Reuse, Expansion and New Metal Buildings in Lovington
A plant shell that already has power, water and a loading dock is often cheaper to reuse than to replace, and Lovington has had that conversation in public. In March 2020 Big Dog Industries bought the former 90,000-square-foot Lovington Cheese Plant, planning over $15 million of investment and 125 direct jobs within five years, with the state pledging $750,000 and the city $250,000 in incentives.
We work on both ends of that choice. For owners who reuse an old building, we re-skin roofs and walls, add insulated panels, and build additions with new frames tied to the old. For owners who start from bare ground, we erect new rigid frame shops, warehouses and equipment buildings and price them by the square foot.
Lea County is flat and open, with wind and hard sun. We design for that, and we tell you what the lot, the water and the drive will add.
Rail, highways and industrial ground
US 82 runs through the center of Lovington, and NM 18 runs 21 miles southeast to Hobbs. NM 83 runs 18 miles east to the state line. The Texas & New Mexico Railway provides freight service, and Lovington is the northern terminus of the line. For a storage or transload owner that is a good reason to put a building near the tracks.
EnergyPlex Park is described as an industrial park between Hobbs and Lovington, with rail access via the same railroad and no impact fees or inventory taxes. We read marketing descriptions with care. The point for a builder is that there is industrial land on the highway, and a steel building suits it.
For an owner who buys or ships by rail, the practical question is where the siding meets the building. We place dock-high doors where trucks can back in on the side away from the track, leave room for a lift to cross, and keep the track side clear for the railroad's switching. Ask the railroad about siding rules before you sign for ground.
Services that fit this town
Most Lovington work lands in a short list: re-skin, retrofit and repair for older buildings, new shops and warehouses, and office build-outs inside a shell. An old cheese plant, for example, has insulated walls and floor drains that a new owner might keep, but the roof may need work.
When a company grows into a building and needs a front office, our industrial office build-outs frame and finish a small office inside the shell, with its own mechanical system and a clean entry. It separates the dirty shop from the visitors and keeps the cost lower than a stand-alone office building. Light assembly and processing users can read our manufacturing industry page for how we lay out the plant floor next to that office.
New buildings on the plain
A new building package is the foundation, slab, primary frames, secondary framing, roof and wall panels, trim, gutters and doors. Lovington sits at an elevation of 3,918 feet, slightly north of the center of Lea County, which it serves as county seat, and the ground is open. There is nothing to shelter a tall wall from wind, so we brace it for the load.
A solar farm of 1,350 acres was proposed on two parcels at the Lovington industrial park on the Hobbs Highway in 2021, according to the Lea County Tribune. A project that size needs operations and maintenance buildings, spare-parts storage and a control shed. If you own a solar site, we can price those as a simple steel package.
Hot, dry summers put real heat on the roof. A light reflective panel color, roof insulation with a vapor facing and a ridge vent bring the inside temperature down. For a shop where welders and grinders work, we also suggest wall lights or roof lights so the daytime lights can stay off.
How we handle reuse work
Before we quote a re-skin, we walk the building and look at the frame. We check corrosion, plumb, bolt condition and roof deck. If the primary frame is sound, new panels on a new secondary system can last a long time and cost less than starting over. If the frame is bad, we say so, and the cost conversation changes.
Many owners compare a reuse with a new manufacturing plant. We give both numbers. A new building gives you the layout you want. A reused one gives you time. Which wins depends on how soon you must start, and we will not push you toward the larger invoice.
What changes the price here
On the plain, the main variable is distance. Lovington is 21 miles from Hobbs, and crews often work both towns on one trip. Lodging, fuel and a long haul for steel are all part of the estimate. We show them as lines so you can see whether the trip is worth it.
Next is the floor. A shop with heavy equipment needs a thick slab with reinforcing steel, and a warehouse with racking needs flat, level concrete. Then insulation, doors and fire protection. A reuse job swaps the new slab for demolition and patching, which can cost more than owners expect. Talk to neighboring owners in Hobbs and Eunice if you want to compare local costs.
Permits and plan review
Commercial work follows the 2021 New Mexico Commercial Building Code, which adopts the 2021 International Building Code as amended and took effect July 14, 2023. A change of use in an old building, from food processing to light manufacturing for example, may trigger a review under the existing building code, and the Regulation and Licensing Department lists a 2021 New Mexico Existing Building Code for that purpose.
We prepare drawings, submit them and answer comments. If you are close to Artesia and want to compare, the permitting process is the same statewide, though local jurisdictions add their own steps.
Show us the plant or the lot
Send photos of the existing building or the lot you own. We will tell you what we would reuse, what we would replace, and what each choice costs.
Common Questions
Is it cheaper to reuse an old plant or build new?
It depends on the frame, the roof and what your process needs. An old shell with sound steel, power and water can save months. A bad frame or a wrong layout can cost more to fix than to replace. We walk the building and give you both numbers.
Can you tie a new addition to an existing steel building?
Yes. We check the existing frame, match the bay spacing where we can, and design a connection that carries the loads. Expansions sometimes need a new foundation line and a flashing detail where old and new roofs meet.
Do you build solar operations buildings?
We build the control shed, spare-parts storage and maintenance garage that go with a site, and we price them as a small steel package. We do not build the arrays.
How does the railroad help a storage owner?
The Texas & New Mexico Railway serves Lovington, so a transload or bulk storage building near the line can receive material by rail and ship it by truck. The owner works out the siding with the railroad, and we design the building around the dock and door layout.
How much lead time should I allow for steel?
Plan on several weeks between final drawings and delivery, plus time for permit review and the foundation. We start the order as soon as the layout is fixed, and we pass along the date when the mill and the fabricator give us theirs. Rushing the order rarely saves time because the slab is usually the long item.
