Agribusiness, Oilfield Service and Commercial Construction in Perryton, Texas

Equipment dealers, oilfield service outfits and grain handlers in the northern Panhandle all want the same building: a tall, wide, well-drained shop with a slab that can take a loaded rig, and a yard big enough to turn it around. We build that building in Perryton, and we price the slab, the yard and the apron as seriously as the steel.

The market is driven by agriculture and energy. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension page for Ochiltree County states that the county's agricultural sector earns an estimated $300 million annually, from cattle, hogs, wheat, grain sorghum, corn, cotton and alfalfa, with irrigation on 30 percent of croplands and an economy centered on agriculture, oil and gas. The Handbook of Texas adds that Perryton was set up in 1919 on U.S. Highway 83 and made the county seat, that oil and gas drilling nearby boosted an agribusiness economy in the 1950s, and that its mid-1980s industries included oilfield services and equipment manufacturing, a trailer manufacturer, farm-machinery distributors and cattle feedlots.

We read those facts as a buyer would: a big and steady base of ag spending, a cyclical energy sector and a town that is a long way from anywhere else. Perryton is a regional hub in its own right, so it needs its own supply of buildings, and we are prepared to mobilize crews and materials for a project in a market that sits far from Amarillo.

Agricultural owners include feed mills, grain terminals, seed and chemical suppliers, equipment dealers and cattle operations. They need steel buildings with large clear spans, concrete floors that stand up to implements, wash bays and chemical storage with containment. Our manufacturing and logistics and distribution experience applies to many of these.

Energy service companies need shops, yards, offices and sometimes dormitory-style lodging for crews. Their demand changes with the energy market, which is why we recommend flexible buildings: clear-span metal frames that can be reconfigured, yards that can be expanded and offices that can be sold or leased. A building that works for a second tenant is easier to finance.

A modern equipment dealership or service shop is a pre-engineered metal building with a showroom or office front, service bays with floor drains and oil separators, parts storage, lube and wash rooms and heavy overhead doors. The slab thickness and reinforcement follow the equipment list, and we confirm lift and crane loads before pouring.

The yard and the access are half the project. Compacted base, drainage, concrete aprons at doors and fuel islands and truck-turning room all affect daily operations. Our truck courts and dock aprons practice sets the standard for these areas, and we make sure the owner understands the difference between a gravel yard and a paved one in cost and upkeep.

Apex Clean Energy planned a 300 MW wind farm in Ochiltree County northwest of Perryton, part of up to $2 billion in Panhandle wind farms, according to KFDA's report updated in July 2018. A plan is not a project, and we do not know what has been built, but wind development generally brings temporary lodging demand, heavy haul traffic and a need for service buildings. Perryton owners who serve that industry should plan on a market that moves with turbine schedules.

Distance affects every cost. Perryton is far enough from Amarillo that concrete, steel and specialty trades involve real travel. We maintain relationships with regional suppliers and plan deliveries on a schedule that keeps crews working. We also design for self-reliance, with extra storage for materials on large jobs and spare parts for equipment that cannot wait.

Weather works differently this far north. Fall pours can meet an early freeze, spring brings wind and hail, and a long gravel haul road can turn impassable after a wet week. We carry cold-weather protection as a line item rather than a hope, we keep a gravel or crushed-rock work pad ready for equipment, and we schedule steel erection with a wind limit written into the plan. Owners who commit to a date for equipment delivery or a harvest start should know what the plan assumes about weather, and we say so in writing.

Remote jobs cost more for a reason. Crew travel, lodging, mobilization of equipment and longer delivery distances all show up in the price. We separate them into lines you can see. A common surprise on northern Panhandle jobs is the price of concrete when the plant is distant: delivery time limits the size of each pour, which changes the layout of slab joints and the number of crews required.

We help owners save where it makes sense. Standard metal building sizes cost less than custom ones, repeating bays reduce engineering, and building in phases lets the owner spread cost without redesign. The pre-engineered metal buildings page covers the choices in more detail, and clear-span rigid frame buildings explains how column-free space affects equipment layout.

Perryton is part of a chain of northern Panhandle markets that includes Dumas to the south and Pampa to the southeast, where a large campus is under construction. Owners with operations in several towns can coordinate work through a single contractor.

For project planning, our design-build delivery delivery is often the right fit, because owners in small markets want one team to be responsible for design, price and schedule. We also work with the lender when needed, supplying the budget breakdown, schedule and draw documentation that a bank wants to see before it releases funds. Many northern Panhandle owners finance buildings through agricultural lenders who know their operation well but not the construction process, so we adapt our reports to what each lender asks for and keep the paperwork orderly. A clean draw schedule and prompt lien waivers keep both the lender and the subcontractors comfortable, which keeps the job moving.

List the largest machine, the services you run and the land you own. We will return with a shop, yard and schedule suited to a northern Panhandle site.

Will the wind farm bring work to Perryton?

Wind projects can bring workers, trucks and demand for lodging and service buildings, but projects change and we do not forecast them. We recommend that owners plan buildings with other uses in mind so they hold value if one industry slows.

How wide should a service bay door be?

It depends on the equipment. Combines, large tractors and drilling support trucks need wider and taller openings than pickups. Tell us the largest machine and we will size doors, headers and the slab approach accordingly, with room to maneuver.

Can you build chemical storage buildings?

We build the shell, containment floor and drainage for storage buildings, and we coordinate with fire and environmental consultants about separation, ventilation and secondary containment. Regulatory approvals depend on the materials, so we ask early what will be stored.

How do you manage travel costs for crews?

We use local labor where we can, bundle work to reduce trips and schedule so that crews stay on site rather than commuting for short tasks. Travel costs appear in the proposal as a line item.

Is a metal building or concrete better for an equipment shop?

For most shops a metal building on a heavy slab is the best value. Concrete tilt-up or masonry costs more but may be justified for fire rating or appearance. We price both and show how they compare.