Coordination Saves Time on Al-Corn Expansion Project

Just out the city of Claremont, Minnesota, surrounded by fields of growing crops, sits Al-Corn Clean Fuel, an ethanol production facility that grinds almost 44 million bushels of corn each year. To expand production and set up for future success, onsite construction has begun on three new buildings:

1. Centrifuge Building: an addition to where co-products are separated out during the ethanol making process.

2. The Master Control Center: also known as the MCC, this is the system that keeps the entire operation in sync.

3. Dryer D Yard: where Dried Distiller Grains (DDGs) dry, which are created during ethanol production and are valuable nutrients used in cow feed.

Our job? Stabilize the soil on-site and dig the foundations for the new buildings. But as work began, we became aware that to move the whole project forward, our efforts needed to extend beyond the scope of our contract.

Traditionally, contracted trades work independently from each other on jobsites. At times, this can cause friction between crews as they try to complete their work within the same physical space with little to no communication between them. This can lead to lost time and higher costs as one crew might block access to or complete work that another crew then needs to undo or redo.

Had we followed this method, after stabilizing the soil, we would have backfilled the areas we dug out to bring them up to the same grade as the surrounding terrain. But we knew that electricians had a major project on their hands. Ethanol plants require a massive amount of electrical infrastructure to power equipment, automated controls, and safety systems. And because parts of the ethanol production process are handled in separate buildings, a sprawling network of wiring is required to be installed across the entire project area.

Had we completed our work without coordination, electricians would have had to re-dig the same dirt we had filled to lay down conduits and then backfill those areas again.

"We saw an opportunity to work together," says DMI Superintendent Josh Halvorson. "We coordinated with the electrical contractor to see how we could help."

Rather than filling in the areas we dug out, we filled in only a little bit, allowing them to lay conduits without additional digging. Once they completed their work, we came back in and finished filling in the area, covering the conduits.

"We would have completed our work in one day had we not gone this route," says Halvorson. "But at DMI, we believe that a little more effort on our end can produce better results. And you know what? Our coordination shaved off at least one week of the total project timeline."

Quality work is about more than doing a good job - it's about doing a smart job - and this is what sets DMI apart. When everyone works together, the whole project benefits.