Success on the multi-level project was a direct result of McKenney’s actively working to understand and plan with the customer’s needs in mind.

1. In only a few years, this flooring company
has become the largest residential sheet
vinyl provider in Europe, manufacturing
high quality flexible vinyl flooring. When
the company expanded its operations to
expansions effectively. As a result, the
system includes more than three miles
of piping—ranging from 3 inches to
30 inches in diameter—to heat and
cool the entire facility.
With multiple
­mechanical packages
and scopes of work
being performed
concurrently, the project
required McKenney’s
to work in concert with
three other mechanical
contractors. Communi-
cation and teamwork
was also critical among
the several organiza-
tions from multiple
countries working on
the plant construction.
For example, the
­McKenney’s project
team realized that the
design for the structure
in the central plant
didn’t account for up to
400,000 pounds of piping and water. They
contacted the general contractor and onsite
project manager immediately. Fortunately, it
was discovered before pipes were installed.
The McKenney’s team also leveraged its
prefabrication and shop drawing skills to
ensure the project was completed quickly, in
only about eight months. Just as important,
the 30-person team completed the work
without a single recordable safety incident.
Manufacturing Facility
Hits the Floor Running
P r o j e c t H i g h l i g h t s
Project Team
žž Engineer: Shepherd,
Harvey & Associates
žž Architects:
Ruark & Wyatt Architects
žž Owner: Vinyl Flooring Company
žž General Contractor:
The Conlan Company
The Challenge
žž Install massive HVAC system
on large, sprawling site
žž Accommodate additional process
piping scope quickly
žž Work with unusual piping
systems and materials
žž Address multiple projects, with
multiple multinational contractors
The Solution
žž Significant pre-planning effort
žž Assess design before work
is implemented
žž Prefabricate piping
žž Open communication with
managers and contractors
The Results
žž Projects completed
on time, on budget, with
no safety incidents
žž Highly efficient systems,
capable of future expansionscontinued on reverse
For more information contact McKenney’s at 404-622-5000.
info@mckenneys.com  www.mckenneys.com
the U.S., it wanted the manufacturing facility
to capture the innovative and progressive
spirit that sparked its rapid, steady growth.
Crews began to build the 468,000-square-
foot facility in Dalton, GA, late in 2009.
McKenney’s was selected to install the HVAC
system, including a massive chilled water
plant. Even though only 3,400 tons are used
currently, McKenney’s built a 5,100-ton-
capacity central plant to manage future
Photo provided by IVC US

2. P r o j e c t hi g h l i g h t s
A new project
in the mix
The results were even more remarkable
considering McKenney’s completed an
additional piping project—outside the
original scope of work—on time as well.
Impressed with the installation on the base
scope of work, the vinyl flooring company
asked McKenney’s to install a process piping
package that included a pneumatic conveying
system, a liquid additives system, a raw prod-
uct system and a compressed air system.
McKenney’s worked on the two construction
jobs simul­taneously. The team installed each
of the four process piping ­systems—as well
as 415 points of connection to pneumatics-
driven devices—to transport materials using
forced air. The process piping package
required about 20 additional people working
at full capacity for about 12 weeks.
The pneumatic conveying system is used
to carry raw powdered material from trucks
or from a bag unloading station to the site’s
massive 80-foot-tall silos and from the silos
to the top of the mixing towers. The system
included about 6,500 feet of stainless steel
tubing and unique ceramic-backed fittings.
The vinyl flooring company also requested an
efficient method for transferring liquid addi-
tives to the mixing towers and raw product to
the manufacturing floor. To accomplish this,
McKenney’s installed more than 2,200 feet
of stainless steel piping with welded joints
capable of withstanding high pressure to trans-
port liquid additives to the top of the mixing
towers. McKenney’s also installed more than
2,000 feet of carbon steel piping to transport
raw product from the mixing towers to the
manufacturing floor. To complete the process,
McKenney’s installed a compressed air sys-
tem that was piped to 415 control valves,
diverters, pinch valves and other end devices.
McKenney’s was also tasked with parceling
about 150 huge crates—filled with valves,
pumps, components and other equipment.
The team sorted through the equipment,
organized components and installed them
accordingly throughout the new facility.
Managing two diverse projects simultane-
ously, while working with a multinational
team of engineers and project managers,
was a daunting task. Through persistence,
acute problem-solving and effective commu-
nication, both projects were completed on
budget and in a timely fashion—earning
McKenney’s another long-term customer.
McKenney’s, Inc.  1056 Moreland Industrial Boulevard, Atlanta, Georgia 30316 Copyright © 2013 McKenney’s, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
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Photos provided by IVC US