Expansion of Sherwin-Williams Distribution Service Center in Winter Haven

Miller Construction Company is expanding the Sherwin-Williams Distribution Service Center in Winter Haven with four new buildings, new offices, and a renovation of an existing office area. Work on the $31-million project began in June.

Using tilt-wall construction, Miller Construction is adding 296,705 square feet spread across two large warehouses, a truck maintenance building, a trailer maintenance building, and offices. The company is upgrading 3,386 square feet of existing office space. Additionally, the existing South Building is being expanded with a 49-foot clear-height ceiling and 15,120 square feet of new exterior wall, while the North Building receives a 28-foot clear-height ceiling and 2,904 square feet of new exterior wall. The project encompasses a significant portion of the site, with work on approximately 24 acres representing nearly 60% of the total 40-acre site. The new construction adds 298,151 square feet (including the pergola area), which is an expansion of approximately 79% of the existing 384,000-square-foot facility.

“We appreciate this opportunity to apply our management expertise to a complex project,” said Steve Glascott, Vice President at Miller Construction Company and manager of the Central Florida office. “It will be a welcome challenge to meet Sherwin-Williams’ detailed construction needs while keeping operations moving continuously and smoothly at its existing building.”

Through logistical coordination and consistent communication with the client and subcontractors, Miller Construction is managing the complexities of a live, 24-hour operation. The project requires a phased approach, with four phases for the structural work and an additional five phases for site work. This includes coordinating multiple entry gates, managing constant road closures, and organizing staging areas for the numerous delivery trucks that arrive and depart at all hours. To accommodate shift changes with over 100 pedestrian vehicles, Miller had to quickly build out a new 20,000-square-foot overflow parking area and stabilize 40,000 square feet of temporary parking for truck cabs.

Miller Construction will produce high-performance reduced-joint floors with minimal surface imperfections in the new spaces by coordinating closely with the concrete subcontractor and the slab consultant, Structural Services Inc. The South Building, intended for a future Automatic Storage Racking System (ASRS), will have a high-performing slab consisting of 12-inch fiber-reinforced concrete with armored joints on a 6-inch stabilized subgrade. The team is also coordinating weekly with the client to prepare for future robotic racking systems, including fire sprinkler and light fixture layouts, as well as providing provisions to accommodate additional power upgrades for the future robotic system.

The Miller team incorporated an expedited ordering and delivery process for large switch gear to power a new gantry (racking/organizing) system in the existing building, getting the gear on-site in just 12 weeks. This involved daily communication with the tenant and delicate installation to install over 1,500 linear feet of overhead conduit in the existing facility without disrupting Sherwin-Williams’ 24/7 operations. Miller Construction will integrate an underground storm-tank system into the site, adding over 65,000 square feet of underground stormwater storage tanks. This includes containment valves to protect the existing stormwater system from any contaminants.

The project team includes C4 (architects and MEP), Richard Adams Engineers (structural), Structural Services Inc. (slab on grade consultant), and Kimley-Horn (civil).