Goya’s new headquarters/warehouse is a precast gem - by Jim Houtman

Goya Foods, Inc. was founded in 1936 by Spanish immigrants Don Prudencio Unanue and his wife Carolina. The company started in a small storefront in Manhattan where the couple began a trajectory of growth that would carry Goya to the rank of America’s largest Hispanic-owned food company. The company’s emphasis on family values—as well as their celebration of Spanish culture—allowed them to achieve their American dream. 

To this day, Goya Foods remains in the family. Brothers Bob and Peter Unanue are the president and vice president of the corporation. Because of Goya’s growth and success over the years, they knew the company needed a new facility for their corporate headquarters. The building needed to be large enough to house a 50,000 s/f refrigerator, rail service, and a continuous motion line for Goya’s popular rice mixes that can produce 600 packages per minute (at the previous facility, they were only capable of producing 100 per minute). In the summer of 2015, Fabcon teamed up with M+H Architects and RC Anderson Construction to build Goya’s 650,000 s/f corporate headquarters and warehouse.

Fabcon was the perfect fit for an ambitious company needing as much space as it could get. Fabcon’s load-bearing panels eliminate the need for perimeter columns, therefore maximizing usable space. Along with more equipment and storage, the new location also needed to support 100 new employees in addition to the 500 jobs from the previous facility.

They needed more space, but Goya wanted the bigger building to be more than just a bigger building. They were looking for a facility that would meet their aesthetic vision, represent their brand, and foster growth. According to Bryan Hummer, sales engineer at Fabcon Precast, Fabcon was up for the challenge.

“The unique thing about Fabcon is that we really are a one-stop shop for insulated structural precast, and that was attractive to the project team,” said Hummer. “We engineer, fabricate, and install the panels. Just about anything having to do with the structure’s envelope is in our court.” Fabcon’s expertise also translates into speed. Goya’s exterior walls, totaling 180,000 s/f, were erected in just 24 days.

Fabcon engineered and cast 10-inch VersaCore panels for this project. Steel form finish gave Goya the greatest degree of aesthetic flexibility and paired perfectly with the architectural details on the building’s façade; the cool gray precast provided the perfect canvas for dramatic light features and sleek steel accents. Fabcon’s panels also appealed to Goya’s desire to build a sustainable structure. With an R-value of 16.9, the VersaCore panels reduced their operating costs and complemented the more than 12,000 solar panels on the roof of the facility. Had they elected to do so, Goya could have ratcheted the thermal performance of their panels as high as R-28.2 with a VersaCore sandwich panel, or even create a hybrid mix of varying thermal ratings. Ultimately, they found a panel that effectively met all of their performance requirements.

Pride and tradition continue to drive Goya’s values and success. And although this facility is as beautiful as it is efficient, we have a sneaking suspicion it will not be the last facility this model organization will build. When they’re ready…so is Fabcon.

Jim Houtman is vice president of sales and marketing for Fabcon Precast.