Posts Tagged ‘southern mn electrical contractor’

Seamless Views, Growing Partnerships

Tuesday, January 17th, 2017

Construction projects involve great collaboration. Engineers, designers, general contractors, specialty contractors, suppliers – all must work together. But it’s not often that these relationships evolve from vendor to customer.

When Viracon, a national manufacturer of architectural glass for the commercial building market, announced they were expanding their flagship manufacturing facility in Owatonna, Minn., Egan Company’s Southern Minnesota team jumped at the chance to bid the project. With this project, Egan’s partnership with Viracon developed from major supplier to customer.

“Viracon has been one of our major vendors since InterClad was established in 1998,” said Egan Company Senior Vice President Tim Woolworth. “They are the leading innovative producer of glass coatings and products. In addition, their culture and values align closely with ours. They have been a great partner.”

Viracon has provided glass for numerous InterClad projects, including U.S. Bank Stadium, Target North Campus, Stonebridge Lofts, and Hennepin County Medical Center. With four plants spanning the U.S. and into Brazil, it is relied upon by over 2,500 architects and designers to provide glass fabrication.

“Viracon is investing in the expansion of its Owatonna facility to meet growing demand from architects for larger expanses of glass in exterior façades,” said Garret Henson, Viracon Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “By adding larger size capabilities to our comprehensive portfolio of architectural glass products, we are able to offer InterClad the full spectrum of product solutions that support the unique design requirements of their customers.”

The new expansion to their Owatonna facility adds over 360,000 square feet to the existing 1.2 million square feet facility. Egan’s Southern Minnesota team is providing electrical services to this new space, including general lighting and power.

Although this is new construction, the project is being treated more like a retrofit because power needs to be attached to the existing facility to get power out to the expansion. The work is all being completed while glass manufacturing is still happening, requiring creative scheduling.

In total, Egan will install more than 1,000 LED lights, including 4,000 feet of cable tray, 60,000 feet of conduit, and 250,000 feet of wire. The expansion was completed in January 2017.

The new facility will house the latest glass manufacturing technology and fabrication equipment to increase Viracon’s maximum finished product size capability and provide higher levels of automation for increased efficiencies.

This expansion is a very significant project, it is the next step in a long range program to ensure we remain at the forefront of architectural glass technology and continue to be a valued partner on distinctive buildings, large or small.

Kelly Schuller, Viracon President

Upon completion, Viracon will increase its maximum fabrication size from 13 feet 9 inches per plate of glass to 16 feet per plate of glass. The larger the plate of glass, the more visually appealing as there are fewer seams once installed. It offers bigger, unobstructed views with better daylight and energy management.

Egan’s InterClad team already has plans to utilize Viracon’s new capacity, including the new skyway at Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport that connects the new Intercontinental Hotel to the A-G Concourse.

“We look forward to future projects with Viracon, especially with these new capabilities,” Woolworth said. “When we work with Viracon, we know a project will be a success. Its technical abilities are the benchmark for the industry.”

Project Team: AB Systems, Viracon
Services Provided: General lighting and power

Egan Acquires Southern MN Electrical Contractor

Thursday, July 2nd, 2015

DSC_0047_croppedMINNEAPOLIS, MN (July 1, 2015) – Specialty trade contractor Egan Company announces the asset acquisition of electrical contractor Kestner Electric, Inc. Based in Austin, Minn., Kestner Electric offers electrical construction, low voltage technology installation, UL 508A control panel construction, and electrical maintenance services.

With the acquisition of Kestner Electric, Egan Company enhances its market position as a provider of electrical and systems integration in Southern Minnesota. Egan has a history of providing commercial contracting services to Southern Minnesota with its Nietz Electric brand located in Rochester, Minn.

“Kestner Electric and Egan Company have a strong relationship through the National Electrical Contractors Association and Local Union IBEW 343,” said Jeff Young, Vice President of Nietz Electric, a brand of Egan Company. “Kestner [Electric] will help Egan expand the ability to provide high levels of service to customers in a wider region of Southern Minnesota.”

Beyond the electrical trade, Egan will offer single-source expertise to Kestner Electric customers, which may include UL508A panel construction, mechanical, millwrights, and other building systems. Currently, electricians work with long-standing customers in the food and agriculture processing industries.

“Kestner Electric has built its business on reputation, relationships, and long-term commitments to assisting various customers achieve their objectives,” said Kevin Kestner, former Kestner Electric co-owner.  “With Egan, we can serve customers even better due to an extensive and skilled staff of engineers, estimators, project managers, programmers, and safety [team]. By joining forces, all of the services which Egan offers now become services which we will be able to provide . . . we look forward to bringing the newly acquired abilities to our customers.”

Kestner Electric’s 23 employees will remain in its Austin, Minn. office. Kevin Kestner will manage the group, while Jeff Young will oversee all Kestner Electric operations.

Media Contact:
Jessica Johnson
jkjohnson@eganco.com  //  763-595-4310

About Egan Company:
Egan Company is a specialty contractor which provides in-house expertise in planning, design, engineering, construction, and maintenance—and a workforce representing over 15 skilled trade unions serving virtually every infrastructure discipline in the industry. Core services include: mechanical, electrical, engineering and design, curtain wall/glazing/panel systems (InterClad), millwrights, fabrication, building systems, controls and system integration, and service. For more information about Egan Company, visit www.eganco.com.

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