Codding shutters Rohnert Park steel framing startup

<p>In another sign of the struggling construction business, Codding Enterprises has shut its steel framing startup in Rohnert Park.</p><p>“It's the same story as a lot of industries in the construction sector at the moment,” said Richard Pope of Genesis Worldwide Inc., a Canadian company that partnered with Codding to operate Genesis Steel Frame Solutions.</p><p>“Everyone thought the recession was going to be over quickly, but it's going on and on,” Pope said.</p><p>Some 15 workers lost their jobs in the shutdown in August. Codding CEO Brad Baker didn't return calls seeking comment.</p><p>Codding launched the business in mid-2007 at Sonoma Mountain Village, a mixed-used Codding development at the former Agilent Technologies complex in Rohnert Park.</p><p>Workers there fabricated steel frame panels that were shipped to construction sites and assembled like pieces of a puzzle. The panels — up to 11 feet tall and 22 feet wide — were marked with bar codes scanned onsite to show where they fit. </p><p>The system was used for commercial buildings up to six stories tall.</p><p>Codding said the system was environmentally superior to wood frame construction because it used recycled steel and generated no waste. It also cut construction time and resulted in stronger buildings, the company said.</p><p>The business landed several large contracts, including the Whole Foods supermarket at Coddingtown Mall and a new Nissan auto dealership in Santa Rosa. It also worked on apartment projects, several Crate & Barrel stores and a Genentech facility near Sacramento.</p><p>But the startup's timing proved fatal, Pope said.</p><p>“The recession hit about six months after it opened,” he said.</p><p>There wasn't enough business to sustain the Rohnert Park operation over the long haul, Pope said. </p><p>“For manufacturing, you need a certain amount of volume,” he said.</p><p>Codding invested $5 million in the startup and another $1.2 million in Toronto-based Genesis, which licenses technology for the steel frame building system.</p><p>In 2010, the Rohnert Park business became a joint venture between Codding and Genesis, with Codding owning 60 percent.</p><p>Codding Enterprises, headquartered at Sonoma Mountain Village, is a real estate developer with over 2 million square feet of commercial space under management. Besides Coddingtown Mall, it developed Santa Rosa's Montgomery Village shopping center.</p><p>Genesis, which is listed on Canada's TMX stock exchange, reported no revenue and a loss of about $1.6 million for the six months ended June 30, after it sold assets and slashed costs in a major restructuring.</p>