Industrial Construction in Sheridan, Wyoming

A development authority that builds the shell and leases it for 20 years changes how a manufacturer thinks about a building, and that model has shaped industrial construction in Sheridan. In January 2018 a manufacturer announced it would relocate its management and manufacturing to Sheridan from out of state, with 70 to 90 jobs, in a building of up to 100,000 square feet that the Sheridan Economic and Education Development Authority would build in the Sheridan High-Tech Business Park and lease for 20 years.

That announcement is several years old, so treat it as an example of how deals get structured here, not a claim about current occupancy. The lesson holds: Sheridan manufacturers often want a building delivered on a fixed schedule, built to their process and ready for production equipment. We build to that standard, with the floor, power and clear height set by the machines that will sit on them.

We take industrial design-build work here, along with tenant improvements for existing shells, and we keep the site winter-ready from the start of earthwork.

Home Rule, Plan Review and the 2024 Codes

Sheridan reviews its own plans. The city building department reviews plans and performs inspections under home rule, which requires the city to adopt the state's 2024 code family, adopted June 28, 2024, within six months. When the city posted its notice, the City Council had passed the adopting ordinance on first reading. In practice, that means you deal with a city office that knows the buildings, not a distant state reviewer.

We use that closeness. Before we finalize drawings, we ask the plan reviewer which edition and amendments govern your project, and we build a submittal that answers their questions. Wyoming has no single statewide commercial building code, so a few phone calls early save weeks late. We also coordinate fire department access, water supply and utility approvals alongside the building permit.

Shops, Plants and Flex Space

The Sheridan High-Tech Business Park is where much of the town's light manufacturing sits. Kennon Products broke ground on a 35,000 square foot corporate and manufacturing building in the park, as reported July 9, 2020, with 61 employees at the time and plans for 87 within five years. A building of that size is typical of Sheridan: a production floor, a shipping dock, an office front and room to grow.

We build those programs for advanced manufacturing tenants as flex and light industrial buildings with clear heights and column spacing chosen for the line layout. Expansion is easy to underestimate. We leave a knock-out wall, extend utilities to the future bay and size the electrical service for what you will need later, because adding capacity during construction costs far less than adding it afterward.

Build-to-Suit From the Process Backward

We start with the process, not the plan. Where do raw materials arrive, how do parts move, what do you inspect, where do finished goods leave? From those answers we set the building size, the dock count, the floor flatness and the power. A precision machining line and an assembly bench need different slabs and different HVAC, and we do not guess.

Equipment arrival is the second step. Machines have set dates, set door sizes and set rigging needs. We plan the structure so large pieces can enter, with the slab cured and the floor sealed before the first machine lands. Industrial tenant improvements follow the same logic when you move into an existing building: confirm what the floor and power can carry before you commit.

Sheridan by Highway and Air

Sheridan sits at 3,757 feet with I-90 and US 14 and 16 passing nearby. Sheridan County Airport lies about two miles southwest of town at 4,021 feet, with an 8,301 foot by 100 foot main runway and United Express service with two daily nonstop flights. For a manufacturer that needs to move people, as well as freight, access by interstate and by air makes the location workable.

Sheridan is also the sixth-most populous city in Wyoming at 18,737 people in the 2020 census, which sets the labor pool for a plant here. We are straightforward with owners about that: staffing a second shift or a specialized trade takes planning, and construction trades compete for the same people. For work farther down the I-90 corridor, we also build in Gillette and Buffalo.

Offices, Yards and Finish Work

A plant is more than a production floor. Most Sheridan projects include an industrial office buildout for engineering, management and visitors, plus truck courts, employee parking and storm drainage. We design the office area with its own entrance and acoustic separation, so the front of the building feels like an office while the back works like a plant.

Outside, we grade for snow storage as well as drainage. Piles of plowed snow need a place to sit that does not block a dock or flood a door in March. That is a small design decision that shapes how the site works for years.

Plan a Sheridan Building

Tell us what you make, how much space you need and when you want to start production. We will give you a building plan, a permit path and a winter schedule.

Common Questions

Who reviews plans for an industrial building inside Sheridan?

The City of Sheridan building department reviews plans and performs inspections under home rule, which requires the city to adopt the state's 2024 codes within six months of the June 28, 2024 state adoption. We confirm the current edition and any local amendments with that office before we finalize the permit set.

Can a development authority build a shell and lease it to my company?

In Sheridan this has been done before. In 2018 a manufacturer announced a relocation to a building up to 100,000 square feet that the Sheridan Economic and Education Development Authority would build in the Sheridan High-Tech Business Park and lease for 20 years. Ask the authority about current terms. We can estimate the building cost so you can compare lease and ownership.

How big does a first manufacturing building usually need to be?

It depends on the product, but local examples include a 35,000 square foot building that broke ground in the business park in 2020 for a company with 61 employees planning to reach 87. We help owners size the first phase and plan the expansion path so you do not build more than you need or box yourself in.

What does winter do to a Sheridan construction schedule?

Cold and snow shorten the efficient season for concrete and earthwork. We plan for frost protection, snow removal, heated enclosures and shorter days, and we try to get the building closed in before the worst of winter. Interior work can proceed through the season once the shell is enclosed and heated.

Do you handle the office part of an industrial building?

Yes. We build the office finishes, the break areas and the restrooms in the same contract as the production space, so one schedule governs the whole building. That avoids the common gap where the plant is ready and the offices are not.