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Building Better Workplaces: Behind Falcon's New Container Breakroom

falcon structures container breakroom

We develop worksite solutions not just for our customers, but our own people, too. As a manufacturer of modified shipping containers, we operate at the crossroads of construction and manufacturing. Much of our workforce is out in the elements, performing labor-intensive roles, where they can quickly become disillusioned with employers that overlook their well-being. 

Obviously, we don’t want to be that employer.

Take it from our CEO and Co-Founder, Stephen Shang: “As a leader, you have a responsibility to your people. I think business leaders can do a lot of good for their employees - and their business, by creating a culture of care.”

This post takes you behind the scenes of our leadership team’s decision to invest in one of our own products - a double-wide container breakroom designed to improve the working conditions for our crew. Because caring for a workforce isn’t just good ethics - it’s good business, too. 

Beat the Heat; Win the Workers

The Texas heat has always been a challenge for our crew. The summer of 2024, for example, had 32 days of 100+ degree temperatures in the Austin area - and it was considered mild. Heat exhaustion and heat strokes are real risks for any team working in the elements, including our own. 

To combat this, we’ve long offered cooling rooms stocked with electrolyte popsicles, ice, and water for our painters, welders, carpenters, plumbers, and any other worker in the heat. However, the existing single 40-foot container-turned-breakroom often felt cramped and underutilized. 

With only hotter summers ahead of us, Falcon’s senior management team decided to invest our own time, materials, and labor to create a double-wide 40-foot container breakroom. 

“We’re a company that uses its own products and services. We modify shipping containers, we work in modified shipping containers, and we use modified shipping containers to provide a comfortable, enjoyable, and safe working environment,” said Falcon’s President and COO, John McAlonan.

The breakroom includes all the hallmarks we offer our customers with shipping container facility solutions:

  • Relocatable design: We can move it elsewhere in our production yard if needed. 
  • Climate control: A two-ton Bard HVAC keeps the space cool (almost frigid, if you’re near the vent), even in triple-digit heat waves.
  • Full electrical: Lights, refrigerators, microwaves, and a vending machine make it feel like a traditional breakroom structure.
  • Superior insulation: We applied spray foam insulation on all sides, including under the floors, to create a barrier against the Texas heat.

While providing relief from the heat was our primary goal, other motivations drove this investment as well. 

 

Watch the transformation of Falcon’s new breakroom, featuring insights from our CEO and the hardworking team who made it happen.

A “One-Team” Space

In industries like ours, where labor turnover can be high, retaining talent means going beyond the basics. It’s about creating an environment that shows employees they’re valued. For us, that looks like treating all team members with respect and fostering a “one team” culture across production, sales, logistics, design & engineering, senior management, and beyond. 

We see the new breakroom as more than just a place to cool off. It’s also a space for connection. It’s the setting of company-wide events, like our Thanksgiving potluck, and it holds all employees during monthly all-hands huddles when the weather doesn’t cooperate. 

By creating a shared space, we’ve strengthened collaboration and camaraderie across our diverse workforce. 

The ROI of a Caring Culture

Having used the breakroom for several months now, we’ve gained a unique perspective of how our own product performs long-term for a workforce. This first-hand experience deepens our understanding of the challenges our customers face, particularly in workforce safety and retention. Creating a culture of care benefits all of us. 

“After 18+ years as an HR professional, I can say hands down that loyalty and retention are some of the biggest benefits of caring for employee well-being,” said Heidi Carey, Falcon’s HR Manager.

We know the hurdles - tight budgets, tricky timing, and the ever-elusive stakeholder buy-in. But this investment in a modified shipping container solution has proven invaluable for our team. It has shown us, and others, that improving work environments isn’t just an expense; It’s an opportunity to invest in people and cultivate loyalty. 

Interested in more solutions that improve workplace environments?

Follow Falcon Structures on LinkedIn to stay up to date on our latest projects, industry insights, and behind-the-scenes looks at how we’re transforming workspaces with modified shipping containers.

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