Peeples Street Ramp

Wright Construction’s Chattanooga Division completed a new concrete forklift ramp at 1278 Peeples Street in Chattanooga, Tennessee, for a local tool and materials supplier working to open its new warehouse space under a tight deadline. Dan Waddell led the project, which totaled 350 square feet of concrete paving and required close coordination with supplier Southern Carlson to keep the schedule on track.
The client had spent several months working through the details of a lease agreement before finally finalizing it, leaving a narrow window to get into the building and begin operations. To stock the warehouse, the tenant needed a functional forklift ramp at an existing loading dock. Wright Construction built a new concrete ramp designed for forklift traffic, with a monolithic curb along one side to protect against forklift rollover as a safety measure. The team also removed and replaced an existing concrete slab at the bottom of the ramp that had settled away from adjacent concrete, eliminating a trip hazard on the site.

About the Property
The building at 1278 Peeples Street sits in Chattanooga’s Arts District, an established industrial corridor known for open-span warehouse space and strong ceiling clearance. The roughly 33,760-square-foot facility changed ownership in 2024 in a $2.74 million sale, reflecting continued investor interest in Chattanooga’s industrial real estate market. For a new tenant moving into a warehouse of this size, functional loading dock access is one of the first pieces of infrastructure that has to be in place before day-to-day operations can begin.

Why This Work Mattered
A forklift ramp connects a warehouse’s interior floor to an outdoor loading dock, letting forklifts move pallets of inventory in and out of the building without the delay or damage risk of manual handling. For a tool and materials supplier preparing to stock a new warehouse, a functional ramp is not a convenience. It is a requirement for getting product on the shelves and the business open.
Before building the new ramp, Wright’s team evaluated the surrounding concrete’s thickness, base condition, and steel reinforcement to confirm those areas could serve as reliable tie-in points and would not fail under the new loading conditions the client needed. Every surrounding condition passed inspection, allowing the team to move forward with forming, placing, and finishing the ramp. The crew applied a rake finish rather than a standard broom finish, adding extra traction for the pneumatic tires used on the client’s forklifts, a detail that directly affects safe day-to-day operation once the ramp is in daily use.

Project Execution
With the lease delays already eating into the client’s move-in timeline, Wright Construction committed to a specific completion date and delivered the finished ramp within that window. Kelly Felix recommended the rake finish over a standard broom finish to improve forklift traction, and Juan Lara led the crew that built the ramp to the promised timeline. The team’s excavation and evaluation work upfront allowed the project to move directly into construction without delays from unexpected site conditions.

Client Testimonial
The client was extremely pleased with the work, communication, and timeline of the project. While coordinating several subcontractors to build out the space ahead of opening, he repeatedly noted that “Wright Construction Company was the only contractor that clearly communicated what would be done and then followed through, delivering the finished scope of work within the specified timeline.”

Impact on the Business
This ramp gave the client the loading dock functionality needed to stock the warehouse and open for business after months of lease delays. For a tenant already working against a tight timeline, having a contractor deliver exactly what was promised, on schedule, made the difference in getting the business operational without further setbacks.

Need a fast-tracked concrete ramp, loading dock repair, or warehouse site improvement in Chattanooga or the surrounding areas? Wright Construction delivers reliable results you can count on. Let’s get to work.