Residents of Anchorage, Alaska can expect faster, more efficient deliveries thanks to the transformation of an existing 90,000-square-foot retail warehouse into an all-electric logistics hub designed to receive, process and dispatch up to 18,000 packages a day.

With snow permeating the ground from October through June and average temperatures dropping below freezing seven months out of the year, building in Anchorage is a challenge on its own. The window to build is narrow. This weather-based time crunch becomes even more prevalent when one of the client’s biggest priorities is your greatest challenge: schedule.

Facing icy Alaskan winters, global supply chain delays, and a tight deadline, the PCL team had to get strategic on this project.  When the PCL team discovered key electrical equipment was scheduled to arrive mere weeks before the planned project completion - in the prime of winter – the team worked closely with the vendor to negotiate an expedited procurement during warmer weather. This proactive collaboration allowed the electrical equipment to be delivered five months ahead of the original estimated delivery date, contributing to an on-time project delivery. Moreover, due to a lack of available commercial masons in the region, the PCL team self-performed all masonry to ensure a quality and timely end product.

Communities like Anchorage often experience shipment delays given their remoteness. By building sorting and delivery stations in rural areas, this type of logistics facility removes the need for PCL’s client, an international e-commerce company, to rely on external delivery services and increases efficiency in package delivery.