Founded in 1878, The Austin Company is a leader in design-build solutions for industrial manufacturing. With fully integrated architectural, engineering, and construction services, Austin delivers fast, reliable, and cost-effective facilities through its proven Austin Method®, giving clients a single accountable partner from concept to completion.
From modernizing existing plants to delivering turnkey greenfield solutions, Austin seamlessly integrates facility design and process systems. Clients benefit from precisionengineered operations, enhanced reliability, and facilities built to support safe, scalable, and efficient production.
With Austin, you get a partner committed to delivering purpose-built manufacturing environments that elevate product quality, boost operational performance, and position your business for future growth.
WHY AUSTIN
• Expertise in chemical processing, purification, distillation, and batching.
• Proven capability in solvent-based processing, odor control, and advanced safety engineering to meet stringent quality and regulatory requirements.
• Integrated engineering across process, packaging, utilities, automation, and facility infrastructure.
• Engineering leadership experienced in capacity expansion, equipment specification, and automation upgrades.
• Ability to execute safely and efficiently within active production operations.
PFIZER, INC.
MRNA VACCINE MANUFACTURING FACILITY
(PROJECT LIGHTSPEED)
80,000 SF | PORTAGE, MI
• Rapid conversion of existing warehouse into an mRNA vaccine manufacturing facility to formulate, manufacture, freeze, package, and distribute Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine.
• End-to-end construction management, coordinating design, procurement, construction and equipment installation through closeout, with advanced 3D scanning and BIM modeling to support complex utility and process systems.
• New vaccine manufacturing footprint with over 400 new –70°C storage freezers, five packaging lines, a dry ice manufacturing facility, two Clean-in-Place (CIP) systems, an H3 locker, a Grade D corridor, and two modular vaccine production facilities (approx. 26 modular POD units).
• Fast-track integration of modular suites delivered to site before MEP completion, with Austin coordinating POD installation, utilities, and equipment fit-out.
• Expansion and installation of critical piping systems including pharmaceutical air, water for injection, forced water, chilled water, pharmaceutical nitrogen, house nitrogen, liquid nitrogen, instrument air, multiple steam systems and condensate, numerous drain types, ethanol, liquid CO2, and wet and dry fire suppression.
PFIZER, INC.
MODULAR ASEPTIC PROCESSING FACILITY
(PROJECT MAP)
420,000 SF | KALAMAZOO, MI
• Multi-story MAP facility designed as one of the world’s most technically advanced sterile injectable pharmaceutical production plants, featuring multiple self-contained modular manufacturing lines.
• Construction management services for the expansion and connected area renovation, including oversight of construction, coordination of advanced aseptic equipment and systems, and management of tagging for more than 200 pieces of process equipment and over 90 process systems on the Pfizer, Inc. MAP campus.
• MAP facility estimated at $140M, incorporating cutting-edge aseptic manufacturing equipment, systems, and modular design to ensure each manufacturing line is entirely separate from others for sterility and flexibility.
• One of the largest injectable drug processing plants in the western hemisphere once complete, supporting Pfizer’s extensive sterile injectable portfolio produced at the Kalamazoo site.
• Builds on nearly 80 years of Austin work on the Pfizer (formerly Upjohn) campus, leveraging long-term site familiarity to manage complex expansion and renovations.
CONFIDENTIAL CLIENT
PROJECT CLAW (FOOD INGREDIENT PRODUCTION PLANT)
97,000 SF | EAST COAST USA
• Brownfield conversion of an existing warehouse into a GMP food production facility (spray-drying, wet/dry mixing).
• Design-Build from conceptual planning through detailed design; process integration; wastewater/odor management strategy; automation/SCADA.
• Raised roof for spray dryers; segregated two-story mixing rooms (allergenic vs. nonallergenic); odor control via dedicated exhaust; freezer and cooler storage; onsite wastewater treatment (pH/solids); PLC and SCADA controls.
ZOETIS, INC.
ORAL SOLID DOSAGE (OSD) PRODUCTION FACILITIES
152,000 SF | KALAMAZOO, MI
• Multi-phase OSD pharmaceutical production of preventative dog medicines.
• Construction management of a new 48,000 SF OSD pharmaceutical production facility with two production lines and related operations (weigh/dispense, blending, tableting, coating, and packaging), as well as delivery of a ground-up 104,000 SF facility with production areas on the ground floor, offices on the mezzanine, and labs and mechanical systems on the top floor.
• Complete coated tablet production capability from raw materials through shippable finished goods, with automated blister-pack and bottling lines including cartoning and palletization, as well as a pilot facility for new OSD product development and troubleshooting.
• Extensive process and utility equipment including AHUs, dust collectors, steam generators, lift station, downflow booth, vacuum lifts, bin blenders, tableter, coater, material lifts, fluid-bed dryer, high-shear granulator, fume hood, neutralization skid, and pharm air stations.
• B812 facility configured with P3 and P4 production areas on the ground floor, mezzanine offices, and upper-level laboratory and mechanical spaces, equipped with advanced systems such as Kardex Tool Storage Unit, Glatt processing equipment, fluid bed dryers, Durr Reverse Thermal Oxidizer, downflow booths, Rheo handling systems, dust collection, clean steam generation, and RO generation.
CONFIDENTIAL CLIENT
PEA PROTEIN ISOLATE PRODUCTION
141,000 SF | MIDWEST USA
Conversion of an existing soy protein isolate production facility into a pea protein isolate production plant, including capacity for 8,000 metric tons/year of pea protein isolate while reusing 80% of existing equipment and integrating 20% new equipment.
Full EPC/Design-Build delivery including facility renovations; infrastructure upgrades; three new buildings; structural height increase of 30’ (to 60’ total); new rail spur; new silos; and full process design for ingredients receiving, production equipment, process piping, CIP, controls, water and wastewater treatment, final handling and loading.
More than 45,000 SF of process piping; multiple skids; over 250 pieces of tagged process equipment; design and modification of relocated and reused tanks and process infrastructure; integrated approach optimizing reuse while enabling new production systems.
KINOVATE LIFE SCIENCES
FACILITY RENOVATION
41,058 SF | CARLSBAD, CA
• Design-build renovation of an existing two-story facility to support advanced therapeutic oligonucleotides manufacturing, with specialized infrastructure tailored to Kinovate’s production processes.
• Delivered highly controlled production and support spaces—including reactors, dryers, laboratories, temperature controlled warehousing, hazardous material storage, and integrated process utilities—designed for efficient, reliable batch manufacturing.
• Seven batch reactors and dryers producing a variety of molecular compounds, each reactor supporting two batches per week and a 40-hour vacuum-oven drying process per batch.
• Majority of production spaces classified as Class 1, Division 1 and 2, requiring explosion-proof equipment, electrical systems, and robust exhaust/ventilation design.
• Safety and environmental systems including 60 leak detection points, 25 environmental monitors, a detailed Process Hazard Analysis (PHA), and design for low emissions (only 1.3 tons of VOCs annually).
• Exterior upgrades with a new solvent tank yard, chiller and generator equipment yard, improved landscaping and paving, and a new loading dock, all supporting high-performance manufacturing operations.
SERVICES
SITE LOCATION CONSULTING
Our team guides you through every step of selecting the right facility location, evaluating production goals, workforce needs, incentives, site readiness, and long-term growth potential. Our comprehensive services include due diligence, incentives negotiations, location strategy, site readiness, site selection, and labor market analysis. We offer a clear path toward a site that supports efficiency, scalability, and future innovation.
DESIGN-BUILD
Recognized by DBIA as a pioneer in Design-Build, Austin delivers complex process and packaging projects from planning through construction. Our team of consultants, architects, engineers, cost estimators, schedulers, and construction professionals work collaboratively to deliver projects on time, within scope, and on budget.
ARCHITECTURE AND ENGINEERING
Our architects and engineers design innovative, integrated facilities that reflect your vision while supporting your unique needs. With expertise across process, mechanical, electrical, civil, architectural, and controls engineering, our team creates production-minded, compliant, and scalable environments tailored to your technical requirements.
CONSTRUCTION
When delivering construction-only services, we partner with your A/E firm to manage preconstruction and construction to align with the unique demands of process systems, packaging operations, hazardous-classified spaces, and odor-sensitive environments. We bring proven experience executing work in active production facilities without interruption, delivering quality, safety, and value.
SITE LOCATION CONSULTING SERVICES
• Feasibility Studies
• Facility Location Studies
• Site and Facility Analyses
• Incentive Negotiations
• Technical Site Due Diligence
• Labor Market Studies
• Physical Distribution Studies
DESIGN AND ENGINEERING SERVICES
• Master Planning
• Space Planning and Layout
• Programming
• Architectural Design
• Interior Design
• Process and Packaging
• Architectural
• Civil
• Structural
• Mechanical
• Refrigeration
• Electrical
• Material Handling
• Instrumentation and Controls
• Sustainability (LEED Certification)
CONSTRUCTION SERVICES
• Project Management
• General Contracting
• Cost Estimating
• Scheduling
• Equipment Specification and Procurement
• Subcontractor Prequalification and Procurement
• Equipment Installation
• Start-Up and Commissioning
• Systems Training
ENGINEERING THAT UNDERSTANDS
YOUR PROCESS
PROCESS SAFETY
Process safety begins at project conception and continues through design, construction, commissioning, and operation. Austin applies proven safety principles to solvent-based, Volatile Organic Compounds-intensive (VOC), and hazardous-classified environments.
• PHA, HAZOP, HAZID, and revalidation studies.
• Engineering controls for containment, ventilation, and hazardous area classification.
• Explosion-proof design for processing and packaging zones.
• Lifecycle risk management supporting safe, compliant, and maintainable operations.
• Collaboration with operations teams to support safe startup, shutdown, cleaning, and maintenance.
• QA/QC protocols with audit-ready documentation aligned with regulatory expectations.
MULTIDISCIPLINARY EXPERTISE AND LEADERSHIP
• Fully integrated engineering services across process, architectural, mechanical, electrical, civil, and structural disciplines.
• Operations-first delivery guided by full client engagement and early alignment on needs.
• Austin's engineering leadership with experience in specialty chemical and process-driven manufacturing.
LIFECYCLE ENGINEERING
Austin supports manufacturing operations across the full production lifecycle.
• Raw material receipt, storage, and handling.
• Extraction, concentration, spray drying, and distillation.
• Blending, formulation, and encapsulation.
• Packaging, storage, and distribution.
Our approach integrates process performance, packaging efficiency, operational safety, and longterm maintainability of our clients' facilities.
TECHNOLOGY-DRIVEN DELIVERY
We leverage advanced tools and delivery methods to improve coordination, safety, and constructability.
• 3D scanning and BIM modeling of process systems, utilities, and hazardous areas.
• Virtual coordination within a unified design environment to reduce clashes across complex process, solvent, and utility systems.
• Proven execution within active production facilities with minimal disruption.
• Constructability reviews tailored to odor-sensitive and solvent-based environments.
ADVANCED PROCESSING SYSTEMS AND SOLUTIONS
We design and integrate processing systems tailored to specialty manufacturing requirements.
• Extraction and concentration systems for botanical, citrus, and aroma ingredients.
• Distillation and fractionation systems for essential oils, isolates, and aroma chemicals.
• Blending and formulation suites designed for precision odor control, and cross-contamination prevention.
• Solvent handling and recovery systems for alcohol-based and specialty organic solvents.
• Hygienic, odor-contained processing environments aligned with the cGMP expectations for the industry.
Facility infrastructure and utility systems are designed to support safe, reliable, and compliant operations.
• High-purity water systems for blending and dilution.
• Chemical and solvent storage and distribution networks, including Class I, Division 1, and Division 2 environments.
• Dust, odor, and VOC containment systems for aromatic powders.
• HVAC and environmental systems supporting pressure cascades, odor control, and contamination prevention.
SAFETY IN DESIGN
• Good design practices consider the safety risks associated with construction and installation and also the long-term operation and maintenance of the new systems.
• Codes and standards are a necessary component to guide design decisions to comply with base safety and compliance requirements.
• Collaboration with operations and maintenance teams enables additional safety risk reduction beyond typical expectations and also reduces safety risk for installing contractors.
SAFETY IN PRECONSTRUCTION
• Constructability reviews allow for integrated safety measures to be planned into both design and construction.
• Preliminary schedules will be generated early in the project and will incorporate adequate activities and durations for constructability reviews, HAZIDs, HAZOPs, PHAs, and review of contractor safety documents.
• Trade contractors are prequalified with proven safety records, proven experience working within operating life science facilities, and have adequately trained and certified crews.
SAFETY IN CONSTRUCTION
• 2025 EMR - .67
• 9+ million man hours and counting without a lost time accident.
• Safety personnel are trained to set the safe culture on every project.
• Tools and support are provided to make safety a part of everyone’s job.
• Austin’s onsite safety personnel conduct inspections, training, toolbox talks, incident investigations, emergency preparedness, as well as other activities.
ENERGY-BASED HAZARD ANALYSIS
The Energy Wheel helps workers recognize and assess various types of energy present on a job site, such as electrical, mechanical, thermal, and gravitational. By focusing on different energy sources, workers can identify hazards that might otherwise go unnoticed, improving overall safety.
ENHANCED HAZARD RECOGNITION
Studies show that up to 30% more hazards are identified.
IMPROVED SAFETY CULTURE
Encourages proactive safety measures and continuous assessment.
COMPREHENSIVE RISK MANAGEMENT
Ensures all potential energy sources are considered, reducing the likelihood of accidents.
STRUCTURED APPROACH
Energy Wheel discussion at the end of each pre-task meeting to identify additional hazards.
TRAINING AND AWARENESS
Provide training sessions on how to use the Energy Wheel effectively, ensuring familiarity with the concept.
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
Regularly review and update hazard assessments based on feedback and new insights.
