The Driving Force

SPRAY FOAM MAGAZINE – The spray foam industry’s dedication to innovation, sustainability, and energy efficiency is a direct response to both environmental concerns and the determination to help create healthy buildings for future generations. From the foam equipment and techniques of a certified contractor’s applications to manufacturers creating low-VOC spray foams that contribute to indoor air quality, the industry finds itself at the forefront of many groundbreaking projects recognizing these advanced qualities. Spray Foam Magazine spoke with Spray Foam of the Pines Operations Manager, Traci Cortes to find out more.

The motor industry is conversant with polyurethane, known for its remarkable thermal insulation properties, and polyethylene foam with its closed-cell structure and recognized for its shock absorption capabilities, and durability. With many manufacturers using both types of foam, and even combining the two for both the internal and external areas of cars and trucks. Internally, polyurethane is ideal for cable sheathing, gear knobs, and car seats due to it being lightweight but durable enough to absorb impact and protect occupants in a crash. The foam can also help steering wheels keep their shape. Externally polyethylene can be used in for its impact resistance and low moisture absorption. It can be found in car fender liners, rocker panels, and door handles.

In October 2022, Hyundai Motor Group broke ground on its Metaplant America (HMGMA). This is Hyundai Motor Group’s first plant for electric vehicle mass production and it is in Bryan County, GA. The joint venture with LG Energy Solution (LGES) on its battery facility will create 8,500 new jobs and an impressive $7.59 billion investment in the region. The objective is to create an intelligent manufacturing plant for their order collection, production, logistics procurement and will be augmented utilizing AI and data. In addition to having robots assisting human workers.

Approximately 2,000 construction workers are working at the 3,000-acre site, including the Spray Foam of the Pines crew. Owner Abe Saldana was in the army for 14 years after which he started to work in real estate, first as an investor and then as an agent. This soon translated into flipping homes and customer renovations. “We do a lot of historic home renovations, and we like to do things right. That’s how I got introduced to spray foam, as you can get the insulation rating you need on older homes that would be difficult with traditional ways. However, I got tired of waiting on other spray foam companies to come and do our projects, so I decided to start our own.”  

Currently, Spray Foam of the Pines is part of owner Abe’s real estate company and an additional service they can provide their clients. From the typical buy & sell and project management to renovations and flips, spray foam application was also requested by many of his clients. Therefore, adding it to his repertoire really was a natural extension to his already successful business.

Abe met his Operations Manager Traci when they both worked for another real-estate company. He knew of the superior skills Traci possessed and asked her if she would head up the spray foam part of the business. “When we first met, I was the Director of Operations for the company where Abe started his real estate career. I was his boss, and now, he’s my boss. I also have experience in garage renovations in the past and picked up lots of skills from measuring, and material knowledge to dealing with vendors. I was eager to also learn about SPF,” recalls Traci.

Spray Foam of the Pines made connections with the HMGMA project through one of their onsite project managers, who let them know they were looking to bid out the spray foam application for the Metaplant’s 31,000 sq. ft. conference and office building. The architect’s design incorporates technologically advanced elements, features that represent Hyundai’s brand identity, the Savannah area, nature, and renewable energy. SPF was specified by the building contractor because the underside of the building is 30 ft. off the ground and would be exposed to the elements. They knew closed-cell foam would be ideal, in addition to being in alignment with the initial designs of incorporating energy efficiency.

The Spray Foam of the Pines crew for the HMGMA project included lead sprayers Charles Ingram and assistant sprayers Kymet and Cayden. Charles is Traci’s husband and has a wealth of experience in construction from framing and electrical to plumbing and maintenance.

In addition to their crew, they also hired two extra crews, one of which quit on day two due to all of the adversity they had on the job. For example, when spraying the first part of the ceiling, the crew had nothing in their way. However, when they returned to spray again, they found several other trades and all of their equipment. This included very expensive mirrored window glass, people welding, workers putting in electrics and six foot vertical beams that had been installed making it very difficult to maneuver the boom lift to reach the ceiling they needed to finish spraying.

The other SPF company, Coastal Synergy, LLC did a great job and as Traci highlights, “The owner Carlos Martinez and his crew were amazing and helped us out when the other crew left. The other shoutout we would like to give is to Lee Burkhalter the owner of Urethane Supply, Inc., who has been our point of contact for any equipment malfunctions,” clarified Traci.

Lee even took time out of his weekend when Traci’s crew had a drill part break off in their mixing chamber to help them out. On a separate occasion, when another trade had run over their equipment and bust the line, Lee sent out several pieces of equipment worth roughly $5k to help them and did not bill them. Of course, Traci made sure he was paid. This was an amazing offer and something Traci will never forget, “We had only met him the week before and he was incredibly kind and generous, restoring our faith that there are still great people out there.”

Arriving on site with their PMC PH-2 proportioner, they suited up in full PPE and got to work. The crews sprayed four inches of NCFI 1.7 lb. closed-cell foam. Roughly 30 sets were applied to the corrugated metal ceiling, followed by two coats of DC315 intumescent paint applied by Traci’s nephew James Davis, a superintendent of a fireproofing company in Orlando. The entire SPF project took three weeks. "The out of sequence work made it very difficult to complete my job easily. The challenge of weaving in and out of the vertical steel beams hanging from the ceiling made it difficult to maneuver the boom lift. The other trades working around us had all their materials placed in large piles throughout the workspace and we had to also maneuver up, out, over, and around all of them. Had nothing been hanging from the ceiling and other trades not been in our way, we could have completed the job much quicker and easier. We only have 210 feet of hose, so we had to move our rig and re-set up several times to ensure everyone's safety and progress. Our ability as a team to overcome the many adversities allowed us to land multiple contracts in lieu of this project," clarified the lead sprayer Charles Ingram.

All of the work zones at the Metaplant have been designed to support communication and help encourage teamwork. The designs feature open layouts with plenty of daylight and indoor landscaping. Production areas will also have break zones with skylights at the center of the building. There will be a solar parking lot at the front of the site providing 5.2 megawatts of energy and solar panels will be positioned over the top of the 1,878 vehicle spots, protecting the vehicles from direct sun while also generating power.

The electricity used to power the Metaplant will all come from renewable sources, aligning with Hyundai’s commitment to carbon neutrality by 2045. The 3,050-foot-long front exterior of the building will be lit in two parallel lines and will outline an area where interstate travelers can view the vehicles as they travel by conveyor from paint to general assembly. In front of the Metaplant will be a 41-acre ecological park that includes trails, running tracks, environmental art displays, sports fields, picnic areas, and a pond for the workers to enjoy on their break.

HMGMA officially announced on June 18, 2024, that the first production vehicle to be produced at the company’s new Metaplant will be the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5. While the 2025 model of the popular all-electric SUV has yet to be officially unveiled for North America, HMGMA is currently training and preparing to begin production in the fourth quarter of this year. “This is a very exciting time for HMGMA,” said Oscar Kwon, president, and CEO of HMGMA. “We are in the final phase of construction and are getting ready for the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 to roll off the line. It’s the ideal vehicle for us to start production with.”

Based on the brand’s vision ‘Progress for Humanity,’ Hyundai Motor is accelerating its transformation into a Smart Mobility Solution Provider, and similarly to the spray foam industry, they are also investing in advanced technologies to help revolutionize their industry. In pursuit of a sustainable future for the world, Hyundai will continue its efforts to introduce zero-emission vehicles equipped with industry-leading hydrogen fuel cell and EV technologies. Having SPF applied to areas of their Metaplant highlights the brand’s vision and determination to help sustainability and provide an energy-efficient future.

“Word has got around about the good work we have done at the HMGMA and the fact that we have synchronized and adapted with other trades. They are now wanting us to spray more around the plant. We are getting great leverage off this job, and not just from this project but also larger upcoming projects around the Georgia area” confirms Traci.

Proudly, Spray Foam of the Pines is a veteran- and first-responder-owned-and-operated business. Traci is a determined woman, and in addition to a very demanding job, she is also a mother of 3 teenagers. Spray Foam Magazine would recognize her hard work and would like to wish her and all the crew at Spray Foam of the Pines the best for future projects and a big well done for navigating a project on what is destined to be Hyundai’s intelligent manufacturing plant.  

For use by SprayFoamMagazine.com & Spray Foam Magazine