room, break room, storage and toilet rooms. This facility is Cedar Concepts headquarters and the office exterior and interior aesthetic will be a space that reflects Cedar’s brand identity.
The industrial portion is divided into a 48,000 square foot process, packaging and storage component. The process program consists of a reacting area, blending area and a process support space and packaging area consisting of flaking and bagging. There is a utilities area with maintenance shop above. Catwalks are necessary throughout the process space and are integrated into the building’s design. The storage area is for bulk raw materials storage and finished goods. This area also houses the “hot box”. High hazard chemicals are utilized and stored within this process so containment, ventilation, explosion control and separation are all issues which were dictated by local building codes. The new facility was designed to follow local building codes and ADA requirements.
Ecologically viable 04
Nature’s Drop-In Biofuel Refinery
SOUTH SIOUX CITY, NEBRASKA
Epstein was contracted by Honeywell to prepare a Front End Engineering Design (FEED) Phase study to define the scope and provide a cost estimate for a proposed greenfield project utilizing multiple feedstock capabilities to produces green fuel. Natures BioReserve proposed to build a 4,329 BPSD UOP/Eni Ecofining™ Process unit to produce high quality Honeywell Green Diesel™ and high quality Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene (“SPK”) primarily from a beef tallow feedstock as well as other feedstock sources with the flexibility to meet different specifications such as ASTM D7566 at a 25 acre site located in South Sioux City, Nebraska.
The FEED phase included documentation of the Inside the Battery Limits (ISBL) and the Outside the Battery Limits (OSBL) areas of the refinery.
Specific OSBL scope consisted of:
• State, Local and Federal review of government approvals
• General building code, EPA and site evaluation analysis
• Building & Site Programming and Design including logistics, loading and unloading
• Raw and finished material handling
• Design of infrastructure utility support both upstream and downstream of plant Emissions control devices
Design and engineering of plant requirements for: Hydrogen generation CO2 Recovery
• Process Flow Diagrams (PFD’s) and Preliminary Instrumentation Diagrams (P&ID’s)
• Material Balances
• Equipment Specifications
• Hazard and operability study
• Multiple iterations of detailed estimating and core
Two feedstock cases were analyzed by Honeywell, UOP and the design team throughout the course of the FEED Phase:
Case 1: Feedstock comprised of 60% Tallow – 20% Choice White Grease – 20% Yellow Grease.
Case 2: Feedstock comprised of 60% Tallow – 40% Corn Oil.
Specific ISBL scope consisted of:
• Identification and programming of all ISBL unit operations
• Specifications, equipment lists and pricing for all ISBL Equipment
• Detailed coordination with process provider (UOP) on operating aspects and equipment required for ISBL operations
• Identification of infrastructure support
• Process Flow Diagrams (PFD’s) and Preliminary Instrumentation Diagrams (P&ID’s)
• Preliminary Automation and Controls
• Sequence of Operation Concept Mapping (Security, Safety, Operations Strategy, Training) Multiple iterations of detailed estimating and corresponding deliverables including alternative type rooms necessary to support the building’s functions.
Future-oriented
Wholestone Farms
FREMONT, NEBRASKA
Epstein provided DesignBuild services including civil engineering for a CO2 stunner addition, office addition, rendering and wastewater pre-treatment facility, a new fire pump house, and new and temporary loading docks.
The scope of work included parking lot layout, site grading, asphalt and concrete paving, water, sanitary, and storm sewer design, tank farm load out, and rail spur design.
The extent of the design included enlarging the parking lot, providing ADA parking and accessible routes to the building, evaluating emergency vehicle maneuvering around the site, designing a dewatering system for the deep excavation of the CO2 pit, stormwater detention basin design, water main design, sanitary sewer design, relocation of a force main, design of a rail spur off of the Union Pacific rail line to serve the rendering building, truck maneuvering analysis using AutoTurn to verify access to the loading docks and waste product loadout area, design of security gates at the truck entrance, and extensive utility relocations to accommodate the phased construction schedule.
Permitting included compliance with the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) through the state department of water quality, and establishing floor elevation of proposed construction to meet the requirements of FEMA and the local floodplain ordinance.
Greener, by design
Blue Northern Energy Bio Diesel Fuel Refinery
PORT OF PALM BEACH, FLORIDA
Epstein provided architectural, and structural and civil engineering design services for a new bio diesel tank farm and distribution point near the Port of Palm Beach, Florida.
This Blue Northern facility is located on a 9-acre site that features a 21,900 square foot process building, a 6,000 square foot utility building, tank farm, pipe rack, truck loading / unloading, three rail spurs for loading / unloading and future expansion.
In addition to Epstein’s design and engineering role, a detailed code analysis of the hazardous materials, structural evaluation of an existing structure, cost estimating services and supplemental construction management consulting services were also performed for this project.
NEWTON, ILLINOIS
Epstein also provided architectural, and structural and civil engineering design services for a new bio diesel tank farm and distribution point in Newton, Illinois.
The new 50 million gallons per year biodiesel facility utilizes continuous reactor technology that produces biodiesel more efficiently and sustainably. Blue Northern’s facility is located on a 9-acre site that features a 21,900 square foot process building, a 6,000 square foot utility building, tank farm, pipe rack, truck loading / unloading, three rail spurs for loading / unloading and future expansion.
A detailed code analysis of the hazardous materials, structural evaluation of an existing structure, cost estimating services and supplemental construction management consulting services were also performed for this project.
Efficient liquid delivery
Confidential Client
ROCHESTER, NEW YORK
Epstein designed, procured and installed a new process and packaging line for the client’s food processing plant, aimed to produce beverage syrups in sufficient quantities to meet their five-year sales plan.
The design of this new line incorporated improvements most important to the client, and in part included: Improved process control and reporting
• Improved liquid handling and delivery
• New rail spurs
• Ergonomic improvements and the reduction in the amount of weight lifted by employees
• Enhanced food safety and sanitary design
• Reduction in the amount of waste water generated for process cooling and sanitation
• Reduced changeover time for product and bottle size change
• Improved product yield
• Enhanced traceability
• Reduction in labor
Alberto Culver
VARIOUS LOCATIONS
Epstein provided multi-disciplinary design services for the construction of a 60 million pound per year personal care product plant with planned growth to triple capacity. The projects included:
• Site design including, grading, stormwater, detention, parking, etc.
• Bulk chemical unloading for rail and truck
• Bulk liquid tank farm with spill prevention control
• Bulk combustible liquid tank farm with fire suppression, sprinkler water containment and spill prevention control
• Process piping from tank farms to blending platforms
Multiple blending systems with automated volumetric delivery of bulk chemicals
