Local Bounti Recruits Amazon Senior Construction Manager for Facility Expansion
August 4, 2021 Local Bounti Corporation announced the appointment of construction industry leader James Michael “Mike” Schaal as Vice President, Construction.
In his new role, Schaal will be responsible for directing and overseeing the construction of all of Local Bounti’s new state-of-the-art controlled environment agriculture (CEA) facilities as the company rolls out its aggressive expansion plans.
In addition to the Hamilton, MT, facility expansion expected to be completed and operational by the fourth quarter of 2021, seven additional facilities are planned in the Western U.S. by 2025.
With a 20-year history of directing construction operations for fast-growing enterprises, Schaal most recently served as Senior Manager Pre-Construction with Amazon. He was responsible for managing the construction of several billion in projects for the internet giant’s sorting centers across North America.
This included new center launches, plus retrofits of existing facilities to improve operating efficiencies and better meet consumer demand. Before that, he was Director Project Management Healthcare for CBRE, one of the largest commercial real estate services firms in the world, where he spearheaded the delivery of large healthcare projects throughout the West Coast.
“We are delighted to welcome [Schaal] to the Local Bounti team to help drive forward our goals of building out CEA facilities to serve our high-growth markets across the Western U.S.,” says Craig Hurlbert, Local Bounti Co-Founder and Co-CEO. “[His] experience and expertise are invaluable as we scale and expand our operations as the first mover in this region and replicate our successful business model to support local communities while producing excellent crop yields at attractive economics to meet robust consumer demand for fresh produce.”
Local Bounti is currently undergoing expansion to increase the capacity of its flagship facility in Hamilton, MT. This is part of its plan to leverage its innovative proprietary modular and scalable building system designed to replicate its indoor farm model easily and efficiently.
“Local Bounti’s unique and proven modular and scalable building system – which incorporates key proprietary design and technology elements – will enable the efficient and cost-effective construction of the new facilities while meeting the company’s ambitious growth plans,” Schaal says. “The design of these facilities incorporates the best in engineering for optimal crop production, and I am delighted to spearhead the Local Bounti construction team and help enable the company to build on its passion to support the health and economic well-being of local communities.”
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