In the 10 years between the 2010 and 2020 census, the City of Melissa, Texas, saw its population jump from 4,700 to almost 14,000. To accommodate the growing need of services for the community, the city constructed a new 40,000-square-foot public safety building to house its central fire station, fire administration, police headquarters and municipal court.

Zinc panels fabricated by Sheet Metal Supply were an integral part of the design goals and ultimate success of the new facility.

“The building’s image was very important to us,” says Ron Hobbs, AIA, President of Ron Hobbs Architecture & Interior Design in Garland, Texas. “We wanted the building to be timeless in its appearance and convey a sense of permanence. To accomplish this, we chose a simple palette of materials – brick, metal panels and glass.

“Zinc was selected not only because of the way the material looks initially, but also the way it ages. Painted metal panels would not convey the sense of permanence that zinc provides.”

The Hobbs firm had also developed the Melissa City Hall interior design, the remodeling of City Hall and the remodeling of the fire station. This project included a 13,616 square foot three-bay fire station and a single-story 22,099 square foot police station and municipal courts building.

Sheet Metal Supply delivered 16,000 square feet of RHEINZINK’s 1.0mm GRANUM in Sky Grey. The 12-inch-wide reveal panels have a ½-inch reveal. Engineered Metals Co. (EMCO) of Gonzalez, Texas, met the challenge of installing the RHEINZINK panels.

“With zinc, we’re always careful with storage and handling,” says Dave Stone, EMCO project manager. “We tarp material to avoid white rust, use cotton gloves to avoid fingerprints and remove plastic protection from the panels. It’s important that any cutting is done with non-serrated snips as serrated snips cause microfractures in the material.”

EMCO has earned a reputation as a strong and capable installer through its zinc experiences. EMCO and SMS have collaborated on several high-profile zinc projects, always delivering successful results.

“Dave Stone and the EMCO team have invested valuable time and resources in proper training to establish themselves as a leader in zinc installation,” says Lisa England, Inside Sales at Sheet Metal Supply. “Our shared ethos for quality materials properly fabricated and installed by trained professionals makes for a great symbiosis. We are already looking forward to our next mutual opportunity.”