My response was very simple: “People are reluctant to change is a result of their peer groups’ ability to change.” He looked at me with a blank stare. I went on to explain further.

When a company goes several years without changing, that is the expectation that every employee has. When a company is continually changing, then continual change becomes the norm. Their peer group around them all feels the same way when change has never happened at the company. In other companies such as Google®, Microsoft®, Apple® and thousands of others who change daily, weekly, monthly and annually, change is the expectation. Change is the way they do business.

Individually, people don’t change for one of three reasons. They can either be one or all three. I will break down the three reasons so you can better understand what’s holding your staff back from accepting change.

The first reason is fear. Fear has an ability to paralyze people to not make any changes, whether it is in their personal lives or their business lives. Fear of the unknown is always an issue. The way to overcome the fear of your staff is to communicate about it. Figure out where you are and where you want to be and talk through the changes that are going to happen. People will adapt if they understand what’s happening.

I once heard a story regarding Yogi Berra. He admitted to his family that he got lost while driving the back roads to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. He exclaimed, “We are lost but we’re making good time.” Rather than taking time to analyze a plan of where he was headed or ask questions along the way, he just got lost. He should have made corrections along the way. Some leaders like Yogi just keep going because they are doing just fine and figure they will get there somehow and someday.

Change the way you think and face change. You must begin fearing the status quo. Its been said that any company or department cannot be stagnant, they are heading either up or down. You need to stop and find out where you really are, and make a plan to get where you want to go. Communicate any course corrections along the way with your staff and make it an exciting adventure. Celebrate the milestones along the way with your staff which will provide your entire team a sense of achievement.

The second reason people resist change is what I call “juggling.” Most people can be so busy doing their day-to-day activities that they don’t have time to do anything new. If they are currently juggling eight balls they don’t have time to take on any more. As they orchestrate stability in those eight balls they want to make sure that nothing is going to disrupt the flow of juggling them. Rather than figuring a way to juggle 10 balls, figure out how you can give more of those balls to other people so you can juggle none of them. Being too busy simply cannot be accepted as legitimate resistance to change.

Changes should never be made to create more work for everyone, they should be made to make people, process and procedures more efficient. Understanding and communicating the changes regularly with your staff can yield tremendous results. Have a conversation with your staff and show them that the load may be more now, but when we accomplish it, this is what your life will look when we accomplish them.

Companies that fail to change will always end up on the short side of the future, for example, the Smith-Corona typewriter company. You would think that they would be the largest manufacturer of computers today since they were in the word processing business. However they thought they were in the typewriter business. Their inability to change the way they viewed themselves as a company allowed computers to put them out of business.

The third reason for resisting change is that employees feel like part of the corporate family. They like to be connected emotionally and intellectually with those they work with and don’t want to be perceived as the one who is going to rock the boat. No one wants to be the outcast around their friends and coworkers. Therefore, the company culture must adjust to show that change is good. Even when mistakes are made they are not punished, but learned from.

Too many excuses from too many people can cause everything to stay status quo. In many companies change is bad; money is flowing in and they do not want to disrupt it. However, the money could flow in at ten-fold with just a little innovation. It only takes one visionary to make huge changes.

Remember, communication is always the name of the game. Over-communicate with your staff on the changes that are going to happen so they are not surprised when they occur. Talk about change every day and let everyone know that is the way we do things around here. The status quo only means we’re slowing down long enough to die.

ICC-ES is the United States’ leader in evaluating building products for compliance with code. A nonprofit, public-benefit corporation, ICC-ES performs technical evaluations of building products, components, methods, and materials. The evaluation process culminates with the issuance of reports on code compliance, which are made available free of charge to code officials, contractors, specifiers, architects, engineers, and others with an interest in the building industry and construction. ICC-ES evaluation reports provide evidence that products and systems meet building code requirements for today’s commercial and residential construction.

The International Code Council, a membership association dedicated to building safety and fire prevention, develops the codes used to construct residential and commercial buildings, including homes and schools. Most U.S. cities, counties and states that adopt building codes choose the international codes developed by the ICC.

“It has taken a long time and a lot of money to realize this objective,” said Barry Sim, Technical Manager for Allied Modular Building Systems, Inc. “An awarding of ICC Approval is a landmark achievement for any company in the building industry and is not easily accomplished. Allied Modular has invested both time and money into obtaining ICC Approval. Our company has broken the mold in modular manufacturing and production and has rightly placed itself in the forefront of the industry. We are the first modular company to achieve this tremendous feat. We saw where building departments were headed, and we wanted to be there first. The cities in the west have been very stringent for many years and their standards are now moving east. With all things considered, and an ICC Approval in our pocket, we intend to raise the bar once again in our industry.”

Sim continues by saying, “Building customers are keenly aware of the advantages associated with ICC approval. They recognize the great benefits and confidence associated with doing business with a company who has earned the approval of this impressive governing body,”

The newest approval is in compliance with the 2006 International Building code (IBC 2006). “They should be very proud of themselves,” states Bill Sanderson, a structural engineer in the State of California. “ICC Approval is very difficult to achieve and it has enormous advantages to a manufacturer and a customer alike. Indeed, some cities refuse to even consider a proposed plan to build submitted by a company without an ICC Evaluation report approval.. Well done, Allied Modular.”

A Little About Allied Modular Building Systems:
Since 1989, Allied Modular Building Systems, Inc. has secured its reputation as the leader in the modular industry with products manufactured locally and distributed nationally that provide cost effective, time saving, versatile alternatives to standard stick construction. With manufacturing locations in California and Tennessee, they are the largest in their industry. All products are 100% modular and can be relocated and reassembled. Product lines include modular offices, interior and exterior buildings, clean rooms, 2 story offices, guard houses, mezzanines, vision towers, machine enclosures, full height partitions, smoking shelters and nearly innumerable custom applications. Tours of the 50,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility and showroom are available and welcome.

This section primarily applies to buildings whether it is in single story form or two-story.  These enclosures would primarily have a dust cover, roof or second floor attached to the first floor.  When you use these walls as just partitions with no load on the wall, Non Progressive wall system may be more suitable.

To put it in its most simple form, A progressive wall system indicates that you will have to start at one end working progressively in a linear motion until it ends.  One example of this would be standard drywall construction framing.  The drywall sheets can not be just removed at will when it’s convenient.  Another example would be a brick wall.  Each brick must be laid on top of another with mortars separating it and bonding it together. When you see these types of construction, you will see that where the opening was planned, there is an opening supported.  I will get into that in more detail bit later.

A Non Progressive indicates that you can start and stop at any point and work in any direction. When removing any portion or section you can start at any point and end at any point.  One example could be… Hmmmm I can’t think of any..

Although this may sound simple there are many things to be weary about when making this decision. Making the wrong decision could be catastrophic in the future.  There are pros and cons for both depending on your application.  Your designer must be aware of your application and plan around your future decisions.

When you’re planning to build a structure of any type, the most important thing is the structure! That may sound very simple and almost stupid.  Believe it or not a lot of people do not consider the overall structure and application.  Let me go further.

Do you know of any structure that will stand up when you remove sections that are holding up the roof? They’ll be no sky hook to hold it up…. your answer should be none.  You’re exactly right.  Planning to remove wall sections in the future is the way the building should be built.  Having removable sections where you planned to have removable sections.  And leave the walls that are the overall structure holding up the roof.

So, when you hear the phrase “Any panel can be removed without disturbing the adjacent panels” be very cautious.  Was this planned to be removed?.  If not, don’t remove it.  It’s like removing the load bearing wall inside your house and expecting the roof to stay up. It won’t.

You need to work with a designer and think one or two steps ahead on what your future maybe in your facility.  Making a removable section is fairly straightforward. Most companies can work around these issues.  Using large spans, and additional support most applications can be engineered around your growth.

A progressive wall system should be used as support for any roof.  This alleviates the risk of a company representative removing panels at will.  Even though the wall may be progressive, most factory Representatives can change out wall panels in the middle of the wall.

Allied Modular Building Systems manufactures both types of channels. We only use the removable “Non Progressive” where necessary insuring safety for all…

As businesses change, so do their facility’s needs. In this day and age slowing down is simply not an option. Downsizing and expansion both require changes in physical space; prefabricated modular wall systems can accomplish both these tasks with minimal impact on productivity or workflow.

Businesses today must meet the changing business environment quickly and intelligently. Using prefabricated modular products can save companies tremendous amounts of time and money. The look of modular has become so streamlined that it is virtually indistinguishable from standard construction; however, the cost savings, non-intrusiveness, flexibility, and reduced environmental impact of modular truly makes it the best business solution on the market.

Standard stud and drywall construction causes enormous strain on companies looking to transform their workspace. “Many organizations overlook the productivity lost during a lengthy construction project; the cost of downtime can be staggering! Invasive drywall dust, sanding, and painting can become a thing of the past, although few companies have realized that prefabricated modular building systems are available and are a better solution” said Scott Nielsen, LEED Certified Operations Manager of Allied Modular.

Now, modular construction, which is pre-manufactured before arriving at a job site, eases the strain on companies looking to modify their facilities. Offices, lunchrooms, conference rooms, and a host of other applications can be completed in days instead of months, with very little impact on the operations of the organization and by purchasing prior to year end; you can maximize your tax benefits under http://www.section179.org/section_179_deduction.html [IRS tax law, section 179].

In addition to providing a non-intrusive and highest-quality business solution, prefabricated modular products offer myriad other advantages over standard construction. Modular products can be reused and relocated with very little effort or financial impact. Also, modular companies like Allied Modular Building Systems manufacture building solutions that are environmentally friendly using only recyclable materials and small installation crews, the carbon footprint on the environment is as minimal as the impact on your company’s productivity.

Change invokes feelings of uneasiness; it is the unknown, and with it comes the fear of what will truly happen.  Although everyone in business says that they enjoy change, the truth is most people do not.  We all know that it’s career/business-suicide to admit we hate change, and so we tend to run or try to hide away from it; just to pretend it doesn’t really exist. It doesn’t have to be this way.

There is a way for change, no matter how scary the inevitable result may be, to be handled as smoothly as possible and allow a calm transition to take place.  It is called a plan.

Our company, Allied Modular, changes every day. Having a good solid plan for change, we have come to find, is always the best approach.  But before you an implement any plan, there is one thing you must make certain in order to ensure a smooth transition. Just like the oil in a manual auto-transmission, communication is the center-point to a calm, steady, smooth transition into change.

Communicating change to your employees and staff eases the fear of what they can expect in the near future.  Whether you are making a departmental change, process change, or moving your facility, proper communication needs to take place before proper planning can even begin.  In many cases, proper planning for change involves input from other employees and staff. You may think announcing change before having a plan is unconventional, but surprising employees and staff with mysterious questions and statements while in the planning stages of change is actually a lot more unnerving then simply announcing, ‘We feel change to be unavoidable; and although we do not have a plan at hand to share with you, we look forward to hearing your input as we develop a plan to deal with the inevitable.’ Easy enough, right? Good.

Now that you have the key ingredient, there are several other important steps and issues that need to be addressed in order for change to occur smoothly throughout the organization.  We will go over each of these items to help you better understand how to plan for change.  So, without further ado: How to Write a Plan for Change.

How to Write a Plan for Change:

The plan, itself, can be as simple, or as detailed, as you want it to be.  You can start with a few random questions thrown together, in an orderly outline, or simply just a bullet point list of topics that need to be considered.  Personally, I like the bullet point plan.  Listing out the issues to consider provides you a quick reference point and aids in making changes to your initial plan after mentally walking through it. Here are some of the many questions you might want to ask yourself:

• Is change in our future?
• What is our timeframe?
• How will this affect our staff, and the customers?
• Is the downtime acceptable?
• How will this affect our infrastructure?
• Can we minimize the impact?
• What are our long-term goals?

 Now, just in case you’re having a bit of trouble putting these questions to mind and really beginning to dig deep with them, let’s take some time and look through a few of them together.

Is change in our future?
I hope that by this point in the article you have already established if there is imminent change in your company’s future. If so, great! If not, great!

 The first thing you must establish is if a specific change is inevitable. One must identify the change. Ask yourself, what are the implications of this change? How big or how small is it? Is it truly going to affect my company? If it is, it is now time to start planning, and so far, you are on the right track. If there is no change in the near future, then at least you are preparing for it by reading this article.

What is our timeframe?
Once you have realized just what kind of change is heading your way, the next hurdle should be establishing just how much time you have until the change reaches you. For example: state legislature has just past a new law that subsequently forces you to change your policies. The perfect question to ask is, ‘when will the law take effect?’ With that information you now have set your countdown timer. T-minus so many months, days, hours, and minutes until this change take effect.

 To go even further, the next hurdle is establishing how much time you want the transition itself to take. Let’s say the new law takes effect in 6 months. If the transition is estimated to take 1 month, the last thing you want to do is start it halfway through the 5^th month. Transitions take time. In considering how long you have before the change comes, it is imperative you also consider much time will it take for my company to transition into or through the change.

 How will this affect our staff, and the customers?
Changes within a company have the ability to affect the staff and customers on many different levels. It is important to remember there are many facets to consider when it comes time to put staff and customers to mind. The many issues to place on the table are just too many for us to consider right now, but the best advice I can give you is, if in nothing else, take the most time chewing through these set of topics.

Remember that your staff is the life blood of your company. To leave them out of consideration, when planning for change, is irresponsible.  Also, keeping your employees out of the loop is just asking for failure.  Most employees want to help the managers, executives, and, in turn, the company to become successful; and they will all lend a hand if they know that there is a purpose for it.

On the other side of things, also remember that it is truly the customer that provides nourishment to your company. Income and profits would cease to exist if it was not for the customers and clients that choose your services or products. Without them, your company would starve.

In the end, the best plan of action is our familiar key from before, called communication. Before, during, and after the planning stage, you will come to find, that it is much easier and smoother if you communicate with both your staff and even your customers. Remember, communication settles the nerves.

Is the downtime acceptable?
During the transition mode, there might be a need for downtime. Downtime, in case you’re unfamiliar with the term, is referring to a moment of time when production or services are on hold while changes are being made or they are taking affect. During downtime, there is either a partial loss of production, or a full loss.

In any case, once it is established that downtime is unavoidable, this must be included in the plan. Along with stating how long it will take, you should also consider when and how the downtime will be implemented. What processes will remain functional? How will our financials be affected? Who will supervise the changes? Upon return, will staff have to be retrained? Can downtime be implemented in stages rather then al at one time? Can we afford it? Is there a better way? These and many more are questions to ask when considering if the downtime is truly acceptable.

What are our long-term goals?
Typically, when thinking about long-term goals, you want to aim 3-10 years ahead. The more ambitious your company or people may be, the farther down the road your long-term goals should be.

In any plan, whether big or small, a goal of some sort should be developed so everyone involved understands that the real finish line is not only months ahead, but many times, years ahead. They need to understand what goals need to be met, and, just as importantly, when they need to be met.  Establishing goals allows those involved to truly measure their level of success or failure.  Nobody likes to fail, and almost certainly your staff will do whatever possible to make sure that it doesn’t happen, but they are seriously hindered if they are not sure what the company, department, and individual goals actually are.

If necessary, after establishing the company goals, you may need to break into your various departments and have them set their own goals, and even further help the staff create their own personal goals as well.

Communicate the Plan:

You have asked yourself all the necessary questions, answered as many as you could yourself or with your team, consulted with other professionals in and out of the organization to gain further knowledge, and you have also taken the time to write it all down and lay it all out as clearly as possible. Now it is time to put our key ingredient into full action.

By this point I hope this is not the first time your staff is hearing from you that there will be some significant changes in their future. If you read this article from the beginning then you would know that communicating to your staff, coworkers and customers is an absolute must from the start, especially when a big change on the horizon is imminent. And since I’m assuming you have read it from the beginning I won’t reiterate and instead move further into communicating your actual plan.

Whether it I passing out the whole plan, or summarizing it for everyone in a big conference meeting—no matter how you decided to initially share it—there should be a question and answer session with everyone involved so you can gain ideas on how the plan may be modified or changed for the better.  Some of the best ideas come from the most unlikely places.  A staff member that doesn’t speak up much may have more insight than you might think.  This exercise is all about listening. Get rid of all your fore thoughts in writing the plan and don’t argue your points with any of them.  Soak it all in. You might find that you will have to revise your plan and communicate it once again.

Rewrite the Plan with Contingencies:

After you’ve thoroughly listened to your staff and colleagues, it’s time to rewrite the plan and include a contingency plan, or two, that address some of the more important issue brought by your staff, and also help to answer the question, what if something goes wrong? Running a contingency plan or a plan B is vitally important in case something doesn’t go as planned, as we all know, happens very easily these days.  Plan accordingly and prepare for as much as possible.

On occasion, planning for change involves some outside help. Don’t be afraid to do so. The benefits of bringing in outside help can be priceless in many cases.

As a company, Allied Modular helps other businesses transition through their changes with no or as little impact as possible.  For example: downtime for any business is usually the largest profit killer of all.  Unforeseen time and costs are not recognized until its way too late. Instead, we do our best to avoid downtime, and aim to save you money and time in every facet possible. We help you execute your plan… but yes, it must first be your plan.

In the end, not a having plan, period, can cause loss of revenue, lower employee morale, increase customer service issues, and in-turn, a loss of profit.  Don’t let your customers; personnel and company suffer due to not having an effective plan. It is said, “Failure to plan, is a plan to fail.”

Also remember, change is scary only before you have a plan to actually deal with it. It’s time we come out of under the blanket, and embrace the change we see coming ahead.

2009's Hot 100

Early last month we were notified that we were awarded as one of 2009’s top 100 companies to watch in Tennessee.  This is a prestigious honor and is only awarded to 100 companies throughout the entire state. The list is published each year by Business TN magazine and it is called the Hot 100.

The publication is distributed to every company throughout the state of Tennessee.  Everyone in business knows this magazine to be a pulse on business throughout Tennessee.  The magazine generally includes stories and articles of the movers and shakers in the business community.

Last night we attended a cocktail party for all the recipients of the top 100.  It was held at the Hermitage Hotel in downtown Nashville.  The Hermitage was commissioned by 250 Nashvillians in 1908.  Hotel is named after Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage estate.  It opened in 1910.  Only the finest materials were used to construct the hotel.  Italian sienna marble and Russian walnut covers the lobby.  The vaulted lobby contains stained glass and the floors covered with Persian rugs and oversized furniture.

It was Nashville’s first million-dollar hotel and was the preferred gathering place for local socialites.  Many well-known people have frequented the hotel over the years.  Sitting Presidents, war heroes, actresses and gangsters from the 20th century all frequented the hotel.

We are certainly honored and humbled to be the recipient of this award.  We are happy that we have chosen Tennessee to be our eastern region manufacturing plant location.

We have seen tremendous growth up and down the eastern seaboard to the Deep South. We can certainly say we love the people, like the countryside and are happy to call this home away from home.

California, in 2005, boasted the lowest consumption per capita of any other state at 7,032 kWh, and that number looks to get much smaller.  Their relentless pursuit to reduce electricity consumption with state and local building codes, among other things, has had an impact.  By implementing small incremental changes all around, California has reduced electricity consumption for the past 10 years consecutively, while the population growth however has expanded by millions.  You could say that they have been a “green” state for a number of years, and an influential beacon when it comes to energy conservation.

One of the biggest signs of influence is in the air-conditioning industry.  For example: the amount of energy utilized to condition a space is only about 20% when compared to five years ago.  Efficiency standards for air-conditioning units have come a long way in recent years.  It is evident that pushing R-values in buildings, low E-glass, and insulation for every part of a home or commercial structure has led to the success in energy efficiency for the state of California.

On the other end of the scale, in 2005, Wyoming shouldered the largest use per capita at 27,787 kWh, and Tennessee, where our second plant is located, came in as sixth largest at 17,446 kWh. There are many reasons, I have noticed, why California has an edge over states like Tennessee and Wyoming. Among those, one that stands out for me, at least in Tennessee, is recycling.

Recycling in California has been a mainstay for over a decade.  All refuge goes to a warehouse and it’s sorted prior to being delivered to a landfill.  Wood products, plastics, metals and other items are separated and recycled.  I can’t even tell you the last time I saw a landfill in California.  It’s been a number of years.

In Tennessee, it actually costs money to recycle.  There are no recycle bins at businesses or houses anywhere in sight.  Implementing a green facility in Tennessee for ourselves has certainly been much more difficult than in California. It’s been a very slow process for the states like Tennessee; however I think the lessons from California have been heard across the country.  It’s just a matter of time and I’m sure everyone else will be making their way to catching up. The responsibility to address energy conservation, however, is not only assigned to the state and local governments.

To truly make a huge difference it is up to all, like those of us in the commercial building industry, to take the initiative to provide cleaner, greener products; to find new, energy conserving, manufacturing processes and building methods; and to implement even the littlest of changes. Here at Allied Modular, along with offering green products and using cleaner building methods, we have implemented one such small change.

In our corporate headquarters we use motion sensors in every office to cut back on the use of electricity.  Although sometimes the lights go out, leaving people to wave their arms about to turn them back on, they do help.

On a not-quite-so-small scale, in our plant, we installed photocell sensors that turn the lights off when the skylights provide enough ambient light for our manufacturing process.  This is something we installed when we built the factory nearly 6 years ago. Our electricity rates are approximately half of what they used to be.

It is clear, that as individuals, businesses, and lawmakers, we have the ability to do more then just dream of a greener future. We have the ability to live that dream now. Sure, further advancements in technology will help us achieve an even cleaner future, but we should also make positive choices today so we can experience a brighter tomorrow.

At Allied Modular, we continue to look for ways to lower our energy consumption and cut our carbon footprint in both California and Tennessee.

For information on where your state ranks, you can find it at http://www.energyalmanac.ca.gov/electricity/us_per_capita_electricity_2005.html

Most companies in our industry offer a wiring system that is modular in nature.  Varying from company to company they range from a customer doing all of the electrical work to a plug-and-play type application with very little labor. I’ll try to go in detail on each of these so you can better understand the differences.

There are two different areas that any office or building gets wired.  The posts or vertical channels and the branch circuits which tied back to the load center or sub-panel.  The first area I would like to talk about is the vertical posts.  Most companies are industry provide conduit and boxes just like you would see in most construction applications.  They do not include any wire to wiring any of the devices such as plugs, light switches and light fixtures.

The conduit comes raw, unfinished, and cut and unbent. This means the consumer would be responsible to precut all of the material and in close it inside the wall system during installation.  The result of that would be that the customer would have to hire an electrician to wire all of the devices and provide all the wire to do so.  In addition all the branch wiring back to the sub-panel is not included.  There are many different variations of this.  You have to be extra careful to see (wiring by others) in the body of their quote or proposal.

There are just a few companies that wire the posts at their plant.  Obtaining and (UL) Underwriters Laboratory classification rating to pre-install there wiring at their factories.  This makes the site installation much quicker and cleaner.  Also the electrical is tested to ensure it meets all local electrical standards.

The branch circuits, in other words all the wiring to one location is either provided by the manufacturer or the customer.  Again I caution you to verify what the facts are before placing an order with any company.  There are some companies that provide a standard BX cable to the proper length, preplanned and laid out on your blueprint.  However, if you are not familiar with standard electricity you will need to hire an electrician to wire all the connections and test them for your safety. If you ever have any electrical failures it is easy to trace.  All the wiring can be exposed and thoroughly tested without much effort.

Instead of using a BX cable, a modular wiring plug can be installed at each end. This allows the customer to just plug in either side according to the blueprint and the wiring is done.  However, if you ever want to change the configuration or layout of your building new material must be ordered to make that change.  Also if there is any wiring short or problem in any circuit, it is almost impossible to find.

Allied Modular provides both. We are only one of two companies nationally that UL approved our components completely assembled.  Most companies just state that they use UL approved components.  Of course every duplex, light switch, light fixture, conduit and wire are our all UL approved by either being listed, or classified. You cannot buy any of these components in United States without UL Approval.

Modular plug-and-play wiring is more expensive than traditional wiring.  The labor cost is really being incurred at the factory level instead of in the field.  By having a company provide a pre-wired UL classified posts system and all the materials including the wire to be pre-cut and predetermined is very quick and changeable at any time.

When picking a wiring application for your building, be sure you understand all of the facts prior to making your decision.  It can cost you more in the end if you do not understand which type up suits you best.

On-frame or off-frame modular buildings:
Commercial modular buildings are typically built off-frame, in which the structure is secured onto a concrete surface (or similar solid surface). This may include an elevated concrete slab or a flush foundation. These types of modular buildings are assembled on location after the prefabricated modules are shipped by flat-bed (or other means) to the site. An off-frame modular building tends to look like a permanent structure. In some applications most people can not tell whether it is permanent or temporary.

An on-frame modular building is usually built onto a steel platform or frame of sorts. This may include a stationary mezzanine, a trailer, or a forklift-able (or crane-lift-able) platform. These types of modular buildings are typically assembled in-house at the manufacturing plant and delivered on its base structure. Although in some cases, depending on the dimensions, the building must be assembled on-site then fork-lifted or crane-lifted into its desired location and position.

Typical Types of Uses:
Commercial modular buildings come in handy for temporary solutions wherein one might need a structure that will be moved or taken down relatively soon. For structures that must be moved regularly, transportable bases provide the best solution (for example, trailers or forklift-able platforms).

Companies which expect future expansion also find modular buildings as a convenient solution to foreseen or unforeseen growth. Such companies may decide to expand the size of the building, move it to a different location or simply leave as many options open as possible.

Modular buildings are also a viable solution for permanent projects. The options left open by a modular building may allow peace of mind for a company that truly expects the unexpected. The savings in time, money and environmental waste are also an attractive incentive to a company seeking a permanent structure.

Sizes and Configurations:
A commercial modular building can be built in just about any size. The preliminary measurements are usually based on interior or exterior dimensions (depending on the manufacturer). They can range from a small 4’ wide, 4’ deep, and 8’ high guardhouse to a 100’ wide, 50’ deep, and 20’ high two-story office complex.

Configurations are also an endless array of options with multiple rooms, hallways, 45 degree angles, multiple levels, various heights and much more. Configurations are usually governed by the clients’ specific needs and desires.

The difference between commercial modular buildings and residential modular homes:
Though it is true that commercial modular buildings and residential modular homes share many similar traits and building methods, the two are not one in the same. Residential modular homes, which are in fact closer yet significantly different from their cousins—mobile homes, are regulated and inspected according to residential home standards. The building codes usually differ fairly well from commercial building codes.

Commercial buildings follow codes that are based around occupancy levels that tend to be higher in number and density then residential applications of similar size. For example, a 5000 sq. ft. single-family home would usually occupy and house 5-8 persons (this includes parents, children and sizable pets). A commercial building of equal size however, might occupy 25-30 persons for at least 12 hours of the day. The occupancy, flow of traffic, lighting standards, electricity, emergency exits and so much more must all be considered a little more diligently in a commercial setting compared to a residential home. Thus, many things about a commercial modular building’s structure and layout differ greatly from a residential modular home.