GroundFORCE® Building Systems Builds & Delivers...

PRLog (Press Release) – Apr 29, 2008 – Navasota, TX – A new Quix ® Convenience Store just celebrated an early grand opening in Temple, Texas thanks to GroundFORCE® Building Systems’ patented construction process. The 2000 square foot store was totally built in GroundFORCE’s 250,000 square foot state-of-the-art production facility, located in Navasota, Texas, then delivered and set on the site in a fraction of the time usually experienced with traditional site-built construction while avoiding costly weather delays in the process.

“The speed of construction was impressive - much faster and more efficient than building the store using site-built construction,” said Roy Strasburger, President of the International Division of Strasburger Enterprises, Inc. Strasburger Enterprises is a well known and respected global convenience store operations and consulting company based in Temple, Texas. “It was very easy to work with the design team. All of the design elements were to our specifications and the quality of follow through was very thorough. Any issues that needed to be resolved were dealt with quickly. We were able to open this store for business and start generating revenue much faster using this new construction method,” continued Strasburger.

The building was completely built in-factory and combines four individual sections to create the total building footprint. “We used structural steel framework, metal stud walls, 16 gauge metal roof joists with wood deck and 3" ISO (rigid foam insulation board) on the roof with 60 mil thickness reinforced TPO (thermoplastic polyolefin) membrane roofing in the construction of this building,” said Kenneth Neatherlin, President/CEO of GroundFORCE Building Systems. The building is topped with a white TPO membrane roof for reflectivity and energy efficiency (this material reflects 78% of the sun's rays to reduce air-conditioning costs). “As with all GroundFORCE built structures, this convenience store started with a solid concrete foundation. A part of the GroundFORCE difference is that we pre-cast an engineered, tensioned concrete slab (6,000 psi strength) for each component. After the slabs are cured we build a building on top, then we deliver each component to the site using our patented transport system. When all the individual components or building sections arrive at the site they are positioned over and lowered onto drilled concrete piers without the use of expensive cranes. If you visit the store you would never know that it was not site-built and when you walk inside you feel the solid concrete foundation,” continued Neatherlin.

This store’s interior build-out was handled by the team at Christians Development Company, Inc. and included ceramic tile floors and walls in public restrooms, wood laminate flooring in the sales area, and a complete plastic laminate millwork package for counters and the drink station. “We are a commercial design/build general contractor/developer with 30 years experience and have built everything from Industrial parks to multi-story office buildings and several retail buildings some as large as 100,000 plus square feet,” says Michael S. Benestante, President of Christians Development Company, Inc. “We know a first class product when we see one and wanted to be a part of this new way to build. We’ve put together many high end restaurants like Fleming’s, P F Chang's and Carrabba's and we truly believe in this new construction process and plan to be a part of its growth,” concluded Benesante. FRP wall covering is used in all the prep areas, and a complete interior store fixture package including a walk-in beer cave, fountain drink and coffee dispensers and other customer specific equipment in place. The interior finish-out and equipment can be fully installed in the factory or once the building arrives on site; it is totally up to the customer’s preference.

“With Mike’s team of experienced veterans joining us, it gives GroundFORCE the ability to not only build the structure using this new process but it also gives us the know-how to take any site from raw land to a finished product,” said Neatherlin.

The GroundFORCE® Building System offers a cadre of other tangible added values. In addition to the obvious advantages of time and cost savings due to high quality control standards and shortened build time, there are many hidden advantages, like a huge tax advantage. The Internal Revenue Service considers GroundFORCE® buildings “built to be moved” therefore they can be depreciated in seven years instead of the longer terms for site-built structures.

GroundFORCE® Building Systems is the brainchild of Kenneth Neatherlin. This new construction technology uses premium materials and a highly skilled assembly crew in a step-by-step quality controlled process. Each building is constructed with the craftsmanship learned in a successful site-built home building business to perfect the GroundFORCE® Building Systems concept – the first movable concrete slab building that is built off-site then delivered to the site and set in place. The result is a finished building built on a concrete foundation that virtually eliminates any structural cracks caused by shifting soils.

“My family has been moving houses and buildings for three generations in south Texas. As a teenager I spent many hours crawling under buildings figuring out how to move concrete slabs. In fact, my grandfather picked up and moved the first concrete slab building in the 40’s. Ironically, my dad moved a convenience store in the 70’s in Houston, Texas that is still operating today,” says Neatherlin. “I wanted to some day develop a system that could combine the best of modular and site-built construction without the disadvantages of either. We have that with this building system,” concluded Neatherlin.

GroundFORCE® Building Systems plans to expand its efforts in the convenience store category as well as several other selective categories. This building solution has been used recently to build school classrooms, branch banks, medical facilities, fast food restaurants, and many other types of structures. Other information is available by visiting http://www.groundforcesystems.com.