McClier to Design and Build Barilla Pasta Facility in Iowa

McClier, an international consulting, architecture, engineering and construction firm, has been named by Barilla to design and build a $137-million, 400,000 square foot integrated mill in Ames, Iowa. The pasta production and distribution facility, which will provide more than 200 million pounds of product each year, will rank as one of the largest pasta facilities in the country, and strengthen Barilla's competitive position in the U.S. marketplace.

McClier's food group, specialists in the design and construction of food facilities, was selected for the project because Barilla's primary objective is to have the structure fully operational as quickly as possible. "The speed factor is one reason why we selected McClier," said Barry Batelho, chief financial officer of Barilla America, Inc. "They have the proven capability to deliver the facility under the extremely tight schedule we need to meet our sales volume projections."

Because McClier is a single-source design build firm, the new facility can be "fast tracked," which means that certain phases of construction can begin before all of the architecture/engineering design packages in total are completed.

Groundbreaking on the new facility took place on Sept. 12, and the facility is planned to be enclosed by the end of the year before the harsh Midwestern winter. McClier and Barilla anticipate that the facility will be in production by June of 1998—an unprecedented nine-month schedule for a structure this large and complex.

"We are pleased to begin this work with Barilla," said David Dixon, vice president of McClier's food group. "The design for the integrated facility is based on European models for openness, employee amenities, and the extensive use of natural light to create a positive work environment."

The project includes a durum wheat mill to make semolina, the flour used for pasta. The facility is constructed with pre-cast concrete structures and walls to provide a very sanitary and "cleanable" design. Special architectural features are provided at office and entry areas. The processing equipment in the mill and production area will incorporate significant innovations to ensure the highest quality and to maintain precise product consistency.

"The distinctive design goes beyond that of conventional industrial facilities to meet Barilla's corporate identity requirements within the context of economy and appropriate food facility design practices," explained Andrew Tobisch, McClier's design leader.

A new Barilla pasta plant currently under construction at Foggia in southeast Italy will be a carbon copy of the Ames factory.

For more information: McClier, Chicago, IL. Tel: 312-836-7700; Fax: 312-836-7710.