Cabot Location Wins Eagle Award

Posted on May 15, 2024 by Katie Meehan

VSC Fire & Security’s Cabot location is the proud recipient of the Associated Builders and Contractors 2024 Excellence in Construction Eagle Award for their work on WestRock Coffee Warehouse in Conway, Arkansas. The Eagle Award is the highest level of the Excellence in Construction awards. The Eagle Award is presented to companies that display innovative and high-quality construction projects. VSC’s efforts in workplace safety, diversity, equity, and inclusion were also considered for the award. This project was a brand-new storage warehouse that the team was tasked to provide their cutting edge fire safety installations.

The Westrock Warehouse is a 913,932 -square-foot storage warehouse that would house their distribution center. Westrock Coffee, is an Arkansas-based company that headquarters in Little Rock. They are a leading integrated coffee and tea provider that distributes to a variety of different retailers. The structure was constructed with concrete tilt up wall and bar joist construction.

The job consisted of fifteen fire sprinkler systems over 44,000 square feet and a fire pump to boost the water pressure needed for the systems. The warehouse was protected by fourteen wet systems and one dry nitrogen system. This project wasn’t complete without encountering obstacles. One significant obstacle was the timeline. This type of work on a space this large would normally be a 12–13 month installation. The Cabot Team completed it in six months. This was capable by the excellence in craftmanship and the strength of leadership. From negotiating the project to final approval test, this team executed the merit of the VSC legacy. 

Chris Gunter was the salesperson that negotiated the project. His role and responsibilities consisted of communicating with the general contractor to understand the scope of work and its relation to the price of products and services. He also worked closely with Michael Oakes, the lead designer and project manager on any changes to scope while he designed. 

As the designer, Michael Oakes created a total of fourteen drawing sheets for this project. He coordinated the performance of a water hydrant flow test before the initial start of the project. He worked with Chris as the project progressed, through any changes were made to accurately price new work. Michael also connected with the engineer, architect, and owner to discuss any questions or concern as the installation phase proceeded. 

The Sprinkler Manager on the team, Jeremy Rathbun’s role was to communicate with the General Superintendent of the project and collaborating with Joe Coley, the Sprinkler Foreman, to access the labor and project schedule. Jeremy and Joe were able to effectively problem solve due to their expertise and knowledge of the field. They made sure that the right people were on the job to get the job done. 

The Cabot teams work on projects like the Westrock Warehouse is a testament to our commitment to provide quality craftsmanship and exceptional customer service. VSC strives to provide superior service, attentiveness, and protection even amidst obstacles. 

We congratulate the Cabot Team for all their successes and accolades.

Contact us to learn more about our comprehensive asset protection, inspections and installations and see what VSC can do for your business.