OFFSITEK is rapidly becoming a leader in automated offsite industrialized construction. Offsitek provides extensive services to support GC’s and owner developers. Their robotic based manufacturing plant produces light gauge steel framing panels, but there is so much more to their vertically integrated approach to offsite construction.

Learn more about this Charlotte, NC based company as Dwight Morgan, Chief Manufacturing Officer & Co-Founder of Offsitek, talks about the role of light gauge steel modular panels coupled with their unique marketing of complete on site support and services.

Co-founders Rick Admani (left) and Dwight Morgan (right)

Dwight thanks for taking the time to share Offsitek’s current efforts as well as your company’s plans for future expansion. Let’s talk not only about light gauge steel products but also your offerings in total support packages to GC’s and owner/developers.

Bill Murray Offsite Innovators: Can you give me a brief overall description of Offsitek as a company?

Dwight Morgan Chief Manufacturing Officer and Co-Founder : OFFSITEK is an automated, offsite, industrialized construction company. We provide light gauge steel framed panelized systems to the commercial and multi-family residential new construction market. We fabricate these lgs panels in our state of the art manufacturing facility just outside Charlotte, NC. Our fully integrated panelized systems are energy efficient, disaster-durable, sustainable, and fire resistant. We offer complete end to end solutions in addition to our manufacturing capabilities. We sell to GC’s who have their own self-perform teams to erect the panels. Our concentration is on providing wall systems, floor cassettes, stairwells, elevator shafts, bathroom, kitchen, and laundry mechanical pods. Our focus is on supporting GC’s and owners.

Bill: What inspired the formation of Offsitek?

Dwight: The inspiration behind the formation of Offsitek was driven by two key issues: 1) the fact that the construction industry is one of the largest industries in the U.S., representing over 13% of our GDP, and 2) that the industry has a historic record of very poor productivity.

Offsitek was inspired by the stark reality that the US construction industry was underperforming and unable to meet the needs of a growing market. We were inspired by the fact that over 500,000 US citizens are homeless every night due to lack of supply of shelters and affordable housing solutions. Our challenge was to introduce prefabrication elements to make construction resemble that of modern day, industry 4.0 manufacturing.

Bill: What led you to focus on offsite construction and pre-fabrication?

Dwight: Our extensive research indicates that the construction industry will need almost 1 million additional workers to meet the demand for labor through 2025. Offsite construction reduces the need for skilled labor that traditional on site construction demands. Offsite construction appeals to a workforce that does not wish to move from one construction site to another, but that takes place in a controlled setting not subject to weather extremes and other variables. Other advantages include condensed predictable schedules, curtails rework and waste, dramatically increases productivity and reduces costs.

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Bill: What are the core innovations that Offsitek has introduced to the offsite construction industry?

Dwight: Offsitek has pioneered many industry-first innovations in its pilot factory in Charlotte NC. 1) We have developed a “kit of parts’ featuring Design-Lead Architecture, 2) Digitalization of Design for Error Proofing of MEP Integration, 3) Building Science for Passive Energy Buildings 4) Automation of construction–lgs panelization of walls, floors, and roofs. 5) Prefabricated lgs volumetric bathroom and kitchen pods, 6) collaboration of workers alongside automation, 7) Adoption of steel vs wood panels and pods in multifamily, multi-level residential projects.

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Bill: How does Offsitek integrate technology such as BIM and 3d modeling in its construction process?

Dwight: Offsitek integrates four key computer technologies in its construction process, We combine VDC, BIM, Cad to Steel CNC machine file production and Cad to Steel Robotic Motion creation. All four systems comprise our unique “Cad-to-part prefabrication processes.

All construction projects are fully digitalized using 3D modeling. We rely upon certain systems from our technology partner, Autodesk, and upon their plug in developer partner Graitec/Stucsoft. We rely on Autodesk as well as MWF, Onyx, and ABB Robot Studio to create all digital workflows.

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Bill: To what extent is Offsitek focused on affordability and sustainability?

Dwight: Offsitek’s reliance upon steel framing plays a critical role in our focus on sustainability. Besides water, steel is the most recycled material on the planet. As such, our steel based framing solutions are based upon using steel, which is 98% recyclable, and in itself consists of approximately 75% recycled content in all new steel that we use in our process. Our focus on supply chain management results in decreased materials costs which contribute to making our products increasingly affordable.

Bill: What are Offsitek’s goals for growth?

Dwight: Our forward-looking 5 year outlook, known as our Next Level Strategy, is to expand the reach of our innovative process to other markets in the US. We are also in the planning phase of expanding within NC.

We have already begun in this Next Level Strategy through our recent joint venture with Visions Manufacturing of Canton, MS where our second state of the art automated prefabrication facility will open in late 2025.

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Offsitek will be focusing on manufacturing critical building components and systems especially applicable to the volumetric manufacturers. Modular elevator shafts, modular stairwells, kitchen and bath pods, will be manufactured for delivery and integration into onsite construction processes.

Again thanks to Dwight Morgan for sharing the innovative approach to using light gauge steel manufacturing of modular panels and extensive support systems available to GC’s and owner/developers. Innovation is the key to the growth of the offsite construction industry and Offsitek exemplifies the possibilities.