Tichon Seafood

20K sq.ft. – Calming the Seas of Compliance

Project Overview

With over 72 years in business and more than $50 million annual sales, Tichon Sea Food Corp of New Bedford, MA, is one of New England’s oldest and most successful seafood wholesalers. Although the building was sound, decades of exposure to salt water fish waste, and harsh New England winters was causing the flooring surfaces to badly deteriorate. Inclusions, fissures, pits, holes, and cracks created potential harbor for listeria and bacteria to form in the concrete. Although meticulous cleaning and maintenance were a daily routine, the facility was approaching risk for future inspections. Pristine Surfaces was asked to design a flooring solution that would be bacteria resistant, rugged enough to withstand forklift traffic, easy to clean and maintain, and able to withstand extreme environmental conditions.

Project Details

The Challenge

Enhance facility appearance; ensure USDA, BRC, and FDA compliance; repair damaged concrete; and provide a safe environment for workers on the production line. Installation would take place over the winter months. The facility is spacious with large doors that open and shut all day, allowing shipping and delivery of product. Cold wet weather flows freely throughout the facility, presenting a challenge when flooring systems are curing. Proper flooring installation required that we first stabilize the environment by raising the air temperature and removing moisture from the air. The next challenge was to properly prepare the concrete to achieve optimal bond for long -asting results. Accomplishing this project quickly and effectively as possible without impacting Tichon’s revenue and product delivery schedule would be a tall task.

The Solution

Pristine decided that the best way to meet the challenges of delivering a flooring system in a wet cold environment and minimizing the impact on Tichon’s bottom line, was to schedule this project over a three-day holiday weekend. The facility could be shut down and Pristine could have exclusivity within the production area. Equipment and materials were pre-positioned prior to the event to optimize a thin schedule. Pristine Surfaces used tarps and plastic to seal off work areas. We directed that Tichon increase the temperature slowly by one degree each of the previous five days and deployed portable heaters, fans, and industrial dehumidifiers. Puddles and other wet areas were dried by using gas-flame torches and large industrial fans to expedite the drying process. Three crews worked around the clock for 72 hours. After stabilizing the environment, we began our methodology of preparing the substrate, a key factor to ensuring long lasting results. We shot-blasted the entire area as crews repaired divots, holes, drains, and other damage to the substrate. Once all repairs are made and the environment was stable we began to execute our Project Plan to install a Polycrete flooring system.

The Result

Our Seamless, Safe, and Sanitary Polycrete flooring system was delivered over the long weekend without experiencing any down time. By delivering a system that is chemical resistant; USDA, BRC and FDA compliant; and rugged enough to withstand forklift traffic Tichon was able to meet their delivery demands, enabling them to meet their financial goals. Their executive team was thrilled with the results that provided a non-slip floor easy to clean and safe for the hundreds of employees working on production lines. Tichon continues to contract Pristine Surfaces for its Polycrete floor systems and continues to make production facility improvements.