Newsletters
Fall 2020 Newsletter
Featured Article:
Got Milk? Robotic Dairy and Visitor Center Comes to Fair Oaks, IN
When you reach for that carton of milk in your refrigerator, do you know where it comes from? The Hamstra Group recently completed a state-of-the-art robotic dairy and visitor center in Fair Oaks, Indiana. This 116,000-squarefoot facility houses Fair Oaks Farms’ entire robotic milking line, which is visible to those in the attached 6,000-square-foot visitor center. This bio-secure center, sponsored by De Laval, gives visitors full visual access to the cows’ routines, whether they’re in the robots or roaming in the relaxation and feed lane.
The farm has twelve V300 De Laval robotic milkers, the most advanced iteration, allowing up to 75 cows to be milked per robot. Fair Oaks’ unique cow management system allows for the cows to choose when to be milked—or when to simply relax and eat. The facility features roof coverings from WeCover that provide ample natural light throughout. The ventilation system is also very specific for this dairy farm.
Through extensive analytics, Fair Oaks is able to provide the best living environment for the cows, all while studying feeding patterns, milk quality, and production. What the farm has found is their dairy cows are peaking higher in their milk production cycle by 5-7% and they’re also experiencing a 33% reduction in farm labor…
Winter 2020 Newsletter
Featured Article:
Hamstra’s In-House Design Team Helps Our Clients Save Time And Money
Hamstra’s in-house design staff has a diverse construction and design background that allow us to better meet the needs of our clients. By primarily utilizing the designbuild method of construction, The Hamstra Group helps our clients save time and money on their construction projects, no matter their size or complexity. Three members of our design team are integral in providing our clients with the best customer service and end results.
Scott Hazlett, ALA, a project architect at Hamstra, has been a licensed architect since 1997, and holds licenses in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio. In 2015, Scott began serving as the Vice President of the Indiana Chapter of the Association of Licensed Architects (ALA). He started his career as a draftsman in 1993 and worked with various architectural firms throughout Northwest Indiana before joining the Hamstra team. His
extensive background in all aspects of building design include site design, structural system layouts, and building utility systems (plumbing, mechanical, and electrical).
Design Coordinator Rick Eenigenburg joined The Hamstra Group more than 30 years ago as a draftsman after graduating from Purdue University. He specializes in retail design and agricultural facilities. Rick is also well-versed in site septic systems, especially for locations that are unable to access public waste systems.
Betty Lamp, Hamstra’s architectural designer and illustrator, joined our team as a draftsman 15 years ago. She specializes in retail design and religious facilities. Betty also has an extensive background in interior design and finishes…
Fall 2019 Newsletter
Featured Article:
Integrated Planning And Delivery For New VA Outpatient Clinic
When you’ve been in business for more than 50 years as The Hamstra Group has, you have the opportunity to learn a thing or two from the work you have performed in the past. That’s how our design-build team feels about the recently-completed Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) in Chico, California.
The new CBOC replaced the VA Northern California Health Care System’s older center at 280 Cohasset Road, which included three less-efficient buildings. The $43 million facility, located in Meriam Park, is twice the size of the former facility and provides active duty service members, veterans and their families in the Chico area with a more efficient, integrated system of patient care.
Apart from all of the services being housed under one roof, efficiencies are achieved through the implementation of the VA’s PACT, or Patient Aligned Care Team—a new space module design program. The PACT represents a significant change in the VA’s approach to care for our nation’s veterans…
Summer 2019 Newsletter
Featured Article:
New Primary Care Facility for Wheatfield's Porter Physician Group
The Hamstra Group team has completed extensive renovations for Porter Physician Group’s new primary care office at School Crossing Marketplace at 3988 West SR 10 in Wheatfield, Indiana. With more than 65 dedicated providers specializing in family medicine, internal medicine, urology, general surgery, pulmonary-critical care medicine, hematology-oncology, otolaryngology and cardiovascular medicine, Porter Physician Group’s goal is to meet the needs of patients throughout its six-county service area.
The design-build project included completely gutting the interior of the building and demolishing a large portion of the exterior. The building had previously been utilized as a restaurant and a funeral home and was, at one point, divided into a multi-tenant shopping center.
Converting an aging segmented building into a modern medical facility was especially challenging. The Hamstra team began by completing new framing and finishes both inside and outside of the structure. New electrical, plumbing and HVAC were also installed. The facility includes a spacious lobby and reception area, 11 exam rooms, a large medical lab, two offices for staff members, two nursing stations, and a break room. The medical office also includes a large x-ray room, which required the installation of leadlined drywall and a leaded glass viewing window…
Spring 2019 Newsletter
Featured Article:
New Chrysler Dealership for Fieldhouse Motors
Hamstra Group, Inc. recently completed a new Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealership for Fieldhouse Ford, a mainstay in the DeMotte area for more than 50 years. Owner Ron Fieldhouse approached our team to construct the 17,000-square-foot showroom and service facility. Our team also partnered with Ron in 1987 to construct his original Ford dealership building, returning in 2016 to modernize that facility.
“[Chrysler] contacted us to see if we were interested. We just had an opportunity,” said Jay Fieldhouse, who described the existence of a “hole in the map” since the closest Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealerships are in Cedar Lake and Highland. “It’s unusual for us as a Ford dealership. It’s a big move for us to take on. It was a big decision.” Now, Fieldhouse can provide local buyers more choices when it comes to purchasing a new vehicle.
The project presented its fair share of challenges. Located at 1420 South Halleck Street in DeMotte, Indiana, the dealership sits on a busy commercial thoroughfare. Managing material deliveries
and construction, all while ensuring the safety and comfort of Fieldhouse Motors customers was of utmost importance…
Winter 2019 Newsletter
Featured Article:
New KFC Design is Eye-Poppin' Good
Hamstra at Helm for Nine New Remodels
At today’s fast food restaurants, not only does the food come fast, but continuous improvement efforts also elicit frequent store design changes.
The Hamstra Group has a ringside seat for KFC’s latest remodel. Our company was hired to handle the remodel of nine KFC stores in northwest Indiana for Crown Point-based TR Foods, Inc. Restaurants in Demotte, Griffith, Hessville, and Schererville have been completed. After the holidays, stores in Crown Point, Hammond, Lowell, Merrillville, and Munster will get an interior makeover, with exterior work slated for spring.
The interior and exterior remodel is part of a full brand overhaul that includes everything from advertising to store design. It’s a cost-effective retrofit program that refreshes the brand environment, creating a bold and modern design that appeals to today’s customers while paying homage to the legacy of Colonel Sanders, the restaurant’s founder…
Fall 2018 Newsletter
Featured Article:
Hamstra Finishes $2 Million Frankfort Airport Project
Final work is underway at the Frankfort Municipal Airport, three miles west of Frankfort in Clinton County, Indiana. The Hamstra Group was part of the team for a $2 million building and renovation project designed to improve air transportation facilities for local businesses and the surrounding community.
Hamstra project manager Curt Albertson and staff worked with the architects and owners on value engineering, and completing the project in phases as the airport received funds to complete each phase of the work. In 2017, the shell of the building, the majority of the exterior work, and the hangar area were finished. The main terminal building is expected to be finished and ready for occupancy in the fall.
The terminal building is a preengineered CECO steel building with 3-inch insulated sandwich wall panels, a standing seam roof, and large aluminum storefront windows for viewing the runways. The hangar, a 12,000 square foot structure with a 29-foot-high by 110-footwide hangar door, features an epoxy floor in the hangar area, a two-story office area, and modern tile carpet finishes…
Summer 2018 Newsletter
Featured Article:
Creating Space for a New Vision
In 2015, the Grand Rapids, Michigan headquarters of Reformed Church in America [RCA] adopted a new 15 year “Leadership Communities” strategic vision. While that vision—about new ways
to serve churches—would entail change, what would also be required was additional space.
The leaders at RCA knew and respected Wilbert Hamstra, founder and CEO emeritus of The Hamstra Group, and invited the company’s assistance. “Wilb has been a friend for many years,
and is someone I trust and respect,” said Paul Boice, CEO of RCA. “He is also a faithful member of the RCA. We asked The Hamstra Group to make a proposal and we liked what the design team presented.”
“Greg Hamstra [current president and CEO], like Wilb, walked through this project with us, and used the impressive Hamstra Group talents to build an exceptional Ministry Center that will bless
so many within the Reformed Church and the community,” added RCA Director of Development Ken Neevel….