It means a lot to see a Syracuse project we know so well told on a national stage. The November 2026 issue of Metal Construction News dedicates six pages to the 82,500 SF expansion of Feldmeier Equipment’s Syracuse manufacturing campus — and the planning, design, and construction coordination required to expand while production continued.
“If an expansion project were to be scripted and turned into a Hollywood movie…”
Anthony opens the story by imagining what the Feldmeier expansion might look like on the big screen. From there, he gets into the details that made the project worth telling: decisions made years earlier that prepared the original facility for future growth, a two-shift manufacturing operation continuing through construction, precise crane and structural coordination, and a project that continued to evolve as Feldmeier’s needs changed.
We appreciate not only the coverage, but the energy Anthony brought to telling the story.
Read the full feature in the November 2026 issue of Metal Construction News →
What Metal Construction News Highlights
The feature looks beyond the finished expansion to the work behind it, from planning the original facility for future growth to coordinating construction around active operations and installing critical systems to tight tolerances.
- Plan for the next expansion before you need it. Feldmeier’s original facility was designed with future growth in mind, giving the team more options when the eventual expansion grew well beyond the original concept.
- Build around the business already operating. MCN documents the coordination required around two-shift production, regular truck traffic, equipment, site access, and daily manufacturing needs.
- Industrial work depends on precision. Across a 600-foot span, VIP’s field team installed crane rail brackets within a ¼-inch tolerance, with most locations landing within ⅛ inch or 3/16 inch of target.
Why This Story Matters to Us
It is meaningful to see a Syracuse project, and the people behind it, given this kind of attention by a national industry publication.
For us, the value of this feature goes beyond the recognition.
It is an independent look at the kind of work that defines many industrial projects:
- Planning for what comes next
- Coordinating construction around an operating business
- And solving technical challenges in the field as conditions change
For manufacturers considering their own expansion, it offers a real example of what that work looks like in practice.
We are grateful to Anthony Capkun and the Metal Construction News team for taking the time to tell the story in depth, and to Feldmeier Equipment for the trust and collaboration behind the project.
About the Project
Feldmeier Equipment, the largest manufacturer of stainless-steel vessels in the Western Hemisphere, partnered with VIP Structures to expand its Syracuse manufacturing campus by 82,500 SF.
The project included a 72,500 SF manufacturing addition on the south side of the campus and a separate 10,000 SF warehouse on the north side. The expansion added nine overhead crane systems, with construction taking place within Feldmeier’s active manufacturing campus while the company continued operating two shifts.
The project was recognized as a category winner in the 2026 Varco Pruden Hall of Fame Awards and received a Construction Excellence Award from Associated Builders and Contractors, Empire State Chapter.
Read the full Feldmeier case study: Expanding Without Standing Still →
Planning a Manufacturing Expansion in Syracuse or Central New York?
VIP Structures helps manufacturers plan, design, and build facilities for where their operation is headed — not just where it is today. Talk with our Industrial Design-Build Team →
