Team Elmer’s broke ground on the latest improvement of the General Mills plant in Reed City, which manufactures the Yoplait brand of yogurt and is a major employer in the area.

The ground-breaking expansion project launched on the heels of an announcement from General Mills that the company had signed agreements with partner companies to acquire a 51 percent controlling interest in the Yoplait brand and a 50 percent interest in a related company that holds the worldwide Yoplait brands of products for approximately $1.1 trillion.

Team Elmer’s performed four static load tests prior to auger cast pile installation, which included loading the pile in various areas, with varying forces from 75 kips up to 150 kips to ensure successful load capability. Once those were approved, we installed the remaining piles. During the first phase of the expansion, 217 16-inch auger cast piles were driven 35 feet to 55 feet deep for the new building’s foundation. The piles consisted of six #5 bar piles driven up to 20 feet deep with #3 bar ties every 12 inches.

The biggest challenge Team Elmer’s faced during this project was that crews could not work outside the building perimeter. To counter this, we scheduled the work in stages to allow a continuous flow and the ability to reach a successful ending.

The next step in the company's growth is a boon to the town, City Manager Ron Marek told the Cadillac News.

“The community will benefit with additional tax dollars and knowing that this project will continue to place the Yoplait Reed City operation in a very competitive position with their sister plants for future growth possibilities,” Marek said.

TIMING: June 6 - July 15, 2011