American Design-Build Firm Brings U.S. Approach to Romania
Lufkin Industries, a U.S.-based manufacturer of oil-field pumps and power transmission products, is building a new hub in Romania to serve the European, Middle Eastern and Central Asian markets. Architect-engineer-constructor Epstein, based in Chicago, is performing the design-build job of Lufkin’s manufacturing complex in Ploiesti, an industrial center. One factor in Epstein’s favor was that it had worked previously in Ploiesti for another American client.
Lufkin’s project consists of a 300,000-sq-ft manufacturing building, a 38,000-sq-ft post-production plant and a single-story, 12,000-sq-ft office building. The $126-million project broke ground in October 2010. The precast concrete structure is fully erected for the post-production building, and concrete foundations now are being cast for the other two buildings. The project is expected to be completed during the second quarter of 2012.