USPS: A $2 Million Finish to Suit Permitted and Completed in 12 Weeks
The United States Postal Service needed a prototype Class A mail sort building in the Knoxville, Tennessee MSA on a fast-track schedule. The Hollingsworth Companies finished one of its virtually complete industrial buildings to exact USPS specifications, permitting and completing the $2 million up-fit in 12 weeks and setting a USPS record for speed of completion.
At a glance
| Client | United States Postal Service |
|---|---|
| Project | Prototype Class A mail sort building |
| Location | I-75 Business Park, Knoxville MSA, Tennessee |
| Solution | Finish to suit of a virtually complete Hollingsworth industrial building |
| Scope | Automated sorting and conveying equipment, extensive power requirements, 20 added truck doors, inspector access catwalks, expanded office and employee support space, modified truck access and parking |
| Original schedule | More than one year |
| Actual delivery | $2 million up-fit permitted and completed in 12 weeks |
| Outcome | A new record for speed of completion for a USPS building |
What did the USPS need?
The USPS needed a prototype Class A mail sort building in the Knoxville MSA, delivered on time and within budget, on a schedule that had been cut from more than a year to a fast-track mandate.
The Postmaster General had mandated cost streamlining across the system. The USPS was rerouting first class mail from airplanes to a hub and spoke over the road network, and every month of delay cost real money. A project originally scheduled to take more than a year was elevated to fast-track status, and the USPS made clear that its choice of developers had to deliver. Hollingsworth competed for the project and won.
Why did a finish to suit work for a federal prototype building?
Hollingsworth's virtually complete industrial buildings are built to be finished to an exact specification quickly, which is precisely what a fast-track federal project requires.
Rather than starting from a greenfield, the USPS project started from a standing Hollingsworth building at I-75 Business Park. The finish to suit scope was substantial: automated sorting and conveying equipment with extensive power requirements, 20 added truck doors, specialized inspector access catwalks and companionways, expanded employee and office support space, and heavily modified truck access and parking areas. The shell being done meant all of that work started immediately.
How did The Hollingsworth Companies deliver?
Hollingsworth obtained permitting and completed the $2 million up-fit in 12 weeks, maintaining an on-site presence through every phase of construction.
Twelve weeks from permits to completion on a $2 million federal up-fit is not a normal outcome. It reflects the same structural advantages Hollingsworth brings to every project: the land and building were already controlled, design and construction run in house, and decisions get made by the people on site rather than a committee somewhere else. The project set a new record for speed of completion for a USPS building.
What does this mean for other companies?
If a finish to suit can satisfy a federal prototype specification in 12 weeks, it can handle most manufacturing and logistics requirements.
The USPS project is the clearest demonstration of what the finish to suit model is for. A standing Hollingsworth building plus an exact specification plus an in house construction team equals occupancy measured in weeks. Depending on the scope, Hollingsworth can complete finish to suit requirements in as little as 30 days. For a company holding customer commitments and a deadline, that certainty is the product.
Frequently asked questions
What did The Hollingsworth Companies build for the USPS?
A prototype Class A mail sort building in the Knoxville, Tennessee MSA, delivered by finishing a virtually complete Hollingsworth industrial building to exact USPS specifications, including automated sorting and conveying equipment, 20 added truck doors, and extensive power.
How fast was the USPS building delivered?
The $2 million up-fit was permitted and completed in 12 weeks, on a project originally scheduled to take more than a year. It set a new record for speed of completion for a USPS building.
What is a finish to suit?
Hollingsworth builds industrial buildings to a virtually complete state, then finishes the interior and site to a tenant's exact specification. Depending on scope, finish to suit space can be completed in as little as 30 days.
Does Hollingsworth work with government tenants?
Yes. The USPS selected Hollingsworth for a prototype mail sort building after a competitive process that demanded on time, on budget delivery.