Thermo King Sales & Service in Des Moines recently completed a $3 million facility renovation and expansion, despite challenges created by the pandemic, in an investment the company says prepares it to serve a growing Iowa market.
“We had outgrown our existing facility several years ago but were landlocked until the neighboring property went up for sale in late 2018,” said Matt Greibrok, vice president of business development and acquisitions. “We jumped on the opportunity to expand in order to show customers our commitment to them and continued growth.
“We were all excited to innovate our space and our employees were phenomenal throughout the process—even when they had to crowd together in small offices during the construction.”
The project began nearly one year ago, before the onset of the COVID-19 crisis in the United States, which forced the company to quickly pivot to staggering its workforce to prevent crowding together in small spaces.
With the project now completed, Greibrok said the dealership is “ready for the rebound.”
The new Des Moines facility, which is part of the Santarsiero family of dealerships, features four additional service bays, doubling the size of the previous building, along with an additional 2 acres of hard surface trailer parking, a warehouse/loading dock with cold storage, and a total parts and service renovation inside that includes a brand new drivers lounge, bathroom and lobby area.
“The new counter is curved with six workstations where employees from service all the way to administration sit in a row to streamline incoming jobs and communication with each customer,” Greibrok said. “And the new drivers’ lounge is now on the same floor, so customers can relax in a nice atmosphere that includes a private restroom, TV, coffee and more.”
The additional bays are wider, bigger and dedicated to certain jobs, furthering efficiencies in the service shop, Thermo King said—one for APU and vehicle-powered unit installations; one for trailer installations; one for express services, modeled by the Blue Track program; and one for trailer repairs. In addition, the remodeled parts area increases efficiencies with modular bins and a user-friendly footprint.
“We are certainly appreciating what we have, from our health, to our employees and customers, to this new space that enhances productivity and service capabilities for our loyal customer base and this established and growing market,” Greibrok said. “This investment definitely represents the future, and I think everyone is excited to move forward and for brighter days ahead.”
