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Case Study

Southland Industries NTX Fab Shop & Mercantile Building

Project Snapshot

Customer / Site
Southland Industries NTX Fab Shop & Mercantile Building

Summary
Southland Industries operates large-scale manufacturing and fabrication facilities in North Texas. Bartos has served as Southland’s trusted partner for decades, working closely with their teams across a range of facility projects.

Industry
Manufacturing

Project Type
Retrofit (Occupied Facility)

Primary Stakeholders

  • Owner / Facilities Leadership
  • Mechanical Contractor
  • Consulting Engineer

The Challenge

Keeping personnel and equipment comfortable across their facilities during peak Texas summer heat is no small task — especially without driving energy costs through the roof. Conventional mechanical cooling systems at this scale are expensive to install and even more expensive to run continuously. Southland needed a solution that would meaningfully improve conditions on the floor across multiple buildings while staying energy-conscious.

The Solution

Bartos specified MacroAir High Volume, Low Speed (HVLS) fans for the facility. These fans use large-diameter blades to move substantial volumes of air at low speeds, using significantly less energy than conventional cooling methods. The impact comes from two effects working together:

    • Destratification — circulating warm air that collects near the ceiling and mixing it with cooler air at ground level

    • Wind chill effect — increased air movement enhances evaporative cooling on the skin, so the space feels comfortably cool even at a higher thermostat setting

Together, these effects create a more comfortable environment, reduce strain on the existing HVAC system, and lower overall energy costs.

Project stats:

    • 223 HVLS fans installed across two buildings

    • More than 974,075 sq ft of combined coverage

    • Engineered to deliver up to 11.9°F of perceived cooling at occupant level, with up to 95% of the floor reaching a comfort-relevant air speed

Getting the Controls Right

One of the more nuanced parts of the project was determining the right control setup for Southland’s operations. The fans support several configurations — daisy-chained for coordinated zone control, integrated into the building’s existing Building Management System for centralized automation, or run through a simple standalone controller. Landing on the configuration that best matched the facility’s day-to-day operations was a key part of getting the installation right.

The Results

The project delivered a more comfortable working environment during peak summer heat, backed by a reliable product now in ongoing operation — and a satisfied customer.

Across both facilities, the fan layout was engineered to move working conditions from a “Hot” comfort rating down to “Slightly Warm” under ASHRAE 55 guidelines, even at a 90°F summer temperature. That’s the difference between a floor that’s genuinely hard to work in and one that’s manageable through the hottest part of the day — without asking the HVAC system to do all the work.



Why It Worked

Two things stood out: speed and reliability. The team delivered within a relatively short timeframe, and installation and start-up went smoothly with very few issues. That combination of timely delivery and dependable performance was central to the project’s success.

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