1963
Company Founded in West Sacramento
The company, originally founded as Tecon Pacific in 1963, was
located in West Sacramento on a four-acre site with fifteen employees.
1966
Jim Clark Appointed General Manager
In 1966, Jim Clark became General Manager of the architectural
precast company Tecon Pacific (now Clark Pacific). The company
grew rapidly with the help of many talented engineering, plant
and field employees during the pioneering and development stages
of architectural precast panelized cladding systems in California.
Late 1960s
Company Develops Colored Precast Mix Designs, Specialized Forming,
Handling and Connection Techniques For the Mass Production and
Installation of Precast Panels
During the 1960's the company developed some of the region's
first pigment colored precast concrete mix-designs. The company
experimented with various aggregates and sands to obtain precast
concrete panels which closely matched granite, limestone and other
natural stone products. The company also developed precast mass
production building processes including panelization concepts,
casting techniques, panel handling, loading, hoisting and connection
processes. Precast panelized building systems replaced the slow,
conventional, hand set building process of the day. Precast concrete
building panels were approximately 6" thick, 8'-13' wide and 30'-40'
long.
1973
Company Opens Irwindale Plant and Mass Produces Modular Apartment
Buildings, Modular Classrooms and Modular Prison Cells
In 1973, the company formed a partnership with Forest City Dillon
and opened an additional plant in Irwindale, CA. This plant produced
and constructed 55 modular precast concrete apartment buildings
with over 7000 apartment units, wood and metal formed portable
school classrooms and modular prison facilities.
1979
Company Introduces Thin Shell Precast Panel
In 1979 the company introduced their first Thin Shell Precast Building
Panel which was approximately 2” thick, 6’ tall and
12’ wide, backed with a steel stud frame. The Thin Shell Precast
Panels were one-half the weight of the standard architectural
precast panels and permitted structural engineers to design lighter
steel frame building structures. The lighter structures resulted
in reduced costs on tall structures in zones of high seismic activity.
The new panel cladding system was used in 1979 on the Sheraton
Hotel Plaza Lareina High-Rise at LAX and on the Warmington Plaza
High-Rise in Santa Ana.
1980
Company Lands Contract For It's First Sports Stadium
In 1980 the company landed it's first contract to produce a
precast sports stadium for the San Jose State Spartans. Clark
Pacific provided precast concrete stairtreads and risers on this
project.
Company Introduces Brick Clad Precast Panel System
In the early 1980’s the company began applying Brick Fascia
to Architectural Precast Panels. This provided contractors with
a rapid construction alternate to hand set brick. Architects could
now design building elevations which combined brick, colored precast,
natural stones and even terra cotta. The brick panel system was
first introduced in 1980 on the Pacific Lumber Building in San
Francisco, again in 1984 at Sutter General Hospital and in 1985
on the Portman Hotel in San Francisco.
1981
Company Introduces Glass Fiber Reinforced Panels (GFRC)
In 1981, the company began producing Glass Fiber Reinforced
Concrete (GFRC) panel cladding systems. The first panels were
sunscreens produced in 1981 for a Sacramento Office Building,
followed by major projects in 1983-4 which included the Growers
Square Pavilion in Walnut Creek, Chevron Ortho Research Center
in Richmond and State Compensation Insurance Fund in Sacramento.
The company helped the development of this process on the West
Coast and helped to write the first GFRC industry quality control
manuals and manufacturing procedures, which are now in use nationwide.
GFRC panels were one-third the weight of the standard architectural
precast panel and permitted structural engineers to design lighter
steel frame building structures, resulting in reduced costs on
tall structures in zones of high seismic activity.
The spray into mold manufacturing process permitted Architects
almost unlimited shape possibilities. Ornate and elaborate panel
shapes of Victorian style were now possible while still retaining
the quick modular construction characteristics of the precast
concrete panelized building system. The LAX Control Tower and
San Francisco Towers Episcopalian Retirement Home are excellent
examples of shape possibilities.
1982
Company Introduces Natural Stone Clad Precast Panels
In the early 1980’s the company began applying Natural
Stone Veneer to Architectural Panels. This permitted Architects
to mix natural stone and complimentary colored precast concrete
mix designs. The company developed a large network of stone suppliers
and purchased stone domestically and internationally from quarries
throughout the USA, Spain, Germany, Italy, India, Argentina, China
and other countries. Granite, travertine, limestone and sandstone
veneer were added to precast panels.
Clark Pacific's new panel system was first introduced in 1982
on the 655 Montgomery project in San Francisco and in 1989 on
the Landmark Square project in Long Beach.
Company Lands First Contract For A Precast Prison
Opens The North Sacramento Plant
In 1982, the company landed its first precast prison facility
contract at the Vacaville State Prison. An additional precast
plant was opened across the river from downtown Sacramento to
produce modular prison cells.
1984
Company Opens Fontana Plant
In 1984, the company opened an additional plant in Fontana,
CA. This plant was located at a large Kaiser Steel Normalizing
Facility, which had been shut down by Kaiser and sold to Tecon
Pacific. Don Clark helped open and manage the new plant about
a year and a half after he graduated from Stanford. A few years
later, Don’s brother, Bob Clark, a recent graduate from San
Jose State’s civil engineering school, helped run the Fontana
Engineering and Project Management Group. Later, the Irwindale
plant was absorbed by the Fontana Operation.
1986
Company Introduces Natural Stone On
Truss Frame Panel System
In 1986, the company introduced its Natural Stone on Truss Frame
Panel System on the Studio Plaza Project in Burbank, immediately
followed by use in 1987 on the 505 Montgomery Building in San
Francisco near the Transamerica Tower. The Natural Stone on Truss
Frame System utilized a truss frame mechanically connected to
1.25” and 2" thick stone. These panels were very light and
suitable for economical high-rise structure designs in zones of
high seismic activity.
Company Introduces Multiple Colored
Architectural Precast Panels
In 1986, the company introduced its first architectural precast
panel with multiple colored mix designs in one panel, allowing
Architects to design panels with more than one color. Initially
panels had cold joints at color transitions. Later, special casting
techniques were developed to pour multiple colored mixes integrally
into the panel. This new technique was first introduced in 1986
on the Silicon Valley Financial Center in San Jose, followed by
the AST project in Irvine and on the 77th Street LAPD project
in 1994.
1987
Company Introduces C-CAPP
(Clark Composite Architectural Precast
Panel)
In 1987, the company introduced C-CAPP, which permitted the
fabrication of larger panels, thereby facilitating quicker fabrication
and construction with a lower cost per square foot. These panels
were more flexible and adept at dealing with evolving earthquake
design technology. The panel system was first introduced on the
Grand Promenade High-Rise on top of Bunker Hill in Los Angeles.
1988
Company Enters Oregon Market At Pioneer Place
In 1988 the company was awarded the contract to construct the
original Pioneer Place Retail Shopping Area at 630 SW 5th Avenue
in Portland, Oregon. Later in 1998 the company was invited back
to Portland to construct a major expansion to this upscale retail
center.
Company Forms Miscellaneous Metal Fabrication Subsidiary
In 1988, the company formed a miscellaneous metal fabrication
subsidiary, Pacific Embedded Products (PEP). PEP fabricates all
the precast concrete panel embedded steel anchors, steel inserts,
steel bearing angles and other fabricated metal required for our
products. PEP was established to provide critical connection components
with stringent inspection and quality.
1995
Company Changes Name To Clark Pacific
In 1995, the company name was changed to Clark Pacific to more
closely reflect the name of its owners – Jim, Don, and Bob
Clark). The Clark Family has provided continuous management and
leadership for over 35 years.
Late 1990's
CLARK PACIFIC Introduces Preconstruction Service Partnering Process
During the 1990’s Clark Pacific further partnered with
Architects, General Contractors and Owner/Developers during the
initial stages of project development to form state of the art,
aesthetically pleasing, economical and constructable fast track,
design/build precast cladding systems. Partnering early with Clark
Pacific saves Owners and Developers money and time through the early
coordination and integration of the cladding panel system with
the buildings' structural system. Many Architects, Contractors
and Developers began selecting Clark Pacific cladding systems
concurrent with their Preliminary Design Process. Clark Pacific’s
Preconstruction Service Process streamlined the connection design
and interfaces with the structural frame. Panelization concepts
are resolved early, saving all parties time and money, and leaving
the conceptual panel system design, connection and preweld designs
to Clark Pacific.
1997
Clark Pacific Introduces Fast Track
Modular Design/Build Building System
In 1997, Clark Pacific developed fast track, turn-key, design/build
building systems which integrated the building’s structure
and exterior cladding system. It was first used at the Aerojet
facility in Rancho Cordova, CA and Adventis pharmaceutical manufacturing
facility in Bridgewater, NJ.
Load bearing precast wall building systems removed the need for
the conventional steel frame or cast-in-place concrete frames.
This new system provided one stop shopping at Clark Pacific for
Owners and Developers to obtain building shells, thus eliminating
customary interface problems. All structural engineering, fabrication,
and construction for the integrated precast building shell was
provided by Clark Pacific. Customary design, fabrication and construction
schedules were slashed by months with the new building system.
2000
Company Tops 400 Employees
As of 2000, Clark Pacific employs over 400 engineering, production,
construction, office and administration personnel. Field construction
operations have expanded from our initial California State Market
to the surrounding states of Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.
2003
CLARK PACIFIC Introduces All-in-one "archi-structural" solutions
Combining the strengths of its architectural expertise and extensive structural experience, Clark Pacific began producing structural elements with integrated architectural features including multi-colored panels and other custom finishes - giving architects the flexibility to build architectural and structural functionality into single elements. New efficiencies in design became possible with this advance. The Solano County Government Center Parking Structure in Fairfield, CA was the first to receive this treatment.
2005
CLARK PACIFIC Introduces total precast solutions utilizing the precast hybrid moment frame to the california marketplace
Combining its advances in architectural + structural solutions as well as lessons learned through its on-going involvement in the PREcast Seismic Structural Systems (PRESSS) research, Clark Pacific developed a total precast solution (architecturally finished structural elements including spandrels, columns, beams, and precast flooring) featuring the Precast Hybrid Moment Frame as the seismic resistance system. The first project to utilize the solution was the 800 J Street Lofts in Sacramento, CA.
