SERIES: SOLUTION MAKERS
Published November 10, 2021
An Office Out of Thin Air
Western Pacific Storage Solutions Partners With JLS Enterprises to Exploit Underutilized Space
Contributed by: Western Pacific Storage Solutions
In a recent partnership with JLS Enterprises, Western Pacific Storage Solutions increased the cubic value of overall usable space for a manufacturer based in downtown Los Angeles by creating a clever platform addition — also known as a mezzanine — over an existing components assembly area.
JLS Enterprises, a company known for helping clients discover resourceful solutions to problematic material handling needs, recognized that WPSS had the experience and know-how to engineer all the components for a new platform to be utilized as office space.
If the same office space had been built by traditional methods on separate real estate, it could have cost the manufacturer a bare minimum of $75 per square foot, or $131,250 — nearly 3x as much as the final solution. And that cost doesn't take into consideration permits or land costs. Plus, the ability to maximize cubic feet in an existing structure is a more environmentally sensitive approach to growth.
“When we needed a platform constructed in areas where the day-to-day work of a business must continue 'as usual' during the construction phase, I knew that partnering with WPSS on the delivery of a new Industrial Structures platform was the way to go,” said Richard Silverman, President of JLS.
Additionally, the customer had purchased a platform from Western Pacific Storage Systems in 2006 and wanted to add more platform space adjacent to that existing platform.
The Work
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The customer wanted all columns from the existing platform to “line up” with the columns on the new platform.
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• This required a special column to base plate orientation, to avoid interference with existing obstructions.
The customer wanted the deck to be cantilevered at the north end.
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• This was done to match the existing “look” of the original platform.
The new platform was to “span” over the pallet racks running parallel to the platform allowing the existing storage rack footprint to remain intact.
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• This required only the upper third of the pallet racks to be shortened to provide the necessary clearance.
A sprinkler drop line along one side of the existing structure needed to be moved to allow the frame of the new platform to be installed alongside of the existing frame beam.
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• This was needed to avoid interference with the new structure.
To custom fit the space in 2006, the original platform and offices were not “square.”
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• Now, the older platform was trimmed off along the edge of the existing platform frame so that the new flooring could be installed “square.”
“Working with JLS on this project to develop the steps necessary to exploit the customer’s underutilized space, was a win-win for everyone and we were happy with the final outcome.”
In a largely developed metropolitan area like downtown Los Angeles, finding additional office space is difficult. The cost of building new additions is often astronomically prohibitive.
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In this case, the cost of the platform addition was $55K and added approximately 1,750 additional square feet. The platform addition included lighting, sprinkler system, all materials, and the engineering of the structure itself.
“Working with JLS on this project to develop the steps necessary to exploit the customer’s underutilized space, was a win-win for everyone and we were happy with the final outcome,” said Tom Rogers, CEO of Western Pacific Storage Solutions.
