Buckeye Corrugated, Inc.

Buckeye Corrugated, Inc.

Building capacity for growth

Manufacturing facilities are often judged by what they produce. Behind every production line, however, is a building designed to support efficiency, movement and future growth.

That challenge shaped the development of Buckeye Corrugated Inc.'s new Cedar Falls Division facility in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

As demand for corrugated packaging continued to grow, Buckeye Corrugated needed a facility capable of supporting increased production while creating a more efficient environment for employees, equipment and material flow. The company partnered with Peters Construction Services and Varco Pruden™ to develop a solution tailored to the operational requirements of a modern packaging manufacturer.

Completed in 2017, the facility encompasses approximately 284,000 square feet and serves as a manufacturing and distribution hub supporting customers throughout the region. The project represented a significant investment in production capability and long-term growth, allowing Buckeye Corrugated to expand operations while strengthening service to its customer base.

Rather than simply adding square footage, the project team focused on creating a facility designed around how the business operates every day.

Designing around manufacturing operations

Packaging production requires more than open floor space.

Raw materials, finished products, equipment and personnel must move efficiently throughout the facility. Production lines require clear spans, reliable infrastructure and flexibility to accommodate changing manufacturing demands over time.

The Cedar Falls facility was designed with those realities in mind.

Large unobstructed production areas provide room for corrugating and converting operations while supporting efficient workflow across the plant. Warehousing and storage functions were integrated into the overall layout to reduce material handling challenges and improve coordination between manufacturing and distribution activities.

Office and administrative spaces were incorporated alongside production operations, creating stronger connections between departments while supporting day-to-day business functions.

This integrated approach reflects a core principle of the Varco Pruden process: understanding how a facility will operate before determining how it should be built.

Rather than adapting operations to fit a standard building, the facility was designed around Buckeye Corrugated's specific manufacturing requirements and long-term business objectives.

Collaboration from concept to completion

Success depended on close coordination among ownership, design professionals, construction teams and building system partners.

Peters Construction worked alongside Buckeye Corrugated throughout the planning and construction process to align facility requirements with operational goals. The collaborative approach helped streamline decision-making while keeping the project focused on production efficiency and future flexibility.

The resulting facility supports advanced packaging manufacturing while providing the adaptability needed to respond to changing customer demands and production technologies.

That flexibility remains one of the defining advantages of the building.

As manufacturing requirements evolve, the facility has the capacity to accommodate growth without disrupting core operations. Large-span spaces, durable building systems and efficient circulation patterns provide a foundation for continued expansion and operational improvement.

A facility built for the future

For Buckeye Corrugated, the Cedar Falls Division represents more than a manufacturing plant.

It is a strategic investment in people, production and long-term growth.

The facility supports expanded manufacturing capabilities while creating a more efficient environment for employees and customers alike. Improved workflow, increased production capacity and integrated support functions help position the company for continued success in a competitive market.

The project also demonstrates how collaboration and thoughtful planning can create value beyond the building itself. By aligning structural design with manufacturing requirements from the outset, the project team delivered a facility that supports business objectives today while remaining flexible enough to meet future demands.

That outcome reflects the Varco Pruden approach to building solutions. Every project begins with understanding the owner's goals, operational challenges and opportunities for growth. From there, engineering, design and construction work together to create a facility tailored to those needs.

At Buckeye Corrugated's Cedar Falls Division, the result is a manufacturing facility designed around performance, efficiency and possibility.

It provides the space needed to support production today and the flexibility required to support whatever comes next.