Running your own warehouse company can be a lucrative and fulfilling job, but it is far from easy. Being responsible for any type of property, no matter how small, is overwhelming. So, try adding in a large building with industrial equipment specifications, labor safety laws, employee accommodations, and various other factors.
Luckily, it’s not all that bad. If you go into purchasing a warehouse without any succinct plan, you’re probably going to struggle. But if you plan out everything from the beginning, you should be on your way to running a successful operation.
Here are a few things that every warehouse property owner should consider before any deals are finalized.
Distinct Layout Plans
To ensure that your employees, once a part of the staff, will be at their most productive, you have to make sure that not every square foot of your property looks exactly the same. Doing that will undoubtedly lower workplace morale. If their break room looks exactly like their workspace, it’s never going to feel like they have any time to relax.
You have to plan out the layout before moving in and be sure to consider quality of work life factors like bathroom space, hallways, break rooms, main foyers, and all other areas.
Centrifugal/Exhaust System
Another part of property ownership that needs to be addressed right away? The centrifugal and exhaust system that will be providing ventilation and cooling for the entire building. Fantech exhaust fans can provide high quality ventilation throughout a large building. It’s also important to find exhaust fans that will work for your particular space. For buildings that get really hot, the laminar fan, which is popular in hospital buildings, can keep air circulating up to 300 times per hour to ensure a cool workplace.
Another benefit of using these fans is that they limit the amount of stress placed on your air conditioning system. Your overall energy bill could be much lower than if you only used air conditioning units. Lowering air conditioning cooling by only three degrees could even decrease AC costs by 12 to 15%, and Fantech exhaust fans are a great way to do that.
Bathroom Ventilation
It’s important to note that the bathroom exhaust system should not be the same as the rest of the building. And as described above, it’s important to choose fans and exhaust systems optimized for that particular space. For instance, some bathrooms have higher ceilings. More venting and Fantech exhaust fans may be required if a bathroom’s ceiling is over eight feet tall.
Pro Tip: To determine the exact size of an exhaust system you’ll need for your bathroom, take the volume of the bathroom and divided that number by five.