When an electric cooperative needs to expand their operations facility, construction can’t shut down daily operations. Trucks need to come and go. Equipment needs accessible storage. Employees need functional workspace.
CoMo Electric’s Sunrise Beach Operations Facility expansion presented exactly this challenge — add 22,000 square feet of warehouse space and renovate existing offices while the facility continues serving 2,300 square miles of Central Missouri.
The Project Scope
Prost Builders recently completed construction of a new warehouse addition and office renovation at CoMo Electric’s Sunrise Beach facility. The project expanded the industrial building from its original footprint to 33,400 total square feet.
The expansion wasn’t just about adding space. It included:
- 22,000-square-foot warehouse addition for trucks, equipment, and materials
- Complete office relocation to the front of the building
- New break room and conference room
- Updated bathrooms and individual offices
- Storage space and safe room
- New parking lot and security fencing
- Architectural updates creating a unified, modern appearance
The Challenge of Occupied Facility Construction
Building an addition to an operating facility creates constraints that new construction doesn’t have.
- Access and logistics become complicated. CoMo Electric trucks needed to enter and exit the facility daily. Construction equipment, material deliveries, and contractor vehicles all had to work around ongoing operations.
- Dust and disruption must be managed. Office workers can’t function effectively with constant construction noise and debris. Sequencing work to minimize impact on employees requires careful planning.
- Utilities can’t be interrupted. An electric cooperative can’t lose power or communication systems during business hours. Utility tie-ins and system upgrades had to happen during carefully planned windows.
- Safety protocols multiply. When construction crews and facility employees share the same property, site safety becomes more complex. Clear separation, signage, and communication are essential.
The Design Integration Challenge
One of the project’s most visible requirements was making the new addition look like it belonged with the existing building.
The facility now presents a unified appearance with a single roofline that blends new construction with the original structure. Relocating offices to the front of the building created better visibility and natural light for employees while giving the entire facility a contemporary look.
This kind of architectural integration requires coordination between the design team and construction crews from the beginning. You can’t just attach a metal building to an existing structure and call it done.
Why This Project Type Requires Experience
Industrial facility expansions demand different expertise than ground-up construction.
- Understanding operational needs. CoMo Electric needed specific bay configurations, door placements, and storage layouts based on how utility trucks and equipment actually work. Generic warehouse design doesn’t account for these requirements.
- Phasing work around operations. Construction schedules had to accommodate the facility’s daily operations and seasonal demands. Some work could only happen during specific windows.
- Coordinating with existing systems. Tying new construction into existing electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems while maintaining service requires both technical knowledge and careful execution.
- Managing a compact site. The property’s limited size meant material staging, equipment access, and construction activities all had to be carefully orchestrated to avoid disrupting operations.
Project Leadership
Project Manager Jason Bias and Superintendent Jeremy Schulte led the Prost team through the expansion. Their experience with industrial and utility projects helped navigate the challenges of building while operations continued.
This same team has delivered multiple complex projects together, including the Olen Howard Workforce Innovation Center in Sedalia — another project requiring specialized industrial construction expertise.
Serving Central Missouri’s Infrastructure
CoMo Electric was founded in 1939 to provide the Lake of the Ozarks area with electric distribution. Today, the cooperative serves nearly 2,300 square miles across Central Missouri.
The expanded Sunrise Beach facility gives them the operational capacity needed to serve growing demand in the region — more space for utility trucks, better storage for equipment and materials, and improved working conditions for employees who maintain the electric infrastructure that powers homes and businesses throughout the area.
What This Means for Industrial Projects
If you’re planning an industrial facility expansion, renovation, or new construction, several factors matter more than most people realize:
- Does your contractor understand your operations? Generic construction experience doesn’t translate well to industrial facilities with specific operational requirements.
- Can they build while you operate? Adding to an existing facility while maintaining operations requires different planning and execution than new construction.
- Do they have experience with similar building types? Warehouses, distribution facilities, and utility operations buildings have requirements that office or retail contractors may not understand.
- Can they handle the technical coordination? Integrating new construction with existing mechanical, electrical, and structural systems requires both engineering knowledge and field experience.
The Bottom Line
Industrial expansions look straightforward on paper — add square footage, upgrade systems, maintain operations. In practice, they require contractors who understand both the construction side and the operational requirements side.
The 22,000-square-foot addition at CoMo Electric’s Sunrise Beach facility now gives them the capacity to serve their growing service area effectively. The project was completed on schedule, within budget, and without disrupting daily operations.
That’s what happens when your contractor has experience with industrial facilities and understands what it takes to build while operations continue.
Planning an industrial facility expansion or renovation? Contact us to discuss how we approach occupied facility construction and industrial building projects.