A city known for its beaches, recreational parks, and warm climate, the city of San Diego enjoys the bright sunny weather with various outdoor activities. Alongside this is a busy downtown area filled with corporate offices, retail stores, shopping centers, and complexes. Commercial and industrial companies are situated across the city, each having its own purpose. Many would consider this detrimental to the everyday life of a San Diego resident with the amount of carbon emissions and other chemicals these companies may produce. With the numerous beaches in the city, these corporations may drastically affect these areas, ultimately affecting the coastal scene and marine life of San Diego.
That is why when considering an industrial contractor, it is important to consider sustainable methods to mitigate this concern. The best industrial contractors in San Diego do just that, incorporating green practices to reduce any side effects while including modern building techniques. The editors curated this list of the top eleven industrial contractors, looking into the company’s experience, approach, designs, and portfolio.
Pacific Building Group
9752 Aspen Creek Ct. Suite 150, San Diego, CA 92126C
Under the leadership of Gregory Rogers, Jim Roherty, and Lisa Hitt, the company has accumulated a portfolio showcasing a diverse range of projects. Established in 1984, the company continues to be a top firm in California with the well-experienced team Rogers has assembled. Through the decades, the firm has fostered numerous relationships with various clients and vendors, aiding the team in providing its clientele with the best results possible. The intricate process allows consistency in each project, resulting in its reputable portfolio.
Featured here is the Chula Vista Commerce Center featuring numerous retail, office, and warehouse spaces. The ground-up construction features a straightforward approach providing the necessities for a functional facility with ample space, a sturdy structural build, and quality materials. With the property’s large size, the Pacific Building team was able to efficiently and effectively utilize the space, promoting a healthy work environment with comfortable spaces for patrons.
TSA Construction
11440 West Bernardo Court Suite 166, San Diego, CA 92127
TSA Construction’s primary goal is to take each detail into account, meticulously analyzing the best solutions possible that best fit the project. The amount of repeat clients and referrals the company has received further establishes the firm’s position as one of the top firms in California. A key component of the firm’s approach emphasizes a clear, transparent communication with the client to ensure accuracy in each phase of the project. This is also to ensure that the best course of action and service is available to offer the clientele a quality finish.
Pictured above is the Showley Brothers Candy Factory located next to San Diego’s PETCO Park. The project features a classic facade using traditional materials such as bricks to create a vintage appeal from the outside. Inside, it features ample office spaces throughout the three floors the building has, offering employees the right amount of workspace. The City of San Diego Historical Resources Board and the Save Our Heritage Organization recognized this project. They would also receive the Structural Engineers Association of San Diego Merit Award for excellence in structural design.
Burger Construction
4920 Carroll Canyon Rd. Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92121
This feature project is the ATA Engineering project with a size of 50,000 square feet. The ATA Engineering supplies the U.S. Government with innovative tests and analysis methods for aerospace and defensive structures. With these kinds of projects, Burger Construction understood the need to protect vital information, especially with the government involved with ATA. A step the team took was to build the project in a secure environment to ensure no data was leaked or compromised. The Burger team included a prototype lab, two server rooms, a machine shop, equipment test labs, and various office and conference rooms. A notable aspect of the project was replacing all mechanical and DDC controls, keeping its features up-to-date.
These kinds of projects are possible with the experience Burger Construction has, resulting in long-lasting relationships and numerous client connections. Modern solutions and building methods are the foundation of the company’s projects, resulting in a diverse portfolio showcasing the company’s well-experienced team.
Hamann Construction
1000 Pioneer Way, El Cajon, CA 92020
Featured in this article is the Pinnacle Industrial Supply in San Diego, providing clients with pipes, valves, fittings, and metals. The property acquired by Pinnacle is 3.5 acres which allowed Hamann Construction to efficiently and effectively build on the site. The firm included a 32,213 tilt-up concrete building along with a 2,829 square foot second-floor area to take advantage of the remaining space the land can accommodate, which acts as Pinnacle’s outside storage space. Some architectural features included curtain wall glass, shade canopies, and exposed concrete portions. Other details include natural lighting through the skylights and the installation of a 69 KW roof-mounted photovoltaic solar array.
These are the projects the Hamann team is known for since its establishment in 1954. Its focus on tilt-up Commercial/Industrial construction has resulted in an extensive portfolio that displays the firm’s knowledge on these types of projects. Today, it incorporates modern techniques and methods but still retains some traditional aspects that will best complement the project. This approach applies to all its projects ranging from 5,000 square feet to over 250,000 square feet.
Pacific Rim Mechanical
7655 Convoy Ct., San Diego, CA 92111
Founders Jim Broyles, Terry Broyles, and Ted Keenan established the firm in 1987 and have since hired well-versed managers and have brought in numerous partnerships to form today’s current group. An emphasis on quality and value is the cornerstone of the firm’s process, offering its clientele the best quality possible with a strong structural foundation. Through the years, Pacific Rim Mechanical has garnered affiliations with various organizations, including the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), San Diego Building Engineers Association (SDBEA), and the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP).
The Illumina B6 project above is a 275,000 square feet ground-up campus manufacturing/lab/office building. This project’s scope includes HVAC, plumbing, and process piping, which has a 50,000 square feet manufacturing space. An addition the company included is the addition of 1,600 tons of capacity to the existing central plant. Pacific Rim Mechanical completed this project in 2016 with a price of 24 million dollars.
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.
9275 Sky Park Court Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92123
One of the oldest firms on the list, McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., has a deep understanding of various services that each client may need for their project. Its century’s worth of experience has equipped the team with a vast knowledge of numerous styles, design methods, material selection, and building techniques. Today, it incorporates new strategies to further improve its project’s quality and maintain a deep relationship with the community. Despite its numerous industrial projects, the team aims to include sustainable features in each project. An understanding of environmental concerns has allowed the firm to think outside the box on how to mitigate any ecological damage that may occur with these projects and has since received recognition for its efforts. McCarthy has a long, proud history of construction accomplishments in San Diego. They are prominent in the Life Sciences, Healthcare, Parking, Education, and Commercial sectors as well as specialty services and the renewable energy market.
Above is the BP Gas — Oil Hydrotreater project. This project was part of a $320 million heavy crude refinery modernization project for the BP petrochemical refinery. The hydrotreater removes any sulfur from fuel, making it much cleaner. Structural steel, precision alignment, millwright equipment setting, and electrical features are some of the significant components of the project. Upon the project’s completion, the firm received the National Maintenance Agreements Policy Committee (NMAPC) Zero Injury Safety Award.
Balfour Beatty US
10620 Treena St. #300, San Diego, CA 92131
Featured here is the Food Lion Warehouse Expansion with a renovation of over 10,000 square feet of space while working inside a distribution center for convenience and the comfort of the employees. Balfour Beatty included an additional 5,000 square foot break room and a small kitchen area acting as a leisure space for employees. This left enough space for a 30-foot high inventory rack to store items and other supplies. A second renovation is the 5,000 square foot warehouse, transforming it into a men’s and women’s locker room with storage rooms, a workout facility, a wellness room, and a time clock sign-in room.
The result is a functional, efficient facility, promoting a positive work atmosphere. The Balfour Beatty team is a leading industrial contractor with up-to-date building methods and techniques. An approach leaning towards innovation allows the company to evolve its process that results in a wide variety of techniques that further enhances the finishes of its projects. With this, a collaborative and transparent communication between the firm and client results in consistent, accurate projects unique for each client.
Sundt Construction
1660 Hotel Circle North Suite 400, San Diego, CA 92108
Sundt Construction has been in the industry for over a century and has since been able to adapt and evolve its process to fit the newer styles of construction. The team’s experience in numerous markets has allowed them to gain the sufficient experience needed to tackle various projects, incorporating contemporary techniques, modern solutions, and construction plans to further accentuate the quality of its projects. As one of the older firms on the list, Sundt Construction continues to be a well-known company in San Diego with its proven track record of accomplishments and array of projects it has completed.
The project above is the OBRF MGD Industrial wastewater treatment facility. It manufactures rejected processed water. Planning projections and preliminary designs were vital to meet the short-term goals of the project and, at the same time, provide flexibility to accommodate future changes. Sundt Construction was able to fast-track the project with detailed designs and short-term operations to meet the client’s needs. The result of this process is a facility that is capable of maximizing water recovery and reducing the overall brine flow and volume of potable water use at the facility. It instead uses recycled water that is readily available upon cooling.
Suffolk Construction Company
1615 Murray Canyon Rd. Suite 1000, San Diego, CA 92108
Currently, chairman John Fish oversees the construction of the firm’s projects to ensure a proper quality check of each project’s progression. Being ambitious and bold in its approach allows the firm to take alternate routes to provide quality finishes to the project it tackles. It has accumulated a reputation for being conventional in its work, driving meaningful and positive progress in each phase of building. The team’s distinct and diverse skill set continues to establish Suffolk as a top contractor in the area.
Pictured here is the Martignetti Corporate Headquarters and Distribution Center, featuring a size of 650,000 square feet with a warehouse and corporate headquarters. This HQ serves as the new distribution center for Martignetti Liquors, with the Suffolk team providing a solid foundation for its structural shape. The use of a concrete slab system allowed the firm to reduce the overall thickness of the concrete slab, saving up to six hundred thousand dollars. The second feature of this project was the inclusion of a hydrogen generation system and over 250,000 square feet of solar panels, reinforcing a sustainable project.
Performance Contracting Group
4863 Shawline Dr. Unit A, San Diego, CA 92111
The feature project is the Valero Ardmore Refinery, initially constructed in 1913 and has since undergone numerous updates and expansions. The Performance Contracting Group included significant upgrades in its scaffolding, mechanical insulation, and industrial painting. Currently, the facility is a 90 barrel-per-day facility and continues to provide for the area of Dallas. The Performance Contracting Group continues its exemplary service in the commercial and industrial markets with over 40 offices nationwide. Around 6,300 workers bring a level of expertise in each project, contributing new ideas, alternate solutions, and modern building techniques.
This results in its portfolio that showcases the specific needs of each client, with the company meticulously working on various details that contribute to the finished product. With the numerous services it offers, the company has gained a reputation as a proper “single-source” contractor that is capable of handling a wide range of projects.
