Many applications are well beyond the traditional “steel box.”
There’s a reason a large, single-story, steel structure is almost universally referred to as a “Butler Building.” That’s because Butler’s innovation and insight created the pre-engineered metal building category more than 120 years ago. And, as we continued to demonstrate the lifetime value of our products through partnerships with local Butler Builders, we achieved a broad market presence and a well-earned reputation as the undisputed industry leader.
However, this overwhelming success has led to the unintended consequence of people thinking that Butler makes nothing but “big metal boxes.” So, in this blog, we highlight the ever-growing types of buildings that Butler and Butler Builders create that provides value for building owners in various industries.
Beyond The Traditional Types of Buildings
Over the decades, Butler has provided value to many types of buildings beyond the well-known manufacturing and industrial buildings.
There is a long history of using the unique characteristics of Butler’s pre-engineered structures to fulfill a surprising range of uses including these:
- Places of Worship – The versatility of Butler structural systems easily accommodates steeples, high ceilings, and big windows while keeping maintenance costs low.
- Aviation – Butler’s highly engineered products create a special advantage when it comes to the clearspan requirements of hangars and other structures used in aviation.
- Commercial/Office – By combining energy efficiency with interior features that optimize the experience for workers, Butler is a favorite with architects and building owners.
- Automotive Dealerships – The unique requirements of these structures can create challenges for other construction methods.
- Agriculture – Some people don’t realize that Butler’s heritage is in the ag industry. Today, the durability and low maintenance make Butler an ideal fit on the farm.
Rapid Growth Industries Come To Butler
- Data Centers – The information economy continues to grow at speeds that were unimaginable even a few years ago. This has driven demand for companies to have specific plans for rapid – but precisely consistent – expansion of their data center footprint. And security requirements push these plans to be decentralized across the country or across the globe, a scale that few other manufacturers can meet. Butler has built more than 2 million square feet of the most advanced data center ecosystems in the world today.
- Distribution and Warehouses – The growth of ecommerce as a favored way for consumers to shop, has fueled the need for high-volume supply chain operations to add more and more warehouses, strategically located near population centers and key highways. In fact, our pace has reached more than 700 distribution and warehouse projects each year. With that kind of experience, it’s easy to see why Butler is equipped to meet the fast time-to-market demands this industry requires.
- Freight and Logistics – As our country continues to move more products both for long haul and final mile delivery, efficiency has become a primary requirement for freight and logistics companies. Every new facility needs to fit into the broad network that these companies are building. Butler ensures consistency and stability in the construction of terminals, cross-dock facilities, and other types of buildings used to keep the wheels turning for some of the world’s largest supply chain logistics organizations.
- Healthcare Solutions – Long before COVID-19 tested the capacity and resolve of healthcare organizations around the world, the science of medicine was sparking growth and the need to expand. Butler has a long history in engineering the highly specialized needs for various types of buildings commonly used in healthcare applications. In some cases, we draw on the capabilities of Butler® Conventional Steel Services in combination with a pre-engineered solution to allow multi-story healthcare facilities and medical offices.
- Pharmaceutical Solutions – While traditional types of buildings that Butler delivers are intended for hard, and often times messy work, other projects are literally certified to be sanitary environments. But, the fleeting nature of pharmaceutical patents and product lifecycles make the speed and efficiency of Butler’s solutions the primary attraction. Butler has many examples where the efficiency of our systems-built structure reduced construction timelines by 25% for large-scale facilities.
Aesthetics And Functionality
Manufacturing and warehousing applications remain popular uses of Butler products. In fact, so many have taken advantage of the energy efficiency and fast installation time of Butler’s metal wall systems that some people think that’s the only option. But nothing could be further from the truth. Stucco, brick, glass, and wood cladding are popular enhancements used to complement various design profiles available with Butler’s metal wall systems.
When you add the options, longevity, and versatility of Butler’s metal roof systems, it becomes clear that the aesthetics of a Butler building can be as impressive as the legendary functionality. In fact, curb appeal is limited only by your imagination and design inclinations.
Regardless of the type of building you need, it’s worth your time to explore the value you can achieve from the versatility and flexibility of Butler’s building solutions combined with the efficiency of the design-build construction method from a local Butler Builder.