They say timing is everything and it could not have been better for this project in Baraboo, Wisconsin. Highway 12 construction plans advanced by the State of Wisconsin placed the location of the Glacier Valley Ford dealership, owned by  Mike and Becky Hoppe, in a prime spot for significantly increased traffic and visibility. That’s why the Hoppes purchased 10 acres of vacant land along this prime corridor in Baraboo at the right time and teamed up with Friede & Associates to help make their dream of a new facility a reality.

Friede helped Glacier Valley Ford replace its old 7,500-square-foot facility with a 16,800-square-foot, state of the art pre-engineered metal building designed to serve the needs of the dealership for many years to come.

A quarter of a mile down the road, Friede designed and built a sleek, new energy-efficient building. This design-build project involved extensive coordination with Ford Motor Company's franchise and design teams to ensure compliance with the new dealership standards for branding and imaging.

The building features metal cladding on the showroom and both horizontal and vertical metal panels on the balance of the exterior. The signature entry tower measures 26 feet tall and offers a striking entrance to the facility.

Friede and Architectural Design Consultants, Inc. (ADCI), the project architects, designed a building that not only took advantage of new design guidelines from Ford but also would be tailored to the successful business practices and focus on customer satisfaction that the Hoppes had followed since the dealership was founded by Mike's father, Lee Hoppe, in 1971. While Ford pursues environmentally sound practices, so does Glacier Valley Ford.

“The design was meant to further both the Hoppe and Ford commitment to the environment, and included many energy-efficient amenities for both design and construction,” noted Roger Mortensen, Project Manager for Friede & Associates.

The eco-friendly attributes include lighting, with LED lighting for energy savings; upgraded insulation with Guardian Energy Saver FP fabric, batt, and thermal blocks to increase the R-Value; exterior glazing of multi-pane windows with low-e coatings; and furniture of composite wood construction that required no added urea formaldehyde for improved air quality.

Other environmentally smart design features include lighting technologies that provide even illumination while using one-half of the energy of traditional technologies. A programmable thermostat reduces energy use during non-occupied hours. Best of all, the project took advantage of local and federal incentives, rebates, and tax credits for energy efficiency upgrades.

Since Ford Motor Company—as well as other automobile manufacturers—now have standardized design specifications for dealerships, the Hoppes worked to meet the new specs to a tee. A 26-foot entry tower provided the final touches on the new, attractive building. The effort did not go unnoticed. The project received a Metallic Design-Build Award of Excellence, as well as an ABC Projects of Distinction Gold Award.

The actual construction process offered unique challenges, starting with a late, cold, and rainy spring that delayed actual site work, and the discovery of significant unsuitable soils that needed to be stripped from the site prior to construction beginning.

The reconstruction of the roadway required the project team to creatively schedule major building component deliveries to avoid conflicts with road crews and the regular closing of lanes of traffic. To smooth the process, the project team acquired the use of two adjacent properties for the staging of materials and offsite parking during the periods of mass excavation. The use of many subcontractors from the community also allowed Friede & Associates to minimize the amount of space it needed during construction, as subcontractor shops were located just blocks from the construction site.

The final result? An award-winning Ford dealership, a community-enhancing building design, and a very satisfied client. Because even in a circus town like Baraboo, Friede & Associates doesn’t clown around. 

About Friede & Associates:

When you select Friede & Associates, you are buying more than our quality-assured construction services. You also get the performance and reliability of some of the top suppliers and subcontractors in the area. While other contractors may be cutting quality to remain competitive on price, Friede is forging relationships with members of the project team to bring you the best value and highest quality for your investment.