Planning a new dry fertilizer warehouse is a timeline game, a permitting game, and—most importantly—a facility-design game. In a recent Scoop Podcast conversation, Tommy Setterdahl, pre-construction manager at Stueve Construction, shared four moves retailers can make from the very beginning to reduce risk and streamline decisions.
1) Build success in pre-construction—not on site
Setterdahl has seen how the work that matters most happens before field construction starts. He emphasizes that “a successful project is built in the pre-construction phases.” Pre-con is where teams align feasibility, scheduling, and design inputs so the project can move efficiently once construction begins.
Retailer takeaway: Don’t treat pre-con as overhead—treat it as the foundation.
2) Bring your builder in early to act as a risk manager
Setterdahl explains his role as a guardrail for the full process, describing pre-con as a way to “keep ahead of everybody in planning” and to help “prevent the roadblocks.” He also notes that working together early can start “at times, years in advance of when it actually goes into the field.”
Retailer takeaway: The sooner you engage, the more you can control schedule risk.
3) Plan for permitting realities by location
Permitting isn’t uniform across the U.S., and Setterdahl says that timeline differences directly impact scheduling strategy. He pointed out that “different states have different requirements,” and that teams may be looking at a “6-month permitting window” in one area—or “2 months… or less? or more?” depending on where the project is built.
Retailer takeaway: Make permitting timeline assumptions part of your early plan—not a late-stage problem.
4) Design for automation to stay ahead of labor constraints
Setterdahl also highlights automation as a practical response to staffing challenges. He said the industry is moving toward facilities that are “bigger, faster, more efficient, but also automated,” adding that teams are “getting ahead of the labor problems and labor shortages.” Automation and material handling are becoming “state-of-the-art,” and that shift will shape what “modern” looks like.
Retailer takeaway: Plan automation early so it’s integrated into the facility concept, not bolted on later.
