Master plan determines current, future space needs

October 2007
Rural Electric Magazine

Last year, Tri-County Electric Cooperative purchased territory served by a local investor-owned utility. While the move doubled the co-op’s membership base, it also increased pressure on its Hooker, Okla., headquarters.

“Even before adding the extra consumers, we were already experiencing growing pains in our current facilities,” recalls Jack Perkins, Tri-County Electric CEO. “We knew space and operational efficiencies would soon become an issue.”

Perkins turned to the co-op’s longtime consultant, C. H. Guernsey & Company, to assess its current and future needs. The firm developed a facility master plan through a series of “charettes,” or work-flow interviews, with co-op personnel.

“The goal of the charette process is to work with cooperative staff to closely understand what functions are performed, staffing needs, facility uses, and anticipated grow,” explains Ken Sullivan, C. H. Guernsey & Company vice president. “Many cooperative operate out of buildings that are more than 40 years old and have been remodeled and expanded numerous times. Our goal is to take a fresh look at the cooperative, its work functions and facility requirements, and plan a complex that no only meets current needs but can be easily expanded if required.”

The planning process helped Tri-County Electric officials determine that relocating and constructing a new headquarters building would be more cost-effective than renovating. In addition, the master plan allowed C. H. Guernsey & Company to provide construction budgets.

“Their knowledge of facility design and cooperative experience will help us meet the needs of our members well into the future,” Perkins notes, “as well as increase efficiency of our operations.”

Contact: Ken Sullivan, C. H. Guernsey & Company, 405-416-8256, chguernsey.com; or Jack Perkins, Tri-County Electric Cooperative, 580-652-2418.