JOHN I. HAAS
Project Description
Client: John I. Haas
Location: Yakima, Washington
Project Size: 11,250 SF New Processing Building | 7,624 SF Renovations to Existing Building
Facility Type: Hop Processing Facility
PROJECT FAST FACTS
- New facility can process both in bulk production as well as a palletized system
- 1,250 SF Process support, electrical, maintenance shop in renovated building
- 1,900 SF Office renovation
- 4,474 SF Receiving area renovation
- Equipment was designed in a fixed footprint facility
- Generated new P&IDs and Process Flow Diagrams for their new equipment system
- Designed and installed new equipment to streamline their hop processing methods
- Central access stairs to the elevated platforms allows for
NEW PROCESS FACILITY TO INCREASED CAPACITY
maximizing space and product flow, and diversifying processes
While the overall beer industry has leveled off post pandemic, the craft sector is still experiencing growth in overall demand. To keep pace, Haas, North America’s leading hops supplier, expanded their dry milling and pelletizing operation, yet again. For the past 100 years or so, John I. Haas has had an obsession with growing and processing the finest quality hops for brewers around the world.
When the need for a renovation / upgrade project came about in 2015, Haas hired Fisher Construction Group as their valued partner after a chance meeting, over a beer no less. Six years later, and it was time for Haas to call on Fisher to help expand again.
For this project, Haas reduced overall costs by repurposing existing buildings, utilizing existing facility property decrease costs of new land by placing the building between existing infrastructure. With the new building footprint being boxed in on three sides, this created its own set of construction challenges, as well as the need for precise equipment installation. The tight building footprint being compared to building a ship inside a (beer) bottle.
Just as Fisher had on the first project, we teamed up with a design/build equipment designer and installer to both understand their existing system with process flow diagrams, present new ideas to streamline material flow, and develop precise installation plans for the equipment designed specifically for the small footprint facility. The result produced a working processing facility capable of increased capacity significantly higher than they have had in the past.
The process flow diagrams and equipment installations proven to increase production levels, were the turnkey solution for both projects that Haas was looking for in that first conversation over a beer in a bar.