Cogent Provides Electrical and Controls Engineering for Engineered Wood Product Facility

Project Overview

A leading North American manufacturer engaged Cogent Industrial Technologies to provide electrical and controls engineering for a new engineered wood product facility. The project represented a significant investment in production capacity and automation.

Throughout the multi-year project, Cogent’s scope included turnkey electrical and controls design, contractor coordination, and commissioning support for multiple production lines. Working alongside international equipment suppliers, contractors, and engineering partners, Cogent integrated the plant’s production equipment into a unified control system built for reliable, efficient operation.

The Challenge

The project’s size and complexity required careful coordination, particularly amid industry-wide supply chain challenges during the time of the project. Extended lead times for major electrical equipment added pressure to the construction schedule and demanded flexible planning to maintain progress. With compressed timelines, Cogent worked closely with contractors and site teams to coordinate overlapping scopes of installation work while maintaining safety and quality standards.

The project also called for integration between vendor-supplied process equipment and North American electrical standards. Differences in wiring conventions, installation methods, and safety practices required technical adaptation and close collaboration between engineering and installation teams.

Our Solution

Cogent delivered turnkey electrical and controls engineering, on-site project management, and in-depth commissioning support to the project. The team designed the plant’s network architecture, coordinated integration between vendor-supplied equipment and control systems, and resolved communication issues between subsystems. In one case, Cogent reduced a five-week network commissioning delay to just two days, allowing vendors to resume testing and stay on track. The team also overcame major sourcing challenges as a result of supply chain issues during the project timeline.

Cogent’s expertise helped to bridge the gap between internationally supplied process equipment and North American electrical standards. The team reviewed and optimized vendor-supplied transformer, grounding, and bonding designs to meet safety and performance requirements, preventing costly rework and avoiding schedule impacts. Close coordination with utility providers, contractors, and suppliers ensured the facility’s electrical infrastructure met operational needs while staying within budget.

Results & Impact

Cogent’s work helped bring the facility to operational readiness and supported successful production startup. Proactive coordination, problem-solving, and technical leadership kept the project on schedule and delivered measurable time and cost savings.

“From identifying, to tracking, to solving, and documenting, your team helped put what could've been a significant issue to rest.” - Project manager, on behalf of the client

Project highlights:

• Delivered electrical and controls engineering for major plant
• Accelerated commissioning and minimized vendor delays
• Saved hundreds of thousands of dollars through procurement, design optimization, and scope management
• Improved safety and compliance through design verification and vendor oversight
• Supported operational readiness amid supply chain and construction challenges