Applegate Heating & Air Conditioning installed three new HVAC rooftop units at Michigan Automotive Compressor, Inc. (MACI) on a recent snowy Saturday.
MACI is in the midst of an expansion at their Jackson County facility, adding a seventh automotive compressor manufacturing line and a new cleanroom facility. MACI is Jackson County’s largest manufacturer and holds the largest market share in North America. The plant, at 2400 Dearing Road in Sandstone Township has more than one million square feet of manufacturing space and employs over 1,050 associates.
Before the new units could be installed, the old units needed to be removed. Both the removal and installation occurred on January 7th. For safety reasons, no one was allowed to occupy the plant during the project.
Each of the three units weigh 12,500 pounds. Because of the rooftop location, a traditional crane would have been unable to reach the installation area. Applegate Heating & Air Conditioning brought in the Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane, a twin-engine heavy-lift helicopter. The helicopter was rented by Hodess Cleanroom Construction, the general contractors on the project. The Skycrane was supplied by Erickson Co. of Portland, OR.
Eight Applegate employees and two Miller Truck & Storage employees were on site during the lift project. This HVAC renovation is part of a three month cleanroom construction project.
