Industrial Design-Build Construction and General Contractor
Carl A. Nelson & Company has decades of experience providing design-build and construction services for industrial clients in factory buildings and other facilities across the United States.
As an industrial contractor, our work has included construction, expansion or refitting of manufacturing plants, process and production plants, grain-handling, grain-processing and seed production facilities, livestock processing facilities, and food and pet food production and packaging plants. We also perform millwright services, and are licensed in 22 states to meet our clients' needs.
At CANCO, we know that when we undertake an industrial project, there are several factors that do not necessarily apply to any other area of construction. Many of these projects include extensive site coordination, use of heavy equipment, aggressive schedules without operation interruptions and unique regulatory and safety standards. We also provide on-site maintenance and training, and operations and maintenance support.
We have accepted extraordinary challenges from our clients and have implemented their ideas while adding a few of our own to deliver success time and time again. It is evident by the long term relationships we have had with clients such as Deere & Company, Monsanto, Royal Canin, and Pioneer to name a few.
Whether in the design-build, construction management at-risk or general contractor role, Carl A. Nelson & Company has a reputation for successfully scheduling and staging construction activity around current operations without production down time or loss of operations for our clients.
We self-perform much of the work we contract for each year on design-build, CM at-risk and general contract projects. At CANCO, we also are experienced in bridge crane erection and millwright services.
Discover the Top 5 Reasons to choose Design-Build project delivery for your future construction projects
• What is Design-Build? How does it work? Find out more here.
• Make sure you choose the right Design-Build contractor by asking these 5 questions.
Industrial Construction and Design-Build Projects Portfolio
CANCO is an industrial contractor, leading design-build projects and performing as a general contactor for manufacturing, grain, seed, food ingredient, livestock processing, pet food, canned food and other markets like warehousing and distribution. Our millwright projects include installation and relocation of equipment in industrial plants.
Explore our Project Portfolio on this page to see examples of the work we have done for Industrial clients.
Carl A. Nelson & Company's wibi newsletter highlights our work for industrial clients
Carl A. Nelson & Company publishes a quarterly newsletter, wibi, for industrial clients. In the pages of wibi, which is an acronym representing our "Would I Buy It" approach to quality assurance, we feature some of our projects, or address topics that influence construction cost and efficiency.
The Fall 2020 edition focused specifically on CANCO's approach to building and maintaining long-term relationships with our industrial clients. For the complete report, click the link to read the article, Build, Serve, Repeat, or click the cover image to the left to view the e-edition of the newsletter.
Here's an excerpt:
Longevity among CANCO’s project managers and superintendents, many of whom are employee-owners of the company, provides continuity on the part of the builder amid client leadership changes. Maintaining a relationship through change keeps that history intact.
Staying in touch with clients allows CANCO project leaders to learn if there are any challenges from a previous project or if something new has come up, which helps support ongoing relationships. It isn’t uncommon, (Carl A. Nelson & Company Director of Business Development Dan) Culp said, for owners to ask for specific office and field leadership on a project.
“We try to maintain that contact with them over time so that they realize that we’re there for them whenever they need us,” Culp said.
The mentality that comes from employee-ownership, Culp said, results in looking at projects as more than just one-time work, but as an opportunity for the future. That is seen in the “Would I Buy It?” quality assurance philosophy that gives this newsletter its name, and the entrepreneurial spirit encouraged among employees to seek out projects and build relationships.
It is shown, too, in the company’s core values of Fairness and Honesty, Quality Workmanship and Service Second to None.
“The proof is in the details and in the results of our projects,” said (Iowa Corn Processors Capitol Project Manager Michael) Regier. “There are numerous instances in which CANCO has been up front with information, reasonable with changes, and quick to respond. I have not had any complaints on these fronts.”
You can read the e-editions of previous issues of the wibi newsletter for industrial clients by clicking here.
Our industrial clients have had good things to say about us in the wibi newsletter
"There was never a need to watch over the work being done. I could be assured the work was always moving forward in a safe and diligent manner. Knowing that their people work safely with minimal supervision gives me a level of comfort that things are done the right way."
— Chris Sutton, engineer, Ajinomoto North America, Eddyville, Iowa
"With Carl A. Nelson & Company, we know what to expect in terms of service, capability and reliability."
— John Thorpe, former president of Grain Processing Corporation and Kent Corporation, Muscatine, Iowa
"We continue to utilize Carl A. Nelson & Company because of their customer service, responsiveness and attention to detail. We know that Carl A. Nelson & Company is a company we can trust to deliver a project in a professional, high quality and safe way, while actively communicating progress from beginning to end."
— Bryan Langerud, plant manager, Conagra Brands, Fort Madison, Iowa
Related Services and Additional Information
Industrial site projects frequently aren't limited to production facilities, but also may include office, warehouse and distribution space, process, quality control and R&D labs, power plants and related equipment and water treatment/wastewater treatment facilities. At Carl A. Nelson & Company, we are experienced in the construction of each of these facility types. If your project includes pre-engineered metal buildings, CANCO has the in-house capacity to design and construct facilities to meet your needs.
Nelson Design, Inc.
Meanwhile, your plans may require design services, which are available from Nelson Design, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Carl A. Nelson & Company. We offer code study, BIM coordination and full-service design from concept to completion.
Nelson Plant Services
After construction is complete, as well as in existing factories and other facilities, we also have the ability to help you keep your plant running with ongoing industrial maintenance and small-project construction from our Nelson Plant Services division.
Millwright services
Many of our industrial projects include millwright services, which include equipment setting, and relocation and expansion of production and packaging lines, installation of conveyance systems and more.
Project Portfolio
- Regional Distribution Center Addition
Hearth & Home Technologies, Mount Pleasant, Iowa - New Pet Food Production Plant, Corporate Office, QC Lab
Royal Canin Canada Company, Guelph, Ontario, Canada - Food Ingredient Production Facility
Confidential Client, Cedar Rapids, Iowa - Zein Extraction Process Plant
Big River Prairie Gold, LLC, Galva, Illinois - Ag Machinery Manufacturing Client Experience
Deere & Company, various locations in Iowa, Illinois - Pet Food Plant Extruder Addition
Royal Canin USA, Inc., Rolla, Missouri - Food Production Facility, Unloading Containment System
Pinnacle Foods/Conagra Brands, Fort Madison, Iowa - New Warehouse and Manufacturing Plant
Weyerhauser, Heaters, West Virginia