“ Foundations , walls , and roof trusses . We don ’ t want any surprises with those sorts of things .”
These site visits also are an opportunity to discuss with Kwik Trip officials the potential costs involved in a building ’ s conversion .
“ Any modification can be done ,” Zander said . “ It just depends on how much you ’ re willing to pay for it .”
Electrical designs meet Kwik Trip ’ s current needs
Amanda Elms , an electrical designer , has been the Ayres team ’ s electrical power manager for the Kwik Trip projects for the past two years .
Within the Ayres team , “ I think we get touched more than any other division ,” Elms said . “ Electrical seems to be involved in everything we do . Everything takes electricity .”
Her main task in the conversion of an existing store to meet Kwik Trip ’ s current needs is assessing the building ’ s electrical capacity and determining any necessary updates . Will the store ’ s wiring and electrical panels meet local building codes ? If not , how much will it cost to make the necessary improvements ?
Kwik Trip has its own electrical department and last spring , Elms participated with some of those professionals during a training session with the contractors they ’ d hired to do the construction work involved in bringing the Ayres team ’ s designs into reality .
As a former electrician herself , Elms was able to provide valuable clarifications during the session . “ In my drawings I ’ m thinking like a contractor ,” she said . “ I ’ m asking myself , ‘ How are we going to do this ? Yeah , a plan may look good on paper , but is it really going to work ?’
“ I think Kwik Trip appreciates me being able to bring my prior electrician ’ s knowledge to the table ," Elms said . www . AyresAssociates . com 11