Johnson's Tire Wasilla & Soldotna

In 1993 UNIT COMPANY constructed the main service center and tire warehouse for the Johnson Tire Company under a negotiated design build agreement.  As a result of this successful project we were contacted again in January of 1999 to negotiate the construction of regional facilities for Johnson Tire in the communities of Soldotna and Wasilla, Alaska.

Both facilities were similar in size and shape yet they were constructed in different communities on dramatically different sites.  Both were constructed under true Design Build contracts where our firm had the entire responsibility for the coordination of the design and permitting aspects of the project before construction could begin.

Our project team pre-qualified major subcontractors active in the area and had them bid on the intended scopes of work.  The mechanical and electrical scopes were bid as design-build scopes based upon performance specifications developed with our experience on the first facility.

The facilities consist of substantial underground concrete pits and vaults for the service and repair of vehicles and recreational equipment. The building frames are structural steel with insulated metal panels for the exterior skin. The floor plan includes administrative offices, sales floor,  employee break room and locker rooms.

The buildings, while similar in construction, were built in the different locations of Wasilla and Soldotna Alaska. These different locations required coordination with 2 different building departments due to the design-build nature of the projects.  Coordination with the State of Alaska Department of Transportation was required on both projects as they both have frontage on State highways that were undergoing improvements during the time frame of the new buildings.

Both projects were constructed under very tight timelines with crucial milestones for completion. This is a result of the nature of the mainstay of the business, tire repair and rotation which provides over 50% of the annual revenue during the spring and fall tire rotation season.

In addition to the coordination with the owner to design and construct facilities that were efficient in floor plan layout and functionality we had a substantial role in coordinating the design and installation of the overall scope of owner furnished automotive repair equipment.  This included service and repair hoists for automobiles and RV