RP Construction Services Inc. (RPCS), a California-based solar tracker project design, supply and installation subcontractor, has opened a new logistics facility in Kosciusko, Miss. The new facility is now the third distribution yard owned and operated by RPCS in order to serve the U.S. utility-scale solar market, complementing RPCS’s Texas and California locations.
The facility, comprising two warehouses, rests on a 10-acre property. Warehouse I (the West House) is a 25,000-square-foot kitting facility that will house all materials necessary for RPCS’s pre-assembly operations. The West House will also include a mechanic shop for servicing equipment, tools and toolboxes for field crews. Warehouse II (the East House) is a 35,000-square-foot facility that will store all other essential components.
Adjacent to the West House is a two-acre laydown yard for inbound and outbound kitting components. The 40,000-square-foot lot just outside of the East House is currently storing 18,000 foundation piers and more than 7 MW of pre-assembled materials for Safe Harbor. At the north end of the property, two solar arrays will be installed for training, demo and testing purposes. Both warehouses will have two loading and unloading docks, which makes the transport of materials quicker and more streamlined.
“This is a big move for RPCS,” says Brendan Teague, executive vice president of operations at RPCS. “The new facility gives us ample indoor storage and packing capability, which greatly accelerates our ability to process and ship orders.”
The facility is located in close proximity to RPCS’s steel supplier, Attala Steel, who has continued to be a valued partner to the company. This contiguity will offer diverse options for distributing partial pier loads with RPCS’s material, and the ability to request materials at the last minute to complete projects to keep construction timelines on schedule.
In addition to added supply chain enhancement, the new facility will ensure greater material and inventory accuracy, more streamlined installs and improved deployment of serviced equipment and tools.