We’re proud to announce that Griffco Design/Build has been named the inaugural winner of the Built By The Best Award – Special Works Projects Category by the Controlled Environment Building Association (CEBA) for our work on Scout Cold Logistics’ box-in-box expansion in Lancaster, Texas.
“We are honored to be named CEBA’s first Built By The Best Award winner in the Special Works Projects category for Scout Cold Logistics’ box-in-box expansion in Lancaster, Texas. Delivering this complex project on time and within budget was a true team effort, and we appreciate CEBA’s commitment to recognizing innovation and excellence in the Controlled Environment industry.” – Scott Griffin, Founder & CEO, Griffco Design/Build, Inc.
About the Project
Scout’s Lancaster facility involved a complete interior transformation of 88,115 SF within a 550,000 SF active warehouse. The goal: convert it into a high-care cold storage and food production facility for a global at-home meal kit brand, supporting critical packaging, storage, and distribution operations.
The buildout included:
- A 0°F freezer, 36°F coolers and cool docks, ambient storage, and multiple high-care packaging areas
- Pressurization systems to separate high-care and low-care zones
- Custom drainage, curbing, and sanitation features to meet elevated food safety standards
- Split-package Freon refrigeration system for enhanced efficiency and future scalability
- Dedicated support spaces like a training room, test kitchen, welfare areas, and logistics offices
All of this was delivered while coordinating around an adjacent active tenant—requiring detailed phasing, safety planning, and daily trade alignment.
Overcoming Challenges
Like any complex renovation, the project came with major hurdles:
- Unexpected rock under the existing slab delayed trenching work during plumbing installation
- Permitting delays from the City of Lancaster required us to break the project into multiple packages to maintain momentum
- Unique fire code amendments eliminated typical exemptions for cooler and freezer spaces, requiring us to engineer a completely new manual smoke and heat evacuation system
- Ongoing program changes from the tenant required constant BIM coordination and sequencing adjustments to keep construction moving
Despite these challenges, the Griffco team—with support from Scout Cold Logistics, Protolan, and all trade partners—delivered the project on time and within budget.
Built Through Leadership, Innovation, and Trust
This award-winning project reflects what Griffco does best: designing and building cold environments that support critical food infrastructure, at speed and without compromise. We’re honored to be recognized by CEBA, and grateful to Scout Cold Logistics for trusting us with this transformative build.
Check out the project page at: Lancaster Box-In-Box | Griffco Design/Build Inc