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Draft:Falcon Structures

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Falcon Structures
FormerlyFalcon Storage
Company typePrivate
IndustryModular construction
Founded2003
FoundersStephen Shang; Brian Dieringer
HeadquartersManor, Texas, U.S.
ProductsShipping container–based structures (equipment enclosures, offices, restrooms, training facilities, multi-story venues)
Websitewww.falconstructures.com

Falcon Structures is an American manufacturer of shipping container-based structures headquartered in Manor, Texas. Founded in 2003 by engineers Stephen Shang and Brian Dieringer, the company modifies ISO shipping containers into modular units for industrial, commercial, and public-use settings.[1][2] Falcon holds ICC–ES Evaluation Service Report ESR-4163 under Acceptance Criteria AC462 (Structural Building Materials from Shipping Containers), documenting code compliance for its structural container materials.[3] Falcon has supplied containerized structures for projects including Fortress Obetz, a 122-container sports and entertainment venue in Ohio that trade sources describe as the largest shipping-container structure in the United States at the time of its completion.[4][5]

History

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Shang and Dieringer launched the business as Falcon Storage in 2003, initially renting containers for storage before moving into full container modification work by 2005.[1] One early large-scale project cited by trade press was a 700-container simulated city for U.S. Department of Defense training at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico.[1] In 2018, Trinity Private Equity Group (now Trinity Investors) invested growth capital in the company.[6][7] Falcon later expanded its manufacturing capacity in Manor, Texas; business reports in 2022 noted an addition of roughly 150,000 square feet to the existing 250,000-square-foot facility.[8]

Certifications and standards

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In 2018, ICC Evaluation Service issued ESR-4163 to Falcon Structures, verifying that its modified shipping-container components comply with Acceptance Criteria 462 (AC462) for structural building materials.[3] ICC's announcement the following year referenced Falcon alongside SG Blocks and Sea Box.[9][10] Falcon's ESR-4163 was later recognized for application to the California Building Code through an ICC-ES supplement.[11] Trade coverage has described Falcon as the first in-house container-structure manufacturer to obtain such an ICC–ES acceptance report.[12] Related code changes to the 2021 International Building Code clarified the use of shipping containers in commercial construction; contemporaneous reporting credited an ICC Container Industry Taskforce co-chaired by CEO Stephen Shang.[13]

Notable projects

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  • Fortress Obetz (Obetz, Ohio, opened 2017) -- a three-story, multi-use sports and entertainment complex constructed from 122 modified containers; cited by industry sources as the largest U.S. shipping-container structure at the time.[4][14][15]
  • Square Roots indoor farm (Kenosha, Wisconsin, 2021) -- ten highly customized 40-foot containers configured as controlled-environment grow zones; recognized by the Modular Building Institute's Awards program.[16]
  • United Soccer League (USL) -- In 2022, Falcon was named a Preferred Supplier to the USL, covering multiple leagues.[17]
  • The Pitch (Austin, Texas, 2022) -- Falcon Structures fabricated the modified shipping containers used in The Pitch, an Austin entertainment and office complex designed by Mark Odom Studio.[18]

Partnerships and investment

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  • Trinity Investors (formerly Trinity Private Equity Group) provided growth capital in 2018 to support capacity expansion and market development.[6][7]

Industry impact and recognition

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Falcon has been recognized in trade and regulatory sources for its influence on the adoption of container-based construction within U.S. building codes. CEO Stephen Shang co-chaired the International Code Council's Container Industry Taskforce, which influenced the 2021 International Building Code provisions allowing shipping containers as structural materials.[13][10] The company's ESR-4163 report is cited by industry groups as a precedent establishing modular code pathways for containerized construction.[9][3]

Falcon and its leadership are active in the Modular Building Institute (MBI), the primary trade association for modular and offsite construction. In 2025, Shang was appointed President of MBI's Board of Directors.[19] The company has also participated in MBI's advocacy and awards programs, earning recognition for projects such as Fortress Obetz and Square Roots.[4][16]

Media coverage

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Trade and industry publications have profiled Falcon's work in modular manufacturing container buildings for industrial sectors including oil and gas, manufacturing, and construction, designed to improve safety, compliance, and functionality in worksite environments. Construction in Focus (2023) credited the company with "redefining what's possible with container-based construction," while Offsite Builder featured Falcon's production model as an example of scalable containerized construction.[12][20] Agritech Tomorrow profiled Falcon's role in producing modular grow units for indoor agriculture firm Square Roots in Wisconsin.[16] Regional and national business outlets including Austin Business Journal and the Texas Real Estate Research Center have reported on Falcon's facility expansion and growth in Central Texas.[8] Falcon's leadership and projects have also been discussed in MBI's "It's Not Just a Container" podcast and the Modular Advocacy Program, which examine container architecture's regulatory evolution.[1]

Key people

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Stephen Shang is co-founder and chief executive officer. He was appointed to the Texas Industrialized Building Code Council by Governor Greg Abbott in 2019 and reappointed in 2022 and 2023.[21][22][23] In 2025 he became President of the Board of the Modular Building Institute.[19] Shang holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and is a graduate of MIT's Entrepreneurial Masters Program.[21] He has authored trade pieces on containerized construction and safety.[24]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Falcon Structures: Thinking Inside the Box". Modular Building Institute. January 5, 2025. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  2. ^ "Falcon Structures". Austin Chamber of Commerce. Austin Chamber. 2024. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c "ESR-4163 – Falcon Structures (Structural Building Materials from Shipping Containers)" (PDF). ICC Evaluation Service. June 2025. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c "Fortress Obetz". Modular Building Institute – Project Database. 2017. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  5. ^ Dillman, Linda (October 27, 2020). "A mighty Fortress". Columbus Messenger. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  6. ^ a b "Trinity Provides Capital to Falcon Structures". Trinity Investors. 2018–2019. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  7. ^ a b "Trinity Investors Invests in Falcon Structures". Mergr (deal database). December 28, 2018. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  8. ^ a b "Falcon Structures expanding in Manor". Texas Real Estate Research Center (Texas A&M). May 9, 2022. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  9. ^ a b "ICC-ES Issues Three Evaluation Reports that Help Expand Use of Shipping Containers as Building Materials". Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industry. July 2019. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  10. ^ a b "ICC-ES issues three evaluation reports that help expand use of shipping containers as building materials". International Code Council. June 4, 2019. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  11. ^ "ESR-4163 (California Building Code supplement)" (PDF). ICC Evaluation Service. 2025. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  12. ^ a b "Redefining What's Possible: Falcon Structures". Construction in Focus. October 2023. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  13. ^ a b "Shipping containers can be used in commercial construction: 2021 IBC". Construction Specifier. February 26, 2019. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  14. ^ "Sports Facilities (Fortress Obetz)". PSE Consulting Engineers. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  15. ^ "About the Fortress". Fortress Obetz (official). Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  16. ^ a b c "Square Roots – Award Winner". Modular Building Institute – Project Database. November 30, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  17. ^ a b "United Soccer League Welcomes Falcon Structures as Preferred Supplier". USL. July 18, 2022. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  18. ^ "Mark Odom Studio elevates shipping containers on stilts for The Pitch entertainment complex". Dezeen. March 24, 2022. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  19. ^ a b "2025–2026 MBI Board of Directors". Modular Building Institute. 2025. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  20. ^ "Taking Shipping Containers to the Next Level: Falcon Structures". Construction in Focus. March 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  21. ^ a b "Governor Abbott Appoints Ten to Texas Industrialized Building Code Council". Office of the Texas Governor. January 8, 2019. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  22. ^ "Governor Abbott Appoints Twelve to Texas Industrialized Building Code Council". Office of the Texas Governor. February 17, 2022. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  23. ^ "Governor Abbott Reappoints Six to Texas Industrialized Building Code Council". Office of the Texas Governor. April 19, 2023. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
  24. ^ Shang, Stephen (November 6, 2019). "The Shipping Container Alternative for Military Construction". Construction Executive. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
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