News Release: MAy 15, 2011

Fulton Companies Hosts HVAC Industry Leaders to Preview State-of-the-Art Facility

Editorial Contacts:

Melissa Zakrajsek
(315) 298-7182

Pulaski, NY — Fulton Companies (www.fulton.com), the global manufacturer of steam, hydronic and thermal fluid heat transfer products and provider of innovative energy management solutions, hosted an open house and tour for members of American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc. (ASHRAE) to preview its nearly-completed, major facility expansion project.

Members of the Central New York Chapter of ASHRAE donned hardhats and safety glasses to tour the interior of the new 112,000 square-foot facility, paying specific attention to Fulton’s state-of-the-art heating and cooling strategies for the building. The expansion is adjacent to the company’s Pulaski NY-based headquarters, bringing the total square footage of the facility to approximately 162,000 square feet.

“This is not your traditional factory,” said Rae Butler, President of the Central New York Chapter of ASHRAE and owner of Building Energy Solutions, LLC in Syracuse NY.  “Using and showcasing technology like this is commendable. It’s great for this region, and also great to see how highly specialized technical equipment can be applied in a commercial and manufacturing setting.”

With so many HVAC engineers on staff, the Fulton Companies could not pass up an opportunity to design its new facility using the most cutting-edge technology in the industry, said Mark Hilton, Fulton Vice President of Manufacturing.

Tucked in a rural, unique geographic region between the Adirondack Mountains and the most eastern lake of the Great Lakes system, the Fulton facility receives a wide range of meteorological influxes: in winter, the area experiences intense lake effect snowfall in the neighborhood of several hundred inches; it’s also commonplace for double-digit temperature plunges below 0 F.   In summer, there is high humidity and rising temperatures.  The new facility responds to these broad heating and cooling challenges, and serves as a model for Fulton’s systems capabilities.

Some of the facility’s innovative heating and cooling strategies are:

• Twelve unique radiant flooring heating zones with multiple energy sources. Plastic tubing (PEX) is installed in the concrete floor of the office space, through which heated water is routed. Before turning on boilers, the system first looks to waste heat coming from test fire bays in the laboratories and manufacturing space. If no energy is available from these waste sources, gas absorption heat pumps are enabled, which feature thermal efficiencies up to 146 percent. If additional energy is needed, the condensing Pulse and Vantage boilers are enabled, featuring efficiencies up to 99 percent. Heat for the manufacturing space and laboratories is accomplished by direct fired units installed in the ceilings and placed strategically for energy distribution.
• Forty-three unique cooling zones, each with an integrated humidity management system that utilizes chilled beams, ductwork that is much smaller than is typical, and overall attention to cost savings measures.
• One hundred percent building fresh air makeup with energy recovery units.
• A fully customized Synex Controls energy management platform, to carry out the complex tasks required by the building’s heating and cooling systems, resulting in increased efficiencies and simplified building oversight by facility managers. 
• Two cooling towers for energy management. Because of the facility’s multi-use requirements (e.g., office space, Research & Development laboratories, and manufacturing floor), the design accommodates for fluctuations in building activities. For example, when there is excessive heat in test fire facilities, the cooling towers allow energy in the system to be rejected to the atmosphere due to the excessive heat. Cold water for the cooling system in the office space comes from a combination of an electric chiller and the gas absorption heat pumps. Using the gas absorption heat pumps (natural gas fired technology in lieu of electric technology) reduces capacity requirements for generators needed for backup power.
• A specialized, internally-pitched roofing system feeding onsite retention ponds to maximize water for recycling.
• External snow melt system for loading docks and sidewalks.

“The hydronic loop temperature for the radiant system will never be greater than 100 F, therefore it is an excellent application for maximizing the efficiency of condensing boilers,” said Erin Sperry, Fulton’s Commercial Heating Product Manager.

The $10.5 million facility expansion will allow for increased production to respond to customer demands, as well as the opportunity to expand product lines and ramp up Research & Development, Hilton said. The expansion includes:

• Ten thousand square feet of new R&D space.
• $2 million in new, specialized equipment such as cranes with a total capacity of 70 tons.
• Assembly line efficiencies, including pits for the fabrication of Fulton’s horizontal firetube boilers. Because of their massive size, lowering the units into a pit allows for easy top access for fabricators.

In addition to the expansion site, Fulton maintains a second facility in Pulaski, as well as facilities in the U.K. and China.

Not only is Fulton focused on demonstrating HVAC innovations, the facility is designed to provide employee amenities, too. Open, large spaces are the norm for employee work areas; an exercise center is also included in the design. This exercise area complements the Fulton-owned gym located nearby, Hilton said.

CNY ASHRAE members were excited to take part in the preview, Butler said. A highly active group, the ASHRAE members reflect a long history of HVAC innovation in the region.

“It’s exciting,” Butler said. “Fulton is a big part of carrying on our region’s tradition of ingenuity in the industry.”

For additional information about Fulton and its products, or to locate a sales representative near you, please visit www.fulton.com.

For further information about the Central New York Chapter of ASHRAE, please visit http://centralnewyork.ashraechapters.org/

The Fulton Companies

With manufacturing facilities in the United States, Great Britain and China, Fulton is a global manufacturer of steam, hydronic and thermal fluid heat transfer systems. Backed by over 60 years of research, innovation and experience, Fulton is building on a tradition of success and is focused on improving life through heat transfer solutions. For additional information about Fulton and its products, visit the company's Web site at www.fulton.com.