A Second Chance at Building the Right Shop

Sometimes you get a do-over. In 2019, a tornado crossed paths with Capital K Farms Inc., outside of Cozad, Nebraska. No one was hurt, but the cold-storage end of the farm's shop complex was demolished.

"We were lucky enough to be able to keep the heated side, and we had a second chance to redo our cold storage," says Justin Kinnan, who, with his wife, Sheena, operate the conventional and organic crop farm in western Nebraska. The farm produces corn, soybeans and alfalfa. About half the corn is a food-grade crop sold to FritoLay.

The cold-storage piece had been 100 feet long x 80 feet wide. "Even before the tornado, we realized we were already out of storage, and getting more equipment to do organic [crops], we needed more space," he says. Rebuilding, the Kinnans added 90 additional feet. The new shop structure, end to end, became 300 feet long x 80 feet wide -- cold storage accounts for 190 feet.

"Our equipment is expensive, so we want it all inside. And, with cultivators and burners, and all the equipment it takes to do organic crops, we needed more space," Kinnan says.

MAIN SHOP

The main shop area, heated and air-conditioned, is 80- x 110-feet. The highly polished floor is easy to clean (by broom or with a large floor scrubber stored nearby) and reflects light produced by banks of LEDs above. "It's pretty bright in here," Kinnan says. "We probably went a hair overkill. But, we wanted it bright in here for work."

The sidewalls of the finished shop space are 21 feet tall, covered with white steel, reflective of overhead lighting. A pair of 18- x 35-feet overhead doors -- at one end of the shop, the other opening to the front -- allow for good traffic flow through the building. "We put overhead doors in instead of airplane doors, so we didn't have to deal with something parked in front of them. Overheads are simpler for our operation," Kinnan explains.

HEAT AND AIR

The shop is heated by propane and cooled with a 15-ton air-conditioning unit. Warmed and cooled air is delivered to the shop through a U-shaped duct system mounted to the ceiling.

Kinnan installed welding plugs by both doors and about every 50 feet elsewhere in the building. He put 110-volt outlets every 10 feet along the walls.

Compressed air is delivered by way of a loop of metal piping mounted around the top of the shop walls. The compressor is housed in a heated room built at the far end of the cold-storage building. This provides great noise control, Kinnan says. Compressed air drops are mounted by each door and then every 25 to 30 feet around the shop.

EXTERIOR APRONS

Outside, Kinnan poured 40-foot concrete aprons. Kinnan also laid down a heavy layer of rock around the entire building for easy entry and exit of large vehicles, and for moving equipment without obstruction.

In one corner of the shop are two large, 5- x 10-foot welding benches, the tops 1-inch thick, both with heavy-duty vices and storage spaces below. Along one wall, a pair of steel cabinets with steel tops boast novel swing-out drawers.

UNIQUE STORAGE

Finishing the workspace is a row of Levracks -- modular, high-density storage units made in Seward, Nebraska. Blending pallet racking with mobile shelving, they offer ample storage space when open and a clean, secure look when closed. "I'd like to have more of these," Kinnan says.

The shop includes a 20- x 20-foot break room. It is space built on the outside of the shop, not occupying an inside corner. It has a kitchen-like look with refrigerator, microwave, sink, cabinets and countertops. A large table and chairs occupy the center of the room. A TV and a pair of recliners make the space comfortable on game day. A mini split system cools and warms the space. "If you put this inside, you're probably going to lose 30 feet of shop space in the corner," Kinnan says.

THREE GREAT DESIGN TIPS

1. Kinnan installed 15 tons of air-conditioning. It's a good amount of cool. "But, we can open a door on a 90-degree day and recover pretty fast."

2. Kinnan made good use for one of the bollards outside. With a simple bracket and heavy bolt, nut and washer, he designed a mount for a compressed air reel and tools.

3. The compressor is 300 feet away from the service door most used by the Kinnans. Justin installed a compressor kill switch just above that door. When that switch is turned off, the compressor is off.

THREE 'SHOULD HAVE DONES'

1. Traffic flow inside the shop would have been improved with an additional 10x12 overhead door. It would have provided quick access to interior spaces.

2. The hose on a compressed air reel reaches 50 feet. However, the shop is 80 feet wide. "That's something we've had to learn the hard way," Kinnan says. Additional reels were installed.

3. This shop has a single floor drain. Looking back, Kinnan would have installed trench drains by each door to capture wash water and melting snow.

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