Scapa Healthcare: A Medical Device Building Delivered On Time Through the 8th Wettest Year on Record
Scapa Healthcare needed a 152,480 square foot medical device manufacturing building in Knoxville, Tennessee, with a clean room and room to grow. The Hollingsworth Companies compressed planning into eight weeks, built through the 8th wettest year in Knox County history, absorbed a mid-project scope addition, and delivered on time. Scapa opened the building as its Center of Excellence in 2019 and announced expanded capabilities there in 2021.
At a glance
| Client | Scapa Healthcare |
|---|---|
| Industry | Advanced wound care, consumer wellness, and medical device fixation |
| Location | Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee |
| Building | 152,480 SF build to suit, designed to expand to 250,000 SF |
| Inside the building | 18,000 SF office, 13,100 SF clean room, 36,600 SF production, balance warehouse |
| Planning | Eight weeks from start to groundbreaking, including incentives, land acquisition, design, and legal |
| Construction | February 2018 groundbreaking through on-time completion, despite the 8th wettest year in Knox County history |
| Outcome | Ribbon cutting June 2019 as Scapa Healthcare's Center of Excellence; expanded capabilities announced in 2021 |
Who is Scapa Healthcare?
Scapa Healthcare is a contract development and manufacturing partner for medical device and consumer healthcare companies, specializing in advanced wound care, consumer wellness, and medical device fixation.
Scapa's products reach consumers under some of the most recognizable names in the category, including Breathe Right Nasal Strips, which are manufactured under contract. For its new North American manufacturing and R&D hub, the company needed a building that could hold FDA grade production, a clean room, offices, and warehousing under one roof.
What did Scapa Healthcare need?
Scapa needed a purpose-built medical device building with a clean room and expansion capacity, on a schedule that left no slack for the normal pace of industrial development.
The program called for 152,480 square feet: 18,000 square feet of office, a 13,100 square foot clean room, 36,600 square feet of production space, and warehouse space for the balance, with the building designed to expand to 250,000 square feet. Before a shovel hit the ground, the project needed economic development incentives from the State of Tennessee and Knox County, land acquisition through the Development Corporation of Knox County, building design, and legal documentation. Hollingsworth and its partners compressed all of that into eight weeks.
How did The Hollingsworth Companies help?
Hollingsworth ran planning, incentives, land, design, and legal in parallel over eight weeks, then built through the 8th wettest year in Knox County history without giving up the completion date.
Site work began February 1, 2018, and the official groundbreaking followed on March 22. Then it started raining, 18 consecutive days of it in the early weeks, on the way to the 8th wettest year Knox County has recorded. The team went to a seven day work week, moved 20,000 cubic yards of dirt, and poured pilings to hold the schedule.
Mid-project, Scapa landed a new customer contract and asked for an 18,000 square foot production room to be integrated into the building. Hollingsworth absorbed the scope change without moving the delivery date. The building was delivered on time.
What were the results?
Scapa Healthcare cut the ribbon in June 2019, opening the Knoxville building as the company's Center of Excellence for R&D and manufacturing.
An on-time delivery through record rainfall and a mid-project scope addition is the kind of result that only shows up when the developer controls design and construction directly.
In February 2021, Scapa announced enhanced manufacturing and innovation capabilities at the Knoxville site, a sign the building is doing what it was designed to do: support growth without forcing a move.
Frequently asked questions
What did The Hollingsworth Companies build for Scapa Healthcare?
A 152,480 square foot medical device manufacturing building in Knoxville, Tennessee, including 18,000 square feet of office, a 13,100 square foot clean room, and 36,600 square feet of production space, designed to expand to 250,000 square feet.
How fast did the Scapa Healthcare project move?
Planning, incentives, land acquisition, design, and legal documentation were completed in eight weeks. Construction began February 1, 2018, and the building was delivered on time despite the 8th wettest year in Knox County history.
Can Hollingsworth handle clean room and FDA grade manufacturing requirements?
Yes. The Scapa building included a 13,100 square foot clean room and dedicated production space for medical device manufacturing, and an additional 18,000 square foot production room was integrated mid-project without delaying delivery.
Is the Scapa Healthcare building still in use?
Yes. The Knoxville site operates as Scapa Healthcare's Center of Excellence for R&D and manufacturing, and the company announced expanded capabilities there in 2021.