today. june 2011

JUNE 2011 CONSTRUCTION-TODAY.COM1

and thrived though multiple reces-sions and maneuvered their wayamong ever-changing markets, tech-nologies and trends.

Companies that have reached sig-nificant milestones, –whether 10, 25or even 100 years – serve as positiveexamples to others that may be hav-ing a harder time navigating theirway through the current economicclimate. These veteran companiesdemonstrate that adaptability andhard work pay off.

Nearly all of these milestone com-panies have undergone at least onemajor managerial or ownershiptransition. It’s only natural that, over

PLEASE NOTE: The opinions expressed by interviewees, contributors and advertisers within this publication do not necessarily coincide with those of the editor and publisher. Every reasonable effort is madeto ensure that the information published is accurate, but no legal responsibility for loss occasioned by the use of such information can be accepted by the publisher. All rights reserved. The contentsof the magazine are strictly copyright, the property of Construction Today, and may not be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or reproduced without the prior written permission of the publisher.

EDITOR’S LETTER�

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time, veteran leaders will pass the reins to others.In this issue, succession expert Linda Henman offers

some practical advice for companies reaching this criticalstage (page 6). She advises companies make successionplanning a “deliberate, systematic effort” in their organi-zation that includes forecasting future managementneeds, auditing current succession plans and identifying“high-potential” staff.

“Successful succession management can loweremployee turnover, improve morale, fuel the leadershippipeline and place the most qualified candidates in keypositions,” she writes.

Even if your leadership doesn’t have immediate plansto step down, knowing the people in your company whoare willing and qualified to lead it in the future is vitallyimportant. We hope Henman’s column can offer guid-ance toward taking this important step.

In every issue of Construction Today,we profile companies with significanthistories – firms that have survived

Who Will Take Your Place?

Jim Harris, Construction Today [email protected]

CONSTRUCTION-TODAY.COM JUNE 20112

V O L U M E 9 | I S S U E 6

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JUNE 2011 | CONTENTS

On the CoverHeatherbrae Builders Co. Ltd. For Heatherbrae, theclient comes first. “Customer service is paramount,and we pledge to give the best of ourtime and ability,” it says. gp.20

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Columns and Features6 Industry Trends Your firm’s

future plans begin by identifyingtop talent.

8 Exploring BIM A firm relies onBIM to design a residence hall.

12 Media Relations It is critical toknow how to handle the media.

14 Design Trends Specializedequipment leads trends in labo-ratory and facility construction.

16 Construction ScienceContractors cannot avoid thethreat of mold.

18 Best Practices The days of exca-vating blindly are over.

Departments34 Institutional Business owners

are searching for new markets.

78 Commercial There is plenty ofgood news in 2011.

116 Civil New field technology canstreamline communication.

150 Residential Legal counsel canhelp you in today’s climate.

170 Industrial Delay claims canexpose prime contractors toallegations of lost productivity.

184 Last Look pellow + associatesstrives for your attention.

20 Heatherbrae Builders Co. Ltd. The Heatherbrae Group of Companies taps intoits staff’s years of experience to build a variety of projects in western Canada.

26 Farmer Construction Celebrating its 60th anniversary, Farmer Construction is oneof Western Canada’s leading contractors.

30 Property Development Group A British Columbia retail developer continues tocreate projects in its home province, while setting its sights on nearby Alberta.

32 Westcorp Properties Inc. Westcorp Properties says its depth of services and will-ingness to deal with tricky properties make it a leader in Alberta.W

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INSTITUTIONAL: Profilinghealthcare, education, places of worship, laboratory,military, library and museum construction, and related business.

36 Andersen Construction Co. –Kaiser Westside Medical CenterAndersen’s Kaiser Westside MedicalCenter will provide convenient care.

40 Rudolph and Sletten – UCSJSmith Cardiovascular ResearchBuilding Lean techniques helpedRudolph and Sletten deliver a facili-ty 10 weeks early.

42 Guam Waterworks AuthorityGuam had major plans for improv-ing its system, but those plans gotmuch bigger when word of the mil-itary build-up arrived.

45 Tindall Corp. – Toronto SouthDetention Centre Tindall Corp. isnow excelling on the 1,650-bedToronto South Detention Centreproject with EllisDon.

48 College Football Hall of FameConstruction of the new CollegeFootball Hall of Fame in Atlanta willbegin in fall 2011.

52 Bartlett Cocke GeneralContractors – Carroll MiddleSchool A solar panel array at thenew Carroll Middle School offersmajor cost savings.

54 Brinkmann Constructors –Westminster Christian AcademyBrinkmann says it will deliver thenew academy on schedule.

56 Flintco – Bledsoe CountyCorrectional Flintco is at work onone of Tennessee’s largest state-funded prison projects.

58 The Hagerman Group – TaylorUniversity Euler ScienceComplex Close coordination andcommunication have helpedHagerman deliver the complex.

60 Legacy Building Group Legacydelivers quality projects throughoutthe St. Louis region.

62 Manhattan ConstructionGroup/Torcon Inc. – U.S. ArmyMedical Research Institute ofInfectious Diseases Manhattanand Torcon are partners on a bio-containment research facility.

64 Miron Construction – LangladeHospital Miron adopted a leader-ship role on the Langlade Hospital.

66 Nabholz Construction Services– Scott County ReplacementHospital Nabholz delivers a ‘workof art’ while managing costs.

68 The Ryan Companies – ThePhoenix Professional OfficeBuilding Ryan says it can handletough jobs.

70 S. M. Wilson & Co. – Ray andJoan Kroc Corps CommunityCenter S. M. Wilson is nearly donewith the community center.

72 Archer WesternContractors/DeMaria BuildingCompany Joint Venture – JamesA. Haley Veterans HospitalArcher aims to finish the expansionin 2013.

74 D.H. Griffin Construction Co. –Rolesville Middle School D.H.Griffin is at work on the RolesvilleMiddle School project.

76 Wehr Constructors Inc. –Northeast Christian WorshipCenter and Children’s MinistryA new worship center in Louisville,Ky., nearly triples its capacity.

COMMERCIAL: Profilingretail, office, hospitality,entertainment and mixed-use construction.

80 Costello Dismantling Co. Inc. Ifwhat goes up must come down,building owners will want a compa-ny like Costello.

84 Okland Construction – UtahValley Convention CenterOkland says it is keeping tight con-trol over its Utah Valley project.

88 Lippert Brothers Inc. The Lippertfamily has built many ofOklahoma’s landmarks.

91 Murray & Company Murray helpsdevelopers across Canada.

94 Trystate Mechanical Inc.Trystate self-performs the majorityof its work.

97 Turelk Inc. Turelk delivers the sec-ond phase of Beachbody’s project.

100 Crossland Mechanical Inc.Crossland serves the New Yorkcommercial real estate industry.

102 Golden State Framers GoldenState emphasizes customer service.

104 CJ Pink Ltd. CJ has the formula forfocal point-worthy products.

106 Hunt/Moss, a Joint Venture –Florida Marlins Ballpark Twobuilders are joining forces to givethe Florida Marlins a new home.

108 NTS Development Co. –ShelbyHurst Research andOffice Park NTS is working on aLEED-certified office building.

110 pellow + associates architectsinc. pellow + associates architectsspecializes in redeveloping retailcenters and malls.

Company Profiles

CONTENTS | JUNE 2011��

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112 Star-Lo Electric Inc. No project istoo big or too small for Star-Lo.

114 Turner Construction – 3 WhiteFlint North building The NuclearRegulatory Commission’s newbuilding is energy efficient.

CIVIL: Profiling heavy/high-way, utility, water/sewagetreatment plant and airportconstruction, and relatedbusiness.

118 Port Authority of Guam ThePort Authority of Guam is finalizingplans for a modernization project.

122 Washington CountyConstructors – Dixie DriveInterchange The Dixie DriveInterchange project will help St.George, Utah.

125 Ecco III The Kew GardensInterchange’s new design will allowit to handle traffic more efficiently.

128 II in One Contractors Inc. –39th St. Sewer Bypass Tunnel IIin One Contractors Inc. has beenplacing precast deep undergroundin Chicago.

131 Western Water ConstructorsInc. Western Water Constructors isproud of its work on two watertreatment projects in California.

134 Capriati Construction Corp. –U.S. 95 Northwest CorridorImprovements Project Capriatimakes major progress on the U.S.95 project.

136 Department of Public Works –Guam Transportation ProgramRoad improvements prepare Guamfor an increased military presence.

140 Essroc – Picton, Ontario Essroc’sPicton, Ontario, cement plantprides itself on its quality.

142 Hawkins ConstructionCompany – Interstate 80 proj-ect Hawkins Construction is atwork on improving Nebraska’sInterstate 80.

144 McCoy Grading Inc. McCoyGrading uses the latest technologyto improve site productivity.

146 Florida Flow Control Inc. FloridaFlow Control makes client satisfac-tion its No. 1 goal.

148 Martel Construction – BozemanGallatin Field Airport Martelleads the expansion of the airport.

RESIDENTIAL: Profilingmulti- and single familyhomes and buildings.

152 Meritage Homes ColoradoDivision Meritage sets standardsin green construction.

157 Lettire Construction – Via VerdeLettire is delivering a green gem inthe South Bronx.

160 Taylor Morrison ColoradoDivision Taylor Morrison brings itsfocus on quality to Denver.

163 Van Metre Cos. Van Metre says ithas coped well with the recession.

166 ABEL Building Supplies ABEL’sproject portfolio includes NicholasTower in Trinidad.

168 C.F. Evans Construction C.F.Evans is committed to service, rela-tionships and green building.

INDUSTRIAL: Profiling facto-ry, warehouse, power plantand energy-related construc-tion and related business.

172 B&G Crane Service LLC B&Gsays it has an experienced staff.

176 T.N. Ward Co. T.N. Ward Co.embraces new projects in the indus-trial sector and other areas.

180 Robert B. Somerville Co.Limited – Sault Ste. Marie SolarFarm Project Somerville andAlmita Piling are nearing comple-tion on the solar farm project.

182 Tinguely Development Inc.Tinguely Development’s projectsreflect the warm, welcoming envi-ronment of Hawaii.

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Where do you want your company to be in threeyears? Most of my successful construction clientshave a pretty clear answer to that question. Theyunderstand that, big or small, to ensure long-term

profitability, you need to address who will replace whom and tomap out the path each individual will need to take to realizeboth individual and organizational success.

A well-designed talent strategydefines the critical moves you willneed to make and develops a time-line for individuals to developskills and gain experience tomove forward. Understandingthe succession planningprocess is the first step.Building confidence amongstakeholders that you areindeed promot-

ing the most qualified candidates is the next.As Winston Churchill advised, “Let ouradvance worrying become advance thinkingand planning.”

A Course of ActionMany people use the terms “replacement plan-ning” and “succession planning” synonymous-ly, but the two differ. Convincing decisionmakers to have a disaster replacement plan inthe event that key individuals die or departunexpectedly is not too difficult, but persuad-ing them to prepare people for advancementyears ahead of their actual promotions pres-ents more challenges.

My definition is: “Succession planning is adeliberate, systematic effort to guarantee lead-

ership continuity, a process for ensuring asuitable supply of candidates for currentand future key jobs so that the

Succeeding at Succession

Your company’s future plans begin by identifying top talent.

BY LINDA HENMAN

The most crucial forecaster of success atthe top of an organization is brainpower.


careers of individuals can be managed to opti-mize both the organization’s needs and theindividual’s aspirations.”

A powerful way to maximize human capitalboth now and in the future, succession plan-ning creates an ongoing, continuous plan tofocus attention on talent.

Succession planning establishes a way tomeet the organization’s needs for top perform-ance over a long period of time, starting withthe sometimes-daunting plan to advancesomeone to the No. 1 position, the chief execu-tive officer.

Getting StartedThe right time to start succession planning isnow. If you start five or even 10 years beforethe estimated departure of key leaders, it maybe too late. Unforeseen circumstances caninterfere with your best-laid plans, and thecompany will be faced not with the quiet crisisof succession, but with a screaming one.Whatever your current situation, these stepsdescribe how you can start a strategic succes-sion plan:

• Clarify expectations. What does the cur-rent CEO expect from each level of theorganization? No initiative has a hope ofsucceeding if the CEO doesn’t support itand require commitment to it.

• Review the current succession plan for theorganization and audit its architecture toreveal vulnerabilities. Determine whetherthis leadership pipeline supports yourmission, vision and values.

• Based on this information, forecast futuretalent needs. Examine current vs.required performance, existing enhance-ment initiatives, projected turnover, antic-ipated retirements, talent growth projec-tion, demographics and changing busi-ness trends.

• Working together, the members of theleadership team establish competenciesfor each key position.

• Identify excellence markers and criticalsuccess factors for each position on the

leadership team. Ask yourselves, “what are the skills, experience,knowledge, and personality characteristics required for exemplaryperformance?” Start with your most important roles and scrutinizeyour top performers. Build a talent profile that encapsulates thebest practices of these achievers in your organization.

• Next, as a team, agree on standards for high-potentials. Some organ-izations concentrate on the top 5 percent of their population. Thecriteria for determining a high-potential would include the abilityto advance two job levels in five years, a willingness to relocate oracquire requisite field experience, and the potential for at leastanother 10 to 15 years with the organization.

• Identify the strengths and weaknesses for each individual you areconsidering for key positions. Assess “ready now” people, identify atimeline for “ready now” in the future and examine each.

• Ask each member of the leadership team to identify high-potentialscurrently in the organization and one or two possible successors foreach key position in the pipeline.

• Finally, assign members of the leadership team accountability fordevelopment plans for each high-potential staff member.

Even though there are other predictors of future leadership success,the most crucial forecaster of success at the top of an organization isbrainpower. Three main components define what I call leadership intel-ligence: critical thinking, learning ability and quantitative abilities.

Dispassionate scrutiny, strategic focus and analytical reasoning formthe foundation of critical thinking. These abilities equip a person toanticipate consequences, to get to the core of complicated issues, and tozero in on the critical few, while putting aside the trivial many.

General learning ability is the second most important aspect of lead-ership intelligence. When leaders can acquire new information quickly,they do not lose valuable time.

Often, but not always, educational success is an accurate predictor ofhow quickly someone will learn in the organization.

Quantitative abilities are critical at the top of most organizations.These skills allow a person to evaluate the nuances of mergers, acquisi-tions, and risk-taking ventures. Estimators and risk managers oftendemonstrate well-developed quantitative abilities, but when it comes topromotions, decision makers too often overlook these gifted contribu-tors in favor of those who have more operational experience.

Buy-In is CriticalSuccessful succession management can lower employee turnover,improve morale, fuel the leadership pipeline and place the most quali-fied candidates in key positions. It will require resources, considerableattention to design, commitment of top managers and the credibility ofthe planning staff.

But with a CEO buy-in and a well-planned approach, you can begin tocollect the data that will start the process.

Linda Henman, Ph.D., is

the author of “The

Magnetic Boss” and

“Landing in the Executive

Chair,” and a leading

expert on setting strategy,

planning succession and

developing talent. For

more information, visit

www.henmanperfor-

mancegroup.com.


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The Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) located indowntown Boston is in the process of building a new 21-storysteel frame residence hall. When it opens in 2012, the 493-bedresidence hall also will include a café, student lounges, artist

work rooms, an art gallery, laundry and kitchen facilities, and a healthservice office. The building is being built by the Massachusetts StateCollege Building Authority (MSCBA), which plans, designs, finances andconstructs housing and student activity facilities for nine campuses.

To manage the structural design of the new dormitory, MassArt andthe MSCBA selected Odeh Engineers Inc., a full-service structural engi-neering consulting firm specializing in the design, analysis and evalua-tion of commercial, industrial and institutional building structures. TheRhode Island-based company’s projects include designing new build-ings as well as renovations, additions and historical preservation.

Since its founding in 1982, Odeh Engineers has relied exclusively ondigital design representations. In 2006, the firm adopted building infor-mation modeling (BIM) supported by Autodesk Revit Structure soft-ware. “BIM and the Revit Structure software is at the heart of our designapproach,” explains David J. Odeh, principal of Odeh Engineers. OdehEngineers has completed more than 250 projects using the software.

A Challenging SettingWith Boston’s premier art museums just blocks away, the MassArt dor-mitory’s urban setting is well suited for its students, but poses significantchallenges for new construction. The site contains a large network ofunderground culverts that carry waste to a Massachusetts WaterResource Authority (MWRA) wastewater treatment plant.

MWRA has an easement over the state of Massachusetts-owned prop-erty, such that the building had to be constructed away from the culvertand running adjacent to their sewage line. The MWRA must have theability to dig them out for future repair or replacement and required a30-foot minimum clearance above the culvert for access.

As a result, the architectural design is a tall, slender building thatcurves around and cantilevers over the MWRA easement. “Our structur-al design had to ensure that MWRA could construct a 25-foot deep exca-vation to those pipes without impacting the building or its foundation,”Odeh says. “Furthermore, the shape of the building itself posed structur-al challenges, requiring a deep pile foundation and specialized lateralbracing for wind and seismic loads, as well as the careful coordination ofall that additional structural framing with the building systems.”

Odeh Engineers modeled the existing culverts and designed rows ofprotective soldier piles on both sides of sewage lines. The team thenused those elements to design the building foundation, strategically

locating the building piles to carry the load ofthe building without impacting the culverts.

The project’s architect, ADD Inc., and themechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP)engineer, WSP Flack+Kurtz, also used Revitsoftware products, enabling multidisciplineddesign collaboration and coordination. “Bysharing our design models, we could moreaccurately visualize the project and under-stand the spatial relationships between thestructural framing, the architectural elementsand the building systems,” says Daniel Batt,structural engineer at Odeh Engineers.

“We work on a lot of renovation projects,and typically start those projects by using 3-Dmodeling software to help create a detailedmodel of existing conditions,” Odeh says. “Thisenables our engineers and our clients to betterunderstand the issues relating to an existingstructure and the feasibility of various designconcepts. Although the MassArt residence hall-project is new construction, the team still hadto work around existing conditions in the formof adjacent buildings, and most importantly,the MWRA easement.”

Detailed coordination between the locationof the sewer pipes, the soldier piles and thebuilding support piles was essential. So theteam modeled the culverts based on existingMWRA drawings, and then designed the sol-dier piles and building support piles.

“We could not have designed and coordinat-ed this project as efficiently as we did without amodel that more accurately reflected existingsite conditions,” says Jason Bacon, structuralengineer at Odeh Engineers. “If the MWRAever needs to excavate those culverts, the sol-dier piles will protect their sewage lines as wellas the building foundation and the areaaround it.”

The 21-story residence hall sits on a relative-ly small footprint — only 121 by 52 feet. Theheight of the narrow structure and its can-

Brian Haines has been

with Autodesk for six years

and is the industry market-

ing manager for the

Autodesk Building Design

Suite and Structural

Engineering solutions port-

folio at Autodesk. For more

information, contact him

at brian.haines@

autodesk.com.

An engineering firm relies on BIM to design an art school’s new residence hall. BY BRIAN HAINES

A WORK OF ART


respective design models for design coordination, we were able to bringall the models together for formal clash detection.” The extended projectteam attended regular online coordination review meetings and usedthis combined model to help identify and examine cross-disciplineclashes and facilitate quick resolutions.

Suffolk also used the combined models for early quantity takeoffs, as

tilevered form necessitated unusually deepbuilding piles and additional bracing. “Ourstructural design includes intricate linksbetween the building frame and the founda-tion piles, along with a great deal of steel brac-ing for building support,” Batt says. “All thebuilding systems — the duct work, the sprin-kler systems, the plumbing and waste lines —had to be woven through the structure.”

Odeh Engineers used Revit Structure tovisualize, analyze and refine the building’sfoundation and steel framing — helping todesign a structure that could bear its ownweight, weather the winds whipping off theAtlantic Ocean, and withstand any future exca-vation of the nearby sewer culverts. To pro-mote a more streamlined design process, theteam imported the architectural and MEP soft-ware models into its Revit Structure model tofacilitate cross-discipline design coordinationand proactive clash avoidance.

Teamwork Counts The extended design team and the contractor,Suffolk Construction Co., worked together as ateam from the onset of the project.“Transparency and collaboration were criticalfor the success of this project, and BIM enabledboth,” Batt says. “In addition to sharing our

The Massachusetts College of Art and Design ‘s new

$61 million residence hall willopen its doors in fall of 2012.

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well as preconstruction estimating, planning and scheduling. “Forexample, the building support piles are particularly expensive so theteam needed an early count for budgeting,” Bacon explains. “Using ourpreliminary structural model, we worked with Suffolk to study differentoptions for the pile systems and generate a more accurate cost estimatefor the building support piles.”

Clear Communication Suffolk is now using Autodesk Navisworks Manage software to helpwith construction coordination. “The building was extremely well coor-dinated during the design process, which is making the contractor’scoordination effort much easier,” Batt says. “And because Suffolk is usingthe original design files of all of the major building disciplines, they did-n’t have to waste time recreating models.”

Advanced 3-D modeling technologies not only helped OdehEngineers visualize and evaluate the project, they were essential formore clearly communicating its design to the extended team and projectstakeholders. Like many new construction projects in an urban area,there was a lengthy approval process for this dormitory.

In addition, the MWRA needed to sign off on the project due to theeasement. “The use of BIM helped the entire team to visualize the com-plexity of the design and provided a workflow for interdisciplinary coor-dination” says Ed Adelman, the executive director of the MSCBA.

The team used the Revit Structure design model and both RevitStructure and Autodesk 3ds Max software to help create a range ofdesign visualizations — sections, cutaways, renderings and even anima-tions — that helped everyone gain a better understanding of the struc-ture and expedite the approval process.

“These visualizations were particularly useful during the MWRAreview cycle,” Odeh says. “We were able to demonstrate to them that thebuilding could be built safely while protecting their easement.”

To improve model fidelity between structural design and fabricationand to minimize the number of requests for information (RFIs), OdehEngineers shared its design model with the steel fabricator.

The firm exported the design to CIS/2 format and sent the files to the

steel fabricator for use in the steel detailingprocess. “We’re not subject to the fabricator’sinterpretation of our drawings,” Baconexplains. “We know that they’re using the mostaccurate information for their steel detailingand they better understand our design intent.As a result, even though there are thousands ofshop drawings on this job, there’s been a mini-mal number of RFIs, and the project has goneextremely smoothly.”

“The team’s rigorous coordination duringthe design phase really paid off during thesteel fabrication process,” Odeh adds. “All theshop drawings were approved on the first pass.The steel fabricator said this was the best steelshop drawing process they ever experienced.”

MassArt’s new $61 million residence hall isunder construction and will be ready for stu-dents in the fall of 2012. “Our firm relies onBIM solutions to help us deliver the highestlevel of service to our clients,” Odeh says. “BIMleads to better coordination, improved visuali-zation and higher-quality documentation.”


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Have you ever cringed while watching a television news inter-view as it went wrong for the individual being questioned?Whether the reason was due to lack of preparation on behalfof the spokesperson or purported expert, or because the

reporter threw in a question that was either unexpected, embarrassingor both, the result is the same. The person being interviewed doesn’tperform well, which can damage his or her reputation along with that ofthe company.

News professionals are continually astounded by the number oftimes poorly prepared executives and spokespersons who are on shortleashes and have agreed to talk to the media fall flat on their faces whenthey do. An interviewee cannot control any news conference or inter-

view, regardless of any restrictions one tries toimpose in advance. If a resource tries thatapproach, it makes responses less crediblewhen challenged. Reporters are quick to realizeand will probably report that the spokespersonseemed ill-equipped and perhaps untrained —a cardinal sin for any company hoping tomake a favorable public impression throughthe media, especially in the contracting orbuilding business.

For our purposes, the media refers to printand broadcast outlets, sometimes referred to as

Don’tsDos AND

It is important to learn the ways to communicate with the media.BY GERRI KNILANS


the mainstream media (MSM). It is true thatsome have expanded the definition of mediato include the social networks such asFacebook and Twitter, but those do not offerthe question-and-answer platform or give andtake that occurs in a live news conference set-ting with reporters. Postings on the social net-works can certainly impact a company and itsreputation, but responses do not have to besimultaneous as they do when appearing infront of microphones, cameras and reporters.

The biggest difference, though, is that theMSM is looking for news stories and will viewthe information their sources are about to pro-vide only in that context. The reporters want toknow why they, and by inference the public,should care about what it is the spokespersonis presenting.

There are plenty of justifiable reasons toschedule media events, with one of the biggestbeing public relations. These can includeannouncement of a project with a number ofadditional hires (substantial new employmentis always an attention-getter these days), orperhaps a new development under construc-tion that is especially environment friendly.Other possibilities include discussions aboutthe state of the industry in light of today’seconomy or possible impact of federal andstate legislation on business. The most difficultsetting, however, is a news conference or solointerview that occurs because of a crisis. Howcompanies communicate during these chal-lenging times can make or break a company.

Preparation Is MandatorySuffice it to say that going before the mediawithout thorough preparation is a public rela-tions disaster waiting to happen. Preparationshould include homework and research, abrainstorming session and plenty of practiceprior to facing reporters even if there is nothingcontroversial about the announcement. Thespokesperson should be fully aware of allaspects of subject matter including any itemthat may change the focus of the media eventto an unwanted or unplanned subject.

Preparation is also essential to make surethe spokesperson doesn’t assume the media isthe adversary — an attitude that is likely tocome across as arrogant and unresponsive.Then there is the question of the ever-presenttalking points, the messages that the executive

or spokesperson wants to convey. Politicians may get away with usingcanned talking points whether applicable or not when responding toquestions, but business executives don’t have that luxury. Talking pointsare important and necessary, but they should be used judiciously andanswers need to be appropriate and flexible.

Amelia Brazell, a marketing and media strategist, believes answers toquestions should be presented in sound bite form. Television and radioreporters keep their sound bites to only a few seconds so Brazell recom-mends that interviewees be concise. Another of her recommendations isto stay on topic. “Spokespersons should never try to guess if they get aquestion and are uncertain about the answer,” warns Brazell. “Be honestand tell the reporter you’re not sure and will try to get the information,and don’t forget to get back to the reporter about it afterwards.”

Important Media TipsHere are some additional tips that should also be part of your mediarelations strategy:

• Never agree to any media interview before you understand why ithas been requested and have prepared for it.

• Preparation should include a video-recorded practice conference orinterview and do not be afraid to include tough and sensitive ques-tions as part of the practice. It is better to deal with them now andadjust accordingly.

• Relax. No spokesperson should look uptight.• Consider using a media relations professional as a consultant or a

spokesperson depending on the nature of the material.• Never say the words “no comment.” To the reader or viewer, “no

comment” indicates you’ve got something to hide. • Never lie to the media. Reporters are relentless when uncovering an

untruth and company reputations will be left in shambles.• Recognize that the media, contrary to some assertions, has not come

to your news conference just to play “gotcha.” The only agendareporters have is to get the story, which is why they are interviewingyou or your spokesperson. Good spokespersons recognize this anddo their best to provide newsworthy information.

Get Over the JittersNerves and apprehension are understandable, even if the media event isa positive one for the company, but the key to overcoming them ispreparation. There are no justifications for trying to “wing it” whetherthe event is a simple announcement or a potentially controversial story.

Also remember that no matter how hard you try, you cannot com-pletely control the interview. Concentrate on presenting what will beviewed as newsworthy information. Public relations counselors have areason for advising their clients to be attuned to what the media wantsand to try to respond according. It’s because the reporter is your conduitto the public and how you make use of that conduit will depend onpreparation and attitude.

While there are some risks involved, remember to consider theupside of a well-planned media strategy. You will be viewed as a valu-able resource for information related to the building industry and yourcompany will have earned its credibility. That translates into a favorablepublic impression.

Gerri Knilans is president

of Trade Press Services, a

developer and provider of

editorial coverage and

other forms of corporate

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� The latest trends in laboratory and tech-nical facility design and constructioncan be seen in the evolution of theHVAC, electrical, plumbing and

process piping systems, and the specializedfurniture and fume hoods utilized in thesefacilities. Determining optimal trend choices toimplement in a particular facility takes earlyplanning and a team with knowledge andunderstanding of laboratories and technicalfacilities. With proper planning, systems andcomponents, substantial efficiencies and costsavings can be realized.

HVAC systems are one of the most signifi-cant systems within a laboratory or technicalfacility; labs and cleanrooms generally requiresignificant air changes per hour and certainprocesses require once-through, or 100 percentoutside air. These exhaust demands requiresignificant conditioned make-up air, and costscan additionally be driven by the potentialneed for system redundancy for mission criti-cal tasks. Today, typical room air change ratesare being re-evaluated as they are dependenton several key factors including room use,room arrangement and the hazards involved.

In some facilities, operational trends areallowing for more direct control of HVAC byend-users depending on the processes con-ducted. However, this is an option that is stillbeing studied.

Electrical systems in laboratories and tech-nical facilities can be complex and demandingas significant power is required for mechanicalsystems and facility equipment and/or instru-mentation. Many users will require clean anddedicated circuits, and mission critical opera-tions may require back-up generators or explo-sion proof (Class 1, division 1 or 2) electricalsystems in some work areas.

Labs are generally major users of power andmechanical system resources. However, thereare solutions to mitigate this mass use of ener-gy such as variable air volume (VAV) systems,low flow and high efficiency fume hoods andenergy-efficient lighting. Energy efficiency inlaboratories is a critical issue as more and morefacilities are realizing there can be considerablesavings realized over the life of the buildingand as laboratories will no longer be exemptedfrom the energy recovery calculations requiredby the ASHRAE 90.1 standards.

Plumbing and process piping systems are

Specialized equipment leads trends in laboratory and technical facility design. BY DAVID SKINNER AND MELANIE TUNGET

Lab Works


another complex component of the laboratoryor technical facility. It is imperative that all pip-ing materials are selected based on the uniqueenvironment and processes of each laboratory,keeping in mind the importance of flexibledesign that allows for easy renovation andmodifications when necessary.

Plumbing systems in these facilities are usu-ally much more complex than general sani-tary/domestic plumbing systems and caninclude complex carrier gas distribution sys-tems, ultra-pure and DI water systems, andseparate industrial waste systems – some ofwhich require clarifiers and neutralization sys-tems. Today, the emphasis is on installingappropriate plumbing systems vital to eachindividual facility’s efficiency, flexibility andsafe operations.

Trends in laboratory casework and fumehoods include modular and mobile worksta-tions, low flow and high efficiency fumehoods, and moveable tables and cabinets. And,some specialized casework and fume hoods aredictated by lab processes. Heavy chemistry lab-oratories demand a high linear footage of fumehoods while laboratory instruments requiremore laboratory bench space. Also, sufficientstorage and cabinetry can provide solutions toreduce workspace clutter common in the labenvironment. Regardless of type or style, hav-ing the ability to modify and relocate caseworkis a key element to the ever-changing lab envi-ronment. In today’s world, it’s all about flexibil-ity and adaptability.

Popular ConceptsWhen it comes to facility layout, three conceptsare gaining popularity. The first concept is theflexible lab, which offers tremendous optionsfor future uses. The flexible lab offers efficientways to modify and reconfigure workstations.Flexible labs utilize centrally located utilitychases for all major services that are positionedfor easy reconfiguration, while some labs pro-vide for overhead utility services, even liquidwaste, to allow for fast changes in facility oper-ations. The flexible lab design concept resultsin a functional, efficient and easy to reconfig-ure space.

The second concept is the open lab wherelarge open spaces with dedicated sections areutilized; this is different from some of theclosed or compartmentalized lab concepts

employed in the past. The open lab keeps all functions in one open andundivided space to promote teamwork and communication, as well asthe sharing of equipment, work space and support staff.

The third concept is collaborative space, which offers ample and easilyaccessible meeting areas for sharing information and cultivating a teamapproach to research. These spaces can include team-based researchareas, writing areas, work areas and other meeting spaces such as breakrooms or atriums. Collaborative labs move away from the concept of“specific” areas where only one person works or one process occurs – thisconcept is all about working together, and of course, collaboration.

Each of these concepts support common goals, including creatingfunctional efficient work areas that are easy to modify and reconfigure,as well as encouraging a team approach to lab processes and research.The key to these concepts is to invest in the front-end of the project, dur-ing the design phase, particularly for the MEP elements to reduce futurecosts. If planned early, each of these concepts can be incorporated inearly design and equipment specifications, and offer a facility capable ofenduring frequent advances and changes in the laboratory and techni-cal facility environment.

In the past, employing green solutions in the design of technical facil-ities has many times taken a secondary role in project planning. But it’simportant to keep in mind the big picture and review the lifecycle costanalysis as a basis for energy investment decisions. While lower-costsolutions may initially be more cost effective over shorter periods oftime, say less than five years, it is not uncommon for VAV systems tohave a lower lifecycle cost when considered at life cycles in excess of 10years. Note that payout is based on current energy costs and does noteven consider the new ASHRAE 90.1 guidelines that will most certainlyimpact existing building codes.

One Final PointA final point about trends in laboratory and technical facility design andconstruction is the importance of building commissioning and re-com-missioning. In new construction, commissioning a building ensures allthe subsystems – HVAC, plumbing, electrical, fire and life safety, build-ing envelopes, interior systems (such as a laboratory unit), cogeneration,utility plants, sustainable systems, lighting, wastewater, controls, andbuilding security – achieve the owner’s project requirements as intend-ed by the building owner and as designed by architects and engineers.

Even the most carefully designed and constructed facility can fallshort of reaching its energy performance goals if it is not properly com-missioned, maintained and operated.

For existing buildings, re-commissioning is a systematic processapplied to identify and implement operational and maintenanceimprovements, and to ensure continued performance over time andassure system functionality.

Re-commissioning optimizes the way equipment and systems oper-ate as well as how systems function together, and recent studies haveshown that over time, significant performance shortfalls in existing sys-tems can occur if the systems are not properly maintained and a processis not in place to verify that design benchmarks are being met.Commissioning and re-commissioning are critical to the environmentalperformance of laboratories and technical facilities.

David Skinner is vice presi-

dent and Melanie Tunget

is manager of corporate

communications for LCS

Constructors Inc., a team

of general contractors and

construction managers.

For more information, call

800-757-5227 or visit

www.lcslab.com.


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There is no escaping the threat of mold buildups in commercialand residential construction. According to the U.S. EPA, moldcan grow on virtually any organic substance as long as moistureand oxygen are present. Wherever there is excessive moisture

in buildings and – especially important to the construction industry –building materials, mold growth is a practical certainty. The health prob-lems mold poses have been documented and highly publicized. It’s theindustry’s response, particularly in the building stages, that merits moreexamination.

There have been reports of contractors whose idea of mold remediationconsists of applying bleach to sections where mold is detected and thenpainting it over. While bleach may remove the staining, it leaves behindwater, which continues to feed the mold. Making matters worse, construc-tion workers who attempt to remove mold without using the proper pro-tective clothing and equipment may be placing themselves at risk forfuture illness or infection. Contractors also place themselves at risk for liti-gation from those employees as well as building owners and/or occu-pants. There are better remediation alternatives, and some of them areactually environmentally friendly, thanks to construction science.

Basic Truths about MoldMolds are fungi that produce spores enabling them to reproduce. Muchlike plant seeds, these spores can be found on either indoor or outdoorsurfaces. If those surfaces are wet, the spores grow into mold becausemoisture is fundamental to mold’s continued existence. Mold also flour-ishes when there is uncontrolled humidity. Indoor relative humidity of70 percent or greater is practically a guarantee that mold will grow andspread. However, there is still another major contributor to mold besidesmoisture and humidity: stagnant air. Little or no airflow in a building inwhich moisture and high humidity are already prevalent provide theideal conditions for mold to thrive, resulting in potential health prob-lems followed by inevitable litigation battles.

The EPA lists numerous specific reactions to mold growth on its web-site. An irony about mold is that federal energy policy has unwittinglycontributed to its growth. “Tight buildings” essential for energy codecompliance have less air flow exchange. Unless the structure has airflow exchangers – and with the exception of hospitals – most commer-cial buildings do not – the stagnant air environment is conducive tomold if there is moisture or high humidity.

Mold and LitigationIt should not come as a surprise that awareness of health hazards linked tomold has opened the floodgate of lawsuits. In Virginia, for example, a fam-

ily was awarded $4.75 million after mold wasfound in their newly constructed home.Evidence indicated the building materials werenot sufficiently dried. Hawaii may be an islandparadise, but try telling that to operators of anumber of its best-known hotels who havebeen sued over mold in rooms. The U.S.Chamber of Commerce estimates that insurancecompanies have paid out “billions of dollars” tosettle mold claims. It’s obvious that buildershave to protect themselves from liability.

Foreclosures have become another source oflitigation. The U.S. Office of Health and HumanServices reports an increasing number ofmold-based litigation from buyers of fore-closed homes and commercial buildings. Infact, any foreclosed building – whether it is ahome or commercial property – is at evengreater risk of mold. That’s because it has beenlocked and the power turned off for some time,meaning that moisture, humidity and stag-nant air go unchecked.

Remediation RemediesRemediation is the builder’s best defense andoffense against mold and the legal cases cer-tain to follow in its wake. However, bleachingand painting are as ineffective in combatingmold as using untrained people who may notbe fully aware of the dangers it presents.Employees have sued builders that either

David Conner is president

of MoldStoppers, Southern

Pines, N.C., a mold eradi-

cation and remediation

company that specializes

in the use of environmen-

tally friendly solutions for

mold prevention. For more

information, call 866-448-

1508, or visit www.mold-

stoppersonline.com.

NO ESCAPEContractors cannot avoid the threat of mold. BY DAVID CONNER


failed to provide adequate training or, worseyet, did not equip them with proper protectiveequipment, such as filter masks to preventthem from breathing mold spores.

Builders need to have a mold policy and thetools for implementing it. Those may includelicensed and trained professionals rather thanemployees whose efforts at mold removal mayplace them and companies at risk.

McKenzie Jordan, president of Chancel HRT,is aware of the need for mold remediation,especially since his building company is head-quartered in Myrtle Beach, S.C., where highheat and humidity are ever-present. He sayshis company takes two steps to eradicate mold.

“We pre-treat every structure just like youwould for termites, and we take the time andeffort to watch anywhere water can get in,”Jordan says. “We take pictures of every windowand door and then after final flashing (usingrubberized product to flash the water away),we review the results in our corporate office.”

Jordan agrees that use of bleach and paintwill not work. “It’s not worth the liability totake the cheap way out,” he says, adding thathe has used professionals for remediation.Jordan bases his view of mold remediation ona painful personal experience. He discoveredmold in his new home shortly after his familymoved in and had to relocate for a year beforethe mold was eradicated.

Rise of Construction ScienceEnvironmental impact is one more item to consider as builders reviewtheir remediation options, considering that mold issues and the litiga-tion certain to follow them have been unsettling facts of life in thisindustry for more than 10 years. The EPA cautions about the use of toxicsubstances to eradicate mold, and this has led to the rise of constructionscience emphasizing environmentally friendly remediation.

The agency has warned about the use of biocides, which are a form ofchlorine bleach. “Biocides are toxic to humans as well as mold,” says anEPA publication. The lesson: it makes little sense to use one toxic sub-stance to kill another.

Replacing biocides for remediation are mold inhibitors that containingredients approved and determined safe for use in food, agricultureand drug applications. These new substances are non-toxic, oxidation-stable and biodegradable.

Yet many general contractors still are lacking an effective proactiveplan to protect themselves, customers and the general public. Theyshould start by crafting their mold policy before they initiate any build-ing project. That policy should consist of a well-thought-out remedia-tion plan that provides a clear strategy, including the use of professionalsfor inspection and remediation through the use of non-toxic ingredientsfor eradication.

Moisture, lack of air flow and high humidity are the perfect storm formold, and builders working in those locations cannot expect successfuland safe remediation by relying on bleach or biocides. These half-heart-ed efforts may not cost much in the short run, but could be prohibitivelyexpensive in the long-term, given the litigious atmosphere that sur-rounds any mold discovery. The EPA emphasizes that it’s not enough tokill the mold; the contamination must be cleaned up. It is time forbuilders to take that warning seriously. The future of their businessesmight depend on it.


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The days when a contractor could excavate without giving muchthought to what underground facilities might lie beneath a jobsite – whether digging down into the earth to lay a foundationbefore building up, trenching for the installation of oil and gas

pipelines, or grading a road – are over. Today, there can be undergroundlines, pipes and cables for communications, electric, oil, gas, water, sewageand storm drainage facilities, among others, located almost anywhere.

Every construction project that involves excavation work requires acall to 811 – the national “Call Before You Dig” number. However, evenwhen the appropriate call center has been notified and the locations of

underground facilities have been marked, acci-dents can and will happen. Whether it is anexplosion caused by striking a natural gaspipeline, an electrocution caused by contactwith an electric cable, or damage to a sewageline, it is imperative to understand the dutiesand responsibilities of the various participantsboth before and after an accident occurs.

Every year, catastrophic events related toexcavation work occur that cause property

BENEATHThe days of excavating blindly are over. BY LAWRENCE T. BOWMAN AND DAVID H. FISK

What Lies


damage, personal injuries and death. For exam-ple, on June 7, 2010, while drilling a hole toinstall a high-wire electrical pole in JohnsonCounty, Texas, an auger struck a 36-inch natu-ral gas pipeline, which ruptured and ignited.The incident burned five to 10 acres of land,damaged the auger and other equipment,injured eight people and killed the workeroperating the auger. The Texas RailroadCommission (TRC) investigated the incidentand determined that the operator of thepipeline failed to properly mark the line despitereceiving two notifications from the call center.

The TRC also determined that the excava-tor/contractor failed to give the call center asecond notice prior to excavating. Today, atleast one lawsuit has been filed against theoperator of the pipeline, among others, by thefamily of the worker killed in the explosion.Before starting an excavation project, a con-tractor needs to be familiar with and adhere toall applicable federal and state excavation-related rules and regulations.

The Transportation Equity Act for the 21stCentury (TEA 21), signed into law on June 9,1998, required the U.S. DOT to undertake astudy of damage prevention practices associat-ed with one-call notification systems. At theend of the study, TEA 21 required the DOT topublish a report identifying the practices ofone-call notification systems that were themost and least successful in preventing dam-age to underground facilities and providingeffective and efficient service to excavators andunderground facility operators.

In August 1999, the DOT published its report– “Common Ground: Study of One-CallSystems and Damage Prevention BestPractices” (the “Common Ground Study”). Thereport found that the key elements for the pre-vention of excavation damage to undergroundfacilities include: facility owner/operatormembership in one-call centers; one-call cen-ters maintaining accurate data; excavators pro-viding advance notification of intent to exca-vate to the appropriate call center; one-callcenters identifying facility owners/operators inthe excavation area; one-call centers notifyingfacility owners/operators; facility owners/oper-ators accurately locating and marking under-ground facilities; and excavators exercisingproper and safe excavation practices.

The Common Ground Alliance (CGA), a

nonprofit organization comprised of individuals and entities in theunderground utility and damage prevention industry, was created in2000 following the publication of the Common Ground Study. CGAworks to prevent damage to underground facilities by promoting thenational 811 number to focus attention on the importance of callingbefore digging and by developing best practices for the industry. TheFCC designated 811 as a national N-11 number in 2005 at the directionof Congress, and the number was launched to the public in May 2007.

Each state has different rules and regulations governing excavationwork, and there will usually be state-specific duties imposed on excava-tors, call centers and operators. Typically, an excavator needs to contactthe appropriate call center at least two business days before performingexcavation work. Prior to giving notice to the call center, the excavatormay be required to define the area to be excavated with white paint orother markings.

After receiving notification from the excavator, the call center notifiesany operator of underground facilities in the area to be excavated. Theoperator then marks the approximate location of its underground facili-ties within a specific timeframe. There may be additional requirementsthat vary from state to state, including requirements for marking stan-dards, tolerance zones, on-site meetings between the excavator andoperator, when the excavator may proceed with excavation work, andthe number of days a locate ticket is effective.

In the event of damage to an underground facility, the excavator isusually required to immediately notify the operator of the facility or thecall center if the operator’s identity is unknown. If the damage endan-gers life, health or property, or results in the release of gas or other flam-mable substances, then the excavator needs to call 911. In addition, theexcavator may be required to notify all persons who might be in imme-diate danger and assist in the evacuation of such persons or keep igni-tion sources away from the jobsite. Failure to comply with a state’s rulesand regulations could subject an excavator or operator to administrativepenalties in addition to civil liability.

After an incident occurs, the question that usually comes next is whois responsible for the damage to the underground facility and who canbe held liable for any resulting property damage, personal injuries ordeaths. The excavator could have misidentified the area to be excavated,or the facility owner or operator could have misidentified, mislocated orfailed to identify its facilities pursuant to applicable laws.

Some states provide that the failure of an excavator or operator to com-ply with statutory provisions is sufficient evidence to establish a pre-sumption that the excavator or operator acted negligently. Ultimately, itmay be a question of fact for a judge or jury to decide, and copies of callcenter notifications will most likely be used as evidence regardingwhether the excavator complied with the applicable notification require-ments. Other communications between the parties after the operatorreceived notification could also impact any final assessment of liability.

Before undertaking excavation work, a contractor should review andcomply with the local rules and regulations. If the area to be excavated isin a rural area, the contractor should clearly describe the area and be asspecific as possible when notifying the call center. The CGA also publish-es a Best Practices Guide that could be considered an industry standardand should be consulted prior to performing any excavation work.

Lawrence T. Bowman is a

member of Cozen

O’Connor and concen-

trates his practice in the

areas of complex commer-

cial litigation representing

clients in regard to con-

tractual, tort, construction,

product liability, intellectu-

al property, antitrust and

securities law matters.

David H. Fisk is an associ-

ate at Cozen O’Connor in

the Subrogation &

Recovery practice group.

To learn more, call 800-

448-1207 or email lbow-

[email protected] or

[email protected].

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Heatherbrae Builders Co.Ltd.’s commitment to cus-tomer service and qualityshines in its many projects

in western Canada. The group pro-vides general contracting, constructionmanagement, consulting services and restora-tion services to clients in the commercial,industrial, institutional, residential and build-ing envelope fields. Past projects includeschools, community centers, theaters, galleries,museums and First Nations structures.

“At Heatherbrae, the client comes first,” thecompany says. “Customer service is paramountand we pledge to give the best of our time andability to build quality projects.”

The company is headquartered inRichmond, British Columbia, with an addition-al office in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island.

Heatherbrae employs more than 300staff members and skilled carpenters,apprentices and laborers.

Michael Knight and his wife,Joan founded the company in

Vancouver in 1989. Knight’s sons David,Tim and Greg have been in the business since1990, today serving as vice presidents.

Michael Knight alone brings more than 40years of experience in construction manage-ment, estimating and general contracting toHeatherbrae. Knight, his sons and managementteam possess more than 200 years of combinedexperience, the company adds.

Major ProjectsThe company has approximately $120 millionworth of projects under construction includingeducational and residential facilities.

Heatherbrae Builders in June 2011 will con-clude work on the $25 million Centre forInteractive Research on Sustainability (CIRS) forthe University of British Columbia. The four-

Heatherbrae Builders Co. Ltd.www.heatherbrae.com• Headquarters: Richmond, BritishColumbia

• Employees: Nearly 300• Services: General contracting

“Customer service is paramountand we pledge to give the bestof our time and ability tobuild quality projects.”–Heatherbrae Builders

Richmond, British Columbia-based Heatherbrae Builders provides services including general contracting, construction management and restoration services.»

Client-CenteredHEATHERBRAE TAPS ITS STAFF’S EXPERIENCE TO BUILD PROJECTS IN WESTERN CANADA. BY JIM HARRIS


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story facility, designed for studying the use ofenergy, will feature a number of sustainableconstruction materials and building techniques.

Much of the center’s electricity, lighting, heat-ing, water supply, liquid waste treatment, venti-lation and cooling will be drawn from solar,wind and ground sources. This is the company’ssecond recent project with the University. InJune 2011, Heatherbrae will complete theUniversity of British Columbia’s Tennis Center,Vancouver’s only public tennis facility.

Another major institutional sector projectunderway is the $35 million renovation of theScience World facility at the Telus World ofScience in Vancouver. The project includesadding 20,000 square feet of exhibition andeducation space and expanding the building’slobby. The renovation started last April andwill conclude in October 2011.

Major residential projects include the LegacyHousing project, an effort to convert the tem-porary housing used by athletes during the2010 Winter Olympics into senior and low-income housing in smaller communitiesthroughout British Columbia. Most of the workwas completed earlier this year, with some por-tions expected to conclude in July 2011,Heatherbrae says.

The project included dismantling and trans-porting 75 athlete housing units to six sites inBritish Columbia. After delivery, Heatherbrae,as construction manager, prepared founda-tions at the new sites; installed exterior weath-er protection, cladding and roof systems, andre-configured interiors.

Heatherbrae is also concluding work on theVilla St Georges, a 52-unit wood frame westcoast contemporary residential building inNorth Vancouver. Heatherbrae has also com-pleted a variety of mixed residential and com-mercial heritage restoration projects.

Pride in SustainabilityMany of the company’s projects are built toLEED specifications, including the CIRS proj-ect, which is targeting LEED Platinum certifica-

Heatherbrae’s projects typically are built to fit within LEED specifications.

»‘We are proud of our involvement in sustainablebuildings.’


tion. “The introduction of LEED certificationhas created a way to measurably increase thequality, durability and sustainability of build-ings,” the company says. “This has providedHeatherbrae with the opportunity to developand implement management systems thatreduce the environmental impact of all stagesof the construction process.

“We are proud of our involvement in pro-ducing environmentally friendly and sustain-able buildings.”

The company employs a LEED-accreditedprofessional, and several other personnel havecompleted a number of LEED educationalcourses. Heatherbrae ensures all trades on itsprojects understand LEED requirements inpart through user-friendly documentation.The company also advises trades to review theprogram with personnel.

“Our experience has taught us the most suc-cessful and cost-effective approach in achiev-ing the goals of a LEED program is throughteam involvement at an early stage in additionto promotion and education of stakeholdersincluding trade contractors, suppliers, manu-facturers and site personnel,” the companysays. “The support and collaboration of all par-ties is paramount from the design stagethrough to project completion.”

In addition to working on LEED-certifiedprojects, Heatherbrae also develops wastemanagement plans specific to each of its proj-ects. These plans identify ways waste can bereduced as well as recycling opportunities suchas salvaging lumber for re-use, it says.

Safety GoalsHeatherbrae’s construction work reflects acompany-wide commitment to safety andresponsibility. The company has established acorporate health and safety program, and

management staff regularly participates in theWorkSafe B.C. Certificate of Recognition pro-gram, a provincial effort focused on improvingsafety culture and reducing workplace acci-dents and injuries.

“We have developed a clear safety policy thatoutlines our company-wide safety expectationsand goals,” Heatherbrae says. “We encourageand reward employees who have shown lead-ership in correcting potentially hazardous situ-ations and strictly enforce the proper use of per-sonal protective equipment at all times.”

The company inspects its sites daily and reg-ularly holds toolbox safety meetings. The safetyprogram also includes additional precautionssuch as extra signage, hoardings, lighting, dustscreens, fencing, access and security at its sites.

Diverse ServicesHeatherbrae provides restoration services,exterior repairs and rehabilitation projects.“Heatherbrae is a leader in seismic restorationand building envelope rehabilitation,” thecompany says. “We have worked in unisonwith various municipalities, school and healthboards, native bands and government agenciesto produce high-quality buildings thatenhance their respective communities.”

Recent seismic upgrading projects include

work on Lord Byng Secondary, Van HorneElementary School and Trafalgar ElementarySchool, all in Vancouver.

Heatherbrae also specializes in quality man-agement, surveying services, cost analysis,value-engineering and arbitration and media-tion services.

Invaluable AssetsVendor and subcontractor relationships are ofthe utmost importance to Heatherbrae acrossthe organization. “Vendors and suppliers arean invaluable asset to our company’s growingsuccess,” Tim Knight says. “With our demandfor expedited schedules, quality and efficiency,our suppliers and trades’ understanding of ourcommitment to excellence is paramount to ourgrowing success.”

The company looks to the communities inwhich its works for local trades and subcon-tractors in order to contribute to localeconomies, he adds. Heatherbrae’s key partnersinclude Precision Gutters Ltd., Power PointElectrical, Skyline Scaffold Ltd., RidgewayMechanical Ltd., Morrison Hershfield Limited,Bollman Roofing & Sheet Metal Ltd., SafetechScaffolding Ltd., BJ Plastering & ConsultantsLtd., Golden Pacific Contracting Ltd. and HouleElectric Limited.

Heatherbrae Group of Companies is a mem-ber of these industry organizations:

• Independent Contractors Association ofBritish Columbia (ICBA)

• Vancouver Regional ConstructionAssociation (VRCA)

• British Columbia ConstructionAssociation (BCCA)

• Canadian Construction Association(CCA)

• Canada Green Building Council(CaGBC)

Key Memberships

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Heatherbrae says the diversity of its services isone of its key strengths.

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Twice in recent years,FarmerConstruction Ltd.has received the

“Award of Excellence” forinnovative construction tech-niques from the Journal of Commerce. This pen-chant for innovation is one reason why thecompany has become one of Western Canada’sleading contractors, but its market dominancealso is due to its reputation for delivering qual-ity projects on time and on budget.

“We enjoy the opportunity to work as a partof the owner’s team right from the concept tocompletion, thereby constructing qualitybuildings at minimal cost through total teamcooperation and quality management,” thecompany says. “We see this as a partneringteam approach and have many satisfied clientsusing this process.”

Based in Victoria, British Columbia, andincorporated in 1951, Farmer Construction is aprivately owned family business, focusing ongeneral contracting and construction manage-ment, as well as design/build contracting andconstruction consulting for private clients.Farmer notes that it has a number of repeatclients in the private sector, but it also workson all types of commercial, industrial, institu-tional and residential projects. Additionally,the company notes, it is one of the few contrac-tors in British Columbia to construct cleanrooms for high-tech companies.

Farmer Construction is a member of theSouthern Vancouver Island ConstructionAssociation; the Vancouver RegionalConstruction Association; the British ColumbiaConstruction Association; the CanadianConstruction Association; and theDesign/Build Institute of Canada.

Local DevelopmentWith its reputation for quality, on-time deliv-ery, Farmer Construction has a number ofrepeat clients and is called on to perform anumber of large projects. In the last couple ofyears, Farmer was involved in the constructionof three multi-year residential and mixed-usedevelopments around Victoria – DocksideGreen, Aquattro and Bayview Residences.

Farmer provided the first phase of construc-

tion of Dockside Green, a mixed-use commu-nity in downtown Victoria. Owned by Vancity,Canada’s largest credit union, Dockside Green

transformed 15 acres of industrial land on a har-bor into a space for residential, office, retail andcommercial developments. Dockside Green saysit is distinguished as being the first to targetLEED Platinum certification for buildings devel-oped in a master-planned community.

“Dockside Green has long been at the fore-front of global urban planning and this incred-ible 15-acre community is no exception,”Vancity says. “This new-generation, master-planned waterfront community is designed toreflect a more responsible approach to theenvironment. With a total of 1.3 million squarefeet of residential, office, retail and commercial

Building CommunityON ITS 60TH ANNIVERSARY, FARMER CONSTRUCTION IS A LEADING CONTRACTOR IN WESTERN CANADA.

Farmer Construction Ltd.www.farmer-ltd.com• Headquarters: Victoria,British Columbia

• Specialty: General contracting andconstruction management“We enjoy the opportunity towork as a part of the owner’steam right from the concept tocompletion.” –Farmer Construction

Farmer Construction has manyrepeat clients throughoutBritish Columbia.

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space planned, Dockside Green will clearly set the benchmark as thefuture of sustainable harborfront communities for years to come.

“Vancity, owner and developer, believes that Dockside Green has rede-fined sustainable waterfront living as we know it. It is truly unique. As aLEED ND Platinum project, it is created around the principles of smartgrowth, green building and sustainable community design in harmonywith nature. It is the shared values and innovative amenities that helpcreate this true sense of community, of belonging.”

Located just west of Victoria in Colwood, Aquattro is an ocean-sideproperty that Farmer Construction helped to build. With views of theocean and Olympic Mountains, and featuring on-site streams and a con-nection to old-growth forest trails, Aquattro has a lot to offer outside, aswell as spacious, luxury homes.

“On 50 acres overlooking the Pacific Ocean and near Victoria, the con-dominiums and townhomes at Aquattro are surrounded by ponds, asalt-water lagoon, streams, natural parkland and walking trails,” accord-ing to developer Woodburn Management of Victoria. “Its large, beautifulopen-planned homes have been designed to maximize the views of theocean and mountains. Large decks on all of the homes feature outdoorliving in the best climate in Canada.”

The company’s other high-end mixed-use project, BayviewResidences and Roundhouse, is located on the Songhees Peninsula inVictoria. “Roundhouse presents an opportunity to preserve and rehabili-tate the unique circa 1913 heritage Roundhouse buildings while intro-ducing new uses – restaurants, markets and shops – that are more con-ducive to modern, urban living,” according to developer KennethMariash. “More than 800,000 square feet of density is available for devel-opment including residences, hospitality, offices, services and amenities.”

Broad PortfolioFarmer’s portfolio includes projects in the areas of institutional, office,industrial, hotels, tilt-up, interiors, wood-frame residential, education,shopping centers, high-rise residential, envelope repair, commercial andclean room. Specific examples of the company’s work include:

• University of Victoria Engineering Computer Building – This $20million, six-story structure was built to LEED Gold specifications.

• Waddington Building in Victoria – Farmer poured and formed25,000 cubic yards of concrete in 10 months to construct three levelsof underground parking and the five-level office building that ishome to government offices and Victoria’s main library branch.

• Holt Renfrew store in Pacific Centre – Farmer Construction says ithas been Holt Renfrew’s contractor of choice for more than a decade,and has constructed dozens of fit-out projects for the retailer.

Partnering ApproachBy taking a partnering approach to its work, Farmer Construction says itconsistently delivers quality work.

“It is part of our mission to remain competitive and thereby be able tobetter serve our clients,” the company says. “Our experienced qualitypersonnel, from trades people to professional staff, have been with us formany years. They are fully trained in the teamwork approach conceptthat employs quality and partnering.

“We are traditional general contractors, not simply brokers, perform-ing items of work normally undertaken by our direct labor in order tocontrol the critical path of the schedule and the quality of the work.”

Farmer Construction’s key partners include Harris Rebar (BC), BellTech Systems and West Isle Industries Ltd.

Farmer Construction self-performsmuch of its work to better controlquality and schedule.

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Lawrence Rank was in his six month of retire-ment when he detected a growing desireamong retailers to expand within BritishColumbia. In response, Rank founded

Property Development Group (PDG) with the help ofbusiness partner Jeffrey Rosen and one employee. Itsfirst project was a small shopping center in Chilliwack, British Columbia,that began in 2004. Its successful completion led to a redevelopmentproject in Kamloops, British Columbia, completed three years later.

“We kept progressing into larger, more complex projects,” says Rank,the chairman of PDG. “And as we added new partners, we were able tosimultaneously conceive and implement multiple projects in diversegeographical markets without sacrificing prudent due diligence andproject quality.”

The company’s success is a direct result of the leadership and experi-ence of its partners and project staff. Rank has successfully helped othercompanies develop shopping centers in the United States, Canada andAsia. He says each PDG partner brings his own invaluable talents to thetable. “We are purely a shopping center development company,” Ranksays. “All of our partners are very senior and very experienced in theshopping center industry, whether it be leasing, financing, developmentor construction. We all have extensive experience in those categories.The six of us are fairly strong in our knowledge and capabilities, and wehave now completed enough work in the province over the last fewyears that the market has grown in its understanding of what we arecapable of.”

PDG’s six partners and five project team members are managing sev-eral projects in various developmental stages. It is also taking due dili-gence steps to expand from its BC headquarters into Alberta. As thecompany builds, so does its list of projects and those seeking to partnerwith PDG.

Project PortfolioIn Colwood, British Columbia, a suburb of Victoria, residential developerLeague Assets retained PDG as the development manager for theColwood City Centre. The mixed-use project will feature more than 2million square feet of retail, high-rise premium view residential towersand office buildings. PDG is tasked with managing the master planningand execution of the entire project, while also imparting its specificexpertise to the project’s retail leasing and retail development program-ming, the company says.

“League Assets is putting together the residential component,” Ranksays. “My office has the overall responsibility to coordinate the project atthe senior level. Even though the project is mixed use, it sill needs onemain company to coordinate everything, and that’s our role.”

The company began work on the development nearly two years ago.

Expansion-Ready PDG CREATES PROJECTS IN ITS HOME BASE WHILESETTING ITS SIGHTS ON ALBERTA. BY JAMIE MORGAN

PDG concentrates on retailshopping centers throughout

North America.

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The company says its relationshipswith clients and contractors arethe key to its success.

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Eagle Landing in Chilliwack,British Columbia, is one ofPDG’s current projects.

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It is now in the design and development stageand construction is expected to commence thisfall. The initial phase of construction inColwood City Centre will commence at the endof 2011.

While the Colwood project gains momen-tum, PDG is also busy managing the develop-ment of a 130,000-square-foot shopping cen-ter in West Kelowna, British Columbia. ForOkanagan Lake Shopping Centre, PDG teamedwith the landowner, Westbank First Nation,and its financial partner, ChurchillInternational Property Corp., which will man-age the development on completion.

Two Sides of the CoinRank says the West Kelowna project is a fairly conventional one, with aplanned drug store, grocery store, movie theatre, restaurants and otherretailers. However, because of the state of the global economy, it “endedup as a three-year pre-development.” This type of delay was typicalwithin the industry as retailers grew uncertain of their expansion capa-bilities and bank financing became more difficult to secure.Nevertheless, PDG did not lose or abandon any projects during that peri-od and concentrated on securing future development opportunities

And, as Rank explains, the slower economy has had its benefits, aswell. “The economic crisis put a stop to the spiraling construction costs,”Rank says. “Three or four years ago, construction costs were escalating at

an aggressive rate. They have been correctedsomewhat by this crisis and are more in line to

make projects viable. And some of the marginaldevelopers and land speculators have with-drawn from the market.”

PDG has its own extensive list of major proj-ects in the works. It currently has five projects inthe design and development stage and twounder construction. One of the projects underconstruction is Okanagan Lake Shopping Centreand the other is the Eagle Landing ShoppingCenter in Chilliwack.

For the Eagle Landing project, PDG againteamed with League Assets and the SquialaFirst Nation. The project’s superior location

near Chilliwack’s Highway 1 is becoming the new “centre ice” for retail-ing in Chilliwack.

Two-Way PartnershipsIn its planned expansion, both within British Columbia and elsewhere,PDG will continue to expand its base of mutually beneficial relation-ships with project partners, major Canadian and U.S. retailers, generalcontractors and financing sources. “PDG’s success is a direct result of ourability to create and maintain strong relationships through consistent,winning performance,” Rank says.

PDG’s mutually beneficial relationships include Nemetz (S/A) &Associates Ltd. and N. Wallace & Company Ltd.

Property Development Groupwww.propertydevelopmentgroup.com • Headquarters: Vancouver• Employees: 11• Specialty: Retail developer “Our success has been achieved through creating strong relationships.”–Lawrence Rank, founding partner and chairman

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Doing what your competitors are unable or unwillingto do themselves is a reliable strategy for success,and Westcorp Properties Inc. is living proof of this.President Philip Milroy describes Edmonton-based

Westcorp as a full-service real estate firm, with skills in con-struction, leasing and property management. However, the com-pany sets itself apart from other developers through more than just thebreadth of its services. Milroy explains that Westcorp is savvier and morewilling to get its hands dirty in some sectors than many of its peers, andthese will be the qualities that help drive its success in the future.

Concentrating on the Alberta market, Westcorp’s vertically integratedreal estate services include acquisition, development, construction man-agement and property management. The company was founded in 1980as a commercial investment real estate brokerage firm, but the onset ofthe National Energy Program in the early 1980s severely affected the

Alberta economy and therefore real estate in Alberta. With all ofthe company’s equity lost, Westcorp chose to focus on fee-for-service work as a means of building up its capital to investonce more. This was aided by a slight downturn in real estate

prices in the early 1990s, and Westcorp used this as an opportu-nity to build its portfolio.

“We’ve just kept on keeping on,” Milroy says.

Higher CommitmentMilroy says Westcorp’s philosophy differs from most other real estatefirms in a number of ways. First and foremost is its commitment toacquire income-producing assets and hold onto them for the long term.He says this provides the company with sustainable revenue that canhelp keep Westcorp moving with confidence.

Westcorp also differs from other firms in where it concentrates its efforts.

Above and BeyondWESTCORP SAYS ITS WILLINGNESS TO DEAL WITH TRICKY PROPERTIES IS ITS STRENGTH. BY CHRIS PETERSEN

Westcorp concentrates onholding income-producing

assets for the long term.

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“We’ve tended to focus more on inner cities andurban areas rather than suburban areas,” Milroysays. “We look at more mature cities and we see abigger premium being paid for what we see asthe prime locations.”

Milroy says Westcorp also is willing to take achance in areas others are too careful to tread.He says the company’s portfolio has a higherpercentage of mixed-use properties thanmany of its peers’, and Westcorp is willing tolook at all “food groups.” This includes the hos-pitality sector, where many developers areafraid of the commitment that is required witha hotel property.

“The income stream is more volatile,” Milroysays. He describes the hospitality sector asmore of a business than a simple investment,one that requires more hands-on involvementfrom a real estate firm.

Labor PoolThanks to its abundant oil and gas reserves,Alberta’s energy projects are drawing muchinterest. Unfortunately, this creates a problemfor Westcorp because of the strain it will put onthe labor pool in the province. Milroy estimatesthat in about a year, Westcorp expects a serious

shortage of labor in the region as workers aredrawn to lucrative oil and gas projects. “That’sour biggest fear,” he says.

Milroy says the labor situation in Albertamight not improve without immigrationreform, and he says Westcorp is among manyin the construction industry who are makingtheir feelings known to the government.Fortunately, he adds, Canadian constructionindustry groups already have a good handleon the issue and are working on helping thegovernment craft new policy.

Finding OpportunitiesMilroy says the real estate market is undergo-ing a lot of changes, and the company is work-ing to adjust to them. “The world is goingthrough an evolution, and understanding thatis both challenging and extremely interesting,”he says. “We think that we’re well-positionedto take advantage of that.”

One of the most significant trends is sustain-ability, and Westcorp is addressing it in one ofits newest developments, London at HeritageSquare in Calgary. The mixed-useresidential/retail development located in theheart of the city includes numerous sustain-able features and is located next to light rail.

Milroy says Westcorp is always on the look-out for opportunities such as London atHeritage Square, and the company is fortunateto be in a province with a high level of activity.“We’re in a location that needs people, needsimmigration and needs more real estate of alltypes,” he says.

Powerful PartnersWestcorp’s success is due in part to some of itskey partners, which include Master MechanicalPlumbing & Heating.

Westcorp Properties Inc.www.westcorp.net• 2010 sales: $100 million• Headquarters: Edmonton• Employees: 400• Specialty: Full-service real estate firm“The world is going through anevolution, and understandingthat is both challenging andextremely interesting.”–Philip Milroy, president


One buyer of goods and services will never dis-appear: the government. The public procure-ment arena is fraught with pitfalls, but it offersopportunities that justify the investmentrequired to learn the ropes.

The first step in government procurement isthe “advertisement.” When the government –which I refer to as “the city” here – identifies aneed, it advertises a procurement documentthat sets the procurement methodology, mini-mum requirements, general scope and criticalresponse dates.

Getting InvolvedAlthough the advertisement is the first officialstep, the first deadly sin of public bidding isfailing to get involved before the procurement.

Before anything is advertised, city staffmembers spend months analyzing their needsand researching the market. Procurement offi-cials seek a sufficiently broad market to gener-ate price competition.

A city may advertise a “request for informa-tion” before procurement, but most do not.They rely on the agency staff for specifica-tions and market knowledge. If the staffmembers have been in government for along time, they may keep requesting out-dated materials. Sometimes they knowbetter but don’t care; they like thecurrent vendors, and things are sim-pler if those vendors keep ghost-writing specifications and get-ting the work. Either way,visit city staff, learn abouttheir needs and show themwhat you have to offer.

Once the city purchasing office is involved, be more cautious. Manycities have ordinances restricting communication with staff.

Understanding the ProcessContractors should consult with an attorney who practices in govern-ment contracts and has experience with the city, because the seconddeadly sin is failing to understand that it’s all about the process.

Private industry may not care about the process unless it affects thebottom line or the company must answer to shareholders or a customerabout procurement policy.

Public procurement is all about the process. The primary goal is toacquire products and services at a favorable price, secondarily to provide afair and equal opportunity, and to be able to prove it. City staff may needto defend the integrity of their process in litigation, to elected officials or toa reporter. Casual communications are not recommended. When the pro-curement has specific communication requirements, follow them.

Meet Your DeadlinesThe third deadly sin is failing to meet your deadlines. Be sure to note theposting date of every document relating to the procurement. Deadlinescan start early, so be sure to apply for security clearance to gain access tothe mandatory pre-bid meeting. The typical deadlines are to submitquestions, protest a specification, submit qualifications and submit theactual proposal.

After proposals are opened, there may be a deadline to provide addi-tional information. As the apparent winner, do not celebrate before time-ly submitting the bond, certificate of insurance and signed agreement.

Lastly, count the days until the protest time passes. The city will notalter these deadlines. If a deadline is extended for you, the next proposerwill protest or file suit and the city must be able to defend its process.

In these economic times, businessowners are seeing traditional cus-tomers disappear and are searchingfor new markets.

Avoiding Bidding’s Top Sins

Institutional By Tracy Lautenschlager


Know Your FormsThis leads to the fourth deadly sin – omitting required forms. Government forms never die. They are created and added to the pilebecause no one will eliminate a form that may protect the process.Examine the procurement thoroughly to identify every required form. Ifthe form is irrelevant, write “Not Applicable,” sign it and submit it.

Look for references to forms that are available from the city or on thewebsite. Look for requirements for “certification” or “a statement” forwhich no form exists and prepare your own. Forms are an essential partof the defense of the process and are crucial to a determination that yourproposal is “responsive.”

‘Responsive’ or ‘Responsible?’Beware the fifth deadly sin: failing to understand “responsive” and“responsible.” Generally, a city will award to the “responsible” proposerwith the lowest – or best – “responsive” proposal. “Responsive” means “abid which conforms in all material respects to a solicitation,” and is all-or-nothing. If you fail to identify and comply with the minimumrequirements to submit a “responsive” bid, your bid will be thrown out.

“Responsible” means an offer that has the capability in all respects toperform fully the contract requirements, and the integrity and reliabilitywhich will assure good faith performance. “Responsibility” is a judg-ment call. A determination that a proposer is “responsible” can be over-turned only for an abuse of discretion. Even a government buyer is freeto choose a firm that is not the best, but is good enough.

Hot ButtonsIf your proposal is technically and procedurally perfect, you must stillbeware the sixth and seventh deadly sins – neglecting public policy hotbuttons and failing to understand that, sometimes, it’s all about politics.

The primary procurement goals are low price and fair opportunity,but there is another purpose: to advance policy through governmentexpenditures. Elected officials, when they discover the limitations of leg-islative power, turn to procurement to implement policy. A social pro-gram may become “the most important thing ever,” and its require-ments will then become mandatory.

Purchasing agents will fearfully pore over bids to ensure that the rec-ommended award reflects this policy. Learn the hot-button policy issuesand make your bid bulletproof on that issue.

You may avoid all of the deadly sins, submit a perfectly responsive bidand have the highest credentials, and you still might lose to a deeplyentrenched or politically connected incumbent. This might be worth afight; consult with an attorney.

Reaping RewardsIs public bidding worth it? It can be. Government contracts have costsincluding insurance, finance costs, accounting and legal fees, but thereare also benefits, such as building experience and contacts. Also, gov-ernments usually pay their bills and do not go out of business.

Whatever your political stripe, partnering with government in yourwork can be a rewarding investment in your future.

IN THIS SECTIONBrinkmannConstructors g p.54Brinkmann is overcomingchallenges to deliver anew school on time.

Company Profiles36 Andersen Construction Co. –

Kaiser Westside Medical Center40 Rudolph and Sletten – UCSF

Smith Cardiovascular ResearchBuilding

42 Guam Waterworks Authority45 Tindall Corporation – Toronto

South Detention Centre48 College Football Hall of Fame52 Bartlett Cocke General Contractors54 Brinkmann Constructors –

Westminster Christian Academy 56 Flintco LLC- Bledsoe County

Correctional Complex58 The Hagerman Group – Taylor

University Euler Science Complex 60 Legacy Building Group62 Manhattan Construction

Group/Torcon Inc. – U.S. ArmyMedical Research Institute ofInfectious Diseases

64 Miron Construction Co., Inc.–Langlade Hospital

66 Nabholz Construction Services –Scott County ReplacementHospital

68 Ryan Companies – The PhoenixProfessional Office Building

70 S.M. Wilson and Co.72 Archer Western

Contractors/DeMaria BuildingCompany Joint Venture – James A.Haley Veterans Hospital

74 D.H. Griffin Construction Co.76 Wehr Constructors Inc. –

Northeast Christian WorshipCenter and Children’s Ministry

TRACY LAUTENSCHLAGER is an attorney in the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., office ofGreenberg Traurig LLC practicing in the areas of land use, environmental, air-port and aviation and construction law. For more information, visitwww.gtlaw.com.


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he economy is booming in the city ofHillsboro, Ore. The fifth-largest city inthe state is home to Intel Corp. andnear the Beaverton, Ore., headquar-

ters of Nike. “It is [a portion] of the Portlandmetro area that’s exploding,” Travis Baker says.

With such strong growth, it was only a mat-ter of time before other sectors needed toexpand, too, including the local healthcareindustry. Andersen Construction Co. is helpingit do that as it builds the new Kaiser WestsideMedical Center. Baker, a project director atAndersen, says the Diagnostic and TreatmentBuilding and new four-story Nursing Towerprovide 285,000 square feet of new hospital

space, including 126 patient beds. The adjacent110,000-square-foot Specialty MedicalBuilding houses approximately 60 healthcareproviders, offering a complete one-stop shopfor most medical issues.

The new west side center also will providemany patients with more convenience, Bakersays. Currently, Kaiser members that currentlylive near what will be the new WestsideMedical Center must at times travel to Kaiser’sSunnyside Medical Center for certain hospital-related services. With the new facility, “Kaiserhas aligned themselves to better serve currentand future members living on that side oftown,” he says.

Andersen Construction Co. –Kaiser Westside Medical Centerwww.andersen-const.com• Construction budget: $215 million• Location: Hillsboro, Ore.• Employees: Approximately 450 cur-rent workers on site, with an expectedpeak of more than 500

• Scope: A new 15-acre medical campus“We’re more than halfway[done].” –Travis Baker, Andersen Construction

Going WestTHE KAISER WESTSIDE MEDICAL CENTER WILL PROVIDE CONVENIENT CARE TO OREGON. BY ALAN DORICH

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Andersen is on scheduleto complete the Kaiser

Westside Medical Centerin summer 2012.

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Going for the GoldThe new center is aiming for LEED Gold certifi-cation, Baker reports. “There’s numerousdesign and construction elements contributingto the project’s ability to achieve LEED Gold,”he says. Among many others, these includesolar panels, rainwater reclamation systemsand rooftop gardens. The project also is utiliz-ing regionally sourced materials, recycledproducts, and more reflective colored surfacesat roofs and surface paving to reduce heatgain. “It is a likely outcome that we’ll be ableto achieve that [gold rating],” he says, addingthat Andersen Construction has extensivegreen building expertise.

“We have a whole kettle of LEED-accreditedprofessionals,” he says, adding that the compa-ny has many LEED projects in its portfolio.“The decision to pursue sustainable design andconstruction practices and LEED certification ismost commonly driven by the owners.”

The new center uses a template design thatKaiser has developed over many years throughthe construction of several other hospitals.

Resulting from California’s long-termrequirements to either upgrade all critical facil-ities to current earthquake code or replace thefacility in its entirety, Kaiser has built multiplenew hospitals. “With so much new construc-tion underway nationally, it only makes sensefor a large organization like Kaiser to adoptstandards and templated design,” he says.

“They have gotten pretty good at [gaining]efficiencies from this process,” he adds. “Kaiserrefers to [our center] as a ‘Generation 2 hospi-tal,’ which enjoys the fruit of many lessonsKaiser’s learned over years of implementingtemplated design. Kaiser works hard at study-ing best practices globally and implementingthose findings in their standards so each regionisn’t re-inventing the same efforts over time.”

Right on TimeBaker says he is proud of how AndersenConstruction and the entire design team haveadapted to changes early on in the project, par-ticularly during critical points in the precon-struction process. “[We coped with] having toincorporate significant programming adjust-ments and still got construction started ontime,” he says. For instance, the project wasoriginally designed to feature two NursingTower buildings, but was later revised to a sin-gle-tower design.

“I continue to gain an appreciation for that[feat] as we move forward,” he says. Indeed, thecompany’s hard work has paid off and it is wellon its way to meeting its completion date insummer 2012. “We’re more than halfway[done],” Baker notes.

The Best ValueBaker is pleased with the work of his subcon-tractors. “They’ve been huge,” he says, notingthat the mechanical and electrical subcontrac-tors, who are working under negotiated GMPcontracts, have been especially key. AndersenConstruction’s key partners includePerformance Contracting Inc.

The MEP subcontractors participated in thepreconstruction process and were primaryteam members in the process to develop theoverhead coordination models necessary toensure the various MEP systems would beinstalled in an efficient manner and free offield conflicts.

“By allowing the design professionals tofocus on design and the subcontractors tofocus on installation coordination, we workedcollaboratively to provide the best overallvalue to Kaiser,” he says.

Positive SignsWith offices in Seattle; Portland, Ore.; andBoise, Idaho, Andersen Construction says it isknown as one of the top-10 general contractorsin the Pacific Northwest and a leading U.S.green contractor. “Since our doors first openedin 1950, our focus has always been client satis-faction and commitment to quality,” it says.

This has helped the firm earn a reputation asa builder of choice as it has constructed com-munities in Oregon, Washington and Idaho.“Andersen is a company whose people under-stand the power of collaboration and teamworkand leverage that power to overcome chal-lenges and accomplish great things,” it states.

Baker, who has been with Andersen for 12years, says he sees a strong future for the com-pany, despite the impact the economy has had.“We will eventually recover from what’s beengoing on the last couple years,” he says.

“Portland specifically has been hit prettyhard,” he says, adding that the firm is grateful tohave the Kaiser project. “It’s been a wonderfuljob so far and came at a time when the marketwas really soft.”

“It’s not often that a single project can makesuch a positive impact to a firm’s workload, butat $215 million over a couple years, the Westsideproject is doing just that,” he says, adding that hebelieves a recovery will arrive soon for Andersen.

“We’re starting to see some positive signs.There are more and more opportunities tocompete for as of late, and dollars held on thesidelines the past few years are slowly startingto return to the playing field. We remainhopeful.”

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Sometimes the hardest aspect of build-ing is getting everyone together in thesame space to review, discuss andmake decisions. Wouldn’t it be nice to

have everyone together all the time? That is exactly the technique that Rudolph

and Sletten used in its construction of the $190million Smith Cardiovascular ResearchBuilding at the University of California SanFrancisco (UCSF).

Designed by Jim Jennings Architecture andSmithGroup, the collaborative constructionenvironment echoed the building’s function –bringing research scientists and clinicianstogether under one roof in an effort to betterunderstand and treat cardiovascular diseases,the leading cause of death and disability in theUnited States.

Rudolph and Sletten constructed a “bigroom” for representatives from all disciplinesto work together in a collaborative setting. The10,000-square-foot construction trailer, whichwas made up of 14 trailer modules, was onlysteps from the construction site, allowing foreasy access. This provided space for the morethan 50 engineers, architects, contractors andconsultants – who were responsible primarilyfor design and coordination – to be housed inone building during both the pre-constructionand construction phases of the project. Thefreedom of access created a streamlined work-flow process, and important questions did notlinger and hinder construction.

“We had mechanical, electrical, plumbing,exterior skin, fire sprinkler, laboratory casework, drywall, the owner, the architect, theconstruction management, the general con-tractor and the inspector of records all sharingone large space,” Senior Project ManagerDanielle Douthett explains. “It was one of thekey pieces to having such a successful project.”

A Learning CurveDouthett concedes there was a bit of a learningcurve for the participants because of the close-ness of their quarters. “Everyone quicklylearned the value of being in one trailer,” shesays. “Our ability to easily keep everyone in theloop and gain quick responses helped over-come any apprehension to sharing space.”

More often than not, an RFI was generatedto confirm a response that already had beendeveloped through a conversation betweenthe various members of the group in the trail-er. One-fourth of the project’s RFIs wereanswered the same day they were written, and95 percent were answered in less than 15 days.

The team response rate was just one of theproject efficiencies that took place in the bigroom. Using the Last Planner scheduling tech-nique aided by sophisticated new softwaresimplified communication among project par-ticipants. “Rudolph and Sletten is always look-ing for ways to use technology for efficiency,”Douthett points out.

“The software allowed everyone on the teamthe ability to log in to the system and review oredit their schedule items to create an accurateschedule with promised delivery directly fromthe installers of each individual task,” she says.“The ability to commit in a transparent envi-ronment made people accountable for each

task. Any issues with delivery of promisedactivities were brought to attention quicklyand addressed with a very fast response time.”

Get Smart BoardRudolph and Sletten began construction of thelab in May 2008 and achieved substantial com-pletion on Aug. 13, 2010, 10 weeks ahead ofschedule. In addition to the big room, theonline scheduling software and lean construc-tion techniques, Douthett attributes the speedof the project to the company’s integrated proj-ect delivery method, which also included theuse of 3-D BIM and financial incentives for thewhole team.

“The big room and Smart Board technologyproved to be an invaluable tool for the pullschedule meetings that were implemented aspart of the Last Planner methods,” according toDouthett. “The Smart Board itself consists of aprojector and a touch screen monitor userinterface that allowed drawings, photographs,

One Big RoomLEAN TECHNIQUES HELPED RUDOLPH AND SLETTEN DELIVER A FACILITY 10 WEEKS EARLY. BY RUSS GAGER

The use of BIM and other techniques were essential to constructing

the Smith Cardiovascular Research Building.

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sketches and other files to be developed andaltered in a collaborative setting and thensaved as part of the meeting minutes.”

Pull scheduling is a coordination meeting inwhich all of the trades involved in a short andspecific portion of the schedule sit in a roomand break larger schedule activities into morespecific activities. “You start with a final activi-ty and date that you are working towards, andyou build the schedule backwards from thismilestone,” Douthett explains. “The smalleractivities are properly sequenced through vari-ous agreements and compromises made by thetrades present.”

By using the Smart Board, the constructionteam displayed schedules, snapshots taken from the subcontractors’coordinated 3-D model, and also contract drawings. This allowed thefield crews responsible for installing the work to highlight areas wherethere appeared to be physical access limitations or where some reorder-ing of the schedule was needed. “On the UCSF job, it was a perfect mix,”Douthett maintains.

The project team also focused on 13 milestones that were set at thebeginning of the job. Each milestone was tracked and assessed through-out the process. Being able to track the progress with fixed goal markershelped immensely. Douthett estimates the team reached approximately80 percent of its weekly goals, a 5 percent improvement over the typicalrate for a successful project.

Coordinating PipingTwo-thirds of the second, third and fourth floors

are wet labs, and the fourth floor houses a chem-istry lab. With the large number of laboratorieswithin the facility, efficient coordination of gas,water and compressed air piping was necessaryto keep the project on schedule.

“That’s where BIM comes in handy – for allthe overhead coordination,” Douthett says.

Rudolph and Sletten functioned as the gen-eral contractor on the project and coordinatedwith approximately 27 subcontractors.“Rosendin Electric Inc. was great to work with,”Douthett stresses.

“I was very lucky all my subcontractors wereexcellent. Most all I had worked with before,” she adds.

“Without our collaborative process and the strong camaraderie in thebig room, this project would not have been as successful,” Douthettinsists. “I was very lucky to have such a strong and devoted team.”

Rudolph and Sletten –UCSF Smith CardiovascularResearch Buildingwww.rsconst.com• Construction cost: $190 million • Location: San Francisco• Employees on site at peak: 220• Scope: Five-story research center

“We [built] a collaborativeenvironment.”–Danielle Douthett, senior project manager

Rosendin Electric Rosendin Electric is a proven leader in 3-D CAD modeling,both as part of their design/build project delivery and in construction detailing.Working closely with Rudolph and Sletten and University of California, SanFrancisco, Rosendin Electric is staying true to their mission of setting the stan-dards in the electrical construction industry. One-hundred percent employee-owned, Rosendin Electric is ranked as the largest privately-held electrical con-tractor in the nation. www.rosendin.com


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The mission of Guam WaterworksAuthority (GWA) – “Investing in BetterWater Better Lives” – is the public cor-poration’s promise to the civilian resi-

dents of Guam. GWA is responsible for provid-ing drinking water that meets the federal SafeDrinking Water Act guidelines to Guam’s civil-ian residents, as well as collecting about 60 per-cent of the island’s wastewater, and treatingand disposing of it in compliance with theClean Water Act.

GWA has an aging water system, andalthough it requires extensive time andresources to make the necessary improvements,that work is underway. In 2006, the authority setforth a master plan that outlined more than $1 billion in improvementsover the next 20 years. Before the GWA could get started on this work,however, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) announced it was relo-cating a substantial amount of military personnel from Japan to Guam,which would further stress GWA’s resources.

“The ink was barely dry on the master plan document when our com-munity was informed about the rapid growth to come to Guam,” Acting

General Manager John Benavente explains.“Due to the military build-up projections, the

call for infrastructure improvements has beengreatly accelerated. This is the most overallpressing issue facing our utility today. How to doalmost half-a-billion dollars’ worth of improve-ments in time for the arrival of the increasedpopulation, which is supposed to occur between2017 and 2020? As far as utility projects go, this isnot much time.”

Big PlansUnder the 2011 to 2015 plan, GWA’s capitalimprovement projects fall under four categories:potable water, wastewater, electrical engineer-

ing and miscellaneous. Some of the GWA’s largest projects include:• Water wells – GWA is constructing eight new production wells,

which will produce approximately 2.5 million gallons per day for itsown needs; DOD will constructing its own wells but it is not knownat this time how many. “Military operational water demands as wellas demands from personnel and dependents living on base will besatisfied by existing military operated sources and/or by new

Guam Waterworks Authoritywww.guamwaterworks.org• Headquarters: Tamuning, Guam• Employees: 350• Specialty: Utility services“With or without the militarybuild up, Guam’s populationwill grow, and we need toimprove our water system forour families and friends.”–John Benavente, acting general manager

A Watershed MomentGWA HAD MAJOR PLANS FOR IMPROVING ITS SYSTEM, BUT THEY GOT MUCH BIGGER. BY STACI DAVIDSON

GWA’s planned systemimprovements total morethan $1 billion.

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sources currently under development bythe military,” GWA says. “Water demandsfor all population residing in all otherareas of Guam will be met by GWAsources. Ultimately, the projecteddemands can be satisfied through a pro-gram of line replacements and leak reduc-tion. However, line replacements cannotbe accomplished rapidly enough to meetthe increased demands that are expected.”

• Water distribution system pipe replace-ment – GWA used hydraulic modeling toidentify specific pipe replacement proj-ects, but it also needs to address leak, fail-ure and age issues. The authority plans toreplace 13,500 linear feet of pipe per yearthrough 2015 – at a cost of $21.95 million– and replace 2,000 feet of pipe per yearafter that.

• Water system reservoirs improvements– As part of a $32.2 million project, GWAwill construct additional reservoirs toaddress water storage capacity deficien-cies. It also will improve water pressure forits customers and fire supply, GWA says.

• General plant improvements – Toenhance its operations and maintenancecapabilities, GWA has a $25.7 millionbudget to improve its three plants. Theproject budget also includes improvingthe system’s water distribution pipes thatare undersized or failing because ofimproper construction, earthquake dam-age and/or material failures.

Funding for this work comes from a numberof sources. Benavente notes that GWA’sratepayers are taking on part of the burden forthese improvements.

“With or without the military build-up,Guam’s population will grow, and we need toimprove our water system for our families andfriends,” he says. “In November 2010, we closed$118 million in bond financing, which willresult in approximately $87 million worth ofimprovements to our system.

“Our ratepayers helped pay for theseimprovements, such as line replacements andincreasing water pressure in chronic low waterpressure areas,” he continues. “These are just afew of the projects that we plan to work onwith the $87 million.”

Pride in WorkmanshipGWA became a semiautonomous, self-support-ing agency in February 1997, but before that,the authority’s services were managed by thePublic Utility Agency of Guam (PUAG), which

oversaw Guam’s water and wastewater utilities.GWA processes more than 40 million gallons ofwater each day, and has a customer base ofmore than 40,000 for water and more than25,000 for wastewater.

From 2002 to now GWA has reduced its stafffrom 450 employees to 300, and it has only 22employees assigned to fix water leaks through-

out the entire island. However due to thepending buildup the utility staff is expected togrow in the next decade. Even so, Benaventesays, GWA takes pride in exceeding expecta-tions in the customer service that it provides,and consistently works to improve its servicesto ratepayers.

“Our employees continuously receive vari-ous trainings throughout the year to enhancetheir capabilities to run the system,” accordingto Benavente. “They also have the tools, equip-ment and other resources to help them dotheir jobs more effectively and efficiently. Weare all about improving our customer servicefrom all departments.”

Key PartnersGWA’s key partners on this and other projectsinclude JC Tenorio Engineers & Associates Inc.and TG Engineers PC.

Guam Waterworks Authorityhas a customer base of morethan 40,000 for water.

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‘This is themost overallpressing issuefacing our utility today.’


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As part of a $30 billion-plus invest-ment program to modernize,upgrade and expand Ontario’spublic infrastructure,

Infrastructure Ontario and the Ministry ofCommunity Safety and Correction Servicesare replacing the Toronto Jail with the newToronto South Detention Centre, a 1,650-bedmaximum-security prison for adult inmates,including those with special needs.

The $594 million project also will includethe construction of the Toronto IntermittentCentre, a facility to accommodate individualsprimarily serving weekend sentences.Groundbreaking for the Toronto SouthDetention Centre occurred in October 2009,and construction will be completed by fall2012. EllisDon Corp. and its joint-venture

investment partner, Fengate Capital, haveteamed up with Zeidler Partnership Architectsunder a design/build contract.

Best for the JobEllisDon and Zeidler considered a number ofbuilding systems for the Toronto SouthDetention Centre, but ultimately, they decidedprecast was the quickest and most economicway to build the seven-story, 220,000-square-foot prison. Tindall Corp. of Spartanburg, S.C.,was among the precasters bidding on the mas-sive project, and according to David Britt, vicepresident of corrections sales at Tindall, thecompetition was extremely fierce.

“Whether it’s in Canada or the U.S., thesejails and prisons are public dollars – taxpayers’money – and they want competition,” Brittsays. “We were successful in convincingEllisDon that we were the most efficient andeffective way to get the prison built.

“We made the cells in Atlanta, while one of

Tindall Corp. – Toronto SouthDetention Centrewww.tindallcorp.com• Location: Toronto• Budget: $594 million• Scope: 1,650-bed maximum-security prison

“We’re the only module manu-facturer that can be a singlesource for all the precast.”–Chris Palumbo, vice president of business development

The use of precast modules built by Tindall Corp. has helped crews complete the massive Toronto South Detention Centre project within a tight schedule.»

Casting the LeadTINDALL IS EXCELLING ON THE TORONTO SOUTH DETENTION CENTRE PROJECT. BY KATHRYN JONES


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our competitors was going to cast near the jobsite and another just over the border,” Brittcontinues. “But with our manufacturing andshipping experience, we have it down to a sci-ence. We have perfected rail shipment to thepoint where we can not only be competitive,but we can also be the most efficient and eco-nomical for our customers.”

One-Stop ShopTindall is supplying 448 double-cell modules,which equates to 896 cells, as well as an archi-tectural exterior wall. In addition to manufac-turing and erecting precast cells, the company’svarious divisions work together to provide crit-ical building components ranging fromcolumns, beams and precast walls to electrical,plumbing and mechanical systems. Its turnkeycapabilities played a key role in Tindall beingthe successful bidder on the project, accordingto Chris Palumbo, vice president of businessdevelopment. “We’re the only module manu-facturer that can be a single source for all theprecast for a corrections project,” he states.

“With the help of over 70 engineers in ourcompany, we do a better building processthrough technology,” Britt adds. “It makes a dif-ference when we sit down on the front-endwith a customer, be it an architect, general con-tractor or owner, because we are not just sell-ing a project – we are selling a solution. Everyproject is driven by economics, especially intoday’s times. Our brand-new manufacturingfacility in San Antonio operates much like anautomotive production facility. In other words,we build the BMW cell at a Chevy price, andthat’s what our customers like.”

Tindall’s contribution to the Toronto South Detention Centre consists of 448 double-cell modules, which will equateto 896 individual cells for inmates. The company expects to have installation completed by summer 2011.

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In keeping with Ontario’s commitment tobuild all new infrastructure projects as sus-tainably as possible, the Toronto DetentionCentre will target LEED Silver certification.Green highlights include:

• About 7.8 million mega-joules of ener-gy will be provided by ground sourceheat pumps.

• Ground source heat pumps will reducethe building’s natural gas consumptionby a minimum of 40 percent.

• 75 percent of construction waste willbe diverted from landfills.

• Water use will be reduced by 20 percent.• Low-emitting VOC materials will be

used for adhesives, paints, carpetand sealants.

Maximum Sustainability


‘A Real Showpiece’At the Tindall production plant, experiencedcraftsmen erect the walls and floor of the cellsas they move down the production line. Thecells are painted; fitted with bunks, desks, toi-lets and light fixtures; and then thoroughlytested. Being able to do this off-site in a tem-perature- and humidity-controlled environ-ment ensures quality and consistency, andeliminates common site challenges such asweather, vandalism or theft.

“We started erecting our product in Torontoin October 2010, and we’ll complete our workin May – and that’s through one of the worstwinters in Toronto’s history,” Britt notes. “Weplowed right through it and continued work-ing. Our engineers worked with EllisDon, thearchitect and structural engineer to help makethis facility come together, and the ministrywill be very happy with it.

“It’s a great team and a breath of fresh air towork on a project where everyone is so com-mitted,” he continues. “I think this project isproof that we can do a very complicated archi-tectural finish anywhere in the world anddeliver a total precast project that’s second tonone. That’s what Toronto South DetentionCentre says to me, and I think it will say that tothe industry. It’s a real showpiece.”

Other key partners to Tindall on the projectinclude Acorn Engineering.

Team Tindall PrevailsFrom its modest beginnings as a manufacturerof concrete pipes to its current position as aleader in providing precast, prestressed con-crete framing systems, correctional cell mod-ules and utility structural systems, there is onething that hasn’t changed at Tindall: itsemployees’ dedication to the company.

When Hurricane Katrina battered the compa-ny’s Biloxi, Miss., plant in the summer of 2005,all divisions of the Tindall team pulled togeth-er and had the facility operating within threeweeks of the historic storm.

“We take great pride in the diverse talents ofour work force, and we value the collectivestrengths of all our employees,” Tindall says.“We are passionate about taking on challengesand delivering quality precast systems.”

Acorn Engineering Manufactured of heavy-gage stainless steel, Acorn Engineering’s Penal-Ware® line of high security, vandal-resistant fix-tures is engineered specifically to meet the require-ments and potential abuse commonly found in cor-rectional environments. Also for correctional facili-ties is Acorn’s Master-Trol® system, which regu-lates, monitors, and provides complete control overall plumbing fixtures in a facility. Each valve in everyfixture is controlled via a network of computers tomonitor or restrict use. www.acornengineering.com

‘It’s a breath of fresh air to work on aproject where everyone is committed.’


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When it comes to enjoying allthat college football has tooffer, the sport, its competitorsand the stadium are only a

fraction of the experience. Between tailgating,time-tested fan traditions, marching bands,student sections and countless other aspectsassociated only with college football, gamedays are an event unmatched in other sports.

President and CEO Gary Stokan and AtlantaHall Management Inc. are responsible for luringthe College Football Hall of Fame to Atlanta.Stokan wanted to encapsulate this one-of-a-kind experience while honoring the game’s richhistory of outstanding performers, institutionalpioneers and momentous occasions, while edu-cating fans about the game’s history.

“This will be what I’ve termed an ‘edutainse-um,’” Stokan says. “What that term is reallymeant to show is this will be a highly educa-tional, highly entertaining museum that is anattraction using the content of college football.This will be highly interactive, highly immers-ing and high tech because anything less in thisday and time would fail to meet our mission toprovide an entertaining game-day experiencefor the consumer. We think the game-day expe-rience is what differentiates college footballfrom high school and professional football.”

Atlanta Hall Management has signed alicense and development agreement with theNational Football Foundation (NFF) – theorganization that owns the rights to the collegefootball hall of fame – to construct and operatea new facility in Atlanta. The agreement callsfor a museum of more than 50,000 square feetfor a minimum of $50 million.

The license agreement lasts 30 years, withfour five-year incremental agreements in placethereafter. Atlanta Hall Management is sched-uled to break ground on the project soon, andthe grand opening is slated for 2013.

The hall of fame will be located on a 2.5-acrelot in downtown Atlanta that also will house asix-level parking deck as well as a connectorinto Hall A of the Georgia World CongressCenter, the fourth-largest convention center inthe United States, and will be built by generalcontractor Brasfield & Gorrie.

From Vision to RealityThe vision to bring the College Football Hall ofFame to Atlanta in the football-crazed southeast-ern United States started about seven years ago.Stokan says he and George Morris – a member ofthe hall’s class of 1981 and a volunteer with theChick-fil-A Bowl – reached out to the NationalFootball Foundation (NFF) to ask that its mem-bers consider Atlanta for the hall’s new home.

The pitch made to then NFF President BobCasciola and longtime board member GeorgeWeiss included selling the NFF on theCentennial Olympic Park facilities that alreadyexisted in Atlanta. At the time, the city ofAtlanta was building the now-completedworld’s largest aquarium and the World ofCoke, a museum dedicated to Atlanta-basedCoca-Cola. These were additions to theCentennial Park area of Atlanta that alreadyserved as home to the Georgia World CongressCenter, the CNN News Center, the Children’sMuseum of Atlanta and the National Center forCivil and Human Rights, which will breakground in late 2011. After the NFF changedpresidents and Steve Hatchell took the reins,Stokan persistently continued to work withHatchell and Weiss to finalize the official move.In September 2009, all parties reached anagreement to move the College Football Hall ofFame to Atlanta.

Another aspect of the pitch was the Chick-fil-A Bowl, which is held annually in theGeorgia Dome in Atlanta. After Stokan – whoalso serves as president and CEO of Chick-fil-A

Bowl Inc. – was unable to add the Chick-fil-ABowl to the Bowl Championship, he insteadlaunched the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game as theofficial kickoff for the college football season.

In the last three years, this game has servedthis purpose, pitting two highly ranked teamswith ESPN’s College Game day coverage andfall festival. In 2013, the College Football Hall ofFame will add its annual enshrinement cere-monies to the day’s events, which will includea charity golf tournament, parade, a fan festivaland concert. Corporate support provided byChick-fil-A and Coca-Cola, as well as a financialcontribution by the Chick-fil-A Bowl, have cre-ated solid financial backing for the hall project.

Recreating the FeelingThe mission for the design of the CollegeFootball Hall of Fame originates in the

GridironLegendsCONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME INATLANTA WILL BEGIN SOON; IT WILL OPEN IN 2013. BY BRIAN SALGADO

The new Hall of Fame has beendesigned to be educational andentertaining.

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The College Football Hall of Fame wants to recreate the ambience found on campuses each game day. The center of the building will have a scale replica of a football field, and exhibits will flow around it.

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College Football Hall of Famewww.collegefootball.org• Location: Atlanta• Project value: $83 million“This will be highly interactive,highly immersing and high techbecause anything less would failto provide an entertaininggame-day experience for theconsumer.” –Gary Stokan, president and CEOof Atlanta Hall Management


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ambiance that exists on campuses across theUnited States on any given game day. AtlantaHall Management and its development andproject management partner Cousins-Cudecharged architect tvs design-Turner Propertiesand exhibit designer Gallagher & Associateswith executing this mission.

Tvs’s Kevin Gordon and Gallagher &Associates’ Patrick Gallagher started by design-ing the structure from the inside out, startingwith a scale replica of a football field in the cen-ter of the building. The exhibits will flowaround the field, and the signature aspect of theoutside façade is in the shape of a football.

“Instead of architecture that started with ablack box with exhibits in it, we challengedGallagher and tvs to build an experience fromthe inside out so the building and exhibit designs are one,” Stokan says.“Unlike any other facility I’ve toured, we started with that initiative ofreally making the building and exhibits flow from an experience stand-point. It was a special challenge put to both of them. They formed a greatteam to make that happen.”

The facility was designed for use by the general public, as well. Severalareas within the hall of fame can be used for special events. The CollegeFootball Hall of Fame also will serve as an adjunct facility for the GeorgiaWorld Congress. “It was very important in the beginning to work withCentral Atlanta Progress [the downtown improvement district] and the

Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau to fos-ter the growth of tourism downtown,” Stokansays. “We discussed a lot of the synergies thatwere to be developed, where it would be builtand how it would be used.”

Much like the athletes whose accomplish-ments will grace the exhibits of the CollegeFootball Hall of Fame, this project will put upsome impressive numbers for the economic sta-bility of the city of Atlanta and the state ofGeorgia. Stokan says during the two-year periodof construction, 884 jobs will be created for aneconomic impact of $90.4 million. The state ofGeorgia will earn $4.9 million in tax revenueduring that period, and the city of Atlanta willearn $1.8 million. In the first five years of opera-tion, Stokan says the hall of fame will sustain 514

jobs for an economic impact of $212 million.

True PartnershipStokan credits the partnership between the city of Atlanta, the state ofGeorgia, corporate support and the construction and development com-panies for bringing the College Football Hall of Fame to Atlanta. “Otherthan the Olympics, this is one of the best public-private partnerships thiscity has seen in the last 15 years,” Stokan says. “It took a various and vastconglomeration of teamwork to make this become a reality.” Other impor-tant partners for the Hall of Fame project include tvsdesign.

• The College Football Hall of Fame will bebuilt to earn LEED Silver certification.

• Gary Stokan says the partners involvedwith the project are creating a curriculumin conjunction with the state educationboard to help teachers inform students ofthe history of college football.

• Since the project is partially funded bypublic entities, there is a requirement of aminimum of 25 percent minority-ownedbusiness participation. Stokan says theCollege Football Hall of Fame will exceedthis requirement.

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With school districts across theUnited States facing significantbudget shortfalls, every littlebit helps when it comes to

finding ways to reducing operational costs.When its new middle school in Southlake,

Texas, opens in fall 2011, the CarrollIndependent School District will be able totake advantage of energy cost savings acrossthe district.

The 160,000-square-foot, $32 million schoolwill feature a 450-kilowatt, 70,000-square-footsolar panel array on its roof. “We don’t see a lotof schools that have solar arrays like this one,”said Bartlett Cocke General Contractors, thegeneral contractor on the project.

“Most schools we’ve seen have one or two solar panels used as ateaching tool. This array will theoretically produce half of the energyneeded to power the building.”

The process of installing the solar array has been a major learningexperience for those working on the Carroll Middle School project,which started in January 2010.

’The Right Reasons’While the solar array and other features

including a geothermal heating and coolingsystem, a high reflectivity roof and ample indi-rect daylighting will make the building energyefficient, no formal LEED certification level isbeing pursued.

“What the team decided on in the earlyphases of the project was to do all the right thingsfor all the right reasons, energy-wise,” the com-pany says. “We did all the things we needed todo to make the building efficient without incur-ring the extra costs of filing paperwork.”

High AdaptabilityThe new middle school will replace an existing facility the companysays was not designed with adaptability in mind. The existing schoolhas several interior bearing walls and no crawlspace, making it difficultto move rooms if needed.

The new school has a pier and beam foundation with a concrete floorset over a crawlspace. The exterior of the building features concretemasonry units and a modified bitumen roof.

Bartlett Cocke GeneralContractors – Carroll MiddleSchoolwww.bartlettcocke.com• Project cost: $32 million• Location: Southlake, Texas• Employees on site at peak: 250• Scope of work: Educational facility “Our foundation is our people.”–Bartlett Cocke General Contractors

Solar Energy BoosterA SOLAR PANEL ARRAY AT THE NEW CARROLL MIDDLE SCHOOL OFFERS MAJOR COST SAVINGS.

The new Carroll Middle Schoolwill feature a 70,000-square-footsolar panel array on its roof.

»


“This school was designed with adaptabilityin mind,” the company says. “The majority ofthe exterior walls are separate from the interi-or walls, and there’s a crawlspace, so if theywant to move plumbing or rooms around, allthey have to do is go underneath the building– they don’t have to cut into the slab.”

Overlapping PhasesThe building’s main structure and envelopeare complete, with landscaping and interiorfinishing work now underway.

Construction is taking place in overlappingphases, allowing crews to get a jump start onone aspect of the project while plans foranother were still being worked on. For exam-ple, crews started site work while exteriorbuilding designs were being formally com-pleted, the company says.

“Typically, you’ll get all the plans at onceand put everything out to bid, then start thesite work,” it adds.

“Usually you’ll wait until the site work is farenough along before starting the structure,then make sure the structure is far enoughalong before starting architectural work,” thecompany continues. “Here, we overlapped

and didn’t have to wait until one set of planswas finished before moving on.”

Staying on ScheduleThe company credits the subcontractors onthe project with helping keep it on track.Bartlett Cocke superintendents and projectmanagers were heavily involved in selectingthe trade specialists involved in building theschool.

The company says it is very careful aboutselecting subcontractors, and uses an exten-sive review process.

This is the first time Bartlett Cocke hasworked with Carroll Independent SchoolDistrict, as it recently expanded its reach intothe Dallas/Fort Worth market after servingother areas in Texas for more than 50 years.The company was founded in 1959.

The employee-owned company offers con-struction management at risk, design-buildand bid services in the institutional, educationand healthcare markets. Bartlett Cocke focus-es on building projects that deliver “the great-est possible value to our communities,” it says.

This includes building projects that, likeCarroll Middle School, apply sustainability

and energy-saving principles. “Our foundation is our people and their

proven ability to build the best possible proj-ect for the greatest possible value,” the compa-ny adds. “Many of our employees, skilledcraftsmen, officers and shareholders havebeen with us for over 20 years. Because we areemployee-owned and well managed finan-cially, many of our employees are motivatedto stay with us throughout their careers.”

Dependable VendorsIn addition to its skilled workforce, BartlettCocke also works with dependable vendorsand subcontractors. These include NationalLaboratory Specialists Inc.

‘This schoolwas designedwith adaptability in mind.’


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For some, the idea of constructing alarge facility in a tight time frame canseem impossible. But such a task is anarea of specialty for Brinkmann

Constructors, Project Manager Jason Marninsays. “We perform construction faster [thanothers],” he maintains.

The company is using those skills on itsWestminster Christian Academy project inTown and Country, Mo. BrinkmannConstruction is building a new, 230,000-square-foot building for the school, and reno-vating an 80,000-square-foot facility.

The enlarged Academy will have middleand high school wings, performing arts andscience classrooms, a swimming pool, and foodprep and eating areas. Brinkmann is also con-structing a new, state-of-the-art football stadi-

um with a synthetic grass turf and track, a 12-court tennis complex, and baseball and softballpractice fields.

With the new space, the Academy will beable to accommodate 1,200 students. So far,“We are about 80 percent complete,” Marninsays, adding that the company is on track tomeet the project’s completion date of July 31.

Up to the TaskConstruction on Westminster ChristianAcademy was originally anticipated to start in2008 with a 22-month schedule, Marnin says.However, circumstances led to the projectbeing put on hold until May 2010. When workbegan again, Brinkmann was given only 14months to finish the school.

In addition, “Anything in an existing build-

Brinkmann Construction says it has earned astrong performance record over the years.Since its start, it has completed nearly $1.9billion worth of construction projects.

“More than 95 percent of our work isperformed on a negotiated basis,” the com-pany says, adding that it has a bondingcapacity of $50 million. BrinkmannConstruction has completed work in 17states, including California, Kansas, Illinois,Michigan and Minnesota.

Brinkmann also has earned raves from itscustomers. “Brinkmann Constructors had athorough understanding of what we wantedto achieve,” Thom Sehnert, the owner ofAnnie Gunn’s Restaurant & Smoke HouseMarket in Chesterfield, Mo., said in a recentstatement. “The Brinkmann team helped usovercome our fears and achieve the samelook and character that have existed heresince 1936.”

Another satisfied customer is Craig D.Schnuck, the chairman and CEO of SchnuckMarkets Inc. “Brinkmann’s entire group didan outstanding job of constructing our newSchnucks Ladue Crossing Shopping Center[in Ladue, Mo.] in record time and in a first-class manner,” he said.

“This was done in spite of snow and rainthat would have stopped most projects,” hesaid. “Brinkmann’s work really demonstrat-ed to us and to others the true ability of theorganization.”

Aiming to Please

A Class Act InEvery WayDESPITE CHALLENGES, BRINKMANN SAYS IT WILL DELIVER THEWESTMINSTER CHRISTIAN ACADEMY ON SCHEDULE. BY ALAN DORICH

Westminster ChristianAcademy will house 1,200students when completed.

»


ing is always a challenge,” Marnin says, addingthat the weather also has hindered the compa-ny’s progress.

Due to rain, the company has not yet com-pleted the athletic fields. “We’ll be racing to dothat in the next couple of months,” Marnin pre-dicts, adding that the company also needs tocomplete a 30-foot retaining wall for the base-ball and softball fields.

Another challenge has been constructingthe new structure around the older building,Marnin says. “[It took close] coordination to getall the trades involved in getting those build-ings to marry up with each other [and match],”he says, adding that he is impressed with thesubcontractors’ ability to maintain schedules.

Subs’ Wonderful ImpactsAll the subs have had a “wonderful impact” on the project, Marnin says.”They have met deadlines we’ve set forth [and] have been rewarding towork with,” he says.

“I interact with them quite a bit,” Marninsays. “I get to participate in design and schedul-

ing. Everyone has done a really good job.” Someof Brinkmann’s key partners include Nor-VelConstruction Co. Inc. and Charles E. JarrellContracting Company Inc.

Better WaysBased in Chesterfield, Mo., Brinkmann has beenin operation since 1984. In addition to schools, italso performs retail, office, data center, entertain-ment/hospitality, warehouse and multifamilyprojects. “By practicing value-engineering, webelieve if there’s a better way, we go for it withpassion, courageous leadership and creativity,”

the company says.Marnin is a 12-year veteran of Brinkmann and says the company has a

firm belief in doing the right thing for its customers. “We understand thewants and desires of our clients,” he says. He predicts Brinkmann willinclude more school projects. “Our success with the project will transferinto the same success for the Westminster community,” he says.

Brinkmann Constructors –Westminster Christian Academywww.rgbrinkmann.com• Project value: $46 million• Location: Town and Country, Mo.• Scope: A new, 230,000-square-foot building and a renovated80,000-square-foot facility“We understand the wants anddesires of our clients.”–Jason Marnin, project manager

‘We believe if there’s a better way, we gofor it with passion ... and creativity.’


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ledsoe County, Tenn., is home to oneof the state’s largest ongoing con-struction projects. In 2004, theTennessee Department of Correction

announced plans for a new correctional facilityto meet the demands of a growing population.Now that the project has begun, it couldn’thave come at a more appropriate time for ahungry construction industry.

The project, which began May 2010, willcontinue to employ Tennessee contractors andsubs until its November 2012 completion.When the construction firms clear the site, theprison expansion project will employ approxi-mately 425 people needed to operate the newfacility. Department of CorrectionCommissioner Derrick D. Schofield has saidthe facility “will bring jobs to the area and willenhance public safety for all Tennesseans.”

The project’s architectural firm, the DLR

Group, echoes that sentiment. “We’re excited tobe a part of a project that will be so beneficialto this community,” Group Principal TimGibson, AIA, states. “In a time when the econo-my is still recovering, we’re proud to have beenselected to design a project that will generatenew jobs in the area.”

Flintco on the JobThe project comprises four medium-securityhousing units, one minimum-security housingunit, one maximum-security housing unit and15 support and administrative buildings total-ing 460,000 square feet on 33.65 acres of land.Flintco LLC in Memphis was contracted to man-age the approximately $144 million project.

The project is tracking well and as of lateApril was 45 percent complete, with severalbuildings erected or soon-to-be erected.However, before Flintco could even lay a foot-

ing on the ground, the company had to elimi-nate the rock surface. “We had to blast for thefirst 90 days,” Flintco Senior Project ManagerJonathan Smotherman says. “We have dealtwith this in the past. The blasting was very dif-ficult, but we had to get all the utilities in there.We would blast once a day around the sametime. It was a controlled blasting, and wewould get everybody onto the road and offsiteto make sure everyone was safe.”

With the blasting work now complete,Flintco is busy overseeing building construc-tion. Five housing buildings have been erectedand two others are slated for erection by July.Flintco began constructing the housing build-ings August 2010, and the entire site will beturned over when the last building receives itsfinishing touches.

The new facility is a quarter of a mile fromthe existing Southeastern Tennessee StateRegional Correctional Facility, which housesapproximately 900 inmates. It will remain inoperation when the new expansion facility,which allows for 1,444 inmates, is complete,bringing the site’s total inmate capacity tomore than 2,300. The new construction alsohas expansion potential for another 512 beds.The new inmate housing units will be two sto-ries tall while the remaining buildings areeach one story.

Green and LeanThe new construction also includes a geother-mal heating system, which will serve the entirenew expansion facility. The construction teamdrilled 580 bores more than 550 feet deep to

Built for SafetyFLINTCO IS BUILDING ONE OF TENNESSEE’S LARGEST STATE-FUNDED PRISON PROJECTS. BY JAMIE MORGAN

Flintco LLC- BledsoeCounty Correctional Complexwww.flintco.com• Construction cost: $144 million• Location: Bledsoe County, Tenn.• Employees on site at peak: 425“Lean building practices resultin less waste, less cost, makingit cheaper but better.” –Jonathan Smotherman, senior project manager

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A geothermal heating system – thelargest in Tennessee – will servethe entire correctional complex.

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install 16-inch-diameter pipes. The geothermal system will be complet-ed around August 2011. “This is the largest geothermal system in thestate and will serve the entire prison expansion project,” Smothermansays. “It’s also the largest geothermal system [this office] has ever done.”

Smotherman notes that sustainable features are a routine part of con-struction today. Though the Bledsoe project is not a LEED project, it doesinclude a large sustainable feature, which is a Flintco forte. For its part,Flintco is doing what it can to address “concern regarding the availabilityof natural resources and living in a healthy environment.” As a memberof the USGBC and the ABC Green Contractor Certification Program,

Flintco has several LEED-accredited professionals throughout its nineSouthern offices.

The company has completed several LEED buildings nationwide,such as the University of California’s LEED Gold Science and EngineeringBuilding and a LEED-certified research complex for the University ofTexas. Other buildings in its portfolio with significant green elementsinclude Tulsa’s American Lung Association headquarters, which paidspecial attention to indoor quality.

In addition to going green, Smotherman says another priority forFlintco is the drive to become more efficient. “Going green is a big thing,and there’s been a big push for that,” Smotherman says. “However,another trend is that we’re also trying to be more lean. Lean buildingpractices result in less waste, less cost, making it cheaper but better. Welook for the most effective way to build things.”

Working Closely with SubsSmotherman says coordination meetings help the company with itslean practices. The Bledsoe County team meets with subcontractors oncea week and schedules other job-specific meetings as work progresses.The idea is to make sure everybody is on the same page before any workbegins. Smotherman says the meticulous attention to detail has paid offon this project, and the team is operating smoothly.

“The subs are all doing well,” he says. “The state has hired ParsonsBrinckerhoff as the contract administrator on the project, and things aregoing well with them. DLR is the architectural firm, and we’ve done a lot ofwork with those guys so we work well with them.” Key partners on theproject include Mid-State Construction Inc. and E. Cornell Malone Corp.


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When The Hagerman Groupbroke ground on TaylorUniversity’s Greg and MaryFran Euler Science Complex in

May 2010, the Upland, Ind.-based universitysaw the project as a way to ensure it continuesto have one of the “premier programs amongChristian colleges and universities throughoutthe United States,” according to Dr. MarkBiermann, dean of Taylor’s School of Naturaland Applied Sciences.

In fact, one of Taylor’s main goals for thisproject is for the building itself to be educa-tional, explains Dave McMath, project managerwith The Hagerman Group, the constructionmanager for the Euler Science Complex.

Faculty and students are involved with anumber of projects related to the new build-ing, such as gathering data to verify the specifi-cations for its wind turbines and placement ofthe solar panels.

Additionally, one of the buildings’ atriumswill have a heliostat, designed by engineeringstudents working along side faculty, that willtrack and direct the sunlight for use through-out the facility.

“The heliostat will track the sun and reflectthe light down the atrium center, and thenother reflective surfaces will reflect the lightdown interior corridors, which will increasethe building’s use of natural light,” McMathexplains. “We’ve been working with the faculty

on how to support the heliostat, explaininghow the system will interface with the build-ing structure and architectural features. We’vealso been helping them coordinate the windturbines and photovoltaic panels with thebuilding utilities and overall project schedule.

“The building’s automation system also willbe an educational tool, and will be used to helpteach students who visit and attend the uni-versity,” he adds. “Our work with the faculty isvery in-depth, and I’m glad Taylor has allowedus to engage the faculty in this project.”

The Hagerman Group –Taylor University EulerScience Complexwww.thehagermangroup.com• Project cost: $41.4 million• Location: Upland, Ind.• Employees on site: Approx. 80• Scope: Science complex“Our work with the faculty is very in-depth.”–Dave McMath, project manager

The Science ofQuality WorkCLOSE COORDINATION WITH TAYLOR UNIVERSITY HAS HELPED THEHAGERMAN GROUP DELIVER A SCIENCE COMPLEX. BY STACI DAVIDSON

Taylor University’s EulerScience Complex will becompleted in summer 2012.

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‘A Great Start’Close coordination with Taylor, the faculty and the rest of the projectteam has helped the construction of the Euler Science Complex remainon track, McMath says. When it is completed in summer 2012, the137,000-square-foot structure will be the largest building on Taylor’scampus and will adjoin the existing 55,000-square-foot NussbaumScience Center. In fact, constructing the four-story (lower level plus threestories above ground) laboratory and classroom structure within 50 feetof the occupied Nussbaum building has been the project’s largest chal-lenge, McMath says.

“The work is progressing very well,” he says. “In 2010, we had a drysummer and fall, which gave us a great start. We had to push through aheavy winter and rainy spring, but we are still on schedule. The founda-tion and structure are completed, the skin is 40 percent completed, weare about 45 percent completed with the interior overhead rough-in and40 percent completed with the interior wall framing and rough-in.Additionally, the major HVAC and electrical equipment has arrived.”

The university is aiming for LEED Silver certification of the EulerScience Complex, so The Hagerman Group is remaining mindful of that,as well. The company is coordinating the infrastructure for the two 50-kilowatt wind turbines and 10-kilowatt photovoltaic solar panel system,as well as the heliostat system. The complex’s atrium will have a reflec-tive rooftop and the main part of the structure will have a green roof,which also will serve as an educational tool.

“Work on this project has been smooth,” McMath notes. “This summer,we will begin the minor renovation work in the existing structure so itwill be completed when the students return in the fall. Taylor has been a

great client to work for because they understand communication isimportant to the success of a project.

“On this project, the communication has been great – to and from theowner, architect The Troyer Group of Mishawaka, Ind., mechanical andelectrical engineer Vector Consulting of Indianapolis, and us – and thathelps to move through a project successfully.”

Clearly DefinedThe Indiana-based The Hagerman Group has successfully worked on anumber of university projects throughout its home state, including con-struction of the University of Notre Dame’s Stepan Chemistry Hall andthe $70 million Jordan Hall of Science. These projects were successful forthe company, McMath says, because The Hagerman Group works exten-sively on the subcontractors’ scope of work prior to bid.

“This helps clearly define the work to be done by each subcontractor,thus providing an accurate cost estimate at bid time,” he says. “TheHagerman Group also feels that subcontractor involvement in the cre-ation of the overall project schedule is the key to a successful project, asthe subcontractors have great ways to help expedite projects.

“By involving all team members in the overall decision-makingprocess, the team is stronger and the project is delivered to the owner ontime and with-in budget. The Hagerman Group firmly believes that inevery project, we are not just building a building, we are building aclient for life.”

This requires quality work, he says, and The Hagerman Group deliversthis by “eliminating discouragement by lifting up each worker and theirstrengths.” The Hagerman Group’s key partners include C.L. Schust Co.


here is a perception that exists withinvarious circles of the constructionindustry about minority-owned busi-nesses. Many believe large, estab-

lished contractors pursuing government con-tracts partner with minority business enterpris-es (MBE) on paper only to meet the criteria forminority participation on a given job.

That is not the case with Legacy BuildingGroup (LBG), a commercial contractor based inSt. Louis. According to Project Manager BillBegis, LBG makes sure clients realize it is asolid choice not just among minority firms,but also within the entire construction market.

“We are a true minority sub that performswork that does not rely on our minority statusto get work,” he says. “We have never neededto solicit work as a minority. We get workbecause we perform, and our projects get sta-tus as an MBE for hiring us.”

Founded in 2002, LBC is an MBE generalcontractor that has earned $80 million in rev-enues since it was established. The companyspecializes in the design/build deliverymethod and can self-perform a majority ofthe work on a given project through its twodivisions: Mechanical Solutions Inc. andLegacy Interiors.

Mechanical Solutions is a mechanical con-tractor that performs work throughout St.Louis and the eastern Missouri region. Thecompany specializes in HVAC and mechanicaldesign/build commercial and industrial proj-ects. Mechanical Solutions custom fabricatesand installs HVAC ductwork and process pip-ing, and its HVAC service department offers

No Minor FeatLEGACY BUILDING GROUP DELIVERS QUALITY PROJECTS IN THE ST. LOUIS REGION. BY BRIAN SALGADO

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Legacy Building Group specializes in thedesign/build method.

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Interior finishes are one ofLegacy Building Group’sareas of expertise.

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Legacy Building Groupwww.legacybg.com• Headquarters: St. Louis• Employees: 30• Services: Commercial and mechanicalcontracting and interior finishes

“We get work because we perform, and our projects get status as an MBE forhiring us.” –Bill Begis, project manager


maintenance, repair, and retrofitting andreplacement services.

Legacy Interiors performs carpentry workthroughout eastern Missouri, including mill-work, doors and finishes.

Although the two subsidiaries often per-form work for LBG, they also seek out theirown contracts. LBG also will hire outside firmsif the pricing is better, according to Begis.

Learning CurveOne example of LBG’s active role in a joint part-nership is the Missouri Baptist Medical Centerproject in Town and Country, Mo. Serving as ageneral contractor with Clayco Inc., this projectcalls for the addition of a 225,000-square-footpatient tower, a 160,000-square-foot garage andthe Clinical Learning Institute.

LBG has partnered with Wies Drywall tohandle drywall installation, and LBG is deliver-ing all finish carpentry throughout the job onits own. The company is also learning on thejob by taking advantage of Clayco’s use ofProlog and Primavera P6 scheduling software.

“Teaming up with Clayco has given us theopportunity to learn a new project on site,”Begis says.

Heating Things UpLike many contractors, LBG has had to pene-trate new markets as a result of commercialwork drying up in the recession. In May 2009,the company joined a government programthat weatherizes low-income homes through-out the St. Louis area. Funded through theAmerican Recovery and Reinvestment Act, theUrban League Weatherization Program isdesigned to keep people in the area workingwhile stimulating the local economy throughthe use of locally sourced materials.

Since LBG did not have a great deal of expe-rience in the residential sector before earningthis work, Begis says the company had to rampup its operations to perform. This included hir-ing 10 new apprentices and sending fouremployees to the Building PerformanceInstitute in Kansas City, Mo., for weatherizationtraining. The company also purchased fournew vehicles to keep up with the work.

Taking a GambleAlthough the company is now learning resi-dential weatherization, one of its areas ofexpertise remains interior finishes. ThroughLegacy Interiors, LBG provided a complete

millwork package for River City Casino in St.Louis. The company was brought on as a sub-contractor, joining Paric Corp. and W.G. Yates &Sons Construction.

The $15 million package had LegacyInteriors on site from March 2009 to July 2010.This was by far the largest and most expensivecontract in LBG’s history, according to Begis.

Along with millwork throughout the casinoand adjacent restaurants, lobbies and banquetcenter, Legacy Interiors’ scope also includedmetal fabrication and installation.

The most challenging aspects of the projectwere the compressed schedule and the tightjob site. However, those elements could notcompare to making sure every owner’s repre-sentative for the numerous end-users of thefacility were placated.

Maintaining PartnershipsBegis says LBG has strong relationships withsubcontractors and general contractors alike.

“I think we have a good relationship withsubcontractors as well as general contractors,since we self-perform work for other GCs, aswell,” Begis says. LBG’s key partners includeWies Drywall.


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Working together in a joint-ven-ture partnership, theWashington, D.C., office ofManhattan Construction Co.

and Torcon Inc. of Red Bank, N.J., are makingsteady progress on the $510 million U.S. ArmyMedical Research Institute of InfectiousDiseases (USAMRIID) project currently underway at Fort Detrick in Frederick, Md.Groundbreaking occurred in August 2009, andconstruction is slated to be completed byNovember 2014. After a two- to three-yearperiod of certifications and inspections, USAM-RIID will open in 2016 or 2017.

The six-story, 940,000-square-foot biocon-tainment research facility will replace theexisting USAMRIID facility. As the U.S.Department of Defense’s largest biocontain-ment facility, it will feature the latest in tech-nology to research dangerous biological agentssuch as anthrax, the plague bacteria and theEbola virus. “The mission of USAMRIID is todevelop vaccines, therapeutics and diagnosticsto protect war fighters against biologicalagents,” says Col. Gary Zaucha, program man-ager of the USAMRIID transition office.

Cutting-edge FacilityA defining feature of the new USAMRIID willbe its bio-safety level (BSL) 2, 3 and 4 laborato-ries. Designed by joint-venture partnersCUH2A – a subsidiary of Omaha, Neb.-basedHDR Inc. – and Winnipeg, Manitoba-basedSmith Carter, the facility will feature a multi-story atrium separating the BSL2 areas fromthe BSL3 and BSL4 areas, which are reservedfor the most lethal organisms. Researchersmust wear protective suits and take extra pre-cautions, such as showering and changingclothes, before leaving the facility.

The replacement facility was designed withoperation and maintenance protocols in mind,Zaucha notes. “The new facility is broken downinto 40 decontamination zones, which allowsus to take down small sections of the building,decontaminate them and perform mainte-nance to those areas while the rest of the sur-rounding labs continue to operate,” he states.“This will minimize disruption to the research.”

Because researchers will perform product

research and testing on animal models, a sig-nificant amount of space has been allotted forthe care and housing of animals inhabitingthe facility, says Caree Vander Linden, publicaffairs officer for USAMRIID. The Army willhave cameras in the animal holding roomsthat will supplement daily, in-person animalobservations by allowing additional monitor-ing of experiments without having to enter orexit the containment areas. It also will installadvanced imaging capabilities to performMRIs and CT scans.

LEED LaboratoryAnother unique feature of the USAMRIIDreplacement facility is its utilization of sustain-able design elements and green building prac-tices. The building is designed to meet LEEDSilver certification, but it has the potential toachieve Gold certification, according toMatthew Nawn, resident engineer with the U.S.Army Corps of Engineers (USACE.) “I see this as

a trend in government laboratory construc-tion,” he predicts.

BSL labs use more energy than standardfacilities due to their sophisticated ventilationsystems, which is why USAMRIID’s potential toearn LEED Gold status is “nothing short ofremarkable,” Nawn says. “The volume of intakeand exhaust air makes laboratories in generalenergy hogs, so to find a way to still meetcapacity but also be energy efficient and com-pliant with LEED criteria is very significant.”

A Landmark LabMANHATTAN AND TORCON ARE PARTNERS ON A BIOCONTAINMENT RESEARCH FACILITY. BY KATHRYN JONES

The USAMRIID facilitywill be used to research infectious diseases.

» Manhattan ConstructionGroup/Torcon Inc. www.usamriid.army.mil• Budget: $510 million• Location: Fort Detrick, Md.• Employees on site at peak: 500• Scope: Biocontainment research facility“I see [LEED] as a trend in government laboratoryconstruction.”–Matthew Nawn, USACE engineer


BIM CoordinationThe USAMRIID structure will be structural steel with high-containmentconcrete, metal panels and glass curtainwall, according to Brian Killion,Manhattan project executive and vice president of operations. A decisionon the part of Manhattan and Torcon Joint Venture (MTJV) to self-per-form the concrete allowed for greater control over cost, quality andschedule, he says.

“The biggest challenge, especially within the BSL4 area, is protectionof the coatings that have to go on the floor, ceiling and walls of thoseareas,” adds Scott Loureiro, Torcon project executive. “We’ve takentremendous care in making sure that the building is clean prior to thecoatings, and we’ve established protocols for the trades going in and outof these areas to ensure we don’t damage these coatings after they’vebeen installed.”

MTJV developed a full-scale 3-D BIM model to help with the coordi-nation. “Some of the features that went into this had not been donebefore, such as stainless steel shower enclosures that were integral withthe concrete,” Killion says. “I think the level of BIM modeling andadvanced planning is a testament to the project team in coming up withsolutions to challenges we’ve encountered throughout.”

Planning in AdvanceThe biggest challenge from the Army’s perspective is building a researchfacility to incorporate cutting-edge technologies that have yet to bedeveloped, Zaucha says. “We won’t be occupying the facility until 2016or 2017, which is 10 years after design was kicked off,” he notes. “It can bedifficult to predict where the scientific advances are headed, what kind

of equipment we need to plan for it and what kind of space configura-tions will best service our needs looking 10 years into the future.

“To the largest extent possible, we are striving for a high degree offlexibility,” Zaucha continues. “We are still not able to select some of ourequipment right now because we want to postpone that decision untilwe are a couple of years out from moving into the building.”

The Perfect MatchThis is the first time Manhattan and Torcon have teamed up in a jointventure together. “The architect CUH2A pointed us towards each other;they were partnered themselves with Smith Carter,” Killion recalls.

One of the reasons Manhattan and Torcon partnered on the job isbecause each brings their own set of unique strengths to the projectteam, Loureiro says. “We rely heavily on Manhattan to provide civilarchitectural expertise,” he states.

Praise for Subs, VendorsHe also praises the work of the subcontractors and vendors for makingthe project successful. “MTJV has established a partnership relationshipwith all subcontractors and vendors to help build a team approach andengage all subcontractors and vendors in the planning, scheduling andcoordination processes,” Loureiro says. “This team approach has enabledMTJV to build flexibility into the project.

“Communication is key to any construction project,” he adds. “MTVJand the subcontractor community have an open and honest relation-ship formed by an open communication and planning philosophy.” Keypartners for MTJV include R&R Reinforcing.


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Miron Construction believes that two heads are better thanone. If the project allows, it doesn’t hurt to have a thirdopinion, too – so long as the diverse views are aligned toone goal. In the case of a replacement facility for the old

Langlade Hospital in Antigo, Wis., the patients take preference.“The hospital is designed with the patient experience in mind and

patient outcome is first priority,” says Todd Sabourin, Miron project exec-utive. “Every decision was based on what was best for the patient, andthe hospital’s administration team really drove that home.”

The current 1930s-built Langlade Hospital is 110,000 square feet ofsprawled-out space, unyielding to today’s healthcare needs. After work-ing with healthcare consultant Sg2 on patient projection studies, thehospital concluded that the current Langlade with its inefficient HVACsystem, vintage electrical system and inaccessible design had to go. Theanswer to their needs lies directly behind the facility where the new95,000-square-foot replacement hospital is being built.

Miron was hired in March 2009 as the design-build contractor for thenew hospital. In April 2009, Miron and the project owners brought onWisconsin-based Eppstein Uhen Architects. With the contractor andarchitect in place, the team wasted little time in getting people involved.

“One thing we implemented right off the bat was an authors of changeprocess where we asked every employee in the hospital to take picturesof their work area, print them out and highlight their likes and dislikes,”Sabourin says. “We compiled all of that information into a large three-ring binder and used a lot of it as a starting point for our design work.”

Staff involvement didn’t stop there. Six months into the project, Mironbegan working with cross-functional groups from each department andforming innovation teams (iTeams). Twenty-six iTeams met biweekly toanalyze the hospital’s processes, incorporating experience-based designand lean principles, and ultimately creating the hospital of the future. Akey focus was improving each point-of-contact experience with thepatients, from registration to release, going as far as analyzing how tobest design the parking lots and way-finding for optimal patient satis-faction. The new hospital will also switch to a centralized registrationdesk, rather than separate registration desks for each department, as inthe current operation.

Hospital staff members weren’t the only people involved in design;Miron called on patient feedback, as well. “One thing we’ve found whendesigning a healthcare facility, is that you not only need staff input, butyou need patient involvement also,” Sabourin says.

Future Efficiencies From speaking with patients, hospital staff, and physicians, Miron knew amajor goal was to construct a hospital that could serve the needs ofpatients today and into the future. In its patient focus groups, Langladesaw the biggest divide between older generation and younger, tech-

Miron Construction says the design of the new 95,000-square-foot LangladeHospital in Antigo, Wis., was developed with patient input.

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FeedbackFriendlyON LANGLADE HOSPITAL, MIRON ADOPTED A LEADERSHIP ROLE. BY JAMIE MORGAN


savvy patients. The younger generation wouldlike to see more things automated and self-con-trolled such as registration and the nurse-callsystem, while the older generation opposedthese types of changes. The team’s solution tothis issue was to build a simplified systemwith the ability to add and expand functionsin the future as more patients become com-fortable with technology.

Sabourin says the design phase has beenthe project’s most challenging, but also it’smost rewarding. Though there were manyneeds to serve with the new design, he says itencouraged the hospital to reinvent itself intoa more efficient organization in a fast-trackedtime frame. “All of the process of reinventiontakes a lot of time,” Sabourin says. “Pushingthat through and making decisions was key. Ithelped them in their process of improvement,and we had to get it done and make it happen.What normally takes four or five years wascondensed to an 18-month period.”

Upon its expected May 2012 completion, thenew Langlade hospital will be a two-story, 23-bed critical-access hospital with three operat-ing rooms, a full-service imaging departmentand a woman’s center. Sabourin says the new

design is more compact to create operationalefficiencies in what will also be a very energy-efficient facility.

“We are following many of the [LEED]guidelines with our methods-focused sustain-ability,” Sabourin says. “One of the main focus-es on this project has been to be environmen-tally friendly, not only during construction butafter. Through their process improvement ini-tiatives, the hospital is implementing a largenumber of green processes.” Miron imple-ments a mandatory construction waste recy-

cling program on all of its projects and willfocus on controlling indoor environmental airquality once the building becomes enclosed.

Experienced Home TeamConstruction for the new Langlade Hospitalbegan in November 2010 and as of May 2011the team was in the early construction stages.Technologies such as BIM are being used on sitefor project verification. The structural steelframe has been completed and the team isbeginning the exterior wall framing and pour-ing of the interior floor slabs. Interior mechani-cal and electrical rough-in work has also begun.

Working alongside the design-build team iswhat Sabourin describes as an experiencedteam of local subcontractors. “The owner want-ed to use local craftsmen as much as possible,”he says. “We have a lot of very experienced con-tractors and tradesmen working on the job. Thisarea of the state has a large population of veryhighly-skilled tradesmen, of which we are tak-ing full advantage. With the brutal wintermonths behind us, the subcontractors areramping up for a busy summer. So far it hasgone well with all of them.” Some of Miron’s keypartners include Joe DeNoble Sewer & Water.

Miron Construction Co., Inc.www.miron-construction.com • Construction cost: $29 million• Project location: Antigo, Wis.• Expected peak employees: 120• Scope: 95,000-square-foot hospital“Every decision was based onwhat was best for the patient,and the hospital administrationreally drove that home.”–Todd Sabourin, project executive


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t takes a contractor with a great deal ofexperience in the healthcare sector work-ing closely with a talented healthcarearchitect to successfully value-engineer a

hospital’s design while maintaining aesthet-ics. That’s exactly what Nabholz ConstructionServices and Health Facilities Group accom-plished for the new Scott County Hospital inScott County, Kan., which replaces an exist-ing facility.

The new building is a “work of art,” asdescribed by Nabholz Construction, becauseof ornate details such as river-shaped corri-dors and ceilings, as well as intricate patterns

in the floors and walls. “It features artist-typefinishes,” says Kenny Giese, job superintend-ent for Nabholz Construction.

This replacement structure is taking theplace of a 60-year-old facility that hadbecome obsolete and was too small to proper-ly serve a growing population. As the con-struction manager at-risk, NabholzConstruction will deliver a 68,000-square-footfacility in May 2012 for $20 million. The com-pany broke ground on the project inSeptember 2010.

The hospital will feature 14 rooms with acapacity for 25 beds, as well as a clinic, two

surgery suites, a department of obstetrics andwaiting rooms.

Monitoring CostsNabholz Construction worked with projectowner Scott County and Healthcare FacilitiesGroup – the architect of record – to finalize theearly site package, structural needs and the fin-ishes. Although the entire design phase lastedthrough January of this year, the constructionwas able to begin in September because of thephasing of the schedule.

“We’re able to help control the budget as theplans develop,” Project Manager Kent Doughtysays. “We consistently provide updated pricesto the owner and architect to show we’re stay-ing within budget. We have had four or fivecycles of pricing where we’ve found areaswhere we’d go over, then we’d work with thedesign team and owner to get it back in line.”

Doughty says Nabholz Construction saved$100,000 by suggesting an alternative plan forthe complex roof system. Initially, plans calledfor a laminated wood beam roof structure. TheNabholz Construction team, along with thearchitect, determined Scott County Hospitalwould be better served with a conventionalred iron roof with a few select beams wrappedin drywall and wood.

Another change prompted by NabholzConstruction and the architect was the layoutof the structure itself. The original plans calledfor a two-story structure with administrativeoffices occupying the second floor. However,Nabholz Construction determined it would bemore cost-effective to extend the structure on a

Nabholz ConstructionServices – Scott CountyHospitalwww.nabholz.com• Project cost: $20 million• Location: Scott City, Kan.• Scope: 68,000-square-foot hospital“We’re able to help control thebudget as the plans develop.”

–Kent Doughty, project manager

A Sight to BeholdNABHOLZ DELIVERS A ‘WORK OF ART’ WHILE MANAGING COSTS TO MEET THE BUDGET. BY BRIAN SALGADO

The new Scott County Hospitalreplaces an existing facility

with a $20 million building.

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single level instead. One aspect that remained in place, however,

was the roof of the main corridor. Doughty saysit has numerous curves that wind through thestructure like a river. The corridor itself features30-foot-tall windows as well as skylights in theceiling and native stones and cherry wood forfinishes. This feature provides for an open andvoluminous space with plentiful natural light.

Design ChallengesBreaking ground in September did not give theconstruction team much time to complete sitework before the harsh midwestern winterarrived. That is why the architect and Nabholzchose the use of precast walls instead of con-crete masonry units (CMU).

Precast walls can be erected in a fraction ofthe time it takes to erect CMUs. By switching toprecast walls for 75 percent of the building,Doughty estimates that three months were cutfrom the schedule.

With the precast walls erected, Nabholz andthe construction team performed the under-ground utility work throughout the winterinstead of halting construction until favorableweather returned. “Using precast in the winter is

a whole lot nicer than trying to construct CMUsin the winter,” he says. “That allowed us to workthrough weather we normally wouldn’t.”

Building the MidwestFounded in 1949 by Bob Nabholz, NabholzConstruction has grown into a multidiscipli-nary construction firm with nine offices inArkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri.

“As a leading contractor in our region,nobody offers the full-service, general con-tracting and construction management expert-ise with such broad self-perform capabilitiesthan Nabholz Construction Services,” the com-

pany says. “With a companywide productionforce of more than 600 skilled craftsmen,Nabholz has the resources to ensure that[clients’] projects are completed on time andwithin budget.”

True PartnershipDoughty credits the members of the construc-tion team with the success of the project thusfar. “This is a great team of professionals whocomplement each other during both precon-struction and now the construction phase ofthe project,” he says. Nabholz’s key partnersinclude Prestressed Concrete Inc.

The Scott County Hospitalproject features numerouswindows and skylights.

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For years, the GSA’s future tenant for thein-progress Phoenix Professional OfficeBuilding has been operating from onefederal building and three leased facili-

ties in Phoenix – a setup incongruent with itsgoals. “The existing facilities are incapable ofproviding the required square footage neces-sary to support new functions, and cannot meetenhanced IT infrastructure-sufficient space tomeet its current requirements and allow for fullcompliance with Interagency SecurityCommittee (ISC) guidelines,” the GSA explains.

With an obvious need to improve and con-solidate, the GSA set out to find a new Phoenixhome but first needed a company up for thejob. The GSA was in the market for an approxi-mate 200,000-square-foot, LEED Silver andLevel-4 ISC facility. To weed out those not up tocode, the GSA initiated a design excellencerequest for bids – an internal design/bid/buildprocess it uses to ensure “excellence in publicarchitecture, engineering and construction.”

In March 2010, after a 14-month process, theGSA chose Ryan Companies to design, buildand manage its new projects. It’s not the firsttime Ryan has worked with the GSA. “We havebeen awarded three federal courthouses proj-ects in the Midwest for the GSA,” says CaseyCartier, construction division manager at Ryanand development project manager for the cur-rent GSA project, known as the PhoenixProfessional Office Building. “We have alsoexecuted many leases in our buildings withthem, and we are performing all the propertymanagement on this project.” Ryan’s work withGSA is consistent with the company’s slogan –“Building Lasting Relationships.”

Team CooperationThat slogan doesn’t just apply to clients, espe-cially on a project like this. The RyanCompanies is a layered outfit with the abilityto develop, construct and manage projects,

while never underestimating the importanceof good designers and subcontractors. “Withthe nature of a design/build project, weinvolved subcontractors early in the pursuit ofthe project,” Cartier says. The Ryan Companies’key partners include Maverick Masonry Inc.

Cartier says its subcontractors, “along with thedesigners AECOM, successfully partnered withus in achieving the win, and we were able tofold them into the construction of the building.”

The company partnered with AECOMbecause, like Ryan, it has past GSA experience,and the GSA’s procurement process beginswith qualification-based selection. He insiststhat without AECOM and other key subcon-tractors – including electrical experts DeltaDiversified, HVAC specialist MidstateMechanical and licensed-plumber MJSchneider – Ryan may not have won theDesign Excellence competition, which is basedon quality rather than price.

Together, the team designed a 225,000-square-foot, five-story shell with a conceptualinterior design. The exterior of the buildingwas designed as integral colored concrete pan-eled façade with 1-inch insulated, low-emis-sion exterior glazing. Following the GSA’sawarding of the project, Ryan’s team set to

completing interior designs. The site and shelldesign was unchanged. It also purchased theformerly GSA-controlled location where theproject would be built – a client stipulation.Following lease negotiations, Ryan submittedthe plans for city approval and began construc-tion in October 2010.

When designing the Phoenix ProfessionalOffice Building for the U.S. General ServicesAdministration, The Ryan Companies nixedthe paper and went straight for 3-D. “It’sfully designed with BIM technology,” saysCasey Cartier, construction division managerat Ryan and development project managerfor the GSA project. “We are not utilizingtwo-dimensional drawings at all. It’s all 3-Dmodeling, and we have incorporated the useof 6-D BIM Asset Management.”

Cartier explains 6-D BIM as a techniquethat takes a 3-D model and translates it intothe actual building functions to help withmaintenance and operations after construc-tion is complete. It was a wise effort onRyan’s part since it will also manage thebuilding following construction.

Another Dimension

Contract-WorthyBuilderRYAN COMPANIES CONSIDERSITSELF ABLE TO HANDLE TOUGHJOBS. BY JAMIE MORGAN

The new Phoenix ProfessionalOffice Building will be thehome of a GSA tenant.

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Green ReadyAs of May, the proj-ect was approxi-mately 60 percentcomplete. Prior to ground-up construction, Ryan spent six weeks re-grading the site. “It was [owned] by a developer that had started work onit looking to put a retail site in place,” Cartier says. “The existing site con-ditions did not work with our project, so the team initiated a very largesite development effort which required extensive re-grading and rockcrushing operations. To realize the soil grade we needed, we had to crusha lot of rock and take the grade down.” All the major shell componentsare in place, and the construction team has moved to interior fit-out ofwhat will be a LEED Silver contender.

Green features include long-term cost savers such as high-efficiencymechanical and electrical equipment and passive sustainable tech-niques such as exterior views for 90 percent of tenants. The views have adual benefit of allowing light to permeate while enhancing the workenvironment. Materials were selected for indoor air quality and thedesign includes a 100 percent stormwater capturing system. To earnLEED construction points, the team is recycling more than 75 percent ofconstruction waste.

The project is on track for a January 2012 completion and Ryan willstay on afterwards as the owner and property manager, looking after theGSA’s 20-year lease. Cartier explains that Ryan’s ability to act as developer,contractor and property manager was a definite advantage in this project.“Our mission statement is ‘building lasting relationships’,” Cartier says.“The essence of what we do is the ability to change our processes to matchour client’s. We don’t have just a standard set of operations to our job.”

The Ryan Companies -The Phoenix ProfessionalOffice Building www.ryancompanies.com • Construction cost: $65 million• Location: Phoenix• Employees on site at peak: 400• Scope: New office building. “We involved subcontractorsearly.” –Casey Cartier, development manager


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Just before her death in 2003, Joan Kroc –the widow of McDonald’s founder RayKroc – bequeathed her $1.7 billionestate to the Salvation Army. Her vision

was to develop, construct and operate severalworld-class recreational, educational and min-istry centers across the United States.

In November 2006, the Salvation Army ofQuincy, Ill., learned it would receive $40 mil-lion from the Kroc estate to build a Ray andJoan Kroc Corps Community Center atBroadway and Fifth Street, in Quincy.Approximately half of the funding was desig-nated to build the 88,125-square-foot, state-of-the-art community center, and the other halfwill be used to operate and maintain it.

Quincy Kroc CenterSeveral months after demolition of the formerSalvation Army building and adjacent emer-gency shelter was completed in 2008, groundwas broken on the $20 million Ray and JoanKroc Corps Community Center in November2009. The emergency shelter was temporarilyrelocated to Quincy University’s NorthCampus. A new shelter will be built across thestreet from the project site.

The Ray and Joan Kroc Corps CommunityCenter in Quincy is slated for a spring 2011completion. It will feature a 350-seat worshipcenter that will double as a theater, concert andconference room; a children’s daycare with anoutdoor playground; classrooms; communityrooms available for birthdays, wedding recep-tions and other events; a game room; a fitnesscenter; a gymnasium with a three-lane run-ning track; an aquatic center and a rock climb-ing wall.

A Team ApproachDue in part to its significant experience inrecreational center construction, S. M. Wilson &Co. was selected as the construction manageron the Ray and Joan Kroc Corps CommunityCenter. It was a unanimous decision, accordingto a fall 2009 article the St. Louis-based con-tractor published in its Building Partnershipsmagazine, which featured an interview withPatty Douglas, project facilitator and director ofdevelopment for the Quincy Kroc communitycenter project.

A Community BeaconS. M. WILSON & CO. IS NEARING COMPLETION ON A COMMUNITY CENTER IN QUINCY, ILL.

Quincy’s new communitycenter will provide areayouths with a safe place.

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“We knew that we needed to hire not only thebest firm to do the job, but they needed to bepeople that were compatible personality-wise,”Douglas told Building Partnerships writer CarrieBui. “We were so impressed that [President andCEO Scott] Wilson was part of the team thatcame to present for us. It showed from the top-down, they felt that we were important.”

S. M. Wilson & Co. took a team approach tothe project, guiding its client through everystep of the process.

“We try to keep them focused on individualtasks instead of trying to look at the big picture,”S. M. Wilson & Co. Project Manager Gary Willietold Building Partnerships. “This way, it doesn’toverwhelm the owner.”

Seeking LEED PointsDouglas told S. M. Wilson & Co. that the community center’s steeringcommittee wanted the project to achieve LEED Silver certification. “JoanKroc’s expectation that we needed to carry out was that the center wouldbe built with the best-quality materials and that it would be a verypleasing and inviting place of opportunity for people of all ages andincome levels,” she said.

According to the article, titled “Building a Community,” the centerhoped to achieve LEED points based on its proximity to public trans-portation, as well as the Salvation Army’s carpooling and vanpooling

options. In addition, volunteers offered tohand-water plants to receive water efficiencycredits, and the organization is reusing furni-

ture and materials salvaged from the oldSalvation Army building.

‘No False Pretenses’Since it was founded in 1921, S. M. Wilson & Co.has taken pride in “creating and fostering auniquely positive and unconventional companyculture that drives the success of our businessand our people,” the company says.

“We have a comprehensive set of values andprograms that attract positive-thinking peopleand empowers them to feel optimistic about

themselves, their work and their future. We strive to demonstrate thesevalues at a magnitude that allows others to recognize us as leaders with-in our company and within our industry.

As a result, S. M. Wilson & Co. says its reputation is that of a “maverick”within the construction industry.

“We are genuinely and openly realistic about who we are, what we doand why we do it,” the company says. “Our entire organization is trans-parent, which leads us to doing things the right way and for the rightreasons. This builds mutual respect among our staff, customers, subcon-tractors, vendors and others. No false pretenses here.”

Its vendors and subcontractors are important to S. M. Wilson & Co.Some of its key partners include James G. Staat Tuckpointing Inc.

S. M. Wilson & Co. – Rayand Joan Kroc CorpsCommunity Centerwww.smwilson.com• Budget: $26 million• Location: Quincy, Ill.• Scope: 88,125-square-foot commu-nity center “We try to keep [the owner]focused on individual tasks.”–Gary Willie, project manager


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A fter surviving the horrors of battle,U.S. soldiers deserve the best med-ical care that Veterans Affairs (VA)hospitals can give to them. And the

James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital (JAHVH) inTampa, Fla., strives to do that daily with itsstate-of-the-art technology and its team ofqualified practitioners.

JAHVH is growing its capabilities with anexpansion that is being built by ArcherWestern Contractors in partnership with theDeMaria Building Company. Project ManagerRandy Moon says that the project includes avertical expansion over an existing spinal cordinjury facility that consists of two new floorsand two penthouses. When finished, this willoccupy 170,000 square feet and feature 55 bedswith large rehabilitation spaces for providingspecialty care.

The new space, Moon says, will be used totreat polytrauma patients who have sufferedmultiple injuries and some are confined towheelchairs. The Archer Western/DeMaria JValso will build a 20,000-square-foot building atthe new recreation area of the hospital tohouse two therapy pools.

The therapy pools will be used to rehabili-tate polytrauma patients. The new recreationarea also will include a basketball court, put-ting green, horseshoe pit and six different sur-faces for wheelchair patients to learn how tooperate on them.

Archer Western/DeMaria JV has constructedmultiple facilities for the VA hospital network.Although this is the first project for the James A.Haley Veteran Hospital campus, both are morethan qualified to build these types of facilities,Moon asserts. “As a company, there have been

over 10 projects that Archer Western Contractorsand DeMaria Building Company have beenawarded,” he says. “We have performed variousVA projects all over the country.”

Going VerticalArcher Western/DeMaria JV has to finish itswork in the hospital by January 2013.Currently, the company is on track to deliverthe project on time, Moon says. Additionally,partnering with the VA has been integral toerect the structure safely while working overthe existing facility.

“The biggest challenge was going vertical,”Moon says, adding that Archer Western/DeMaria JV dedicated a large amount of timeto pre-planning the addition with the hospital.“The first priority was to ensure the safety ofthe facility below while having a suspended

Based in Chicago, The Walsh Group wasfounded in 1898 by Matthew Myers Walsh.“Currently in its fourth generation of leader-ship, the firm has been a family held businesssince that time,” the company says, addingthat its subsidiaries also include WalshConstruction and Archer Western Contractors,which was incorporated in 1949.

Both Archer Western and WalshConstruction have experience in numeroussectors, including wastewater and watertreatment plants, rapid transit, highway andbridgework, educational facilities andoffices. “The Walsh Group has invested over$450 million in capital equipment and regu-larly employs over 5,000 engineers andskilled craftsmen,” it says.

Like its parent company, WalshConstruction also calls Chicago its home.Recently, it earned the honor of beingnamed the largest construction firm in thecity by Crain’s Chicago Business, and wasranked as one of the nation’s top 20 contrac-tors by Engineering News-Record. “The firmhas experience with a wide variety of build-ing, civil and transportation sectors,” WalshGroup says. “Maintaining offices acrossNorth America, Walsh Construction operatesusing union labor and union subcontractors.”

The Family Business

For the VeteransARCHER AIMS TO FINISH THE JAMES A. HALEY VETERANS HOSPITAL EXPANSION IN 2013. BY ALAN DORICH

When finished, the hospitalexpansion will have 55 beds andlarge spaces for specialty care.

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load over [them]. We try to keep that facilitybelow us as functional as possible withoutinterrupting them.”

He explains that the pre-planning involvedwas a coordinated effort by the ArcherWestern/DeMaria JV team, the VA construc-tion office, the steel subcontractor and theoperating facility. “It was a daily task to ensurethat offices and rooms below were cleared ofpersonnel to be able to erecting steel for thatday,” he says.

“Safety is the No. 1 priority for all workers onsite and the facility below,” he continues.“Archer Western/DeMaria JV’s goal is to ensurethat everyone goes home safely. The job sitemotto is: ‘Safety is the Journey Home.’”

All in PlaceBased in Atlanta, Archer Western was formed in 1983 and is a part of TheWalsh Group, which operates sixteen offices across the nation. The com-pany is a subsidiary of The Walsh Group, a general contacting, construc-tion management and design/build firm. “In all of its years of construc-tion operations, Archer Western Contractors has never failed to completea contract,” the company says.

Moon, who has been with The Walsh Group for seven years, says thatthe company has survived through such efforts as strong planning andbeing selective with the types of projects it takes on. “The owners just

make good decisions on what projects to takeand what not to take,” he says.

Intricate PartsMoon praises Archer Western/DeMaria JV’s sub-contractors, who have been key to the success ofthe VA Polytrauma project. “All subcontractorsare an intricate part of completing a project,” hesays. “Every sub here has put forth an effort to tryto stay on schedule.

“Everyone has contributed to making this asuccessful environment,” Moon continues.Archer Western/DeMaria JV’s key partnersinclude MC Dean.

He also praises the architectural firm, HDRArchitecture Inc. “They have also been a part of the overall team to makethis project successful,” he says.

Moon foresees that Archer Western/DeMaria JV will continue to stayon schedule as the project continues. “Everything [starts to] fall in placeonce the structure goes up,” he says. “Once the enclosure is finished,we’re going to start the build-out. Every piece is integral for making thisa successful project.”

In addition, the two will collaborate again. Archer Western/DeMariaJV will soon start work on a project with a budget of more than $92 mil-lion, the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System in Bay Pines, Fla. The companywill construct a new tower for treating mentally ill patients and renovateits central energy plant.

Archer Western Contractors/DeMaria Building CompanyJoint Venturewww.walshgroup.com www.demariabuild.com• Project budget: $52 million+• Location: Tampa, Fla.“Everyone on this team hascontributed to making this asuccessful project.” –Randy Moon


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If there’s anything that teachers need in aschool, it is an environment where they cankeep a watchful eye on students and makesure that the young ones are not getting

into any trouble. And that is what D.H. GriffinConstruction Co. is giving them with the newRolesville Middle School in Greensboro, N.C.,Program Manager John Witcher says.

Instead of impeding the teachers and pre-venting them from doing their jobs, “It allowsthe staff that operates the facility to monitorthings without having mirrors and cameras,”Witcher explains.

“They still have [mirrors and cameras], butthey’re able to look down hallways and see theother side of the building,” he says.

D.H. Griffin is the general contractor for the new school, which willcover approximately 250,000 square feet and feature a three-story class-room wing, a gymnasium and an auditorium/lunchroom. Witcher notesthat the project will be finished in June 2012.

The Third Go-RoundThe design of the Rolesville Middle School

marks the third use of a prototype that D.H.Griffin designed with Skinner, Lamm &Highsmith Architects, a firm based in Wilson,N.C. Previously, the two companies used thedesign twice, for Wake County Public SchoolDistrict’s Holly Grove Middle School in HollySprings, N.C., and Mills Park Middle School inCary, N.C.

Because D.H. Griffin has essentially built thesame building twice, “The flow of [this] projectseems to be going very well,” Witcher says,adding that the contractor reused drawingsand applied the lessons that it had already

learned before on the previous projects.For instance, when it came time to pour the concrete floor of an art

room for Rolesville, D.H. Griffin did it all at once. Previously, the compa-ny had poured halves of it at separate times, giving the floor “a color dif-ferentiation,” he says. “Now the floor is going to look monolithic.”

D.H. Griffin Construction Co.– Rolesville Middle Schoolwww.dhgc.com• Project budget: $31.2 million• Location: Greensboro, N.C.• Scope: 250,000-square-foot mid-dle school

“No matter what the project is,we do a good job for [the client]in our quality control, safety anddelivery.” –John Witcher, program manager

Smooth SailingD.H. GRIFFIN SAYS WORK IS STEADY ON ITS ROLESVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL PROJECT. BY ALAN DORICH

The new Rolesville MiddleSchool will cover approximately250,000 square feet.

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Additionally, “There were hardly any con-flicts with things like main heaters, sewerwater, HVAC systems and so on,” Witcher con-tinues. Instead, “Doing a lot of the rough-insinside [also] has been much easier on the thirdgo-round.”

With the time that it has saved, D.H. Electrichas been able to begin the school’s landscap-ing. “We went ahead and started the growingseason for the ball fields,” he says.

Close CoordinationD.H. Griffin has had strong relations with itssubcontractors on the Rolesville project,Witcher says. “The subcontractors have beenvery receptive to a lot of the conversations andcoordination efforts,” he says, adding that thecompany took its subtrades on a tour of theother two facilities.

The company also has benefited from thework of Multivista ConstructionDocumentation Inc., a photo documentationfirm. Multivista, Witcher explains, took 23,000pictures of the two other schools as they werebeing built.

This allowed D.H. Griffin to show the sub-contractors the progression of the schools, as

they were being built. “They were able to takethat information to help determine what theyneeded to do for their job now,” Witcher says.

D.H. Griffin’s other key partners includeAirflow Experts Inc. and Honeywell (NC).

Needs for the FutureWitcher has been with the Greensboro-basedD.H. Griffin for eight-and-a-half years. He notesthat the company has managed to nurture aloyal base of repeat customers. “We’ve devel-oped those relationships in such areas as thepublic sector of work as well as any private sec-tor,” he says.

“No matter what the project is, we do a goodjob for them in our quality control, safety anddelivery,” he says. “It is [better work] than ourcompetition delivers.”

He says D.H. Griffin hopes to work again forWake County, but is uncertain that it will do sosoon. “The financial status the whole world isin [is] quite detrimental in awarding new proj-ects,” he says.

Although there is a bond referendum inplay, “Most of those monies are already doledout for projects underway,” he says, but assertsthat he is staying quite hopeful.

“We are living in an area that has still aninflux of people,” Witcher continues, explain-ing that many families with children moveinto the region each month. “Due to the growthin the area, schools will need to be built in thefuture,” he notes.

Witcher says he hopes that D.H. Griffin willbe one of the contractors that produces thosefacilities. “Our relationship [with WakeCounty] is such that I do feel very confidentthat we would be looked at favorably [foranother project],” he says.

‘The financialstatus thewhole world is in [is] quitedetrimental inawarding newprojects.’


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No longer do the church members atNortheast Christian Church inLouisville, Ky., have to squeeze in toattend one of the three worship

services offered on Sundays. Nor do they haveto figure out how to make the Children’sMinistry on campus more accessible and kid-friendly. Instead, they now have a new $15million, 49,000-square-foot worship center,which seats more than 2,000 worshippers,instead of seating 900 in the former building.

The architect for the project wasVisioneering Studios, based in Irvine, Calif.,which also has offices in Atlanta, Denver,Chicago and Charlotte. Construction of thenew building began in 2009 and culminatedwith a grand opening on May 14, 2011.

The new worship center includes a sanctu-ary; a nursery area for pre-kindergarten chil-dren with cry rooms; a coffee shop/café area; afireside room for meetings, discussions or biblestudies; a “green room;” and a minister’s office.It also has practice rooms for musicians and anoversized immersion baptistery that can holdup to eight people. “You can baptize a wholefamily in there if you want to,” WehrConstructors’ CEO Dale Berry remarks.

Concrete and SteelThe 35-foot-tall worship center is built on aformer parking lot next to the existingChildren’s Ministry and near the old worshipcenter. It is steel construction on slab ongrade with precast concrete walls and a roofcovered with a single-ply membrane. “One ofthe unique features is that the risers in the newsanctuary are also made out of precast,” Berrysays. “We have 150-foot, double-pitched girderjoists that span the entire length from one endof the precast to the other.”

Acoustical wall panels and clouds made offiberglass and fabric modulate the soundinside the sanctuary, the floor of which is

stained concrete. The first 900 seats of the sanc-tuary will be movable so different functionscan be held on its floor. The rest of the seats arepermanently affixed to the precast risers thatstart about halfway back in the sanctuary.

No windows are in the sanctuary itself, butthe glass storefront extends around the lobby.

The exterior of the worship center has a seriesof metal facades that create an innovative MainStreet theme and also use a stucco-type exteri-or insulation and finish system. The floor ofthe Main Street area is stamped and coloredconcrete so it resembles wood.

Children’s MinistryApproximately 30,000 square feet of thechurch’s separate classroom building was reno-vated as part of the project at a cost of $4 mil-lion. The existing two-story gymnasium wasconverted to two stories of classroom space andthe Main Street theme was incorporated intothe decoration of the school’s exterior.

“The west side of the Children’s Ministry andthe east side of the new worship center bothhave a Main Street theme,” Berry notes. “Thereis a cobblestone driveway in between, protect-ed by a canopy that connects [them].”

BuildingMainStreetA NEW WORSHIP CENTER INLOUISVILLE NEARLY TRIPLES ITSCAPACITY. BY RUSS GAGER

Wehr Constructors Inc. –Northeast Christian WorshipCenter and Children’s Ministrywww.wehrconstructors.com • Construction cost: $15 million • Location: Louisville, Ky.• Employees on site at peak: 125• Scope: New church building“We have been blessed.”–Dale Berry, CEO

The Kidville worship area wasdesigned by a consultant to

occupy children before services.

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That driveway was necessitated by a 60-inch-diameter water line run-ning approximately 7 feet underground that serves the eastern sector ofLouisville’s population. It prevented the new worship center from beingan addition to the children’s area. “We could not get anywhere aroundthat water line or breach the easement with any kind of construction, sowe went over the top of it, forming this Main Street,” Berry explains.

A unique play area also was created for the children while they arewaiting for services to start. “The church hired a consultant who came inand put up futuristic artwork for the kid’s area,” Berry relates.

Can You Hear Me Now?In some churches, ministers’ voices have to echo throughout the build-ing without amplification. At Northeast Christian Church, wirelessmicrophones and giant video screens clarify their words and messagesso worshippers experience the mysteries of faith, rather than those of alack of amplification. “They have three giant projection screens – one inthe middle and two on each side – for viewing videos and flashing upthe words to songs when they’re singing,” Berry reports about the newworship center.

“This is technology to the maximum,” he emphasizes. Various serviceshave differing levels of orchestral accompaniment, from bands toorchestras and choirs.

Practicing What It PreachesFounded in 1945 by Ralph and Elmer Wehr, Claude Berry Jr. bought aninterest in Wehr Constructors Inc. in 1967 and became sole owner in1986. He retired in 1999, and his three sons have led the company since

then: Dale Berry as CEO, Claude (Skip) Berry III as chairman of the boardand president of the Louisville division and marketing, and EdwardBerry as president of the Florida division and design/build.

The company specializes in health care, worship and educationalfacilities, in addition to commercial, industrial and specialty construc-tion. Wehr’s main offices are in Kentucky, Indiana and Florida.

Blessed With SubcontractorsWe have been blessed with our ability to attract new clients, while alsomaintaining a strong constituency of long-term clients,” Berry says. He isenthusiastic not only about the quality of Wehr’s work, but also aboutthe subcontractors’. “We’re always thankful to have subcontractors onour projects who adhere to Wehr Constructors’ high standards, as thechain is only as strong as its weakest link,” he points out.

“The subcontractor market around here and the market in general isvery competitive,” Berry reports. “As construction managers for this proj-ect, we hand-selected the subcontractors and suppliers, which helpedimmensely in ensuring that Northeast Christian Church received thevery best work possible.

“These subcontractors, as well as the finished trade subcontractors,worked hand-in-hand with us to maintain the superior level of qualitythat is the hallmark of Wehr’s reputation for fair, ethical, cost-effectivework,” he continues. “Wehr’s mantra is ‘Building buildings ... and rela-tionships,’ and we practice what we preach. This is one of the reasonswhy we have so much repeat business, including many clients whohave been working with us for more than 40 years,” Berry concludes.

Wehr’s key partners include River City Development.


The recession we experienced has given way to a more robust real estatemarket. As an active commercial architect, I have personally witnessedthe shift from a large amount of vacated or subleased office space on themarket to higher occupancy rates. This change is especially relevant tothose in the construction industry, as we are now responding toincreased requests for proposals to renovate or give a facelift to existingoffice spaces. These work orders to “renew and restack” – modernizing orrevamping a brand while reorganizing the floors a firm occupies withina building to create a contiguous space – are driving much of today’s cor-porate work.

Savings OpportunitiesUsing what you already have in place may present an opportunity tosave space and time. The upsurge in lease renewals means there is nolonger a glut of commercial office space on the market. The upside?Landlords may be willing to contribute financially to the design andconstruction process needed to retain tenants. Whether that is newpaint, eco-friendly carpeting or a full-blown demolition to rebrand acorporate entity, these stipends can help ease the expense.

The advantage to the tenant is clear: They stay in familiar territory in alocation that works for their business. After all, they are likely comfort-able in that particular building, and the neighborhood may work quitewell for the firm’s demographics.

If there is a positive landlord-tenant relationship already established,why change? Moving can be a stressful and expensive process, especial-ly if there is a good deal of furniture that would need to be transferredand work that may be interrupted, leading to a possible loss in produc-tivity and, hence, revenue. In addition, through the creative services ofan architect, space efficiencies can be realized at a minimal cost.

Smart DesignTenants aren’t the only ones to benefit; landlords are often happy toretain an established firm with name recognition, or to keep a long-termbuilding tenant rather than go through the expense of trying to placethe space back on the market. To assist tenants who may want to reno-vate or refresh their space, some landlords are offering “swing space,”temporary spaces within the same building for the tenant to occupywhile renovations take place. These give the contractor, architect andassociated trades time to complete a project without having to workaround the firm’s staff. Employees benefit by having a space in which towork without interruptions or headache-inducing construction noiseslike drilling. If swing space is not an option and the tenant occupiesmore than a full floor or more of the building, the construction team can

Commercial By Scott Spector

SCOTT SPECTOR, AIA, is a principal at the Spector Group, one of New York’s pre-mier architecture and design firms. The firm has completed more than 1,500projects in 12 states and five foreign countries. For more information, visitwww.spectorgroup.com.

Although the past few years weredifficult given the economic down-turn, there is plenty of good news toreport in 2011.

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often build out the space a half-floor to a floor at a time. Smart design, though, involves planning. In order for any commercial

space to be well designed, much forethought should go into the process.This requires major upfront coordination, from the lease negotiationprocess to architects and engineers contributing to the discussion. If afirm is contemplating a renewal and restack, having the constructionteam on board from the get-go will make all the difference.

Architecture firms like ours often help a company compare differentoptions, and taking them through the full programming effort and duediligence required to best assess what space or layout suits their needs,as well as what portions of the office should be retrofitted. The probabili-ty of a favorable outcome increases dramatically through this earlyinvolvement. One reason for that is that architects can help set realisticdeadlines for the turnover of floors, whether they are being given backto the landlord or obtained as additional space by the tenant. This assiststhe tenant in understanding when a space needs to be vacated or occu-pied and minimizes the hassles for all parties.

A perfect example of this dynamic is a large-scale project for whichour firm is serving as prime architect and interior designer. The tenant, aprominent apparel company, wanted to remain in its New York Cityheadquarters space while acquiring additional floor space for its presentand future growth. Spector was charged with creating a fresh architec-

tural statement to serve as an extension of thefirm’s brand. This involved extensive coordina-tion with the company’s consultants from thevery earliest planning stages, as well as work-ing closely with the construction and projectmanagement team to manage an aggressivetimeline. The project is right on track and aperfect example of how early planning andrenewing and restacking can be an optimalway to embrace corporate design challenges.

Through constant involvement with all par-ties, “fast tracking” can occur on most projects.This assures quality control for the client andschedule adherence that leads to a space beingdelivered on time and within budget.

IN THIS SECTIONNTS Development Co.g p.108NTS and a partner areleading an office project.

Company Profiles80 Costello Dismantling Co., Inc.84 Okland Construction: Utah Valley

Convention Center88 Lippert Brothers Inc.91 Murray & Company 94 Trystate Mechanical Inc.97 Turelk Inc. – Beachbody100 Crossland Mechanical Inc.102 Golden State Framers 104 C.J. Pink Ltd.106 Hunt Construction108 NTS Development Co. – ShelbyHurst

Research and Office Park110 pellow + associates architects inc. 112 Star-Lo Electric Inc.114 Turner Construction – 3 White Flint

North Building

pellow + associatesarchitects inc. g p.110pellow works to createinviting retail spaces.

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Demolition isn’t exactly the right wordfor what Costello Dismantling does.Instead of the average bulldozerand wrecking ball lineup, this com-

pany uses precision equipment such as exca-vator-mounted shears, grapples and electro-magnets to meticulously break down build-ings, bridges, tanks, dams and other structuresinto reusable and recyclable parts.

“Costello Dismantling uses the most sophis-ticated equipment available in the industry,”the company states. “[Our equipment per-forms] much of the work previously done withmanual labor, greatly reducing exposure ofworkers to hazardous situations and greatlyenhancing productivity.”

For Costello Dismantling, recycling and reusing have always been infashion. So when many companies scrambled to develop precision dem-olition techniques, Costello was at the forefront, ready to serve a growingnumber of clients who favored the more cost-cutting demolition processthat Costello and similar companies employ.

In January 2009, the company set to demolishing Quaker Fabrics – an

old textile mill in Fall River, Mass. The mill con-sisted of 800,000 square feet of timber frames,

granite walls and structural steel, with somecomponents dating back to 1895. When the millclosed, investors sought to develop a commercecenter in its place. The soil grade below the milland the mill itself were incompatible to today’sbuilding standards so the entire thing had tocome down.

“Many factors were integrated to develop thestrategic plan for executing the work,” PresidentDaniel Costello states. “An abundance of veryvaluable, salvageable building materials madewell-planned removal and recovery techniquesan essential component of the demolition plan

and work training for the project.”

Piece By PieceFor the structural steel, Costello used a fleet of five excavators withshears and grapples. Using this equipment, Costello Dismantling wasable to take apart and process the steel into finished mill-ready grades ofsteel scrap. Given the excess space – an uncommon feature on New

Costello Dismantling Co. Inc.www.costellodismantling.com • Headquarters: Middleboro, Mass. • Specialty: Demolition “We work closely with developers seeking LEEDaccreditation for their project.”–Costello Dismantling

Demolition MenCOSTELLO DISMANTLING USES PRECISION EQUIPMENT TO TAKE DOWN BUILDINGS. BY JAMIE MORGAN

The company says it canrecover nearly every component of a building.

»Costello Dismantling saysit takes pride in having

sophisticated equipment.

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England construction projects – the preparedscrap was processed and stockpiled on site andlater sold at peak market times. “In [that] cur-rent economic environment, markets for scrapcommodities are driven by very specificdemand,” Costello states. “When that demandis met, prices recede quickly. It is important topay close attention to economic forecasts andconsumer information and, above all, to haveprepared grades of material ready to be able tofill and order when demand spikes.”

Using this “ready-set-go” formula, Costellowas able to sell more than 2,000 tons of pre-pared scrap at fluctuating prices that reachedmore than $70 per ton. Scrap was sold at fourorder points close to peak demand times.

The timber portion of the building wasmade of southern yellow pine, also known asheart pine, antique pine and long leaf pine. It’sa well-known variety used around the worldfor buildings, flooring, cabinetry and othermillwork. The company says it is a strong,durable wood but “can be very fragile if nothandled properly” during dismantling.Because splinters don’t add up to much,Costello Dismantling devised a plan to recoveras much undamaged wood as possible.

The company used high-boom excavatorswith rotating grapples. These offered excellentprecision and control while removing individ-

ual pieces and resulted in the least physicaldamage to the wood. Wood was taken to a sep-arate area for grading, de-nailing and packag-ing. “With well over 1 million board feet oflumber to deal with, the marketing effort wascontinuous,” the company states.

“In the end, buyers from 10 states and sever-al foreign countries purchased wood that waslocated on trailers and sea/land containersright at the job site.”

The last material Costello managed to recov-

er was the 50,000 tons of granite, an atypicalmaterial for 19th century mills, which tendedto use brick, according to the company. “Itbecame apparent very quickly that the stonehad a great value for architectural, landscapingand masonry applications,” Costello states.

Some of the residual stone was crushed onsite with concrete and brick to a desired grade.It was to be used for fill at the future project’snew grounds. The Costello team was able tolimit environmental impact by reusing the

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residual stone while eliminating costly landfill fees, according to thecompany. In total, 100,000 tons of stone, concrete, brick, metal and woodwas reused or recycled. Less than 2,000 tons of non-recyclables such asroofing material, insulation and non-metallic building materials wasdisposed. The end-result was a recycling and reuse rate of more than 98percent without a single lost-time incident.

“The Fall River textile mill had been a major center of industry forover 100 years,” according to Costello. “The property will be revitalized asa new commerce center, while components of the old mill will continueto live on in the local area and around the world in a new, revitalizedform through the demolition and recycling process.”

Capable CompanyThe demolition of the Quaker Fabrics mill is just one of many examplesof solutions Costello Dismantling provides to its clients. In 2008, thecompany demolished the Vincent Burnham Kennedy and Tilton Clinicsat the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

Also, in 2004, the company was contracted by Alabama’s FortMcClellan base for a deconstruction pilot project, according toConstruction & Demolition Recycling. Costello dismantled three old bar-racks to determine which method was the most cost-conservative. Thefirst method used was taking each piece apart to get as many individualpieces possible. The second was to pull off small panels, a few feet by afew feet, with the help of workers and equipment. The third techniquewas to extract large modular panels, such as a large portions of the roof.

Costello told Construction & Demolition Recycling that all three had sim-ilar recovery rates but the third method was the biggest money saver.“We put the big panels on the ground, and it was easier to work withthem,” Costello told the magazine. “That method fit better into our over-all capabilities.”

Those capabilities Costello speaks of are certainly wide-ranging. Thecompany’s services include total or partial demolition, with the ability tocrush, pulverize, hammer and process building components. It also spe-cializes in process equipment removal, in which it removes generators,conveyors, pumps, pipes and other machinery. It can also separate theequipment and recycle individual parts.

Another key service is deconstruction. Costello Dismantling canrecover nearly every component of a building to be reused or recycled –a competitive advantage in the green construction world. “We also workclosely with developers seeking LEED accreditation for their project toensure the most environmentally conscious deconstruction methodsare used,” the company states.

It Takes a TeamNo matter what service it provides, Costello Dismantling credits its skill-ful people and advanced equipment that both promote precision demo-lition and safe workplaces. “Safety is paramount in our business,” thecompany says. “We are committed to reducing any risk to our workersand their surroundings. Each crew has a safety meeting before workbegins that day, and safety issues are constantly evaluated as situationsarise on the job. By using and maximizing the proper equipment, wereduce, and in most cases eliminate, exposure of people to potentiallyhazardous situations.”

But it’s not just equipment and Costello employees that help thiscompany thrive; it also has the vendors surrounding CostelloDismantling to thank for its success. Those key partners include TheDriscoll Agency Inc., C.N. Wood Co. Inc. and Enterprising Europa Inc.

Costello Dismantling’s wide-ranging capabilities include total or partial demolition,process equipment removal, separating equipment and recycling individual parts.

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hen building a large facility,some contractors might betempted to subcontract portionssuch as the concrete work. But

that is not the case for Okland Construction asit builds the new Utah Valley ConventionCenter in Provo, Utah.

Project Manager John Cockrell says Oklandcan better manage the project by doing theconcrete on its own. “It is one of the first activi-ties that takes place,” he says. “We can helpcontrol the schedule and the quality of theconcrete work.”

Okland is serving as the general contractorand construction manager on the new $40million center, which will be a tall, three-storybuilding with two mezzanine levels and cover143,000 square feet. Cockrell says the centerwill feature an exhibition hall, ballrooms,

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Top-Notch WorkOKLAND IS KEEPING TIGHT CONTROL OVER THE UTAH VALLEY CONVENTION CENTER. BY ALAN DORICH

Okland Construction is the general contractor and construction manager forthe new Utah Valley Convention Center.

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The $40 million project inProvo, Utah, features an

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meeting rooms, a complete kitchen andadministration offices.

MHTN Architects Project Manager RobertPinon adds that the center will provide idealviews of the Wasatch Mountain Range. “It isone of those assets that we have taken advan-tage of,” he says.

The Right TimeThe Utah Valley Convention Center has beenin development for several years, Utah ValleyConvention and Visitors Bureau President andCEO Joel Racker says. In 2002, Provo hoteliersand restaurateurs came together and agreedthat the city needed a public meeting facility.

The county hired CSL to survey the level ofinterest among meeting planners and eventprofessionals in building a convention center.At the time, “There was some very strong inter-est,” Racker recalls, adding that two projectswere soon announced by private entities.

“[Our] initial approach was, ‘If private indus-try wants to develop, let’s let them do it,’”Racker says. But due to the recession, bothprojects fell apart. Since public demand for acenter still existed, the county decided to moveforward and build one on its own.

“The conditions were perfect because wewere in the middle of the economic down-turn,” Racker recalls, explaining that con-crete, steel and other building material priceswere low. “We’ve been able to build forapproximately 15 [to] 30 percent less than wewould have paid. The conditions were veryfavorable to build.”

Racker adds that the public reaction to the project has been primarily positive.“There are a few of the conservative folks that have shown a skeptical eye on it,” headmits. “[These] are people who think there isno [room for public funds] to go into a facilitylike this.”

However, the project has won strong sup-port from local businesses, according toRacker. “Many of our select-service or limited-service hotels within the area are excited,” hesays. “We’ve got a couple signed contracts onthe facility.”

The county is in the process of hiring thecenter’s operator, Global Spectrum, a Comcastcompany that specializes in managing publicassembly venues. “When it comes to market-ing, they want the Utah Valley Convention and

Visitors Bureau to be involved, just as we werefor the ground-breaking,” he says.

Pushing ForwardRecently, Cockrell says, Okland has completedthe pouring of the concrete shear walls of thebuilding, which stand 100 feet in the air.

“It was quite challenging to pour these wallsas high as they are and get access to them,” headmits. “We poured the large shear walls up tothe final height of 100 feet. In doing so, we

Okland Constructionwww.okland-const.com• Project budget: $40 million• Location: Provo, Utah• Scope: 143,000-square-foot convention center

“We’re known to keep projectson budget and complete themon time.” –John Cockrell, project manager


dramatically improved the structural steelerection sequence although slightly moreexpensive, due to the additional costs for anengineered bracing solution (cables) put inplace until such time that the walls are bracedby the steel.”

Now, Cockrell says, Okland is coping withthe challenge of building the large facility in ashort period of time. “This challenging sched-ule will require extra effort to be accomplishedon time,” he admits. To assist in getting theproject completed on time, Okland is closelycoordinating the subcontractors to ensure thatthey are starting and finishing their work perthe project schedule.

In addition, Okland is required to work onan approximately three-acre project site nextto Freedom Boulevard, a major thoroughfarein Provo. “That makes it quite challenging toconstruct the building so close to the road-way,” he says.

For instance, Okland has found it difficult tobuild a large building on a small site, whichhas very limited lay-down area. “When [mate-rials] arrive on site, we will be required tomove them into the building [immediately],”Cockrell says.

MHTN Architects is a pure design firm pro-viding programming, architecture, interiordesign and landscape architecture to clientsin the education, civic, commercial andhealthcare sectors locally, regionally, nation-ally and internationally. The firm is proud tobe consistently acknowledged as one thatfocuses on making the unique visions of alltheir clients realities.

MHTN Project Manager Robert Pinonnotes that the Utah Valley ConventionCenter is not the architect’s first project withOkland Construction. “We’ve done quite agood amount of large buildings with them,”he says.

Okland’s previous experience has helpedit on the project. Although the contractorwas brought in late, Okland was able toidentity “opportunities for cost savings,” hesays. “They’ve been very accurate [and their]craftsmanship has been very good. Thestructural steel is going on right now, [and]they haven’t missed one alignment.”

While MHTN is the architect of record onthe project, Pinon notes that the firm hasenjoyed partnering with the design architect,Populous, a Kansas City, Mo.-based firm.“They’ve been excellent teaming partners inthe design,” he says.

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By self-performing the concretework, Okland says it is maintaining a tight schedule.

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Building a large facility in ashort timeframe has been achallenge for Okland.

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A Qualified ContractorBased in Salt Lake City, Okland Constructionstarted operations in 1918 and today the com-pany earns 80 percent of its work from repeatclients. “At Okland, the words ‘partnership,quality and integrity’ best describe the man-ner in which we operate our business,” thecompany says.

“We wish to partner with owners, architects,engineers and other consultants in creatingnot only quality structures, but also quality

relationships,” Okland continues. “We workhard to be an integral team player, dealingwith owners and team members with integrityand giving [our client’s] project the qualityattention it deserves.”

Cockrell, who has been with Okland fornearly 30 years, has had roles in project man-agement and estimating. “I’ve enjoyed bothresponsibilities,” he says. “I think the estimat-ing background helps me in dealing with anytypes of cost revisions that might be takingplace. It also helps me in preparing contractswith subcontractors and understanding theirscopes of work.”

Well-Coordinated SubsCockrell praises the project’s subcontractors,with whom Okland works closely. “We holdweekly coordination meetings with the sub-contractors to make sure that all of the work iswell coordinated,” he says. Okland’s key part-ners include SME Steel and LCG Facades.

“The meetings are successful because wereview the project schedule, receive input fromthe subcontractors for their portion of workwith each other, and we discuss the duration oftheir work activities and any other challenges

that they might have,” he says. “These meet-ings create a team atmosphere and ensure thatall the players have the same goal: that is toprovide a quality project on time.”

Despite the challenges, Cockrell expectsOkland to meet the center’s April deadline.“We’re known to keep projects on budget andcomplete them on time,” he says. “The accom-plishment of these two goals is the standardthat Okland expects.”

SME Steel Contractors SME Steel Contractorsworks hard to earn the trust and respect of its cus-tomers through constant communication and excel-lent customer service. SME is proud to announce theaddition of its latest division of metal decking whichwas incorporated in the Utah County ConventionCenter project. SME is supplying a full package ofstructural steel, miscellaneous metals and metaldecking for this multi-story convention center. SMEis also erecting the long span steel joists and isproud to collaborate on another impressive projectwith Okland Construction, who is diligent withdetails and professional in interpersonal communi-cations. We are pleased to have been able to part-ner with Okland on many past high profile projectssuch as the Intermountain Medical Center, 222Main Office Building and the Marriott Library reno-vation. Okland brings a great deal of confidence andintegrity to every project they do.

Based in Provo, Utah, the Utah ValleyConvention and Visitors Bureau is the officialtourism marketing organization for UtahCounty. “[It] boasts a young, healthy, well-educated population, a low crime rate and asolid economy,” the bureau says. Currently,the county has a population of approximate-ly 500,000 residents.

Bureau President and CEO Joel Rackeralso has praise for Okland. “[Their work has]been just top-notch,” he says, adding thatthe contractor has kept the bureau closewith weekly owner’s meetings.

Incredible Work


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Whether the project is a memori-al to the victims of terrorism ora museum for cowboys, a habi-tat for elephants or botanical

garden structures, the world’s largestMcDonald’s or a copy of a Frank Lloyd Wrighttower, Lippert Brothers Inc. has always regard-ed versatility as its strength and niches aspigeonholes rather than opportunities.

Its projects include constructing six newstructures for $13 million at Myriad Gardens, abotanical garden in the heart of OklahomaCity. One is a restaurant, another is a children’spavilion, a third is a water stage, the fourth is anew restroom facility, the fifth is an ice rinkpavilion and the sixth is an event lawn pavil-ion. The project was started in April 2010 andthe majority of the structures are scheduled forcompletion in April 2011.

“Myriad Gardens was started in the late1970s, and it was just constructed in phases as

money was available,”President Rick Lippertexplains. The park isbeing built in the heartof Oklahoma City acrossthe street from the new50-story Devon Energybuilding, also under

construction. Four square blocks were original-ly razed to make way for it.

The four new buildings Lippert Brothers isconstructing are all structural steel with fibercement panel board on the exteriors. The decksand some interior walls and ceilings are IPEwood, which is like a mahogany and comesfrom Brazil. Insulated bent glass panels 12 feethigh and 6 feet wide will be butt-glazedtogether without mullions on the restaurant toprovide an unobstructed view of a lake. Theglass had to be transported in large sheets fromits only source in Barcelona, Spain.

Up to 30 subcontractors worked on Lippert’sportions of the Myriad project. The logistics ofbeing downtown restricted access to the site.“We had four gates on each corner, but theywere not always available,” Lippert remembers.“An entrance there one day was not there thenext day, and traffic changes.”

Pachyderm ProjectAnother project on which Lippert Brothers Inc.has worked recently is the $13 million Asianexhibit at the Oklahoma City Zoo. Thisincludes an elephant habitat, which was start-ed in fall 2009 and completed in March 2011.Lippert Brothers constructed four paddockareas and two pools for the pachyderms withartificial concrete rock that looks real and is fedby 8-foot and 12-foot waterfalls.

“It’s a beautiful habitat for them,” Lippertremarks. “The old one was behind three stonewalls and a dirt floor. It wasn’t all that attrac-

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90-Plus Years YoungTHE LIPPERT FAMILY HAS BUILT MANY OF OKLAHOMA’S LANDMARKS OVER ITS HISTORY. BY RUSS GAGER

Lippert Brothers Inc. recently builtthe University of Central OklahomaCenter for Transformative Learning.

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tive. Now they can roam freely – they’ve got anelectric fence, but they seem to be adjustingquite well. It’s probably 10 to 12 acres.”

A 14,670-square-foot building to house theelephants with an elevated walkway for view-ing by patrons and an amphitheater also wasbuilt by Lippert Brothers. Zookeepers andtrainers can monitor the elephants from amezzanine above.

Lippert says a challenge of the project wasworking in a functioning zoo. “We did have anaccess road that was separate from the mainentrance, thank goodness, but it had to bemanned to keep personnel and other stray ani-mals out,” Lippert notes. “To get a dog in thezoo wreaks havoc on the other animals. Wehad to have a gate man at all times.”

The Asian exhibit is located next to the apeand chimp habitat. “From time to time, one ofthe chimpanzees would get out of his habitat,but not out of the total cage – there’s a dry

moat around there,” Lippert explains. “They’dhave to call a code red and stop work, and zoopatrons and our people would get in a secureplace, then the zoo staff would lure him backwhere he should be.”

The Asian exhibit was built on undeveloped

zoo land. Lippert Brothers self-performed theconcrete and worked with approximately 30subcontractors. “A good dozen were specialtysubcontractors we hadn’t worked with beforethat did the terrific rock work, the hydraulicsfor the sliding gates, the electrified fence andsteel pipe and cable,” Lippert notes.

91 YearsFounded in 1920 by Lippert’s grandfather,Erick, and his brothers, the company was takenover by Lippert’s father Donald and Donald’sbrother Robert in 1964. Now Lippert managesthe company with his brothers, Tom, who issenior vice president, and Joel, vice president.Tom and Joel each have a son who has workedat the company during school breaks – Joel’s isin high school and Tom’s is studying construc-tion management at Oklahoma StateUniversity. “He’ll probably be here before weknow it,” Lippert remarks.

Lippert Brothers Inc.www.lippertbros.com• 2010 revenue: $50 million• Headquarters: Oklahoma City• Employees: 75• Specialty: General contracting, con-struction management, design/build

“We’re fair and honest with ourclients and our subcontractors.”–Rick Lippert, president

‘[Our employees] put their egos asideand do what’s best for the company.’


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Lippert attributes the company’s 91 years ofsuccess to trying to maintain a good reputationwith others. “We’re fair and honest with ourclients and our subcontractors,” Lippertdeclares. “Our subcontractors perform virtually70 percent of any construction project in thecommercial part of the business. If you don’thave them on your side, you don’t really havea very good team.”

Lippert Brothers has done work in the statessurrounding Oklahoma, such as ArkansasMissouri, Kansas, Texas, Colorado and NewMexico. “But since the early 1990s, the last jobwe did out of state was a suburb of Dallas in1994,” Lippert remembers. “Ever since then,we’ve just been in Oklahoma. We will go out ofstate to work with clients or architects that askus to that we have previous relationships with,but we’re likely to stay in Oklahoma.”

Good Employees, Good PartnersLippert estimates half the company’s businessis from repeat customers, and most of its busi-ness now is within Oklahoma.

“I would say our success is due to ouremployees,” Lippert maintains.

“Our project managers are not paired upwith the same superintendent year after year,”he adds. “They have to interact with other

superintendents, and the superintendentshave to interact with a different project manag-er. People have different personalities, and itsometimes is tough, but they put their egosaside and do what’s best for the company atheart.” Lippert’s success also is due to key part-ners. These include Shawnee Steel Company,Bentley Flooring Inc. and Associated Glass.

Lippert Brothers Inc. worked on two projectsrelated to the 1995 bombing of the MurrahFederal Building in Oklahoma City. One wasthe restoration of the historic Journal RecordBuilding, which is across the street from thesite of the former Murrah building and wasdamaged by the bomb that brought downMurrah. On the actual site of the bombing,the company worked on a memorial thatwas dedicated in 2000 consisting of a chairfor each victim along with two Gates ofTime in front of a reflecting pool only 3/4-inch deep.

“It’s calm there, and when the windblows, it hardly makes a ripple,” Lippertnotes. Until the local ducks and geese real-ized its true depth, they had some roughlandings in the shallow, block-long pool.

Bombing Memorial

Lippert Bros. stresses theimportance of being fairwith its subcontractors.

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With more than 60 years of expe-rience and $2 billion worth ofannual mortgage placementsunder its belt, Murray &

Company is one of Canada’s longest-lived andmost active commercial real estate financialadvisory firms.

The firm, which has offices in Toronto andMontreal, maintains mortgage brokerage inreal estate across the country. Most of Murray &Company’s clients seek it out for mortgagefinancing consultation, Vice President DavidTanner says.

“Our primary business is mortgage origina-tion; we act for our clients by helping themarrange the most advantageous financing forprojects and acquisitions,” he adds. “We can-vass the market for the best deal for a client’sspecific circumstances, talk to a variety oflenders and identify the best possible lenderfor a particular transaction.”

Murray & Company’s clients include ownersand operators of commercial properties includ-ing multi-residential buildings, offices andretail, industrial and hotel developments, saysExecutive Vice President Garry DeGeer, whohas worked for the company for 52 years. Thecompany itself was founded in 1900.

The company arranges loans from $1 mil-lion to more than $300 million, including con-ventional long-term, bridge and interim con-struction financing loans. Other servicesinclude mortgage administration, asset man-agement and infrastructure financing.

Good AdviceMURRAY & COMPANY HELPS CANADIAN DEVELOPERS FIND THE RIGHT FINANCING PLANS. BY JIM HARRIS

Murray & Companyhelps commercial projectowners find financing.

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Murray & Companywww.murrayandcompany.com• Headquarters: Toronto• Employees: 22• Specialty: Commercial real estatefinancing

“We have to be on top of whatlenders are looking for.”–David Tanner, vice president


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Broad SkillsThe company is led by a five-person manage-ment committee overseeing a staff of advisors,each of whom maintains his or her own list ofclients, Tanner says. “Given the way we oper-ate, all of us have to be jacks of all trades,” heexplains. “Depending on the stage of a loan, wemay have people negotiating terms or review-ing legal documents; we all need to have abroad set of skills.”

Staff members include lawyers, CAs, MBAsand others with specialized training who inturn share their expertise with their col-leagues. “We have people here with a broad setof skills they can bring to bear in a particularsituation,” Tanner says.

All staff members are guided by a strongsense of integrity and fairness, he adds. Overthe years, the hard work of the Murray &Company staff has earned recognition byindustry peers. Most recently, Vice PresidentRandy Buckley was named Canadian commer-cial mortgage broker of the year by MortgageBroker News in 2010.

Client SecurityOne major advantage the company offers toclients is approval from Canada Mortgage andHousing Corporation (CMHC), a national hous-ing agency. This allows the company to applydirectly for insurance on residential propertiesincluding multi-unit developments, long-termcare facilities and mixed-use projects, accord-ing to Tanner.

Murray personnel guide clients through theinsurance process and obtain certificates ofinsurance on their behalf. The insurance givesclients more competitive quotes from lenders.

“With the benefit of [CMHC] insurance, thelender’s position is much more secure, as theyare able on call on that in the event of a [loan]default,” Tanner says.

Back on the MarketThe global recession had a significant impacton the availability of loans, particularly in thefirst half of 2009, and greatly affected Murrayand Company’s volume.

“There was very little activity at that time …there weren’t many developers and ownerswho had a stomach for doing much of any-thing because they didn’t know what thefuture held,” Tanner says.

Loan activity picked up dramatically in thelatter half of that year, and is continuing on anupward trend into 2011. One sign of this is anincrease in the availability of longer-term – 20

Financing options including longer term loans are beginning to become more available to Canadian commercialdevelopers after a period of tight lending following the global recession, according to Murray & Company.

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to 25 year – loans. “Longer terms are not asplentiful as 5 to 10 year terms, but they arebecoming more available,” DeGeer says.“Lenders are back in the real estate market andfeeling more comfortable.”

Even with the upturn in lending, the loanmarket and financial environment surround-ing the construction industry is constantly influx as interest rates and market activity fluc-tuate. “Our job is to know which investors areinterested in what kinds of transactions; wehave to be on top of what lenders are lookingfor,” Tanner says. “The only way to effectivelyadapt is to remain active in the market, so wehave current data about any changes and canfind clients the services they need.”

Funding the SquareOne of the largest projects Murray & Companyrecently helped secure financing for is theMaple Leaf Square mixed-use development inToronto. The project, adjacent to Air CanadaCentre – home to the NHL’s Toronto MapleLeafs and the NBA’s Toronto Raptors – required$350 million in construction loans, whichMurray & Company was able to secure from asingle lender, DeGeer says.

The recently completed Maple Leaf Squarefeatures 1.2 million total square feet. Majorcomponents include an 872-unit condomini-um development, the 167-room Hotel leGermain boutique hotel, the e11even restau-rant, a Real Sports Bar and Grill, an 8,500-square foot Real Sports Apparel location, officeand retail space and a parking facility. Thedevelopment is connected to both Toronto’stransit system and an underground network ofshopping, dining and service outlets.

Maple Leaf Square was jointly developed bythe sports teams’ parent company Maple LeafSports and Entertainment Co. with developersCadillac Fairview Corp. Ltd. and LanterraDevelopments. “(The development) is the epi-center of Toronto’s sports and entertainmentdistrict and a destination for fans and concert-goers from the greater Toronto area andbeyond,” the developers say.

“Maple Leaf Square is a touchstone linkingvisitors and residents to Toronto’s vast culturaltapestry,” the developers add. “For residents ofthe condominiums and guests of the exclusive

boutique hotel, Maple Leaf Square is home, butit is also a magnet for fans and visitors drawnby its unique combination of excitement,amenities and ambiance.”

Other recently completed Murray and Co.transactions include mortgages on new andexisting shopping centres, office buildings,

industrial buildings, a free standing bank,drugstore and restaurant buildings as well ascondominium and land purchase and servic-ing loans. These transactions show the compa-ny’s adaptability to work in a wide variety ofprojects and loan sizes, it says.

Close RelationshipsThe company believes in maintaining closerelationships with lenders and developers.“Our borrowers’ interests are paramount in ourminds, but we also recognize this is a smallmarket, so our lenders are very important tous,” Tanner says. “We treat everyone fairly; wedo a good job balancing the interest of the bor-rowers who pay our fees and the lenders whoput the transaction in their books.”

One of the company’s longstanding clients isthe Hopewell Group of Companies, for whomMurray has financed projects in both easternand western Canada, DeGeer says.

‘Our job is to know which investors areinterested in what kinds of transactions.’

Murray & Company is involved in a numberof industry organizations, including:

• Fair Rental Policy Organization (FRPO)• National Association of Industrial and

Office Properties (NAIOP)• Greater Toronto Homebuilder’s

Association (GTHBA)• Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA)• International Council of Shopping

Centres (ICSC)

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ith a customer list that includesGeneral Electric, theArchdiocese of New York,British Airways, Columbia

University, Macy’s, Mount Sinai Medical Centerand the United Nations, Trystate Mechanical

Inc. is proud to stand behind its work. As a full-service HVAC contractor, Trystate says it has theexperience and ability to construct a wide vari-ety of projects, as either a subcontractor or asthe mechanical prime contractor.

“Our in-house mechanical engineers, project

managers, pipe drafters, union pipefitters, andLEED specialists have the get-it-done attitudeto complete projects within approved budgetsand schedules,” the company says.

Serving the New York metropolitan area’seducation, healthcare, performing arts, resi-dential, hotel, office and retail markets, Trystateprovides HVAC construction and maintenanceservices. The company works directly for prop-erty owners and construction managers,installing and servicing air conditioning andheating systems. Trystate notes it is also aleader in the design and installation of greenenergy HVAC equipment such as fuel cells andcogeneration facilities.

“We are 100 percent union and self-performthe installation of piping systems with our staffof steamfitters,” the company says. “All HVACpiping work is self-performed by the compa-ny’s team of Local 638A Steamfitters. All HVACstart-up and HVAC maintenance work is self-performed by the company’s team of Local638B Metal Trades Mechanics.”

From Basic to ComplexTrystate provides extensive HVAC constructionwork throughout the New York metro area, butit also is known for maintaining the HVAC sys-tems in a wide range of buildings. The compa-ny’s staff of service technicians and fleet ofservice vehicles are available for emergencyservice 24 hours a day.

“Corporate, residential and cultural institu-tions rely on Trystate’s team to do small con-struction installations, as well as service andmaintain their equipment,” the company says.“These small construction projects range frombasic DX systems to more complex heating andcooling projects.”

In addition, Trystate has enhanced its offer-ings by providing green energy services andexpanding its use of technology. The company

W

Trystate Mechanical Inc.www.trystatemech.com• Avg. annual volume: $20 million• Headquarters: Douglaston, N.Y.• Employees: 45 (average)• Services: HVAC contracting“We are 100 percent union andself-perform the installation ofpiping systems with our staff ofsteamfitters.” –Trystate

Union PrideTRYSTATE MECHANICAL IS PROUD TO SELF-PERFORM MOST OF ITS WORK.

Trystate Mechanical performsa wide range of HVAC con-struction and maintenanceservices throughout the NewYork metropolitan area.

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has successfully completed a variety of greenprojects for clients such as hotels, computerdata centers and hospitals. Working as theprime contractor, Trystate has experience withfuel cell installations, cogeneration plants andmicroturbine installations.

The company notes it also focuses onadvanced technologies, such as BIM. “With akeen eye on emerging technologies, Trystatehas an in-house technical development groupthat focuses on projects requiring the use of 3-D drafting and coordination utilizing BIM,” thecompany says.

Trystate stresses that safety is one of its corevalues, regardless of the project type. The com-pany’s approach to safety includes regulartraining of its employees. “All steamfitter fore-men, HVAC service technicians, and operationsstaff complete the OSHA 30-hour course,” thecompany says. “All other tradesmen, both jour-

neyman and apprentice, complete the OSHA10-hour course. Additional training is provid-ed in specific areas such as scaffolding, firewatch, manlift usage, first aid and CPR.”

Integrated Corporate StrategyBased in Douglaston, N.Y., Trystate was found-ed in 1976. In 2002, Trystate became a whollyowned subsidiary of PPL Corp., and is part ofPPL’s fleet of mechanical contractors in thenortheast United States. Headquartered inAllentown, Pa., PPL controls or owns about19,000 megawatts of generating capacity in theUnited States, sells energy in key U.S. marketsand delivers electricity and natural gas toabout 10 million customers in the UnitedStates and United Kingdom.

“As dramatic changes have come to theworldwide energy business, PPL Corp. hasemerged as a company that is reinventing the

way customers and investors think about elec-tricity,” the company says.

“PPL believes the future belongs to energycompanies that understand customer needsand are focused on deliberate growth that max-imizes shareowner value. This approach has ledus to Montana, Kentucky, England and Wales.And we reliably deliver electricity inPennsylvania, where our company began morethan 90 years ago.

“PPL has adopted an integrated corporatestrategy to generate and sell competitivelypriced energy in key U.S. markets and operatehigh-quality energy delivery businesses inselected regions around the world. We areaccomplishing these objectives by expandingthe reach of the basic approach that has madeus one of most successful electric companies inthe United States – a focus on excellence inoperations, financial discipline and outstand-ing customer relationships.”

Trystate and PPL stress that both organiza-tions “act honestly and ethically in everythingwe do, adhering to the highest standards ofconduct. We honor our commitments, takepersonal responsibility for our actions andcommunicate openly.” Trystate’s key partnersinclude Mason East Inc. and Galasso Trucking& Rigging Inc.

‘Our in-house[employees]have the attitude tocomplete projects.’

Galasso Trucking and Rigging Galasso is afamily owned and operated transportation and rig-ging company with 60-plus years of service to itsloyal customers. Our resources include more than100 dedicated employees, a fleet of more than 200trucks and state-of-the-art rigging equipment tocomplete virtually any project. We have extensiveexperience handling the most challenging projectsfor customers in demanding industries as mechan-ical, electrical, telecommunications, medical devicesand power generation. Galasso provides a range ofresponsive services from a single source – enablingour customers to have the confidence in knowingthat they can rely on one company to address andfulfill their requirements.

Trystate says its techniciansare available for emergency

service 24 hours a day.

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‘Clear Understanding’TURELK INC. WORKS CLOSELY WITH DESIGNERS TO DELIVER SUCCESSFUL TENANT IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.

A s the creator of many popular in-home fitness programs – P90X,Yoga Booty Ballet, Turbo Jam andHip Hop Abs, to name a few –

Beachbody LLC is committed to helping peo-ple live a healthy life. Turelk Inc. – one ofSouthern California’s leading tenant improve-ment contractors – is helping Beachbody pro-vide a healthy workspace to its employees byupgrading its headquarters.

Turelk is now in its second phase of work toupgrade Beachbody’s office in Santa Monica,Calif., and it involves expanding the space toprovide additional offices, a new studio andsound-editing rooms. The first phase of the proj-ect received the LEED Gold certification for commercial interiors fromthe Los Angeles chapter of the USGBC.

Beachbody provides video-based fitness programs with diet guide-lines and nutritional supplements. As a result, its headquarters requiredmore than just the standard offices, desks and chairs. During the firstphase of the project, Turelk helped transform the existing space – thethird floor and part of the second floor of a LEED CS Gold certified build-

ing – to meet Beachbody’s needs. Turelk upgraded the space to include a fit-

ness gym, film studio, edit suites, media areas,café, collaboration areas and display gallery, aswell as offices and open work areas. The spacewas designed to have an open floorplan, thecompany says, and Turelk incorporated a quar-ter-mile rubber floor track at the office’s perime-ter to allow employees to exercise while movingthrough the space.

“Relocating from Beverly Hills to SantaMonica – one of the first cities to establish a sus-tainable city plan and green building guidelines– was the first step to meeting LEED CI certifica-tion,” USGBC-LA says. “By locating themselves

along an urban corridor, [Beachbody’s] employees are afforded alterna-tive forms of transportation. The office space includes shower and lockerrooms for staff who bike to work or those who use the fully outfittedexercise facility.”

Turelk notes it was important to work closely with the designer –Wolcott Architecture of Culver City, Calif. – to ensure the project met theLEED criteria. The company worked with Wolcott at an early stage of the

Turelk Inc. – Beachbodywww.turelk.com• Headquarters: Long Beach, Calif.• Specialty: Tenant improvements “Our reputation for consistentquality has allowed us the dis-tinct privilege of working with themost prominent owners, architects,designers and managers in ourindustry today.” –Turelk

Turelk Inc. specializes in providingtenant improvement work, often

to LEED standards.

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project and developed an integrated designgoal, and it worked as a team with the design-ers to perform due diligence during materialselection, because not all materials are applica-ble to LEED credits.

Commitment to ClientsFounded in 1978, Turelk has offices in LongBeach, San Diego and Irvine, Calif. The compa-ny says it has become Southern California’sleading tenant improvement contractor afterassembling a staff of “motivated professionalswith an in-depth knowledge” of this type ofconstruction. Additionally, the company notes,it has developed sophisticated systemsrequired to complete its projects on time andwithin the established budget.

“Our greatest asset, and the key to our suc-cess, is our people,” the company says. “Webelieve that each of us needs a sense of dignity,pride and satisfaction in what we do. Becausesatisfying our clients depends on the unitedefforts of many, we are most effective when wework together cooperatively, respecting eachother’s contribution and importance. Wedemonstrate our beliefs most meaningfully inthe way we treat each other and by the exam-ple we set for one another. In our interactionswith clients, architects, brokers and tenants, weseek to deal with others as we would havethem deal with us.

“We succeed because every decision is basedon a clear understanding of and belief in whatwe do. We couple this conviction with soundfinancial planning,” the company adds. “Weexpect to achieve a fair and reasonable profit toensure the prosperity of the company,enabling us to offer long-term benefits to ourclients, our employees and their families.”

Turelk’s project experience includes:• Activision – In Santa Monica, Turelk reno-

vated 90,000 square feet of space.• Deutsch LA – Turelk renovated 92,000

square feet of space on this $9.3 millionproject in Los Angeles. Designed bySchwartz Architects, this project won aDesign Excellence Award from theAmerican Institute of Architects.

• KIA Motors – Located in Irvine, Calif.,Turelk renovated 150,000 square feet ofspace on this $2.9 million project.

• West Hills Corporate Village – This $12million, 240,000-square-foot project wasone of Turelk’s largest. Located in CanogaPark, Calif., this project was recognized bythe Southern California DevelopmentForum and LA Business Journal.

“Our client commitment is paramount,”Turelk says. “This is continually demonstratedbecause we build the highest level of availablequality into every one of our projects.

“Our reputation for consistent quality hasallowed us the distinct privilege of workingwith the most prominent owners, architects,designers and managers in our industrytoday,” it adds. “This level of professionalism

has also enabled Turelk to establish a uniqueworking environment that promotes employ-ee longevity within our firm.

“The extensive services we provide from pre-construction to move-in reflect our dedicationto leaving our clients with no unmet expecta-tions. From high-end corporate headquarters, tomanufacturing, retail and seismic retrofit con-struction, Turelk Inc. provides on-going qualitycontrol throughout the construction process.”

Focus on TeamworkTurelk delivers projects successfully, it says, asthe result of its experienced employees andquality subcontractors and vendors. The com-pany says the longevity of its employees andlong-term relationships with numerous subsdistinguishes it in the industry. Turelk’s keypartners include Renkow Mechanical Inc. andMartin Integrated.

‘Our greatestasset, and thekey to our success, is our people.’

Turelk says the commitmentit has to its clients is “paramount” to its success.

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Based in New York City, CrosslandMechanical Inc. has served the NewYork Tri-State area with quality, cost-efficient mechanical engineering

solutions to complex commercial projects since1984. Before President and CEO Luigi Romicacquired the company in 1991, CrosslandMechanical worked on smaller jobs for localgeneral contractors. “Little by little, we evolvedand began doing bigger work with the ownersand property managers,” Romic explains.

A mechanical engineer by trade, Romicsought to use his knowledge and experience tooffer engineering-driven solutions in challeng-ing commercial environments, such as officehigh rises in Manhattan and the surrounding boroughs. CrosslandMechanical excels on projects that require innovative ideas, Romic says.“It doesn’t matter how difficult the project is, we are capable of finding asolution,” he states.

Successful in its mission, the company nowbids on projects belonging to some of the most

prestigious developers in the New York area.“Working directly for the owners allows us tomanage the project fully, which benefits us interms of coordination and scheduling – two ofour strong points,” Executive Vice PresidentFrank Zappala adds. “Being able to perform acomplete project from inception through design,implementation to completion and closeoutwithout issues benefits the building owners.”

However, Crossland Mechanical does enjoybeing paired with some of New York’s well-known construction managers such asTishman Construction and Plaza Construction

when the property managers utilize them, he says. “We don’t just bid onprojects for anyone,” he notes. “We only bid for general contractors andconstruction managers we have a relationship with and have workedwith in the past.”

Crossland Mechanical Inc.www.crosslandmech.com• Headquarters: New York City• Employees: 18• Specialty: Mechanical engineering“It doesn’t matter how difficultthe project is, we are capable offinding a solution.”–Luigi Romic, president and CEO

Building a DreamCROSSLAND MECHANICAL SERVES NEW YORK WITH UNIQUE MECHANICAL SOLUTIONS. BY KATHRYN JONES

Crossland Mechanical specializes inheating, ventilation and air-conditioning

systems; computer rooms; and othercommercial applications.

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Long-Term RelationshipsSimilarly, Crossland Mechanical subcontractsportions of the work to companies with whichit has long-term relationships. “We use themon almost all of our projects,” Romic states.

“We are fully equipped and can mobilizethem at any time. We have great relationshipswith our subcontractors.”

Some of Crossland Mechanical’s key part-ners include RC Industrial and Gil-BarIndustries Inc.

Only in New YorkSince its inception, Crossland Mechanical hasevolved into a turnkey services provider.Today, the company offers estimating, systemdesign, implementation, project managementand engineering evaluations, as well as main-tenance and service contracts to its customerbase. It specializes in heating, ventilation andair-conditioning systems, computer rooms andother commercial applications.

A broad service scope has enabled CrosslandMechanical to stay afloat during the tougheconomy, Zappala says. “There’s not a lot ofwork out there, and we find it competitive,” heremarks. “Even though we are not experienc-

ing the amount or volume of work we did inthe past, we are holding our own in this verytight market.”

No matter how much the industry appears toslow down, mechanical systems still need to bemaintained, updated or replaced. “We don’t seethings getting better for another year or two,but we’re still in good shape,” Romic says.

One of the more challenging projectsCrossland Mechanical has performed wasreplacing two cooling towers at 521 FifthAvenue in New York City. Two Evapco coolingtowers were transported through the building– including the main lobby – because conven-tional cranes could not reach the roof of the 42-story building.

The existing cooling towers were demol-ished, cut to pieces and brought down. Thenew towers had to be dismantled, transportedand assembled on the roof. But the only pathto the roof was two consecutive freight eleva-tors and multiple flights of stairs. The heavierpieces were rigged through the ceiling of the38th floor and elevator machine rooms.Crossland Mechanical created a documentaryof its experience, which is available onYouTube. It was a very memorable project for

everyone who was involved, Romic says.Looking ahead, Crossland Mechanical

would like to expand its client base to includeadditional property owners and work on ener-gy-efficient mechanical systems as part of theLEED certification program. It also wants tobuild upon its reputation for quality, Romicsays. “We take a lot of pride in the quality ofour work,” he maintains.

Romic immigrated to the United States fromCroatia in 1988, only three years before he pur-chased the company and took it in a new direc-tion. He is proud of the team he built and thecity that he serves. “I have come to the conclu-sion that this is the best place to live,” he says.“Once I came here, my dream was fulfilled.”

‘We are holding ourown in thisvery tight market.’


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here’s no doubt that the currentrecession has been one of the mostchallenging times for contractors inrecent memory. At every level and in

every sector, contractors and subcontractorshave been challenged on a daily basis by theharsh economic realities. Although nationalfacts and figures give an accurate picture of therecession, they don’t take into account theindividual stories that make up those aggre-gate numbers.

This issue, we continue our year-long lookat the economy through the eyes ofCalifornia-based carpentry contractor GoldenState Framers and its general manager, GaryViano. In our last installment, Viano talkedabout competing with contractors who cutcorners, and how the market was beginningto see the value in contractors like GoldenState Framers who don’t. In this issue, hereports that the market is beginning toimprove and says the company is concentrat-ing on improving customer service to ensurethat things continue to improve for GoldenState Framers.

The construction business is tough, there’s nodoubt about that. However, that doesn’t meanGolden State Framers General Manager GaryViano believes everything about the businesshas to be rough and calloused. “Just becausewe’re in the construction trade doesn’t meanwe’re not in the feel-good business,” he says.

Fighting through the recession has been atooth-and-nail affair, and Southern Californiais one of the more ruthless construction mar-kets in the nation, but Viano says Golden State

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Golden State Framerswww.woodframers.com• Headquarters: Placentia, Calif.• Employees: 100-125• Service: Carpentry“Just because we’re in theconstruction trade doesn’t meanwe’re not in the feel-goodbusiness.” –Gary Viano, general manager

Handshake DealGOLDEN STATE STRESSES SERVICE AS THE INDUSTRY CLIMBS OUT OF THE RECESSION. BY CHRIS PETERSEN

Golden State Framers seessigns of improvement inthe Southern California

construction market.

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Framers is working to ensure that it doesn’tforget the softer side of the business. “One ofthe hardest things is to make sure everyone onour side is trying to give our clients the bestpossible service available,” he says.

Working TogetherMaintaining a high level of customer service isa top priority for Golden State Framers, andespecially so right now. As the market begins tothaw and more work becomes available, estab-lishing good working relationships with cus-tomers is essential to getting repeat work in thefuture. However, Viano says, that’s not alwayseasy to establish in the construction industry.

“Your customers, they want to feel good afterthey deal with you,” he says. “But sometimes,it’s hard to get that through because the testos-terone is pumping.”

Viano explains that pride can actually get inthe way of customer service sometimes. Hesays foremen sometimes are too proud to go tothe customer with questions or work throughproblems with them. Other times, foremen digin their heels and refuse to compromise withcustomers or other contractors.

“It just takes someone to bust the ice,” Vianosays. “Everyone wants to circle the wagons. Wedon’t need that – you just need to deal withpeople straight up.”

That includes working with inspectors onsite, which Viano says also can become pricklywith certain foremen. He says he remindsGolden State Framers’ foremen that workingwith inspectors is similar to being pulled overby a traffic cop. “You certainly don’t get into thepolice officer’s face, so why would you get intothe inspector’s face?” Viano says.

Making sure everyone at all levels of thecompany understands the value of puttingpride aside and working with customers andinspectors is crucial but simple to do, Vianosays. He says he meets with foremen individu-ally at debriefing sessions after each project toget a handle on how the job went and how thecustomer reacted. In the end, he says, the con-

struction business is built on relationships, nomatter how impersonal it can seem at times.“The contract is just an agreement betweenpeople,” Viano says. “It’s a fancy handshake.”

Planning to Fail?On the other side of the equation, owners andarchitects have to make sure they do all they canto give Golden State Framers and other contrac-tors everything they need to succeed on the jobsite, Viano says. However, incomplete plans cre-ate one of the company’s biggest headaches atthe moment. “They’re actually getting worse,”Viano reports. “They just don’t seem to give youthe information that we really require.”

Starting work with incomplete or underde-veloped plans can be a nightmare for any con-tractor, and Viano says it hurts Golden StateFramers’ capacity to do its best work on a proj-ect. “How can you possibly build it if you don’tknow what you’re supposed to build?” he asks.

Viano says he believes many owners beginwork with incomplete plans because it savesthem money in the short term, but he says thelong-term costs that come with half-finished

plans in the form of mistakes and overrunslose them more. “They’re stepping over dollarsto pick up pennies,” he says.

Golden FutureFortunately for Golden State Framers, itsemployees make it strong enough to weatherissues such as these. “We’re getting the creamof the cream out there,” he says. “We have thebest of the best.”

Viano says the company looks for peoplewho will see a task through to the end, even ifit’s technically after quitting time. To show itsappreciation, the company offers generousbenefits such as matching employees’ 401(k)contributions by 50 percent. “We do care aboutwhat happens with them – we’re trying to takecare of them the best way we possibly can,”Viano says.

As the industry continues to crawl its wayout of the recession, Viano says establishing anatmosphere of cooperation will be the factorthat will help Golden State Framers maintainits success. “It’s us continually working withthe owners,” he says.

‘The contract isan agreementbetween peo-ple. It’s a fancyhandshake.’

Golden State Framers has madecustomer service a top priority,especially during the recession.

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CJ Pink specializes in building precast concretestairs and landings.

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F rom Canada to the United States,CJ Pink has been helping clients get from one level to the next since1996. That’s when the concrete prod-

uct manufacturer began specializing in pre-cast stairs for all structures. Casinos, hotels,stadiums and universities are just a few ofthe building types that have benefited fromCJ Pink’s expertise.

“The main reason we have such a widecustomer base is because of the quality weproduce,” says Dan Pink, co-owner and salesengineer of the company now in its fourthgeneration of Pink ownership. “Stairs are acomplicated entity, and we’re able to take thaton. Contractors will often tell us our stairs are the best quality product onthe job.”

In a construction world where the ideal is to have function and fash-ion cohabitate, CJ Pink has risen to the challenge with quality stairs wor-thy of focal-point status. In 2009, CJ Pink wrapped up a three-year proj-ect with the completion of the Royal Bank of Canada Center in Toronto.The company was hired by Allnue Structures to manufacture the stairs,

which are highlighted by glass railings installedwith interchanging lights for an intriguing and

engaging architectural piece. This whimsical portion of the building took three

years of constant planning and perfectly sched-uled delivery. From 2006 to 2009, the companywould manufacture individual stairs and curethem in the yard for just-in-time delivery.

“We spread it out for the whole length of the job because we didn’t want to get ahead of our-selves on inventory,” says Wade Pink, co-owner ofCJ Pink. “But we also like to have a few loads doneahead of time before the contractors need it.There’s a constant fine line there which the peo-ple here are very good at monitoring.”

Punctuality isn’t the only plus to hiring this company. The company’sin-house design and engineering department speaks the same languageof architects, engineers and contractors it works with on projects. It is up-to-date on new design codes and standards as well as techniques thatresult in polished, manicured stairs that can turn, twist and elevate tonew heights.

“We are continuously looking to innovation and looking at ways of

A Step AboveCJ PINK HAS DEVELOPED THE RIGHT FORMULA FOR A FOCAL POINT-WORTHY PRODUCT. BY JAMIE MORGAN

CJ Pink Ltd.www.cjpink.com• Headquarters: London, Ontario• Employees: 35 • Specialty: Precast concrete stair andlanding systems

“Our employees think out of thebox and come up with greatideas. If you can draw it, we can make it.”–Dan Pink, co-owner and sales engineer

doing things better and quicker and easier,” Dan Pink says. “Ouremployees think out of the box and come up with great ideas. If you candraw it, we can make it.”

Foundation of Hard WorkToday, CJ Pink stands as the premier manufacturer of pre-cast stairs, butrising to this position was not as simple as the company makes it look. Itwas founded by Christopher John Pink in 1932 and originally producedburial vaults. Over the years, the company has produced products suchas manholes, septic tanks, box culverts and barriers along with the stairs.Pink says the company not only had to adjust its designing capabilities,but also the materials it used because apparently all concrete is not cre-ated equal.

The company was an early adopter of self-consolidating concrete,which allows the company to pour concrete into castings of greater difficulty. Before using this material, it had to use vibrations with theconcrete to fill the nooks and crannies designed into more complicatedstair sets.

“We had to adapt because essentially what we did before was buriedin the ground, now everything is above ground and we had to improvethe quality to compensate for that,” Pink said. “We use self-consolidating

concrete which is just a change in the concrete mix design. You have topay more up front, but it’s a better result in the end.”

It’s an investment well spent because the company has been featuredin high-profile projects across North America, including 25 states andfive Canadian provinces. It has also worked in Bermuda and theBahamas. In 2010, it completed the below grade stairs for the new WorldTrade Center. CJ Pink is also going to manufacture the precast stairs forthe new New Jersey Nets’ Barclays Arena in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Pink says that as the U.S. economy returns to normal, New York Cityhas become one of its steadiest sectors. Due to its international presence,CJ Pink has weathered the economic downturn by maintaining a reli-able stream of work in Canada.

The company began seeing a recent influx of U.S. projects inDecember 2010, mostly on the East Coast. However, Pink says that con-servative mortgage laws in Canada shielded the region from the creditcrash experienced in the United States.

He compares the construction scene in Toronto today to the Las Vegasmarket five years ago. Pink recalls looking around the city and losingcount of the vast number of cranes. “We have gone through this econo-my seamlessly,” he says. “It’s very fortunate for us to have an internation-al influence.”


‘Contractors will often tell us our stairsare the best quality product on the job.’


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Covering the BasesTWO EXPERIENCED BUILDERS ARE JOINING FORCES TO GIVE THE FLORIDA MARLINS A HOME OF THEIR OWN.

he Florida Marlins will ring in their2012 Major League Baseball season ina brand-new stadium, thanks to thecombined efforts of two construction

management firms.Construction on the 37,000-seat, $515 mil-

lion facility started in July 2009. The facility,owned by Miami-Dade County, will give theMarlins a home of their own for the first timesince their inception in 1993. The team cur-rently plays their home games at Sun LifeStadium, which it shares with the MiamiDolphins of the National Football League.

Hunt/Moss, A Joint Venture is serving asconstruction manager on the $515 millionFlorida Marlins ballpark project in Miami. TheJV is a union of national builder HuntConstruction Group – headquartered inScottsdale, Ariz. – and Florida-based MossConstruction Management.

Hunt has many built many major league

sports venues, including 15 MLB parks, andmore than 100 sports facilities. These includegroundbreaking facilities such as Chase Fieldin Phoenix, the world’s first stadium with aretractable roof and natural grass, and LucasOil Stadium in Indianapolis, the first stadiumwith a retractable roof that opens sideline tosideline. Moss brings to the project a localpresence and knowledge of local trades andcontractors. Both companies have people withextensive knowledge and experience in theconstruction industry, the companies say.

`Two Projects in One’One major feature of the 950,000-square-footconcrete stadium is a retractable steel roof thatallows the roof to be opened during the day,allowing sunlight to reach its natural turf field.The roof can also be closed for air conditioningand during rain.

The retractable roof structure requires build-

ing 12 160-foot-tall, 1,400-ton super columnsand installing three roof panels. The columnssupport a track beam, along which the roofpanels will move. “This job is almost like build-ing two projects in one, as we’ve been buildingthis structure while at the same time building

Hunt /Moss, a Joint Venturewww.huntmossjv.com• Project cost: $515 million• Location: Miami• Employees on site at peak: 800• Scope of work: Professional sportsstadium construction

“We’re very adamant aboutmaking sure our job is thecleanest and safest.” –Hunt/Moss joint venture

TThe Florida Marlins’ newballpark will feature aretractable dome.

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a ballpark underneath it,” the company says.In addition to the retractable roof, the ball-

park’s promenade – third – level will feature amoveable glass wall just left of center fieldoffering fans views of downtown Miami.

Key ballpark amenities include a plaza onthe west side of the facilities that will be usedfor pre-game functions.

“This will be a major gathering point forfans,” the company adds.

The ballpark also features a swimming poolbehind the center field wall that can be rentedout for parties.

Sustainability FirstThe facility is being designed to attain LEEDSilver status. Hunt/Moss JV has recycled 8,545tons of cardboard, concrete, metal, paper plas-tic and wood, and diverted 165 tons of trashfrom landfills.

In addition, the company is using materialsproduced within a 500-mile radius of the ball-park to reduce transportation emissions.

Materials include low-VOC paints, adhe-sives, carpets and flooring. Building systemsinclude energy efficient mechanical and elec-trical systems.

Safe and CleanHunt/Moss, A Joint Venture last year won aFlorida Sunshine State Safety Award recogniz-ing its efforts to preserve safety and cleanlinesson the Florida Marlins Ballpark project. Theaward, created in 2006 by the University ofSouth Florida, notes the efforts of companies inall industries that engage in job safety efforts.

Safety measures include daily training ses-sions and regular meetings, as well as a weeklyincentive program offering Marlins memora-bilia to crewmembers.

“We promote safety on a daily basis,” thecompany says. “We’re very adamant aboutmaking sure our job is the cleanest and safestjob, and work hard making sure everyoneunderstands that.”

Building RelationshipsThe ballpark will be built on 17 acres of the 42-acre former Miami Orange Bowl site in Miami’sLittle Havana neighborhood. The outdoor sta-dium was demolished in 2008.

“There are houses across the street from theballpark,” the company says. “We’re building ina neighborhood near someone’s home, so we’reworking hard to keep everyone up to date with

construction activities and our schedule.”The location also poses challenges to materi-

al delivery, as routes have needed to change toaccommodate construction and local trafficpatterns. In addition to the ballpark itself,crews are also performing infrastructure workin the surrounding area including installingutility lines and rebuilding access roads.

Several of the utility lines are located 24 feetunderground, requiring crews to perform work18 feet underwater as the ballpark itself is onlysix feet above sea level.

Important Subs, SuppliersTo overcome any project challenges,Hunt/Moss has maintained constant commu-nication with subcontractors and suppliersand taken advantage of building informationmodeling technology.

“We always try to building relationshipswith the prime subcontractors and their sup-pliers to ensure we’re receiving materials ontime,” the company says. “We’ve done a goodjob making sure their needs are addressed inaddition to addressing the needs of the proj-ect.” Hunt/Moss’ key partners include DKG &Associates Ltd.


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atchmaking has always been apopular spectator sport – evenbefore it garnered high ratingson reality TV – and a major por-

tion of the job of real estate developers is tocome up with a match made in heaven. In thecase of the ShelbyHurst Research and OfficePark – a 200-plus-acre office campus formerlyknown as the Shelby Campus – the land, pres-tige and investment of the university com-bined with the investment, development andmanagement expertise of NTS DevelopmentCo. have made a heavenly match.

The first structure in the park, 600 NorthHurstbourne, will be a $20 million, four-storyspeculative office building located on an 8.4-acre site and the first in Louisville to aim forLEED certification. “We are bringing a new gen-eration of office environment to the Louisvillemarket, and we’re doing it at a price that iscompetitive with traditional construction,” NTSPresident and CEO Brian Lavin declares.

“It’s unique to have this caliber of new spec-ulative construction,” asserts Matt Ricketts, NTSvice president of construction and develop-ment. “There are ‘single user/contract to build’structures going up, but for our partnership tobuild a leading-edge, speculative office build-

ing in this financial environment is impres-sive, to say the least.”

Joint VentureConstruction began in November 2010 and isscheduled for completion in January 2012. NTSis in a joint venture with the University ofLouisville Development Company (ULDC). NTShired the architect – KlingStubbins ofCambridge, Mass. – and is overseeing construc-tion manager Messer Construction, Louisville,Ky. NTS also will serve as the leasing agent.

“I think the synergy with the university isthat this project is on state-owned land, andthat the university and their developmentcompany retained development rights withthe state,” Ricketts explains. “The university isactually leasing the land to our joint venture tobuild the building. We are building in an eco-nomic cycle that we believe when the buildingcomes online will be improving.”

The steel structure has concrete decks and acaisson foundation. The exterior is a combina-tion of curtain wall, butt-glazed glass and ener-gy-efficient metal panels. The new office parkland previously had been utilized as athleticfields. “It was very desirable land – flat andstraightforward – completely developed on all

four sides,” Lavin notes. Adds Ricketts, “We hadto elevate the building pad in some places 10 to12 feet to fill in a little bit of a depression and togive the building prominence with the roadgrades on all four sides.”

From the perspective of the road passingby, the structure is on a slight pedestal. “Thebuilding is higher than the surrounding roadin feet, not tens of feet,” Lavin says. “The ideais we wanted the building pushing up fromthe ground – not a situation where you’relooking down on it – you’re getting a sem-blance of prominence and massing.”

NTS Development Co.www.ntsdevelopment.com• Project cost: More than $20 million• Location: Louisville, Ky.• Employees on site: 60 to 80 at peak• Scope: Four-story office building“We believe when the buildingcomes online [the economy] willbe improving.” –Brian Lavin, president and CEO

Economic DriverNTS DEVELOPMENT IS CREATING A LEED-CERTIFIED SPECULATIVE OFFICE BUILDING. BY RUSS GAGER

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The ShelbyHurst project willbe Louisville, Ky.’s first LEED-certified office building.

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Internally, the north-south orientation ofthe building and its many highly efficientwindows and glass elements will allow forhigh levels of daylighting. High-performancemechanical and HVAC systems will beinstalled. Electric heating will be used in theoversized ductwork, so smaller, more effi-cient motors can move high volumes of airthrough the system. Indoor air will be filteredand turned over frequently for the benefit ofoccupants. A building automation system willcontrol the HVAC, water heating, irrigation andthe lighting, which will use occupancy sensors.The landscaping will be LEED-acceptable, andspace will be designated for sorting as part of arecycling program.

Integrated Project DeliveryThe university sees this project as a way toleverage its reputation to encourage economicgrowth. “The university is taking a leadershiprole in driving some of the economic develop-ment here locally,” Ricketts points out. “Theirvision is that in times like these, we need tocreate some good news and create some eco-nomic stimulus for our community. In doingso, we’ve created this project.”

The whole process has been a learning expe-rience. “We have been able to be intimatelyinvolved in the entire bidding process – moreso than we would be in a stronger market –and we’ve been able to peel back the onionand really understand where people are mak-ing money and what’s driving their price,”Lavin notes. “We are attempting to get a cut-ting-edge design and a detailed building atprices that are significantly less than we couldhave obtained four or five years ago, and thatwe think are less than we will be able to attainin the next three or four years.

“Integrated project delivery is a very collabo-rative approach,” Ricketts points out. “It focuseson making sure everybody comes on boardwith the expectation that egos will have to bechecked at the door. Everybody is going towork together and make good decisions onbehalf of the project. We were able to assemblea team that is very open to that.”

Collaborative ApproachTo date, eight major subcontractors haveworked on the project. “Everybody has beenbrought onboard understanding the collabora-tive approach,” Ricketts points out. “In doing

so, it has really created a bond and a feeling ofshared ownership in the project. With all theirdecisions, they put the project first, and itallows everybody to contribute their ownexperience, which has been very refreshing.That aspect of it has been very pleasing, and it’sbeen a pleasure to work with our team.

“Messer has done a great job as constructionmanager to make sure that all our intentionswere followed through in the construction,” headds. “We’ve structured our agreement withMesser to encourage them to find ways to savemoney. We’re challenging them with that on adaily basis. So far, it’s proven to be a positiveresult for the project, and they’re doing a goodjob with it.” Other key partners for NTS includeUnited Electric.

The joint venture is utilizingthe integrated project delivery method.

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Asuccessful retail center design cre-ates an inviting atmosphere with-out overpowering the manybrands that will be competing for

consumers’ attention. It is with this strategy inmind that pellow + associates architects inc.approaches its retail projects in Ontario andelsewhere. Whether creating an outdoorlifestyle center to replace an enclosed mall orrepositioning a regional enclosed mall, pellow+ associates attempts to bring that sensitivity toeach location.

“Most of our retail design tends to be rede-velopment work,” Principal and Vice PresidentDavid Moore points out. “Some of the shop-ping centers we did years ago as new suburbancenters are now much more urban. We arelooking at redeveloping and intensifying them– adding offices, hotels and residential. We’regetting back into more residential and com-mercial because of it.” The firm was formed in1978 by Harry Pellow. David Moore and JohnRicci joined him as principals in 1985.

The firm – which currently includes about30 people – is also working on hybrids of shop-ping centers. For these, part of the mall isenclosed, and another portion is outdoors.Freestanding boxes or outparcel buildings areconstructed. To stay up-to-date on futuretrends, the firm researches stores and shoppingcenters around the world.

“It used to be we only looked at the UnitedStates to see what the next trend would likelybe, but more and more, we’re looking atEurope, South America and Asia,” Moore mar-vels. “The world is shrinking, and we’re lookingwell beyond the boundaries of North Americafor retail inspiration.” People shop similarly theworld over. “The retail rules in terms of howpeople shop are similar regardless of whereyou are,” Moore maintains.

Up and DownSome of the busiest years for pellow + associ-ates architects inc. have been since 2006.During those years, three major projects felltogether one after the other. The Shops at DonMills was a $200 million project where pellow+ associates worked on the demolition of an

existing enclosed mall to make way for a newoutdoor lifestyle shopping center it designed.The project was completed in early 2009. It wasawarded the 2010 Maple Leaf Gold Award forDesign and Development Excellence from theInternational Council of Shopping CentersCanadian Awards (ICSC).

Two other projects completed in late 2009were both repositioning and additions to exist-ing enclosed malls. They each cost around $40million and consisted of approximately 100,000square feet of new space, major remerchandis-

ing and renovations to all public spaces.The single-level Conestoga Mall in Waterloo,

Ontario, was built in the shape of a “Y.” Theexpansion connected the two ends of the Y andincluded an 800-seat food court renovationand additional retail stores – many first in themarket. A separate expansion for The Bayexpanded the anchor department store from75,000 to 130,000 square feet.

The two-level Mapleview Mall inBurlington, Ontario, was given an entirely newexterior appearance so that the mall would

Courting FoodA TORONTO FIRM REDEVELOPS RETAIL CENTERS FOR MATURING COMMUNITIES. BY RUSS GAGER

pellow + associates specializes in redevelopmentwork for retail centers.

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have a stronger presentation to an adjacenthighway. Traffic in both malls has increased 30to 40 percent, Moore reports.

Conestoga and Mapleview won Gold andSilver Maple Leaf Awards respectively fordesign and development from the ICSCCanadian awards. Conestoga mall also wonthe commercial interior design award of meritfor large retail projects from the Associationfor Registered Interior Designers of Ontario.

As for current projects, a mixed-use redevel-opment of a former newspaper plant original-ly built for the Toronto Sun Newspaper isscheduled for completion in fall 2012 andincludes a 40,000-square-foot, No Frills grocerystore, three more retail spaces and 100,000 square feet for the downtowncampus of George Brown College. Part of the project involves addingthree new storeys to an existing three-storey section of the complex.

Design AestheticDesigning sustainable retail spaces is a major goal. “We’re working on aproject now that will be a new regional shopping center on a greenfieldsite, and the mandate is to make it a model of sustainability,” Moorerelates. Among the techniques in the firm’s arsenal are the careful sitingof the shopping center and its shape; use of sustainable materials; highlyenergy-efficient mechanical and electrical systems and equipment;installation of clerestoreys and skylights to maximize daylighting; reuse

of rainwater for landscape irrigation; and theuse of solar, geothermal and even wind energy.

Lighting design is one example of a majordesign element that is changing rapidly. Thedevelopment of LED lighting technology is accel-erating and beginning to have a profound effecton energy efficiency while still maintaining goodquality lighting both indoors and out.

Other Leading ProfessionalsThe firm works with other industry-leading pro-fessionals including structural, mechanical, andelectrical consultants, landscape architects, plan-ners, traffic and civil engineers, and sustainabil-ity consultants to ensure each project develop-

ment has the right skill sets to meet the needs of the individual project.Some of pellow’s key partners include STC Construction.

The design aesthetic of pellow does not force a particular architecturalstyle on a project. “We respond to the particular context of each project,”Moore explains. “Our style is contemporary but responds to the individ-ual context and avoids anything that is trendy. Retail today is aboutbranding and brand recognition. We design interiors that have a cleanlook and create a backdrop to let the retailers present their brands.”

As the suburbs mature and become the new urban centers, and theurban cores welcome back high-density residential, the future of retaildevelopment work enters an exciting new phase – one pellow + associ-ates is looking forward to in a big way.

pellow + associates architects inc.www.pellowarchitects.com• Headquarters: Toronto• Employees: 30• Specialty: Retail and mixed-usedesign

“The world is shrinking, andwe’re looking well beyond theboundaries of North Americafor retail inspiration.”–David Moore, principal/vice president


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Stadium owners, universities, general contractors, businessesand homeowners throughout New Jersey all look to Star-LoElectric Inc. for their electrical needs. The Whippany, N.J.-basedelectrical contractor serves customers regardless of their size or

need. “We’ll do everything from the New Meadowlands Stadium tohanging a ceiling fan in someone’s home,” President and Owner JosephStark says.

The company maintains a fleet of more than 70 trucks and otherpieces of equipment available to work on jobs including data centers,alternative energy and large public sector projects. Star-Lo Electric’scapabilities include subcontracting as well as design/build and electricalmaintenance services.

Joe Stark and his brother Ted founded the company in 1984 afterworking for their father Richard Lewis Stark’s small electrical and appli-ance business growing up. “I’ve been doing this since I was 12,” JosephStark says. “Working for my dad is how my brother and I got into work-ing with our hands.”

Star-Lo has grown through its history to become one of its state’slargest electrical contractors, a status it maintained during the economicdownturn. “The economy caused us to tighten our belts and watch gasand other expenses,” Stark says. “We’ve restructured our company to bemore competitive in a struggling market.”

A `One-Stop Shop’Star-Lo Electric distinguishes itself in both its ability to perform fast-track projects as well as its full stock of electrical equipment.

“We pride ourselves on having the supplies to man any job at anytime of day,” according to Stark. “With the amount of trucks we have onthe roads, we are able to help our customers at all times … we’re a one-stop shop.”

Star-Lo has the ability to cut wire and pipe to meet customer specifi-cations. The company’s ware-house contains more than a mil-lion feet of wire and a half-million

feet of pipe and conduit.The company’s staff of experi-

enced project managers, office andshop personnel, estimators, fore-men, and installers take great pridein their work. “I get in at 4 a.m. everymorning, and my shop opens at 5a.m.,” Stark says. “The last man does-n’t leave the shop until all fieldorders are taken care of for the nextday. We love what we do, love ourcustomers and love our business.”

Lighting UpNew JerseyNO PROJECT IS TOO BIG OR TOO SMALL FOR CONTRACTOR STAR-LO ELECTRIC. BY JIM HARRIS

Star-Lo Electric Inc.www.star-lo.com• Revenues: $100 million• HQ: Whippany, N.J.• Employees: 400• Specialty: Electrical contracting“We love what we do, love ourcustomers and love our business.”–Joseph Stark, president and owner

Star-Lo Electricprides itself on beinga one-stop shop.

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The company contributed tothe construction of the NewMeadowlands Stadium.

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Star-Lo says it has long-standing relationshipswith many clients.

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Major ProjectsStar-Lo last year completed work on the $1.6billion New Meadowlands Stadium in EastRutherford, N.J., home to the New York Giantsand New York Jets. The project included pro-viding roughly 80 percent of the stadium’sfield, infrastructure and telecommunicationscabling, Stark says.

The stadium opened last year after threeyears of work. Skanska USA of New Jersey wasthe construction manager.

Current major projects include part of theelectrical work on the $140 million “TheHeights” residence hall project at MontclairState University, the first public-private part-nership project in the state of New Jersey. Theconstruction manager on that project isTerminal Construction of Wood Ridge, N.J.

Other university projects in Star-Lo Electric’sportfolio include a residence hall at RutgersUniversity and Princeton University’s newstate-of-the-art Frick Chemistry Lab, DataCenter and Medical Center.

Most of Star-Lo’s recent projects have takenadvantage of the company’s use of advancedsoftware, including 3-D CAD and buildinginformation modeling (BIM) technology. The

company has four full-time 3-D CAD operatorson staff, Stark says.

Thinking GreenMany of Star-Lo’s recent projects, including theNew Meadowlands Stadium, called for electri-cal systems that meet LEED specifications forenergy use.

The company addressed the need for “green”energy through the establishment of a sistercompany, Alternative Energy Solutions. Theaffiliate works exclusively on solar, wind, LEDlighting and other renewable energy-relatedprojects. Its projects include the installation ofnearly 7,000 solar photovoltaic panels on aStaples warehouse in Secaucus, N.J., as well assolar arrays for several Newark-area schools.

Alternative Energy Solutions, along with sis-ter company, StarKO Electric Services are alsoworking with general contractor HallConstruction on installing LED lighting for the“Empty Sky” 9/11 memorial in Jersey City. Thememorial, located across the Hudson Riverfrom Ground Zero, will be dedicated on the10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks laterthis year.

Valued PartnersStar-Lo purchases solar equipment, wiring,piping and other supplies from a number ofelectrical suppliers in New Jersey, and says itenjoys long-standing relationships with manymajor contractors.

Some of Star-Lo’s key partners includeMonarch Electric Supply Co. and Trace Testing.

Star-Lo Electric’s dedication to its communityrecently earned it a community service awardfrom its home township, as well as a“Helping Hand” award from EmploymentHorizons, a N.J.-based non profit that pro-vides job training to people with specialneeds. Star-Lo performed and donated electri-cal work on the group’s headquarters, com-pany owner and President Joseph Stark says.

The company also stays active in itsindustry and community through member-ships in the National Electrical ContractorsAssociation, National Fire ProtectionAssociation and the New Jersey StateCouncil of Electrical Contractors.

A Helping Hand


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Ayear of preconstruction resulted insavings in the design and con-struction of a 14-story buildingthat is part of the 32-acre North

Bethesda Center office park. “Turner per-formed budget analysis and value-engineer-ing throughout the preconstruction process,”Project Manager Steve Michalak points out.“One of the features that was value-engi-neered was the exterior wall of the building.The wall used to be a more expensive glasscurtain wall. By changing it to a combinationof precast and ribbon and punch windows,substantial savings were achieved.”

High-efficiency elevators and energy-effi-cient mechanical equipment also were incorporated during the precon-struction process. The 649,000-square-foot reinforced concrete framebuilding utilizes post-tensioned beams to incorporate an open floorplan. The laminated insulated glass unit, high-efficiency windows con-tain an intermediate polyvinyl butyral layer of material to reflect sun-light. The precast concrete panels are acid-etched and will have multipletan and gray color tones.

Silver and GreenThe 3 White Flint North building is the second structure on the 32-acresite. Construction of 3 White Flint North began in July 2010 and basebuilding construction is expected to continue through April 2012.

The developers of the building are LCOR, a commercial developer, and

the property owner is Washington MetropolitanArea Transit Authority (WMATA). The North

Bethesda Center has up to eight different build-ing sites planned for development that will bebuilt as they are leased. Plans for an additionalresidential tower are proceeding.

HOK, the 3 White Flint North architect, hasdesigned the building to achieve LEED Silver certi-fication. Approximately one-fourth of its roof willbe green. Other green features include the use ofthree high-efficiency, frictionless chillers as part ofthe air conditioning system for the building. Airhandling units will distribute the conditioned airto variable air volume units to provide heat. Aboiler and circulated hot water also will be uti-

lized to distribute heat efficiently throughout the building.

Underground VaultIncluded with the building is a network of site utilities for the entireNorth Bethesda Center complex. These include storm sewers, watermains, sanitary sewers, electrical duct banks and an underground con-crete stormwater quantitative management vault. Located severalparcels east of the 3 White Flint North building, the vault measuresapproximately 160 feet by 115 feet by 12 feet deep and is covered with15 feet of earth.

“It is a stormwater management pond that is underground,” Michalakexplains. “The stormwater collects inside it and then gradually filters outinto the adjacent creeks so they are not flooded. It is a big holding tank

Turner Construction – 3 WhiteFlint North building www.tcco.com• Construction cost: $69 million • Location: North Bethesda, Md.• Employees on site at peak: 20• Scope: 14-story office tower“We have implemented apaperless project controlprocess.” –Steve Michalak, project manager

Nuclear OptionA NEW OFFICE BUILDING OFFERS CONCRETE EXAMPLES OF ENERGY-EFFICIENT TECHNOLOGY. BY RUSS GAGER

The 3 White Flint North building is designed by HOK to achieve LEED Silver certification. The project, which is being built by Turner Construction, uses the underground stormwater management vault being built here.

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that will have a park built on top of it for resi-dents in adjacent towers to enjoy.

The 3 White Flint North building had beenunder development for several years. “We werelooking at this job for a couple years before weactually went under contract, and it was calledWhite Flint North,” Michalak remembers. “Itwas a speculative office building, with thedesign in place. Construction moved forwardonce a tenant had been selected.

Once the Nuclear Regulatory Commission(NRC) became the tenant, a value-engineeringprocess began. “The process kept evolving afterthat and went through the estimated budgets,fine-tuning the design and establishing thefinal budget,” he recalls. The NRC plans to usethe building as office space.

Evolving Building The evolution of 3 White Flint North has con-tinued during construction and resulted inadditional changes.

“Some are big, and involved mechanical,electrical, security, structural changes, andmaking the mechanical system more efficientto save energy over the long term,” Michalaknotes. “We incorporated a change to add vehi-

cle barriers around the perimeter of the build-ing to increase security.”

The project is using BIM for coordinationand electronic document management to useas little paper as possible. “In order to be moregreen and environmentally friendly, we areusing a paperless submittal and approvalprocess, where we send all the shop drawingsand submittals for approval electronically,”Michalak explains.

“The 3WFN project has been unique to ourteam, as we have implemented a paperlessproject control process with HOK and thedesign engineers, subcontractors and LCOR forthe submittal review and approval process,” headds. “It saves time, paper, postage and couriercosts. Our efforts also include last plannerscheduling, which promotes subcontractorinput and buy-in for a more efficient project.”

Excellent TeamMichalak expects close to 40 subcontractors towork on the project, of which Turner is manag-ing the construction.

“We have an excellent team in place,” hesays of the subcontractors. “We have a largenumber of them we’ve worked with previous-

ly. We also have a couple new subcontractorsthat we are working with for the first time.There are challenges, but that’s to be expectedwith a large project adjacent to a metro station.The entire team is very focused on safety, qual-ity and scheduling.” Turner’s key partnersinclude JCM Associates Inc.

“We have been doing a lot of change-orderpricing for the government as they look toincorporate new features to the job,” Michalakadds. “That can be a time-consuming process.”With tenant fit-out and additional governmentbase building modifications, he expects the costof the project to exceed $100 million. Turnerwas ranked the No. 1 green building contractorby Engineering News-Record in 2010.

‘The entireteam is veryfocused onsafety andscheduling.’


Civil By Yehudi “Gaf” Gaffen

YEHUDI “GAF” GAFFEN founded Gafcon in 1987 and has more than 30 years ofconstruction and program management experience. He has personally managedprojects that range from less than $1 million to billions of dollars in constructionvalue. For more information, visit www.gafcon.com.

Taking Efficiency MobileA few years ago, the idea of simultaneously interacting with colleagues bothin the corporate office and in the field would have been difficult to believe.

operating procedure. To others, it remains uncomfortably futuristic.Today’s mobile technology-based systems consist of highly enabled

portable software and hardware in the hands of field personnel. There isno need to make several trips back to a site trailer to review a set ofdetails in the plans, or carry separate paper forms, checklists, clipboards,cameras and pens.

While the old way significantly delayed the construction method ofsharing and processing information, the new method creates time toplan and look ahead.

Construction teams can now collaborate instantaneously, sharinginformation and being proactive to field issues rather than reacting toconcerns that require rework and prolong the completion of the project.

Getting the Best Results Fewer labor hours to complete jobsite tasks and the ease ofaccess to the information all contribute toconsiderable savings of timeand money.

Today, our industry is enjoying the benefits ofthe adoption and integration of mobile tech-nology into the construction process, frommanaging simple tasks such as punch-listcompletions to more complicated procedures,such as searching and reconciling drawingdatabases to ensure constructability compli-ance. New field technology has allowed theindustry to increase efficiency by streamliningcommunication and reducing the reportingtime of the design, construction, maintenanceand operations of each project.

A New Model The old model of data collection and process-ing requires extensive manual labor supportedby exemplary organizational skills – fromusing pen and paper to complete forms to car-rying heavy rolls of hundreds of drawingsheets around a jobsite to maintaining a sep-arate notepad to document the many types offield notes.

This old and cumbersome process includesrows of racked drawings that require constantupkeep; many clip boards, some of whicheven have calculators built in; cameras; pensmanufactured to write in inclement weather;and a heavy-duty jacket with many pockets.The old way, while exhaustive and expen-sive, served its purpose. However,new, efficient ways of collecting andmanaging field data have emergedand become a necessity.

To many early adopters in our fieldof business, this is simply the “new normal”


The time wasted on analyzing on-site concerns and re-evaluating datato develop time-sensitive solutions with the old process can now betranslated not only into labor savings, but also monetary gain. Someusers of mobile technology have reported:

• A reduction in project costs of 2 to 14 percent, one claiming a sav-ings of $1 million on a single project;

• Time savings reported at four to eight hours per week, per user; and• A three- to four-day earlier project completion rate, per month.Mobile technology software comes in various platforms, from off-the-

shelf applications to open solutions that easily adapt to individual situa-tions. Some software companies have chosen a specific constructionactivity – such as punch lists – as its prominent feature. Others have cre-ated modules for several activities that fully integrate field data collec-tion, while also creating automated workflow management.

Shrink-wrapped solutions are standard platforms that are availableoff the shelf, and offer users a process to collect field information per thespecific design of the software. Companies that do not have establishedfield data collection processes would benefit most from this solution.Companies that have well-established forms and processes, on the otherhand, would benefit most from an open solution that can be easily cus-tomized to already-developed procedures of business.

Mobile technology allows us to put away the pen and clipboard andhelps automate our construction projects. These devices are ruggedizedand loaded with features such as high-resolution cameras, bar codereaders, GPS, voice recording and easy-to-use keypads. These on-site

data collectors have the power to complete daily reports in the fieldwhile the information is fresh. Daily reports using mobile tech-

nology are submitted automatically, distributed throughan e-mail notification, as well as electronically filed intoa database that stores the static copy in a PDF format

with data elements preserved. This data can later beaccessed and searched.

Available PlatformsExamples of what is available in the mobile technology mar-

ket today include software platforms that run on tablet PCs andallow contractors and project owners to implement total quality

management (TQM) on their projects, such as the Latista plat-form. Latista includes modules for QA/QC, deficiency logs, safety,

punch list, material and production tracking, commissioning,turnover and BIM integration.Another type of automated software platform is the Vela Systems

product. It allows mobile devices to electronically access documents tocomplete field reports, QA/QC, safety inspections, worklists and punch-lists. It allows users to update the BIM model, along with many othercritical field activities.

Another software platform is nSPEC-enabled Sharepoint360. It com-prehensively automates field activities on construction projects includ-ing quality control, quality assurance, labor compliance, safety and con-struction management.

Mobile technology is used to varying degrees based on the job at

IN THIS SECTIONPort Authority ofGuam g p.118The Port Authority ofGuam is updating to meeta new population’s needs.

hand. Other benefits of employing this tech-nology include:

• Improved job site efficiency – the technol-ogy eliminates the need for personnel tore-enter field information;

• Reduced risk through standardization ofprocesses and documentation;

• Reduced cycle time from deficiency iden-tification to resolution;

• Increased transparency of informationand collaboration;

• Increased cost savings – it lessens manuallabor and resource expenses; and

• Greater allowance to monitor, analyze andidentify trends.

As the industry looks to find technologies thatharness participants’ talents and insights to opti-mize project results, increase value and reducewaste, technology platforms will help eachstakeholder spend more time building – pavingthe way to plan and look further ahead.

Company Profiles118 Port Authority of Guam 122 Washington County Constructors –

Dixie Drive Interchange125 Ecco III Enterprises – Kew Gardens

Interchange128 II In One Contractors Inc. – 39th St.

Sewer Bypass Tunnel131 Western Water Constructors Inc. 134 Capriati Construction Corp. – U.S. 95

Northwest Corridor Improvements 136 Guam Transportation Program140 Essroc Cement Corp. – Picton,

Ontario plant142 Hawkins Construction Co. –

Interstate 88 Project144 McCoy Grading Inc.146 Florida Flow Control Inc.148 Martel Construction


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Several things have changed since thePort Authority of Guam’s (PAG) pres-ent-day seaport was built in the 1960s.The methods and equipment used to

transport people and goods have evolved tomeet growing populations and increased tradedemands. However, the PAG has remainedlargely untouched, and in 1999, ready for a seachange, it devised a master plan calling forcapital improvements to its 1,000-acre space.

In 2007, the port contracted ParsonsBrinckerhoff (PB) International Inc. to updateits master plan following the U.S. military’sannouncement that it planned to relocate mili-tary personnel and their dependents stationedin Okinawa, Japan, to Guam, a U.S. territory. PBcompleted the master plan in April 2008, and itwas approved by Guam’s legislature inSeptember 2009. At the same time, Gen.Duncan J. McNabb, U.S. Air Force Commanderof United States Transportation Command,designated the port as one of 16 strategic sea-ports for the United States.

Population ShiftsThe U.S. military’s proposed population

shifts within all three branches could result in30,190 military personnel and their depend-ents being stationed in Guam by 2016.Currently, Guam hosts two military bases – theAndersen Air Force Base and the U.S. NavyJoint Region Marianas.

“The Port Authority’s facilities were con-structed by the federal government more than45 years ago under the Rehabilitation Act of

Port Preparations THE PORT AUTHORITY OF GUAM FINALIZES A MAJOR MODERNIZATION PROJECT. BY JAMIE MORGAN

The Port Authority of Guam’s seaport has been relatively unchanged since it was built in the 1960s, and the authority has been working on an extensive modernization plan since 1999 to meet future demand.

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Port Authority of Guamwww.portguam.com• Construction cost: $260 million• Location: Guam• Scope: 1,000-acre modernizationproject

“Upgrades needed to be madenot just for the militaryexpansion but for Guam’sorganic growth, as well.”–Pedro A. Leon Guerrero, Jr., general manager


1963,” says Pedro A. Leon Guerrero, generalmanager. “Since then, no major upgrades orexpansion have been made to the seaport.Upon learning of the news regarding the relo-cation of Marine forces from Okinawa to Guam,it was evident that upgrades needed to bemade not just for the military expansion butfor Guam’s organic growth, as well.

“The Port Authority plays a vital role in thelives of all citizens living on Guam and the ter-ritory,” Guerrero continues. “Because of ourlocation we are almost entirely dependent onour sea link to the United States and to our for-eign contacts ... it is the port’s vision to trans-form its facility into a world-class terminal forGuam and the Western Pacific Region.”

This accelerated plan is the road map for theport’s modernization. It calls for $260 millionin capital improvements to be made spanninga 30-year period. The first two phases, Phases1-A and 1-B, are proposed to be completed by2016. Currently, Phase 1-A construction plansare in the hands of the U.S. MaritimeAdministration (MARAD), which is the leadfederal agency for the Port of GuamImprovement Enterprise Program. FormerPresident George W. Bush tasked MARAD withawarding construction contracts.

“The work to be accomplished under Phase

1-A will primarily emphasize upland facilities,equipment, site utilities and computer operat-ing systems to provide adequate capacity andeffect immediate operating efficiencies at itsterminal,” Guerrero says. “This will assure thatterminal capacities in critical bottlenecks arebrought on line, early. Environmental clear-ances will be obtained prior to the initiation ofthe upland construction phase.”

Phase 1-A includes reconfiguration andexpansion of cargo terminals, creation of a newgate complex, reconfiguration and expansion

of selected buildings, upgraded utilities andsecurity features, and state-of-the-art terminaland computer gate operating systems.

Well-Funded SupportPhase 1-A is funded through a federal grantand loan proceeds. The U.S. Department ofDefense (DOD) appropriated $50 million,which was approved by the House ofRepresentatives in June 2010. In October 2010,the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)awarded PAG a $54.5 million loan. PAG is

Data Management Resources As a Dell Certified Enterprise Architecture Partner and VMware EnterpriseSolution Provider, Data Management Resources is a key provider of enterprise IT solutions in Guam and theMarianas. As a supplier of computing equipment and email services to the Port Authority of Guam, DMR hasbeen instrumental in the Port’s IT infrastructure upgrade. In business since 1980, DMR is a leading vendor tothe government of Guam for system applications, e-commerce, email hosting, networking and enterprisehardware solutions. DMR offers local accessibility backed by the strength of its global partnerships. For moreinformation, call 671-647-3674, email [email protected], or visit www.dmrpacific.com.

Spaniards began using Guam as a port ofcall in the 16th century. Following the 1898Spanish-American War, it became a key ele-ment for American interests in the region,and in the 20th century the United Statesdesignated Guam as its western Pacific coal-ing and shipping station. The U.S. NavalAdministration ran the port until 1951 andthen transferred control to the U.S.Department of Commerce.

In 1966, the U.S. Navy built the originalcommercial port on 24 acres of land, andtransferred it to the Government of Guam.In 1975, the Guam legislature establishedthe commercial port as a public corporationfrom a line department under theGovernment of Guam and named it the PortAuthority of Guam (PAG). Over the years,the federal government has transferredlands that are surrounding the port’s termi-nal facilities to the Government of Guam formarine industrial development. Today, thePAG comprises 1,000 acres and has beendesignated a U.S. strategic seaport. The des-ignation has resulted in significant invest-ment by the U.S. government.

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Guam’s seaport plays avital role in supportingthe island’s economy.

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responsible for securing its own credit for construction projects. The debtis paid from charges, fees and other revenues generated from its ownfacilities. PAG believes the impending constructions will result in greaterrevenue to help pay for the improvements, thus cre-ating a self-sustaining operation.

“This is great news for the Port Authority and thepeople of Guam,” PAG management said in a state-ment. “We are humbled by the faith the USDA andDOD have in our port and our project, and we arehonored they have joined us on this journey to over-haul our commercial seaport.”

The port has yet to secure financing for Phase 1-B,which includes wharf repairs; dredging and procuring; andinstalling gantry cranes and additional security equipment.The second phase will be completed 30 years into the futureand will evolve to “address the cargo demands of the long-term organic growth of Guam and our neighboringislands,” Guerrero states.

The port is confident it will receive necessary funding to conclude allthree phases as it continues to address needs pertaining to ocean com-merce, shipping, recreational and commercial boating and navigation of

Guam. It is Guam’s lone commercial seaport and handles more than 90percent of the island’s imports. It is also a transshipment hub for neigh-boring islands in Micronesia and the Western Pacific region.

“The project is key to achieving the port’s overall mis-sion,” Guerrero says. “It is our objective to modernize theport as a first-class facility in the region providing cargo-handling services in safe, efficient and sustainable man-ner. To achieve this, the port must increase capacity, exe-cute infrastructure development and port expansion tomeet the community’s organic growth and the impending

military buildup, promote economic growth andopportunities for maritime-related industries and

address the needs of port users.”

Partners in SuccessAs PAG diligently works toward this goal, its subcon-

tractors and vendors have come alongside it to makesure it is able to serve the current and future needs of

Guam and other international communities. PAG’skey partners on the expansion project include Data ManagementResources LLC and GTA Teleguam.

‘This is great news for the Port Authorityand the people of Guam.’


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f a growing community is like a growingplant, an inadequate highway system canbe like a kink in a garden hose. If localroads aren’t capable of handling the

increased traffic flow of a growing city, valu-able resources are prevented from reachingwhere they are needed, and the town canwither and die. That’s what makes projects likethe Dixie Drive Interchange in St. George,Utah, so important.

Appropriately enough, a project of thisimportance requires experience, and that’s whyjoint venture Washington County Constructors(WCC) is on the scene. The joint venture is a col-laboration between Utah-based bridge contrac-tor Ralph L. Wadsworth and California-basedroad builder Granite Construction.

Ralph L. Wadsworth Project Manager ScottWiscombe says the $60 million project is need-ed because of the growth in the area. “There’sbeen a lot of development in St. George,” hesays, adding that it will provide easier access tosome of the faster-developing areas.

The project involves the construction of anew single-point interchange bridge over I-

15, four new bridges over the Santa ClaraRiver and a new bridge over ConventionCenter Drive. The work also includes morethan one mile of I-15 roadway and construct-ing Dixie Drive through Southgate GolfCourse, along with relocating seven holes ofthe golf course and realigning two relatedintersections. Other work associated with thisproject includes a 2,500-foot sheet pile scourprotection wall along the Santa Clara Riverand two large box culverts.

Quick ThinkingSingle-point interchanges are known for theirefficiency relative to the volume of traffic theycan handle, which made the design a good fitfor the Dixie Drive project. However, eventhough the single-point interchange is morecompact than other layouts, space constric-tions still proved to be an issue for the jointventure. With an existing interchange to thenorth and a river to the south, Wiscombe says,“making the interchange fit while maintainingthe specified design/safety criteria was adesign challenge.”

Fortunately, the combined experience ofRalph L. Wadsworth, Granite Construction anddesigner Horrock’s engineers meant the Dixieteam had the expertise necessary to find asolution to the space constraints.

“There’s a lot of experience here, and manynew and innovative ideas were considered,”Wiscombe says.

For example, the joint venture used shot-crete walls to provide needed width by maxi-

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Washington County Constructorswww.wadsco.comwww.graniteconstruction.com• Project cost: $60 million• Location: St. George, Utah• Employees on site: 80-100• Scope: Interchange/bridge construction“There’s a lot of experience here,and many new and innovativeideas were considered.”–Scott Wiscombe, project manager

A Vital ResourceTHE DIXIE DRIVE PROJECT WILL PROVIDE NOURISHMENT TO A GROWING COMMUNITY. BY CHRIS PETERSEN

The Dixie Drive Interchangeproject will ease traffic

around St. George, Utah.

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mizing existing space. Wiscombe says thisprocess allowed ramp and collector roads toessentially remain in the most efficient config-uration without the added expense and timeof a braided ramp scenario. ”We are seeing andconstructing more of this kind of space-savingconstruction in Utah,” he says.

The joint venture also has made specialefforts to protect the roadway in a knownflood zone on the work site. Wiscombe saysthe area already has experienced severeflooding recently, but even though the pro-tection is only partially constructed, it pre-vented the roadway and adjacent businesses

from becoming flooded. “Those efforts arepanning out,” Wiscombe says. “The city, stateand local businesses have benefitted fromthose efforts already.”

The other challenge created by the projecthas been to maintain a consistent traffic flowon a vital thoroughfare.

“It’s always a little bit of a challenge,”Wiscombe says, although he adds that the sit-uation isn’t as congested as similar projectsRalph L. Wadsworth has completed in the SaltLake City area. The joint venture is keepingtwo lanes of traffic open at all times on theDixie Drive Interchange project, and

Wiscombe says this is why the constructionhas been divided in to three different phasesof freeway construction to meet this particu-lar requirement.

“The traffic is not too bad, but there has beena lot of effort and constant vigilance in main-taining the traffic flow,” he says.

Joint EffortWiscombe reports that the joint venture isabout halfway done building the structuresfor the project. Work began in July 2010 andwill mostly be done this year. However, phas-ing necessitated by the need to keep trafficmoving will bump some of the work out into2012. According to WCC, the project is expect-ed to be completed – including landscaping –by July 2012.

Wiscombe says the Dixie Drive Interchangeis not the first project the joint venture ofRalph L. Wadsworth and Granite Constructionhas tackled together, and it likely will not bethe last. He says the combination of skills thecontractors bring to the table has been one ofthe primary reasons for the success of theproject to date.

Ralph L. Wadsworth has been buildingthroughout the western half of the UnitedStates since 1975. The company says a teamapproach is part of its corporate culture. “Thisapproach results in a dedicated and hardwork-ing workforce that will pitch in to see a projectcompleted successfully and on time,” the com-pany says. “The lengthy tenure of many of keyemployees is not only a tribute to the compa-ny, but benefits the project owner when a sea-soned team is building their project. Our entirecompany works as a team and takes greatpride in our projects and the Ralph L.Wadsworth name.”

Granite Construction works throughout theUnited States, and has been providing con-struction services since 1922. “We are bestknown for transportation infrastructure proj-ects including roads, highways, tunnels,bridges, mass transit facilities and airports,” thecompany says. “Granite also produces sand,gravel, ready-mix and asphalt concrete andother construction materials. Unusual amonglarge contractors, Granite is equally effective atbuilding both large and small jobs from smallsite developments to massive billion-dollarfederal projects.”

Other key members of the Dixie DriveInterchange project team include Most WantedDrilling LLC, Gerber Construction and JPExcavating Inc.

The joint venture of Ralph L.Wadsworth and Granite Construction is

building the Dixie Drive Interchange.

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The joint venture expectsthe Dixie Drive project to be

completed by July 2012.

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Nearly every government official serv-ing in or around Queens County,N.Y., agrees that the Kew GardensInterchange improvement project

could not have come soon enough. Manydrivers use this changing point daily to gathertheir bearings and head on to various routesincluding Grand Central Parkway, the VanWyck Expressway, the Jackie RobinsonParkway and Union Turnpike. It is alsoaccessed by pedestrians travelling to theMetropolitan Transit Authority’s (MTA)Briarwood subway station.

“The Kew Gardens interchange is among thebusiest in New York City, with more than a half-million vehicles passing through it daily,” according to New York StateSenator Toby Ann Stavisky. “I commend the [New York StateDepartment of Transportation (NYSDOT)] for also considering pedestri-

ans in their redesign of the interchange becausemany Queens residents do not have cars but

still need to be able to navigate through theirneighborhoods and over the highways that criss-cross them.”

The project, funded by $71 million in 2005New York State Bond Act funds, $74 million fromstate and federal sources and $3 million from localgovernment and utility work, broke groundAugust 2010 and is expected to be completed in2016. The NYSDOT commissioned Hardesty &Hanover LLP to design the $148 million projectand contracted ECCO III Enterprises to carry outthe construction.

Main facets of the project include widening ahalf-mile section of both north- and southbound Van Wyck Expresswayfrom Union Turnpike to Hillside Avenue by one lane; rehabbing twoQueens Boulevard bridges – one over the Van Wyck Expressway and

ECCO III Enterprises –Kew Gardens Interchange• Construction cost: $148 million• Location: Queens County, N.Y.• Employees on site at peak: 100• Scope: Highway widening andbridge reconstruction

“Everybody comes to the tableto discuss goals individually.”–Amy Pazmino, project manager

Well-ConnectedKEW GARDENS INTERCHANGE IS A CRUCIAL CONNECTION FOR MANY NEW YORKERS. BY JAMIE MORGAN

The Kew Gardens interchange is one of thebusiest in New York City.

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another over Main Street; rehabbing theHoover Avenue bridge over Van WyckExpressway; and rehabbing the 82nd Streetpedestrian bridge over Van Wyck Expresswayto be ADA compliant. Roads including the VanWyck and Queens Boulevard will also undergoextensive landscaping renovations.

The Queens Boulevard bridges, which willaccommodate three pedestrian plazas, arebeing constructed using pre-stressed concreteNortheast Extreme Tee (NEXT) Beams. NEXTBeams were developed by thePrecast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI)Northeast and a consortium of engineers fromNew York, Connecticut, Maine, Vermont,Massachusetts, New Hampshire and RhodeIsland. According to PCI, the stout, double-Tdesign minimizes both manufacturing andinstallation labor.

It also is ideal for bridge spans between 30feet and 90 feet and designed to withstandharsh northeastern winters. This is the firsttime the NYSDOT has used NEXT Beams in itsprojects, ECCO III Project Manager AmyPazmino notes.

Very Good SuccessAs of May, ECCO III was in the midst of recon-structing subway entrances and a pedestriantunnel. A new pedestrian bridge spanningover the newly widened Van Wyck Expresswaywill replace the existing span in the last stageof the project. ECCO III is also rehabbing theHoover Avenue bridge, the Queens Boulevardbridge over Main Street and the QueensBoulevard bridge over Van Wyck Expressway,as well as widening the Van Wyck Expresswaynorthbound lanes.

ECCO III is subcontracting several tasks suchas steel demolition and erection, pile augering ,sign and guardrail installation, electrical work,landscaping, tile work in the tunnels, stonework on some of the bridges, painting,asbestos abatement of the bridges and truck-ing. “We have had very good success with thesubcontractors,” Pazmino says.

“Some are new, some we have worked within the past, and we make sure to help them asmuch as we can to facilitate things and ensuretheir success,” she adds.

Some of ECCO III’s key partners include

Bohemia Garden Center Inc. and SafetyMarking Inc.

As well as managing subcontractor work,ECCO III is self-performing concrete demoli-tion, excavation, concrete work, drainageinstallation, and pile driving. Though this is itslargest highway project as the sole general con-tractor, Pazmino says ECCO III is treadingfamiliar ground on this job. The 40-year-oldcompany has made a name for itself by work-ing on big-ticket civil and infrastructure con-struction jobs such as highways, mass transit,bridges, dams, and wastewater and water treat-ment facilities.

“We have always done this type of work,”says Pazmino, who has been with ECCO formore than 11 years.

“Our staff that we have comes with a lot ofknowledge,” she adds. “Most of our superin-tendents or project management staff areeither engineers or professional engineers, andwe have a lot of expertise.”

ECCO III has worked on several projects

with NYSDOT in the past 20 years and hasmaintained a positive working relationshipwith the state for just as long. Pazmino creditsthis to the department’s commitment to foster-ing cooperation.

“NYSDOT and ECCO III sponsor a partner-ship meeting before each project begins,” sheexplains. “They bring in parties like the utilitycompanies, the New York City Department ofEnvironmental Protection and the MTA, andeverybody comes to the table to discuss goalsindividually and ways to make sure all thegoals are being met the best they can.”Examples on this project include theBriarwood station renovations for the MTA aswell as the coordination of the temporary relo-cation of water, gas and electrical lines so as notto disrupt utility services.

“Each agency identifies needs and what’simportant to them,” Pazmino continues. “Westay true to that to make sure everybody ishappy. It’s still early in the game, but so far ithas been successful.”

‘Our staff that we have comes with a lot of knowledge.’

The Kew Gardens project is ECCOIII’s largest highway project assole general contractor.

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onstruction of the Deep Tunnel sys-tem in Chicago has been ongoingfor more than 30 years. A project ofthe Metropolitan Water Reclamation

District of Greater Chicago, the 130-mile net-work of tunnels acts as a reservoir to divertstormwater from spilling into rivers and lakesduring heavy rainstorms. The concrete for anew portion of that system is being poured byII in One Contractors Inc. in rock 220 to 260feet deep. This challenging work involvesinstalling rebar, pouring concrete and placingprecast at those depths in tunnels from 7 to 15

feet in finished diameter. “The work we’redoing in some respects is traditional concretework, but in a different environment,”President and Partner Bob McGee points out.“Certainly the environment is a lot morechallenging and much more hazardous. Youhave to continuously monitor the air quality.It’s a very wet environment, so it’s ‘raining’ allthe time. Water is dropping on you all the timewhen you’re working, and you have very lim-ited access.

“So everything you’re doing is in tight quar-ters,” he explains. “Everything is vertical in

terms of lifting everything with your crane in alimited location. It requires a lot more plan-ning, and you can’t do things nearly as swiftlyas you can when you’re working on the sur-

Deep Tunnel WorkII IN ONE CONTRACTORS HAS BEEN WORKING DEEP UNDERGROUND IN CHICAGO. BY RUSS GAGER

(( in One Contractors Inc.www.2-in 1. com• Contract value: $8.5 million• Site location: Chicago• Employees on site at peak: 35 to 40• Scope: Concrete and rebar work“We did $1 million to $2million worth of work in thatlocation, and all you see is a cover.” –Bob McGee, president

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II in One Contractors Inc. isfinding opportunities in

underground work, such asinstalling sewer systems.

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face.” Fortunately, II in One Contractors hasexperience in working in such environments –this is the fourth Deep Tunnel project the com-pany has done since its founding in 1984.

Safety UndergroundMcGee’s employees have general constructionexperience with concrete, enhanced by special-ized safety training for the underground envi-ronment. “While it’s a very different environ-ment, it’s fundamentally the same kind ofwork that we do as concrete construction,” hepoints out. “For us, the biggest difference is theenvironment, not the actual work that we’redoing. So you do need experienced people thatcan see and make the adjustment to be able tobe effective in this environment. There is spe-cial safety orientation and training, but it’s fun-damentally the same – it’s still concrete con-struction for us.”

That safety training for the 150 carpenters,laborers and operating engineers on the workcrew is being provided by the general managerof the project for which II in One Contractors isa subcontractor – Kenny Construction,Northbrook, Ill. “Kenny has a whole safetyorganization – they have safety officers

assigned to each shift when they’re workingmultiple shifts,” McGee notes. “So corporatesafety people are also onsite full-time. Safetypeople are on every shift, and then we alsohave our own corporate safety officer whoworks really closely with our superintendentand our own foreman. Our corporate safetypeople cover our whole company.”

Aging InfrastructureFor the project extending under 39th St. inChicago, an old brick sewer 20 feet in diameterand possibly up to 100 years old is beingreplaced with a new sewer tunnel of the samediameter that is being built approximately 260feet deep. “That old sewer services so large ofan area that they needed to create a temporarybypass to even work on it,” McGee points out.

A network of drop shafts at six locationsfrom Lake Michigan along 39th Street toRacine Avenue will divert water from the oldtunnel to the new one. “Kenny Constructiondid the drilling, blasting, shooting and min-ing,” McGee reports. “Our work has been set-ting the precast and doing poured-in-placereinforced concrete.”

II in One Contractors is doing the rebar

installation for the boots and the exit conduit,which is a tunnel at the same elevation as themain tunnel. “It comes off of the drop shaftthat connects the upper level sewers to thetunnel itself,” McGee explains. “They don’tcome in right on top of the tunnel – they comein on an offset. You have a shaft, then you havea horizontal tunnel that leads into the maintunnel. So the flow from the upper level sewersdoesn’t drop in the center of the tunnel shaftitself.” Kenny Construction is doing the con-crete for that section.

Rebar and PrecastThe project started two years ago, but II in OneContractors began its portion of the project inspring 2011 and is scheduled to complete it inspring 2012. “Once they finished the mining ofthe tunnel and after they did the mining of themain tunnel, then we started on our work intying rebar in the existing conduits and all oursurface work starting with the precast andbuilding the structure,” McGee explains.

II in One also is placing precast pipe in verti-cal shafts 150 feet long. “To create the actualfinished shaft, we place precast pipe verticallyin the shaft and pour concrete behind it,”


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McGee continues. “So we set the vertical pre-cast and place the concrete behind that to cre-ate the finished shaft. Once we complete theprecast and grouting of that precast activity,then there’s a structure – it’s called a rolloverstructure – that comes off of the top of the shaftthat would tie into an upper level conduit.”

The conduit ties into another structure thatconnects to the upper-level sewer. “This allowsyou to divert the waste from that sewer intothe entrance conduit to the tunnel,” McGeenotes. “We’re building the infrastructure andthe entrance conduit as well as the connectingstructures – all the upper level work – which is30 to 40 feet underground in a sheeted andshored excavation.”

Most people do not realize the amount ofwork that may lie under their feet. “We willbuild a million-dollar structure anywhere from40 to 60 feet underground, and when we finish,all you’ll see is a manhole cover,” McGee mar-vels. “We did $1 million to $2 million worth ofwork in that location, and all you see is a cover.Sometimes it could be a standard size. In thecase of a vent over a shaft, it could be 7 or 8 feetin diameter. You’ll see them in parkways, streetsand places like that. They’re not very noticeableunless you’re knowledgeable.”

Above GroundII in One Contractors also is building projectsabove ground. Several of the ones nearingcompletion follow. At 62nd Street and CottageGrove Avenue in Chicago, the company isexcavating the site, pouring the concrete andinstalling the masonry for a new three-storyhousing project. The company also is doing thesite work, excavation and installing all the con-

crete for a series of town houses and a nine-story residential building on Division Street atLarrabee Avenue.

At Larrabee Avenue and Oak Street inChicago, II in One has completed approximate-ly 85 percent of the concrete for an eight-storybuilding called Parkside Cabrini Green at thesite of a public housing development.

At 57th Street and Cottage Grove Avenuesin Chicago, II in One in partnership withJames McHugh Construction Co., Chicago, per-formed the concrete for a new hospital at theUniversity of Chicago. In a joint venture withWalsh Construction, Chicago, II in One willbuild two reservoirs for the MetropolitanWater Reclamation District of Greater Chicagoat the Thornton quarry southwest of Chicago.

II in One also installs reinforcing steel forbridge contractors and rebar for a variety ofmajor general contractors. The company worksmostly in the Chicago area, although it hasdone work in Milwaukee. Past projects to whichthe company has contributed include Chicago’sMillennium Park, a massive, nine-block-squarecollection of fountains and sculptures.

“We’re kind of a strange company,” accord-ing to McGee. “For a small company, we areincredibly diverse. We kind of go with the mar-ket opportunities that present themselves, andas it turns out right now, the majority of mar-ket opportunities are in underground work.”

Working RelationshipII in One says projects like the Deep Tunnelproject require good relationships with sub-contractors and vendors. The company’s keypartners include O’Leary Equipment andWalsh Construction.

Some of II in One Contractors’projects have involved

building overflow sewers.

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As a 100 percent employee ownedcompany, it doesn’t hurt thatWestern Water Constructors is afamily run firm. In fact, Project

Manager Eli McGarva says, the family leader-ship has nurtured friendly connectionsthrough its team that help make the work gomuch easier.

“[We have several] father-son duos out inthe field,” he says. “We have several room-mates, best friends and cousins working sideby side. We all get along very well.”

Based in Santa Rosa, Calif., Western Waterspecializes in the design, construction, opera-tion and maintenance of integrated water andwastewater systems. The firm started operations in 1953 as Kirkwood-Bly, a general engineering contractor.

In 2001, McGarva’s father, President and CEO John McGarva, and fourother partners purchased the firm from majority owner John Bly. Today,

as Western Water, it has increased the scale of itswork from $15 million to $55 million projects,

Eli McGarva says.

The New Filing CabinetOne factor critical to Western Water’s success is itsadoption of state-of-the-art technology, McGarvasays. He explains that Western Water has devel-oped its own management software that allows thecompany to track jobs online and complete paper-work electronically.

“It’s kind of our online filing cabinet,” he says,adding that Western Water designed it to be sim-ple for its employees to use. “Our superintendentscame through the trades and many don’t have

extensive computer experience.“We’ve been using it for five years and it has evolved,” he continues.

“We add more and more tools to it as we have time.” Some of the toolsinclude a timesheet module, a daily module, a tool tracking module, an

Western Water Constructors Inc.www.westernwater.com• 2010 revenues: $60 million • Headquarters: Santa Rosa, Calif.• Employees: 100• Specialty: Design, construction, operation and maintenance of waterand wastewater systems“We all get along very well.”–Eli McGarva, project manager

Flowing StrongWESTERN WATER CONSTRUCTORS IS PROUD OF ITS WORK ON TWO CALIFORNIA PROJECTS. BY ALAN DORICH

The $55 million expansion of the Oakley Ironhouse WWTP willtreat 4.5 million gallons daily.

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RFI module, a change-order module and theelectronic filing cabinet.

Pump It UpWestern Water’s recent projects include thenew Lake Merced Pump Station facility in SanFrancisco. The current station, which was builtin 1952, pumps and treats approximately 60percent of the city’s drinking water, accordingto McGarva.

The company has a contract of $32 millionto provide the systems for the replacement sta-tion, which features new pumps to send waterto the reservoir. In addition, the new stationwill guarantee that the city has water in thecase of an earthquake. This will be managed byreplacing two existing vertical turbine pumpsthat pump water directly out of Lake Merced tothe city’s water supply if the main line is bro-ken during an earthquake.

Western Water has kept the original pumpstation operational during the project. “We’vebeen [here] for a year and eight months andwe haven’t had any disruptions to the existingplant,” he says, noting that the two plants areon the same site, approximately 60 feet apart.

McGarva has high praise for its client, theSan Francisco Public Utilities Commission(SFPUC). “Their onsite staff has been very goodto work with, very fair and honest,” he states.

“SFPUC could be one of our best owners towork for,” he says, praising the commission’sresidential engineer, Thomas Jang. “He hasbeen instrumental in keeping the project mov-ing forward and on schedule.”

Beyond the OrdinaryWestern Water is also at work on the expan-sion of the Oakley Ironhouse Waste WaterTreatment Plant in Oakley, Calif. The project,with a budget of approximately $55 million, isdifferent from what the company is used to,Project Manager Micah Addison points out.

“Usually, Western Water goes into a plantand expands it,” he says, explaining that in thiscase, the company instead came to a greenfieldsite to construct its systems. When finished, theplant will treat 4.5 million gallons of waste-water a day and feature a new influent pumpstation, anoxic/aeration basins, a membranebioreactor structure, and chemical/blower, UVand solids-handling buildings.

Addison notes that Western Water tied intothe existing manhole at the head of the exist-ing plant and installed 2,700 feet of 30-inchpipe as well as 12 new manholes connectingthe old plant to the new one.

“[The project has] been in the planningstages for eight years,” he says, noting that he isproud of the firm’s placement of the outfallpipeline at the San Joaquin River.

“It was quite a chore to be installed,” he says.The 500-foot discharge pipeline reaches depthsof 45 feet and allows the plant to dischargewater into the San Joaquin River. “We don’tknow of a deeper outfall pipeline that’s everbeen installed in the region,” he adds.

The last section of the pipeline has 16 dif-fusers that allow wastewater to be distributedwithout affecting plant and marine life. “[Thedischarge is] actually cleaner than the water inthe San Joaquin River,” he states.

The Oakley Ironhouse expansion is aimingfor completion this October, according toAddison. “Construction is pretty well com-plete,” he says. “We’ve completed startup onthe influent pump station and headworks.

“We’ll complete start-up on the aerationbasins, MBR and chemical/blower building,[and] continue structure by structure until all

the functional and operational testing is com-plete,” he says. “Right now, we’re just poweringup all the gear and equipment and makingsure it works correctly, before introducingsewer to the plant.”

Keeping BusyBoth McGarva and Addison see a strong, busyfuture for Western Water. “We are a low-bidcontractor,” Addison says, noting that the com-pany is willing to travel far for its clients.“[We’ll] continue to go after what we can.”

McGarva also predicts that the company willtake on more projects for the SFPUC. “Theyhave a lot of wastewater [projects] coming out,“he says.

Essential to SuccessWestern Water's continued success on waterand wastewater systems also is thanks to itskey partners. These include such firms as Cats4U Inc., Farrell Design-Build Companies, TescoControls and Cook Concrete Products.

Western Water says its status as a family companyis one of its strengths.

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The busy U.S. 95 Northwest Corridor inLas Vegas is undergoing a major five-phase improvement to increase safetyand decrease congestion. The Nevada

Department of Transportation (NDOT) award-ed Capriati Construction Corp. the $69 millionfirst phase, which includes extensive work thatonly an experienced firm can handle.

“We started last August, and the job is onschedule and will complete in spring of nextyear,” says Capriati Chief Estimator and ProjectManager Shane Surber. “As far as currentprogress, we are really spread all over the proj-ect. Everywhere we can be, we are. We haveoperations undergoing on the entire project.”

The first phase covers approximately sixmiles from Washington Avenue to Ann Road.Project specifications include widening of thenorth- and southbound lanes from six to eightlanes and will accommodate a new high-occu-pancy vehicle lane.

The team will also widen two existingbridges, one at the Gowan Road and 95 under-pass and the other at the Cheyenne Avenueinterchanges. The Cheyenne interchange willconsist of a loop ramp that will better accom-modate heavy traffic. At the north- and south-bound interchanges at Rancho/Ann Road,Capriati will construct a new bridge on eachside to improve efficiencies for vehicles enter-ing and exiting the highway. This interchangeis close to Las Vegas’ Sante Fe Station CasinoHotel, resulting in lots of traffic.

“They are improving access to that facility,”Surber says. “It’s a very busy part of town andthe Sante Fe Casino has a lot of traffic conges-tion. So this will improve traffic flows on the 95and improve on and off ramps at that location.”

In addition to these improvements, Capriatiis constructing 18- to 32-foot-tall sound wallsalong the entire stretch to help control trafficnoise for residents. The height of each color-stained wall is determined by the road’s eleva-

Capriati Construction is on schedule to complete the six-mile first phase of Nevada’s U.S. 95 Northwest CorridorImprovements Project by spring 2012. It is widening the north- and southbound lanes, as well as two bridges.

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The Roadto RealProgressCAPRIATI CONSTRUCTION MAKESMAJOR PROGRESS ON THE U.S. 95PROJECT. BY JAMIE MORGAN


tion in a given spot. Capriati says soil conditionsin some areas required Capriati to install retain-ing walls before it could erect sound walls.

As of May, the project was 30 percent com-plete. Capriati is performing all the work onsite except the asphalt paving, electrical work,traffic control and highway striping and sig-nage. Surber says the team effort has gone wellas Capriati and its subs demolish the existingbridges, lay foundations for the new bridgesand widen the roads.

Meets Weekly with SubsOn projects of this size and complexity, Surbersays regular meetings are vital. Every week, theteam conducts a one-month look-ahead meeting and subcontractormeetings are scheduled weekly. “We have to plan weekly, daily andthroughout the day,” he says. “We are very detail-oriented and planningis one of our biggest things, as well as preplanning. We have to knowwhere we need to go, how to get there and what to do when we getthere.” These meetings keep Capriati on the same page as its key part-

ners, which include Southern Nevada Precast.Surber says this type of highway work is typ-

ical of Capriati’s portfolio. Nearly 99 percent ofthe company’s work is with government enti-ties, and Surber says working with NDOT isalways a collaborative effort. “We, at Capriati, andNDOT emphasize partnerships,” he says. “Wehave regular partner meetings every quarter. Wemeet to go over the status of the project and anyissues we have had, how they were handled andhow to improve relationships and keep goodrelationships throughout the project.”

Capriati fosters this spirit of cooperation onall of its projects, no matter the location.Capriati was formed in 1993 in Rhode Island

and moved to Las Vegas in 1996 due to the state’s plethora of work at thetime. Surber says the company has maintained its volume despite therecession, due in part to federal stimulus funds that focus on infrastruc-ture projects. For the past year-and-a-half, the company has been alicensed contractor in Arizona. In April, it received contractor licenses towork in both North and South Dakota.

Capriati Construction Corp. –U.S. 95 Northwest CorridorImprovements Projectwww.capriaticonstruction.com • Construction cost: $69 million• Location: Las Vegas• Employees on site at peak: 100• Scope: Road and bridge improvements “Planning is one of our biggestthings.”–Shane Surber, chief estimator and project manager

‘Everywhere we can be, we are. We haveoperations on the entire project.’


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Only 30 miles long, the island of Guam is an unincorporatedterritory of the United States that is honeycombed with roadsand bridges. Home to several U.S. military bases establishedafter the Japanese occupation of the island during World

War II ended, the 214-square-mile island is undergoing a massiveupgrade of its road and bridge infrastructure to meet the needs of itsgrowing population and an increased military presence.

The U.S. Marine Corps has proposed moving up to 8,600 Marines andtheir 9,000 dependents to the island from its military facilities atOkinawa, Japan, by 2015. This shift would increase Guam’s populationby 20 percent. The island’s seven major military facilities currently occu-py 29 percent of its land mass, and the transfer of the Marines couldincrease that figure to 40 percent.

It is against this backdrop and elections of a new governor and sena-tors in its unicameral legislature in November 2010 that the island’s

Department of Public Works (DPW) is overseeing the GuamTransportation Program. It involves widening and repaving many roadsalong with upgrading, reconstruction or replacement of many of theisland’s bridges.

The 2030 Guam Transportation Plan calls for creation of a “Haul RoadNetwork” of the routes most likely to be used by the military. Thoseroutes then would be improved where needed to provide the trafficcapacity and structural integrity necessary for military, civilian andcargo truck traffic.

“In terms of what we are doing now, a lot of it is just absorbing thecurrent growth and development on Guam,” DPW Director JoanneBrown declares. “Marine Corps Drive – our most traveled road on Guam– was only a two-lane road. Now major parts of it consist of three laneson each side to accommodate growth. The main roads don’t last forever,and they have to be rebuilt and resurfaced.”

Busy BuildingA SERIES OF IMPROVEMENTS PREPARE GUAM FOR AN INCREASED MILITARY PRESENCE. BY RUSS GAGER

Guam is preparing haulroads to be used by the U.S.

military in the near future.

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Reconstructing bridges is onlypart of the improvementsbeing made in Guam.

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Bridging the GapRefurbishment and in some cases replacementof bridges is being performed with a variety ofmethods. In some cases, temporary bridgescan be constructed to handle traffic while theold bridge is demolished and the new oneconstructed. However, many bridges must bereplaced one side of the road at a time, some-times because additional easement for stag-ing is unavailable.

Although much of northern Guam is rela-tively flat – it was formed by two coral reefsthat fused at the center of the island – south-ern Guam is more mountainous from ancientvolcanic activity. “You have those two varietiesof terrain here as a result,” Brown points out.This influences road and bridge construction.

The cost of road construction work variesaccording to its complexity. “For one project onRoute 3 up next to the military base they arelooking at expanding, they will be spending$60 million on a 3-mile stretch of road toaddress utility issues and put the road in place

to the design standard they would like to see,”Brown marvels.

The DPW mediates between the needs of thecommunity and the military on projects thatrequire it. For example, with the proposedroadwork on Route 3, the DPW is evaluatingproposed design plans to accommodate a newbase entrance and incorporate traffic access for

Department of Public Works –Guam Transportation Programwww.guamtransportationprogram.com• Location: Guam• Scope: Roads and bridges wideningand new construction

“I have no reservation to shutdown a project if they’re notmeeting requirements.”–Joanne Brown, director


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an elementary school across the street. Presentations are made aboutsuch changes before they are designed to solicit community input.

Contractors EvaluatedEach road or bridge project is put out for bid and contractors are selectedon that project’s criteria. Much of the funding for these projects is fromthe U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHA) and the U.S. Departmentof Defense. In addition to the DPW’s inspection efforts, constructionmanagers are hired to supervise the many road and bridge projects.“We’re not currently capable – with the significant increase in theamount of projects – of being able to do all that in the department in theshort term,” Brown points out.

DPW’s success on its projects is tied closely to its partners, whichinclude Hawaiian Rock Products and International Bridge Corporation.

Coming in with the new administration, Brown has been on the jobfor four-and–a-half months, and DPW Deputy Director Carl Dominguezhas been on the job for four months. She intends to increase the depart-ment’s on-the-job oversight capabilities. “We see a need to strengthenthose areas to make sure roads and bridges are being properly construct-ed to standard,” Brown asserts.

The new administration is setting requirements for a new level ofconsistency. “From my perspective, there should be consistency in thequality of work that we receive from the contractors,” Brown empha-sizes. “I see things like safety issues not properly addressed on the jobsite or erosion control standards not being properly implemented. I’mconcerned if our construction managers and inspectors are not catchingthese concerns and immediately requiring contractors to take corrective

actions. On some of our projects that I have inspected over the past sev-eral months, those things have been an issue, and some very crediblefirms have been working for us.”

Improved LandfillThree new bridges to a new landfill site on the south end of the island inLayon are being constructed simultaneously, and within only a fewmiles of each other. The current landfill developed after World War II inthe center of the island is reaching its capacity, so a federal court ordermandated construction of the new, modern landfill. The new bridgeswill be strong enough to handle the weight of refuse trucks.

A 60-year-old bridge built after World War II in the capital city ofHagatna will be totally reconstructed at the expense of the Departmentof Defense to address safe passage between Andersen Air Force Base andNaval Station. Occasionally discoveries are made in the course of con-struction. “Ancestral human remains were discovered at the Ylig Bridgeadjacent to a coastal area and the proper archaeological preservationsteps were taken to ensure that due respect is paid to our ancestralremains and artifacts and, at the same time, still move forward with thebridge construction,” Brown remembers.

In April 2010, an unexploded World War II bomb discovered at theYlig Bridge site had to be removed and safely detonated. “We have excit-ing things here,” Brown notes. “There’s never a dull moment on Guam.In terms of Guam’s road activity, this is probably the largest number ofprojects happening simultaneously, and that will increase in the nextyear or two if things go as planned. This is unprecedented constructionall at the same time for such a small island.”


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As a leading cement producer in NorthAmerica, Essroc Cement Corp. hasthe capacity to produce more than6.5 million metric tons of cement

each year and is known for its quality, consis-tency, innovation and exemplary service.

A subsidiary of Italian cement giantItalcementi Group, the Nazareth, Pa.-basedcompany has grown to include six cementplants, two cement grinding facilities, onecement blending and packaging facility, 14cement terminals, 30 ready-mix batch plants,three aggregate facilities and two chemicaladmixture plants in Pennsylvania, Maryland,Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan,Puerto Rico, North Carolina, South Carolina, Massachusetts, New York,Quebec and Ontario.

Essroc’s Picton, Ontario, plant opened in 1958 as Lake Ontario CementCo. It was acquired by Ciments Francais in the 1980s, and was subse-quently acquired by Italcementi Group when it purchased controllinginterest of Ciments Francais in 1992. Benefitting from the vast resources

of its Italian parent corporation, the Pictonplant ships to terminals along Lake Ontario,

Lake Erie and Lake Huron for ready-mix cus-tomers in Canada and the United States.

Essroc produces cement for concrete, cementfor masonry and colored masonry. In addition,“We are vertically integrated in Canada in thesense that we own ready-mix businesses in theOttawa and Brantford-Cambridge areas,” saysMike Meysing, plant manager at the Picton plant.

Cornerstone QualityEssroc prides itself on the quality of its product,Meysing says. “We work to make a very consis-tent product ensuring that what our customers

use today will perform the same as what they purchased last month,” hestates. “We maintain consistency by following our quality standardsthroughout the manufacturing process.”

Essroc follows American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) stan-dards for strength. “But we also have our own standards, which areabove the ASTM standards,” Meysing notes. “We’ve provided that for

Essroc – Picton, Ontario www.essroc.com• Headquarters: Nazareth, Pa.• Employees: 1,700• Specialty: Cement“We have quite extensive supportservices capabilities.” –Mike Meysing, plant manager

Essroc says it is proud of its community involvement, such as donating crushed stone and cement for the construction of a youth skate park in Picton, Ontario.»

Cementing its PositionTHE PICTON, ONTARIO, CEMENT PLANT OF ESSROC PRIDES ITSELF ON ITS QUALITY. BY KATHRYN JONES


such a long period of time based upon cus-tomer needs that, over time, it has become thebasis for the quality that’s being demanded inthe marketplace.”

Essroc continuously seeks to improve itsproduct quality and introduce new types ofcement to the industry. The company devel-oped its TX Active product line, which is a pho-tocatalytic cement technology for self-cleaningand pollution-reducing concrete. The producthas been utilized on a number of high-profileprojects in North America and Europe includ-ing the Greenbuild 2010 Legacy Home in sub-urban Chicago; Sun Life Financial in Waterloo,Ontario; the Air France headquarters at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle International Airport inParis; and Ciments due Maroc’s headquartersin Casablanca, Morocco.

The Picton plant is in the development stageof a new type of cement that Meysing describesas an environmentally friendly product basedupon new standards set in Ontario regardingclinker ratio in the cement.

“This is brand new,” Meysing remarks. “It’snot on the market at this time, but it’s a newproduct we came up with in following thesenew standards.”

Along with its significant manufacturingcapabilities, the company prides itself on itscomprehensive customer support. “We havequite extensive support services capabilities,”Meysing says.

The company maintains similar relation-ships with its suppliers, Meysing adds. “Wehave very good working relationships with oursuppliers, and we also hold them accountableto what they promise to deliver,” he states. KeyEssroc partners include Scott EnvironmentalGroup Ltd.

Doing the Right ThingEssroc’s corporate philosophy emphasizes safe-ty as one of its core values. “We are working toheighten awareness and not only correct facili-ty deficiencies, but also to audit and observeemployee behavior,” Meysing says. “We recog-nize that behavioral issues account for over 85percent of industrial accidents, so we put a lotof emphasis on training for any of the com-mon tasks that we do at the plant. We areproud of our safety statistics and communicatethese statistics with the plant work force, andwe also share statistics from the other plants.”

Community outreach is another corporate

objective that Essroc values. The companydonates money and materials to a number ofcommunity initiatives. In Picton, the organiza-tion donated materials, such as crushed stoneand cement, for a youth skate park in the com-munity, as well as for the Wellington andDistrict Community Centre in Wellington,Ontario, built late last year.

Looking forward, Essroc’s Picton plantintends to embark on several projects toupgrade and automate its production facility toincrease its efficiency. “The downturn hasmade us look at our business transactions andreally work on taking out inefficiencies anddeveloping cost control methods,” Meysingsays. “We put a lot of effort into looking at howwe were operating and determined that wecould make some adjustments in our processto reduce our fuel and electrical consumption.”

Creating more efficiency in its day-to-dayoperations will benefit Essroc when the econo-my improves and demand increases.

“We see the market right now as being sta-ble at this level, and we believe there will besome slight improvement this year with signif-icant improvements in subsequent years,”Meysing says.


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Hawkins Construction Companyworks with the intent to master itsfield. From the beginning, the com-pany has always aimed big. In fact,

the first job brothers Kenneth and EarlHawkins bid on and won was for theUniversity of Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium.That was in 1922, and by 1960 the companywas grossing more than $20 million a year.

In the next decade, it made a name for itselfconstructing major private and government-owned office buildings. In the ‘60s, it made theleap into public works jobs, building waste-water and water treatment plants. In the early‘80s, Hawkins applied its self-performing skillsand equipment to heavy highway work, build-ing the foundation to become “the region’slargest and most successful highway andbridge contractor, completing high-profilepaving and bridge projects across theMidwest,” according to the company.

In the past two decades, Hawkins has com-pleted many Nebraska Department of Roads(NDOR) projects. Previous projects includemajor expansions along Interstate 480 andInterstate 680 in the heart of Omaha, as well assome of the city’s most recognizable bridges,including the historic 10th Street bridge andthe twin mile-long, three-lane elevated WestDodge Expressway. Currently, Hawkins is over-seeing completion of two of eight major proj-ects NDOR has undertaken to expandInterstate 80 along the critical corridorbetween Lincoln and Omaha.

The entire 44-mile project will increase I-80from a four-lane to six-lane highway. The statekicked off the 13-year project in 2003. Three ofthe eight projects are completed and theremaining projects will have staggered com-pletions into 2016. In total, Hawkins will havecompleted 18 miles of the project through sep-arate contracts.

NDOR contracted Hawkins for a portion thatwill widen a 5.8-mile segment from theGreenwood Interchange to the MahoneyInterchange. The three-phase project brokeground in April 2009 and is slated for a 2012completion. It includes widening both theeast- and westbound lanes, as well as the

removal and replacement of four bridges. As ofMay, two of the bridges and the westboundwidening were completed. Hawkins is nowwidening the eastbound lanes and construct-ing the remaining bridges. It is performinggrading work and crushing concrete pavementthat will serve as the base course for the east-bound lanes.

Last winter, Hawkins was hit with toughwinter weather, forcing the team to worklonger hours and more days to maintain theschedule. “There is a lot of work to do here and

under pretty stringent time frames that aretypical of interstate projects,” Vice PresidentTom Crockett says. “We did have some typicalweather interruption, but there weren’t anydelays or challenges we couldn’t overcome.”

Above-Standard Subs Hawkins is self-performing much of the workincluding sub-grade stabilization, 445,000-square yards of pavement, laying 4,200 linearfeet of culvert pipes and building 1,500 cubicyards of box culverts. For its subcontracted

Team AlignmentTO IMPROVE NEBRASKA’S INTERSTATE 80, HAWKINS CALLED ON ITS EXPERIENCED TEAM. BY JAMIE MORGAN

Work on I-80 in Nebraskaincludes widening a 5.8-milesegment of the highway.

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work, Crockett says Hawkins called on manylocal companies on par with the company’squality standards.

“This project wasn’t out of the ordinary, butwith the amount of work done here it wasn’teasy by any means,” Crockett says. “I wouldattribute the project’s success so far to the peo-ple working on this job – the owner’s repre-sentatives, the Hawkins’ personnel and oursubcontractors. They have all bought into thegoals of the project and have done everythingto see that those are met.” Hawkins’ key part-ners include Pink Grading.

The entire I-80 expansion not only willwiden 44 miles, but also improve 41 mainlinebridges, 23 bridges over I-80, 11 interchanges, three rest areas and twoweigh-station facilities. NDOR’s goals are to increase capacity; repavesome areas that are nearly 40-years-old; widen existing shoulders; andimprove safety, road alignment and sight distance. Hawkins’ goals are tocomplete all its tasks within budget, on time and safely.

“We have weekly safety meetings and pretty extensive training,”

Crocket says. “Traffic safety has been a keyfocus, and we have a very good traffic control

subcontractor on the job. That is one of ouremphases of the weekly safety meetings – to beaware of traffic at all times.”

Hawkins maintains a proprietary SafeProduction program on all of its job sites. Thecompany has maintained a 0.53 experience mod-ifier rate for the past three years. Hawkins’ safetyteam includes a safety manager and risk assessorand the company holds quarterly managementsafety meetings and weekly field safety meet-ings. Hawkins says safety is a core component ofits success since it contributes to the health andwelfare of its workers and those around its

work sites. It also keeps client’s cost down. “Hawkins Construction’s safety record far exceeds the industry aver-

age,” the company states. “This means lower insurance costs with oursavings passed on to our clients. But most importantly, our EMR repre-sents our commitment to the health and welfare of our employees andothers on or around our job sites.”

Hawkins Construction Company- Interstate 80 projectwww.hawkins1.com • Construction cost: $35.7 million • Location: Nebraska• Employees on site at peak: 40• Scope: Road and bridge widening andimprovements “With the amount of work donehere it wasn’t easy by anymeans.” –Tom Crockett, vice president

‘I would attribute the project’s success sofar to the people working on this job.’


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When working on far-flung highway grading and sitepreparation projects, not having to start and end eachday at the office or yard is a real benefit for employeesand the company. Internet connections through cell

phone towers, laptop computers for employees and special softwareplatforms enable McCoy Grading Inc. to monitor its jobs as if its man-agers were onsite.

“Everything is done electronically – the timecard, daily production,notes and everything,” Vice President Jean McCoy points out. “It allowsemployees to upload their timesheets and information to an FTP site,download and review and approval is completed in the office.” Thisallows President Darrell McCoy, Jean McCoy and other managers toknow the next day whether a job is doing well or poorly instead of wait-ing for the financial reports to be completed. The software also allowsaccurate bid preparation because costs are tracked.

McCoy Grading Inc. uses GPS technology in its bulldozers and gradingequipment to reduce onsite staking. “The GPS will tell them wherethey’re located and if they need to cut or fill,” McCoy notes. It allowsequipment to increase production by 25 percent and exceed tolerancesof 1/8 inch within 10 feet of straight edge.

“It tells them when to raise and lower the blade,” Darrell McCoyexplains. “It’s fully automated. When you set the grader down, you swapthe machine over to the automatic operation. The operator then juststeers the machine, and as long as you stay within 2 inches above orbelow of grade, it will run itself.” If tolerances exceed 2 inches, the opera-tor must return the equipment to that spot manually and redo that sec-tion. “The purpose is to handle material only once,” he says.

“It’s an expensive investment, but it will pay off for us eventually,”Jean McCoy maintains. “There are some specifications that require thatyou use GPS to final grade on some roadways.” Using these GPS systemsrequires a highly skilled employee in the office to map out each job

using manual calculations. “Not just anybodycan do that,” she points out. “It takes a lot ofchecking, double-checking and fact-checking

before you send that file out.”

Making the GradeMcCoy Grading Inc. owns approximately 65pieces of heavy equipment and a fleet of 16 pick-up trucks, three dump trucks, two field trucks,three low-boy trucks and three field servicemechanics trucks. These keep overhead costshigher than those of some of the newer compa-nies who may just be renting their equipmentand bidding too low on jobs.

“A lot of companies are bidding site work,”

McCoy Grading Inc.www.mccoygrading.com• Location: Greenville, Ga.• Employees: 75• 2010 revenue: $20 million• Specialty: Grading, site preparationand storm sewers

“A lot [of companies] don’treally know what’s involved indoing commercial sites.”–Jean McCoy, vice president

GradedHighlyMCCOY GRADING USES THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE SITE PRODUCTIVITY. BY RUSS GAGER

McCoy Grading specializesin grading, site work andstorm sewer work.

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GPS technology helpsMcCoy Grading with precisemeasurements, it says.

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The company has seen a lotof work related to the federalstimulus package recently.

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McCoy reports. “That is keeping margins lowbecause a lot don’t really know what’s involvedin doing commercial sites. They’ve done resi-dential, and then they move over to commer-cial, and they don’t know the whole scope, sosometimes they’re way underbidding. We’reseeing a lot of cities and counties go to bidderprequalification, and that weeds out some peo-ple who don’t have the capacity to do jobs whoare just bidding for cash flow. But most of thetime, the low bidder gets the job.”

ARRA InfluentialThree recent McCoy Grading highway projectshad some portion of their cost paid for byfunds from the American Recovery andReinvestment Act. They were:

• Three miles of two-lane highway in TerrellCounty, Ga., near Dawson, completed for$3.3 million in March 2011. A portion ofthe existing asphalt was retained andwidened to remove some steep curves.McCoy Grading used three subcontractorsfor painting, striping and signs.

• A $16 million project converting 8.1 milesof two-lane road from Eatonton toMilledgeville in Putnam County, Ga., to a

divided four-lane highway. Started in April2010, the project is due for completion atthe end of March 2012.

• A $6.9 million project expanding threemiles of two-lane highway to three lanesin Butts County near Jackson. The projectalso is moving the highway 12 feet furtheraway from a railroad track it parallels.Started in April 2010, this project is due forcompletion in February 2012.

Private to PublicMcCoy Grading Inc. was founded in 1986 byDarrell McCoy and his brother Jeff, whose half

of the company was bought by Darrell andJean McCoy in 2007 when Jeff left the partner-ship. Darrell and Jean’s son Daniel now is vicepresident of operations and their daughter,Crystal Jones, is working with Jean on thefinancial and compliance side of the company.Jeff now is running his own smaller construc-tion company and does mostly private work.

McCoy Grading Inc. moved from ponds andthe residential work such as septic tank instal-lation it had performed since it was founded tocommercial work in 1992 when the residentialmarket slowed. Then around 2000, when thecommercial market started slowing, the com-pany moved about 60 percent of its business tostate and municipal work and the rest com-mercial. Since 2008, state and municipal workis nearly 90 percent of the business and com-mercial the rest, most of it within the southernhalf of Georgia south of I-20.

“We were like 25 when we got into the busi-ness,” McCoy says. “Darrell built a pond for aguy and liked it, and it grew from there. Wedidn’t have a lot of experience – we were bothjust publicly employed and didn’t really wantto depend on someone else for our livelihood.We were trying to control our own destiny.”

At first, McCoy Grading Inc. was operatedout of the McCoys’ home. But after severalyears, they rented a single-room office in astrip mall, and then transitioned severalmore years later to a 1,500-square-footbuilding. In 2008, McCoy Grading movedinto a new 10,000-square-foot building withoffice and shop space and a fenced-in yardfor trucks and equipment.

New Headquarters


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hen it comes to water, peopletend to focus on the preserva-tion of it more than its move-ment. But at Florida Flow

Control Inc., that movement is the very focusof its business. Based in Wellington, Fla., thecompany provides specialty water and waste-water contracting services to public, privateand commercial owners.

Project Manager and Estimator FelipeLofaso helped evolve Florida Flow Control in2009 as a separate division of ChazEquipment. At the time, Lofaso explains, he and his partners saw a need for a firm operating in south Florida that could pro-vide line stopping, wet tapping and valveinsertion services.

“We felt not only we could do the work, butperform at a higher value of service,” he recalls.Today, the company employs a staff of onlyfive, but serves such clients as Disney Resortsand Parks, the city of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., andthe city of Tallahassee, Fla.

“As a specialized water and wastewater com-pany, we are constantly in search of newopportunities within our industry to provideinnovative products and services that createreal world solutions to the everyday problemsof aging infrastructure and the ever-growingneed for water distribution and wastewatertreatment,” the company says.

Goal of SatisfactionFlorida Flow Control always considers theclient’s satisfaction to be its main goal, no mat-

ter what the size of its project may be, Lofasodeclares. “Every job is considered an utmostpriority, whether it’s a $50 job or a $100,000job,” Lofaso explains.

In addition, Florida Flow Control keeps closecommunication with its clients and makessure all of the paperwork is available onlinefor them to review. “We try to make sure we’realmost perfect,” he says.

Recently, the company completed work on alift station rehabilitation for the Village ofWellington. Before Florida Flow Control andChaz Equipment stepped in, “They had a lot ofissues with lift station sewage overflows,”Lofaso says.

This led to conflicts with EPA regulations.However, “We were able to get to work andsolve that problem for them,” he says, notingthat the project’s total value was $150,000.

During south Florida rain events, the level ofrainfall infiltration would cause the sewer sys-tem to surcharge because of failing compo-nents in the system. “We replaced non-func-tioning mechanical and structural compo-nents so that the lift stations would perform atpeak capacity and not surcharge,” he says.

Industry EvolutionBefore Florida Flow Control, Lofaso was a proj-ect manager and estimator for ChazEquipment. “We bid very large constructionprojects [at Chaz],” Lofaso recalls, and duringthat time he saw many underground pipeprojects through to completion.

Recently, at Florida Flow Control, Lofaso hasseen changes in customers’ requests.Previously, when clients had emergencies,they usually requested temporary line stop-

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Florida Flow Control Inc.www.floridaflowcontrol.com• Sales: $800,000• Headquarters: Wellington, Fla.• Employees: 5• Services: Water and wastewater contracting

“Every job is considered anutmost priority, whether it’s a$50 job or a $100,000job.” –Felipe Lofaso, project manager

Flowing SteadilyFLORIDA FLOW CONTROL MAKES CLIENT SATISFACTION ITS NO. 1 GOAL. BY ALAN DORICH

Florida Flow Control special-izes in water and wastewater

projects throughout Florida.

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pages so that components could be replaced.“What we’ve seen [lately] is line stopping

has evolved into valve insertion,” he says,explaining that customers are now looking fora more permanent solution. In the valve inser-tion process, valves are installed on live mainsunder pressure.

“The need for additional isolation valves is acommon complaint amongst utility owners,”he says. “In an emergency line breakage orrepair situation, they are looking for the safestway to isolate that section of main and repairit. With valve insertions, they are not only cre-ating new isolation points in their system, but

also adding value to their infrastructure sys-tem with a value producing asset.

“Line stoppages are becoming obsolete,” hesays. “We’ve seen an evolution from the oldway of doing temporary [solutions] to utilizingthese permanent assets in their systems.”

Instrumental PeopleLofaso praises his team at Florida Flow Control,including General Manager andSuperintendent Shawn Petty. “He was one ofthe instrumental people in founding the com-pany and helping take it to the direction it is innow,” he says.

“Shawn is the type of person that has an ideaand builds it without hesitation,” Lofaso says.“As valve insertion technology is evolving,Shawn has been at the forefront with workingwith the manufacturers of the insertion valvesto give comment, critique and help innovatethose products to better serve the end user.”

Another key member is Lead SalesConsultant Kevin Trost.

“He has been [essential] in helping grow thebusiness throughout the state of Florida,”Lofaso says. “Kevin has developed relation-ships with customers ranging from Indian

tribes to utility directors. He has a skill for lis-tening to the customer needs and offeringsolutions pertinent to their problems.”

Working in TandemLofaso says the company also has good rela-tionships with its vendors. “We don’t considerthem just a supplier of something,” he says.“We work in tandem with their [operations].

“When they’re talking with our customerson how they can incorporate our services intotheir sales, we dedicate part of sales to that,” hesays. “We help them sell valves and we helpthem put them in.” Florida Flow Control’s keypartners include Advanced Valve Technology.

Excited for the FutureLofaso says Florida Flow Control notices anupswing in improvement projects on aginginfrastructure. “We’re seeing a lot of the utili-ties start to fail,” he states.

In addition, “We’re seeing a future [where]instead of new pipe installs, we tailor our worktowards the need for new valves in the sys-tem,” he says. “That’s what we’re really excitedabout. We’re seeing [the industry] start toevolve in this economy.”

Based in Wellington, Fla., Chaz EquipmentCo. Inc. says it is a full-service undergroundconstruction, infrastructure reconstructionand rehabilitation contractor for clientsthroughout Florida. “The success of ChazEquipment Co. has grown from the roots of hard work, dedication and a sense of pride in the work that we perform everyday,” it says.

Proud Contractor


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there are some big things going on in the air atGallatin Field Airport in Bozeman, Mont. Withthe help of Bozeman-based MartelConstruction, the airport is putting the finish-ing touches on a significant expansion of theterminal building that will make it the state’slargest domestic airport.

The $40 million expansion will more thandouble the size of the terminal building,according to the airport. “The project willexpand the number of gates from five to seven,provide a greatly expanded passenger screen-ing checkpoint, add a third baggage claimcarousel and increase food, beverage and retailconcessions, particularly inside the concourse,”the airport says. “The project will also accom-modate the increase in passengers that isexpected over the next 10 to 15 years.”

Currently, Gallatin Field Airport serves morethan 700,000 passengers each year, and the air-port expects that number to increase substan-tially over the next few years. “At the end oftwo years, southwest Montana will have aworld-class air transportation facility that willbe capable of efficiently handling more than1.5 million passengers each year,” according tothe airport.

When the project was announced in 2009,Airport Authority Chairman Richard Roehmsaid having the expansion in place early wouldhelp cement the airport’s place in the region

Big Sky ProjectMARTEL CONSTRUCTION LEADS THE EXPANSION OF BOZEMAN, MONT.’S GALLATIN FIELD AIRPORT.

Martel Constructionwww.martelconst.com• Project cost: $40 million• Location: Bozeman, Mont.• Employees on site: 175• Scope: Airport terminal expansion“Martel Construction meets ourclients’ most discriminatingtastes.” –Martel Construction

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Martel’s work on GallatinField Airport will make itthe largest domestic airportin Montana.

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and make it an attractive hub for airlines. “Theairlines shop around and operate out of loca-tions that give favorable rates and facilities,”Roehm says. “We have been successful in thepast by staying ahead of actual need, and wewill maintain our competitive posture by con-structing this new facility.”

Growth and ValuesMartel Construction was selected to spearheadthe construction of the terminal expansion,and the company says its decades of experi-ence in multiple sectors have helped it on proj-ects such as this one. “We have built multimil-lion-dollar properties in several western statesand are licensed in Montana, Idaho,Washington and California,” the company says.

Originally a father-son contractor teambased in Bozeman, Martel Construction hasdeveloped from its humble beginnings in1960. “Our family grew the company toemploy approximately 150 construction pro-fessionals working from two offices and man-aging projects in several western states,” thecompany says.

“This expansion has been spurred by anunwavering commitment to quality and atten-

tion to detail,” the company continues. “Amongour projects are schools, churches, athletic ven-ues, libraries, hospitals, offices, restaurants,hotels, retail stores, apartments and high-endresidential estates.”

However, the company says it hasn’t forgot-ten the values that have led to its success.“Despite our growth, we have stayed true toour original values,” the company says. “MartelConstruction meets our clients’ most discrimi-nating tastes, from custom residential projectsto complex commercial buildings. Our com-mitment to quality and detail, as well as thecompletion of projects within anticipatedbudgets and prescribed deadlines, are all val-ues that the Martel family instilled in the busi-ness over five decades ago.”

Leading ContractorAs one of the leading contractors in Bozeman,Martel Construction has a broad range of expe-rience in multiple sectors, and the companysays it has achieved a high level of success inmany of them. “Martel Construction wasawarded the Montana Contractors’Association’s [MCA] Best Custom ResidenceAward for 2006, 2007 and 2008,” the company

says. “Our residential work has been show-cased in many regional and national maga-zines in addition to the Travel Channel’s ‘GreatAmerican Lake Homes’ program in 2003.

“We also have extensive historical restora-tion experience in Yellowstone National Parkas well as helping private owners retain orregain a structure’s original beauty,” the com-pany continues. “In 2008, we were awardedthe Best Historic Restoration Award by theMCA for our restoration efforts at the OldFaithful Lodge. In 2010, the MCA awarded ustheir Excellence in Craftsmanship Award forour replication of 100-year-old construction increating an addition to the Ketterer mansionin downtown Bozeman.

“In addition, our civil construction includesdetention facilities, parking structures,schools, and sports and recreation centers,”the company adds.

Proud Partners Martel Construction says the work of numer-ous subcontractors and vendors has con-tributed to its success over the years. The com-pany’s key partners include T&L Painting Inc.and Steel West Inc.


Residential

Although some firms maintain an in-houselegal staff, they are in the minority.

The majority of firms contact a lawyer onlyafter a dire situation arises that threatensimmediate and significant economic impact,such as the need to file or defend a lawsuit.

Such an approach is the functional equiva-lent of skydiving without making certain thatthe most skilled individual available haspacked your parachute. The landing can beunpleasant, especially in today’s less-than-booming marketplace, with smaller-than-everprofit margins.

The psychology that motivates contractorsto minimize legal counsel involvement in aproject is entrenched. Lawyers are expensive.During the course of a project, if the specter of apossible claim arises, dealing with it can bedelayed. Disputed change-orders and payapplications can be allowed to gracefully ageuntil substantial completion, at which time,hopefully, cooler heads will prevail and prob-lems can be amicably resolved with profit leftin the project.

A New ModelMost construction entities are so accustomed toproceeding in this manner that it amounts toan institutional failure to fully appreciate that,in today’s economy, there simply is less excessprofit from other projects to cover the loss orthe ongoing legal expenses on even a single

large project unnecessarily gone wrong.For some market participants,

enough such projectscan and

have led to the death sentence of loss of credit resources and/or destruc-tion of bonding capacity.

However, the construction industry, like most other American indus-tries, has the benefit of talented, forward-thinking leaders who haveadapted their business models to assure that their firms can weather dif-ficult economic times. Most are now familiar with the basics of resource-maximization innovations such as integrated project delivery and jointventuring. Alongside these tools, there has evolved a new model ofusing legal counsel, loosely referred to as integrated project manage-ment and enterprise value teaming, among others.

Regardless of the designation, with many variations in structure,these paradigms focus on the effective use of legal talent as an integrat-ed part of project selection, contract negotiation, project managementand project delivery. Rather than viewing lawyer project involvement asa last alternative, these legal services models recognize that many attor-neys fully understand the theoretical and common law underpinningsof typical contract provisions.

Integrated TeamsLegal counsel cannot perform a truly effective, full-contract negotiationwithout the assistance of other players on an integrated team. Otherteam participants, particularly on large projects, may include clientfinancial personnel, bid preparation experts, and a plan and specifica-tion interpretation staff, as well as client project development or market-ing personnel most familiar with the needs and expectations of the cus-tomer or other contracting entity.

These teams are dedicated to three goals:• No. 1, front-end project profitability pursuit by integrating the attor-

ney into contract negotiations and project pricing analysis throughcooperation with lead negotiators and bid preparation personnel;

• No. 2, project progress continuity by consulting the attorney regard-ing significant changes, delays, unanticipated conditions, problem-atic pay requests, among the universe of other common but pivotalproject developments; and

• No. 3, project close-out facilitation by having previously narrowedthe issues to be dealt with at project completion, assisting or leadingnegotiation of disputed close-out issues, and using legal negotiationskills tempered by the overriding need to obtain a profitable out-come for the company by balancing risk factors.

For widely varying reasons, most construction organizations consider the hiringof a lawyer to be a necessary evil and do not seek legal advice, even during thoseportions of a project most likely to impact profitability.

Keeping Wise Counsel

By Clinton A. Wright


The lawyer who is most effective in the above role will understandthat the goal of such a team approach is not to “win” each and every con-tract negotiation point, project progress disagreement or close-out issue,but rather to facilitate customer satisfaction and client profit.

Such lawyers are not single-purpose “hired guns” focused upon legalvictory at the cost of scorched earth. Rather, they are long-term facilita-tors who are able to anticipate the risks inherent in a project, ensure thatsuch risks are contractually well balanced, help maintain that balanceduring project progress and assist the company in resolving end-of-proj-ect issues in a way that maintains customer good will.

Contract ModificationsIn a construction project of any level of complexity, neither party willexpect that contract documents such as those promulgated by theAmerican Institute of Architects or the Associated General Contractorswill be used with no modification.

Inevitably, such contracts are perceived to be skewed in favor of themembership that dominates the drafting organization. Therefore, coun-sel entering into a “teaming” arrangement will normally find that, in anexisting contracting relationship, the other contracting party will expectcertain modifications to contracts as a matter of course.

However, counsel, in consultation with other contracting team mem-bers, may determine changes are not consistent with the client’s riskallocation needs for a particular project. In such situations, counsel canexplain, with understandable risk-distribution rationale, the reason fordepartures from previously used contract clauses, thereby helping toavoid an unnecessary misunderstanding.

Making the TransitionThe transition from a purely adversarial role on behalf of a client to a“big picture” project-success facilitator is difficult for some counsel.Attorneys with extensive construction contract litigation experienceoften make the best fit for such multifaceted teams. Litigation counselare experienced negotiators and understand that the risk allocationacceptable to both their client and the opposing party is a key elementin any successful negotiation. Reaching this level of understandingoften requires increased sensitivity to the psychology of the opposingparty, which is an inherent ability of successful litigation attorneys.Lawyers who have litigated construction contracts have spent muchmore time and effort exploring the real-life impact of contract clauses,thereby allowing for superior project risk analysis.

For the counsel with less understanding of how various contractclauses and adjustments made during contract administration impactcontract risk, integration into a client’s project delivery team is not advis-able. For instance, during contract negotiations, a team lawyer for theprime engineer on a project would be ill-advised to seek on behalf of theowner an overbearing liquidated damages provision, which is a depar-ture from that normally sought on such a project. First, although posses-sion of such a strong clause may seem like a victory, potentially harmfulconcessions may have been made to obtain it and a sour beginning rela-tionship may have been engendered with the contractor.

Second, although the clause is present andgrounds may develop which theoretically jus-tify its use, it may not be realistic to obtain itsfull benefit, short of arbitration or litigation.Third, it may be equally unrealistic to seekwhat, when viewed objectively, is an unearnedwindfall and expect repeat business with thecontractor in question. Fourth, commonlyimplied equitable legal principles may limitthe reach of an unreasonable contract clause,which would render the clause itself potential-ly meaningless.

The Team ApproachThe advantages of the above-described teamproject delivery approach are not simply theo-retical, but are already being realized by for-ward-thinking construction industry partici-pants. Such an approach assures superior riskallocation and conserves attorney expenseresources through a reduction in the frequencyand intensity of litigation.

These advantages benefit the teamapproach user in any economic environment,but can mean the difference between survivaland economic devastation in today’s climate ofnarrow profit margins.

IN THIS SECTIONMeritage HomesColorado Divisiong p.152Green building is a majorpart of Meritage’s work.

Company Profiles152 Meritage Homes Colorado Division 157 Lettire Construction Corp. 160 Taylor Morrison Colorado Division 163 Van Metre Companies 166 ABEL Building Supplies 168 C.F. Evans Construction

CLINTON “CLINT” A. WRIGHT III is based with Kelley, Kronenberg, Gilmartin,Fichtel, Wander, Bamdas, Eskalyo and Dunbrack P.A.’s Jacksonville, Fla. office.He has handled a wide range of complex commercial litigation for nearly twodecades, with much of that time spent working on construction matters includ-ing prosecution and defense of construction. He can be reached at [email protected].


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For Meritage Homes, green building ismore than an industry trend. “Whenwe talk about green, it’s about pio-neering a new standard for homes

and taking energy efficiency to the next level,”says Chris Presley, president of the nationalhomebuilder’s Colorado division.

The company’s “Meritage Green” focusmakes extreme energy efficiency a standardelement in all of the new homes it builds. Thisincludes foam insulation, ENERGY STAR-certi-fied appliances, double low-E vinyl windows,low-flow faucets, weather sensing irrigationsystems, programmable thermostats, CFL lightbulbs and low-VOC paints.

All homes built by the company sinceJanuary 2010 in Denver and other southwest-ern United States markets are ENERGY STARqualified. The national energy efficiency pro-gram also named the company one of its 2011Partners of the Year.

This focus on efficiency helps the companyremain competitive amid not just new home-builders, but in the existing housing market,as well. “We recognize that our main competi-tion isn’t new home builders, it’s resalehomes,” Presley says. “In a market that’s beenflooded with foreclosures and short sales, werecognize that’s what we’re up against.

“We provide something that resale homes

F Meritage Homes Colorado Divisionwww.meritagehomes.com• Revenues: $70 million• Headquarters: Greenwood Village, Colo.• Employees: 40• Services: Sustainable homebuilding“Our homes are 50 percentmore energy efficient than theaverage American home.” –Chris Presley, division president

Efficiency ExpertsMERITAGE HOMES’ COLORADO OPERATIONS SET NEW STANDARDS IN GREEN HOMES. BY JIM HARRIS

Meritage Homes has placeda strong emphasis on greenhomes in recent years.

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can’t offer, and that’s extreme energy efficien-cy,” Presley adds. “Our homes are 50 percentmore energy efficient than the averageAmerican home.”

Vision for GrowthMeritage Homes has other divisions in Arizona,California, Florida, Nevada, Florida and Texas. Itlaunched a North Carolina division this year,with more nationwide expansion anticipated.“The company has a vision for growth and con-tinues to add new communities,” Presley says.

Nationwide, the company has built morethan 65,000 homes since 1985. “Our core pur-pose is to enrich lives by building theAmerican Dream,” the company says.“Meritage takes pride in designing and build-ing homes and communities that are innova-tive, built with care and superior craftsman-ship, and deliver enduring value while practic-ing stewardship of environmental resources.

“We strive to provide an exceptional cus-tomer experience by respecting employees andtrade partners, rewarding performance andcreating an environment of personal growthand fun,” it adds.

Building InnovationOne way Meritage Colorado promotes its ener-gy efficiency to prospective homebuyers isthrough a unique model home in the SorrelRanch neighborhood in Aurora, Colo. Themodel, which the company dubs a “decon-structed home,” features exposed walls anddisplays explaining the home’s numerousenergy efficient features.

“When you enter the main level of thehouse, it looks normal, then when you contin-ue inside, you get this incredible `wow’ factorwhen you see walls that spotlight our foaminsulation,” Presley says.

“There are displays throughout that explainhow the products we use create a cleaner,healthier home that is more cost-effective to

Meritage’s Colorado divisionbuilds homes with numerous

sustainable features.

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‘Our core purpose is toenrich lives bybuilding theAmericanDream.’


live in because you’re saving money eachmonth on energy costs.”

The house serves as a demonstration toprospective buyers of the company’s strengthsin innovation and design. “Our goal is to createa product where homebuyers don’t have tochoose between buying an affordable homeand one that is superiorly built, and our inno-vative designs make us stand apart,” she adds.“People look to us to build in their communi-ties because they know our products reallyhave a flair to them.”

`From the Ground Up’Meritage Homes entered the Denver market in2004, building business “from the ground up”as opposed to through acquisition, Presleysays. The division’s first closings were in 2006,just before the residential market began todecline. Presley joined the division in 2008after serving as a division CFO for Centexhomes. She has been in the homebuildingindustry since 1997.

The division relied on a flat organizationalstructure and an emphasis on cost-cutting towork through the recession. “We dug in tounderstand where our costs were at every level

Sustainable materials areone of the ways Meritagepromotes energy efficiency.

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of our organization and really empowered ourteam to improve our efficiency and impact ourbottom line,” she adds. “The expectation here isthat people wear a lot of hats … we really oper-ate as a team.”

The Colorado operation has the lowest over-head within the Meritage organization. “We’vebeen told we have the most financially alignedteam within Meritage,” Presley says.

Meritage Denver expects to close a total 240houses in 2011, which is an increase of 40 per-cent more than the company closed in 2010.The company builds homes on finished lots inplanned communities. Meritage’s Denver-area

communities range in size from 35 to 161 lots,Presley says.

“I see our division continuing to lead thelocal homebuilding community,” she adds.“Denver is an excellent place to live with a lotof opportunities. My goal is to continue toexpand our division so we can continue to pro-vide homes that deliver enduring value to abroader range of homebuyers.”

Key PartnershipsMeritage prides itself on maintaining open,honest relationships with each of its subcon-tractors and suppliers, coining the phrase

“Meritage Forward” to describe its approachtoward its partners. The company single-sources most of its trades, Presley says.

“We share information with our trade part-ners about the growth of the division, andhave had tough conversations with suppliersabout cost reductions,” Presley adds. “We’revery relationship-oriented.”

Some of Meritage’s key partners are CreativeTouch Interiors (HD Supply), MetcoLandscaping Inc., Rocky Mountain DrywallInc., DJs Snowplowing & Maintenance Inc.,Environmental Stoneworks and AppliedElectric Inc.

Meritage reports that salesof its homes in the Denver

area are on the rise.

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Residential | LETTIRE CON

STRUCTION

CORP. – VIA VERDE

esigned by world-famous architec-tural firm Dattner and Grimshaw,Via Verde is expected to serve as amodel for affordable, sustainable

housing in New York City. “The innovativedesign represents the future of high-quality,affordable and sustainable housing,” ViaVerde LLC says.

According to Via Verde LLC, the design isinspired by the integration of nature and city.The project – which has Lettire ConstructionCorp. as a contractor – will feature a garden anda series of green roofs that serve as the organiz-ing architectural element and identity for theSouth Bronx community, where it is located.

The façade features aluminum, cement andwood panels with panoramic windows, sun-shades and courtyard balconies, according toVia Verde LLC. The building itself is designed tostep up from three-story town houses to a 20-story tower, exposing a series of green roofsand south-facing solar panels.

The development has been designed toachieve LEED Gold certification. The structureis estimated to be more than 30 percent moreenergy efficient than a standard building,according to Via Verde LLC. More than 20 per-cent of the materials used on Via Verde wererecycled, and more than 20 percent of the mate-rials are locally sourced, as well. Via Verde LLC

Lettire Construction Corp. – Via Verdewww.lettire.com• Location: Bronx, N.Y.• Scope: 273,000 square feet ofaffordable, sustainable housing“The innovative design representsthe future of high-quality,affordable and sustainablehousing.” –Via Verde LLC

DA Model for the FutureLETTIRE CONSTRUCTION IS DELIVERING A GREEN GEM IN THE SOUTH BRONX IN THE FORM OF VIA VERDE.

Via Verde will step up fromthree-story town homes to a20-story tower with a series

of green roofs.

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also boasts that more than 80 percent of con-struction and demolition waste was recycled.

The rooftop gardens will dissipate heat andabsorb rainwater runoff while providingopportunities for gardening, fruit and veg-etable cultivation, relaxation and social gather-ing, Verde Via LLC says. The stormwater recla-mation system recycles collected water for irri-gation, and motion sensors in stairways andcorridors help conserve energy.

Building-integrated photovoltaic panelsproduce electricity from the sun, and greencleaning materials are used throughout thestructure for upkeep and maintenance.

The units themselves offer a variety of greenfeatures, as well. Each one comes outfitted withEnergyStar appliances, energy-efficient light-

ing, high-efficiency windows, low off-gassingmaterials, sealed insulation and water-con-serving fixtures.

Lifestyle AmenitiesThe Via Verde development focuses on morethan just sustainable construction features.The project also will feature amenities toattract potential residents with a variety ofinterests. Via Verde’s common areas willinclude an attended library, an amphitheater, alandscaped courtyard and green roofs.

Within the co-ops themselves, each unit willfeature stainless steel appliances, a dishwasher,an in-unit washer and dryer, ceiling fans, hard-wood floors, luxury kitchens, porcelain-tilebathrooms and panoramic views.

Well-earned ReputationAccording to Lettire Construction Corp., thecompany and its development arm, UrbanBuilders Collaborative, have built a reputationas the premier builder of quality, sustainable,affordable and special-needs multifamilyhousing and mixed-use properties in the NewYork Tri-State area.

“Lettire is known for providing top-qualityfinishes and work, traditionally found in mar-ket-rate units, to all of [its] developments,” thecompany says. “[It] attributes this reputation to[its] start in the luxury interior and new con-struction arena 30 yeas ago, and make it a pri-ority to bring this level of quality, experienceand service to every project.

“The company prides itself on its strong rela-tionships with not-for-profit and privatedevelopers, government agencies and neigh-borhood leaders and coalitions to further itsmission to dramatically increase the supply ofquality affordable and special-needs housingin the region,” Lettire Construction adds.

Lettire Construction doesn’t just practice acommitment to affordable housing in businessonly. The company also helps those in need. In2009, the company sponsored the East Harlem“El Barrio” Cares Coalition’s second annual pre-Thanksgiving Dinner, as reported by HarlemWorld magazine. The magazine reported that inaddition to a monetary donation, LettireConstruction employees donated their time forsetup, serving and clean-up at the event.

Key PartnershipsLettire Construction’s vendors and subcontrac-tors play an important role in its success. Thecompany has numerous essential partners,including B&V Contracting & Poured Flooringand Boccella Precast.

Aside from Via Verde, Lettire ConstructionCorp.’s other projects include:• Dumont Avenue Apartments – Developed

by Hudson and designed by MHG Architects, this affordable multifamily housing project will feature 176 units.

• The Cienna and Hobbs Court – Located in East Harlem, this development consists of six building rehabilitations and new con-struction of 376 residential units.

• Claremont – Developed by WSFSSH and designed by SLCE Architects, Claremont will feature 114 units of multifamily affordable and senior housing.

Plenty of WorkLettire Construction Corp.

is building Via Verde inBronx, N.Y., to achieve

LEED Gold certification.

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ne of North America’s largest home-builders is dedicated to bringing itscommitment to quality to thebooming Denver market. The

Colorado division of Taylor Morrison has fiveresidential communities in various stages ofdevelopment in the Denver region.

The Scottsdale, Ariz.-based companyformed in 2007 after the merger of home-builders Taylor Woodrow and MorrisonHomes. It is a wholly owned subsidiary ofTaylor Wimpey PLC, one of the world’s largesthomebuilders, based in the United Kingdom.

“Our commitment to the customer goesbeyond building a great home,” the companysays. “It extends to the complete buying experi-ence, drawing on values we’ve held importantfor more than 100 years – honesty, integrityand a quality of standards that ensures a homeis everything [a homebuyer] expected.”

The company’s new developments in theDenver area are:

• Erie Commons, a single and multifamilyhousing development in Erie, Colo.;

• Jordan Crossing, a neighborhood inParker, Colo.;

• The Vistas at Whisper Creek and TheWillows at Whisper Creek, both in Arvada,Colo.; and

• Wildgrass, a residential community inBroomfield, Colo.

In addition to its operations in Colorado,Taylor Morrison also builds in Arizona,California, Florida and Texas. The company hasmore than 100 communities under construc-tion nationwide.

Focus on QualityThe company’s homes offer customers qualityconstruction and superior designs highlight-ed by innovative uses of space, it says. “A newhome is more than just bricks and mortar; it’san essential part of who you are,” the compa-ny adds. “At Taylor Morrison, we create themost exciting new homes imaginable, setthem in vibrant neighborhoods and invitepeople to invest their dreams in them.”

All homes built by the company feature

innovative designs from top national andregional architects. The company prides itselfon developing designs by understanding theneeds of its customers in the Denver and othermarkets, it says.

“Our expert architects and designers createnew homes that are comfortable, attractive andallow [homeowners] ample opportunity topersonalize a floor plan,” the company adds.

Colorado CommitmentTAYLOR MORRISON BRINGS ITS FOCUS ON QUALITY AND SERVICE TO THE DENVER MARKET.

Taylor Morrison Colorado Divisionwww.taylormorrison.com• Headquarters: Denver• Services: Homebuilding”At Taylor Morrison, we cre-ate the most exciting new homesimaginable, set them in vibrantneighborhoods and invite peopleto invest their dreams inthem.” –Taylor Morrison

OTaylor Morrison has several

new neighborhoods under construction in the

Denver market.

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“We use the highest-grade materials and prod-ucts from the most reputable sources.”

In addition to building homes, the companydevelops neighborhoods that offer homeown-ers a high quality of life. Locations are carefullyresearched, and close to quality schools as wellas shopping and other amenities.

Taylor Morrison’s private, pedestrian-friend-ly neighborhoods also offer lush natural sur-roundings and public areas.

A Pledge of ServiceTaylor Morrison homes are backed by exem-plary customer service both before and afterpurchase. The company says it looks to buildcollaborative partnerships with homebuildersfrom the very beginning of the construction

process through pre-construction meetingsand regular inspections. “We want [homeown-ers] to feel comfortable about buying a TaylorMorrison home from the first time [they] con-tact us and for years to come,” Taylor Morrisonsays. “Our signature pledge is your reassurancethat you’re making a smart decision and asmart investment.”

Every new home and condominium builtby the company is also backed by a limitedwarranty that covers major structural defectsand repairs outside of normal maintenanceneeds for one year. “We can offer these assur-ances because we use only quality materialsand quality construction techniques and selectonly trade partners who share our philosophyof excellence,” the company says.

A Proud LegacyTaylor Morrison’s core values of quality andcommitment to customers are a reflection ofthe passion for homebuilding of companyfounders George Wimpey and Frank Taylor.Wimpey and Taylor, both natives of England,founded the companies that would becomeTaylor Morrison more than 100 years ago.

Wimpey, a stonemason by trade, trans-formed his business into an English construc-tion company that had greatly increased in sizeby World War II. During the same period,

Taylor began building homes in England, alsoestablishing himself as a leader in the residen-tial homebuilding industry.

“Clearly, the legacy begun by our founders isbeing carried into the next century by a com-pany that honors their traditions and entrepre-neurial spirits, while making a commitment tothe Taylor Morrison customer that promiseshonesty, integrity and a quality of standardsthat would make Wimpey and Taylor proud,”the company says.

`Partnership Is Everything’“Partnership is everything” for Taylor Morrison,it says. “Over the years, we have successfullypartnered with many companies, large andsmall, who share our vision for building excel-lence,” it adds.

Taylor Morrison’s key partners include KlingConstruction, Split Rail Fence & Supplyand Metco Landscaping Inc.

Taylor Morrison’s commitment to qualityhomebuilding has earned a number ofawards, including:• National Association of Homebuilders

“America’s Best Builder” Award, 2000• J.D. Power and Associates Highest

Customer Satisfaction award, 2000 • Professional Builder’s “101 Best

Companies To Work For,” 2003

Company Accolades

Taylor Morrison says itemphasizes customer serviceand quality construction.

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Kling Construction Kling Construction Inc. isproud to have been chosen as a Trade Partner byTaylor Morrison Homes for their excavation andutility work. Kling Construction looks forward to along term partnership with Taylor Morrison Homes,one of dedication to consistently construct thehighest quality homes. For more information, call303-972-9300, e-mail [email protected].


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In a business that is often filled with uncer-tainty, it is critical for Van Metre Cos. to stayflexible so it can evolve with the shifts in themarketplace, Brian Davidson says. “We are

nimble enough to adapt and change with themarket,” he says. “We [will] change if we think itis a good idea and makes good business sense.”

Based in Burke, Va., Van Metre Cos. special-izes in the construction and development ofvarious properties, including new homes,apartments and commercial buildings.Founder Al Van Metre Sr. started the companyin 1955 and has built more than 15,000 homes,Davidson says.

Today, Van Metre Cos. is a privately held com-pany with a staff of about 350 in several divisions. For instance, the com-pany builds new homes, apartment complexes and planned communi-ties through Marquis Custom Homes, Van Metre Apartments and VanMetre Homes, for which Davidson is the executive vice president.

Van Metre Cos. also builds office and retailproperties through Van Metre Commercial, and

its investment properties division managesapartments, leases commercial space and oper-ates a health and racquet club. “Our new HomesGroup builds apartments for our apartment divi-sion, so we are really able to leverage our skillsand work together to support each other, ”Davidson says. By having its eggs in multiplebaskets, Van Metre Cos. weathers economicstorms, Davidson says. ”When people [are not]buying homes, they’re renting apartments,“ hesays. “That’s a good thing for us.”

Loyal AssociatesThe New Homes division is led by Group President Charlie Hockensmith,who joined Van Metre Homes in 1996. He has more than 45 years of build-ing experience in the Washington, D.C., market and brings a wealth ofexperience to the company. Davidson is the executive vice president of the

Strong SurvivorVAN METRE COS. SAYS IT HAS COPED WELL WITH THE DOWNTURNS IN THE RECESSION. BY ALAN DORICH

Van Metre Cos. specializesin new homes, apartmentsand commercial buildings.

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Van Metre Cos.www.vanmetrecompanies.com• 2010 sales: $227 million• Headquarters: Burke, Va.• Employees: Approximately 350• Specialties: New constructionand development

“We are nimble enough tochange with the market.”–Brian Davidson, executive vice president of Van Metre Homes


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New Homes division and he has been with VanMetre Cos. since April 1989. “I started as anentry-level accountant [when I graduated] col-lege,” he says, noting that he has appreciated theopportunities for advancement that the compa-ny has given him.

“There’s a lot of long-term employees at VanMetre Companies,” he continues, praising themanagement of Chairman of the Board AlbertBeau Van Metre Jr., Vice Chairman of theBoard, President and CEO Rick Rabil, GroupPresident – Finance and Accounting Secretaryand CFO Ken Ryan, and Group President ofInvestment Properties, CPM Brad Gable. “Theexecutive team treats people how they shouldbe treated,” Davidson adds.

Showing Its TalentsVan Metre Cos.’ current projects include StoneRidge, a master planned community in Aldie,Va. In 2001, Van Metre purchased 800 acres ofproperty to develop Stone Ridge, which willfeature more than 3,000 homes and apart-ments, 125,000 square feet of retail spaceanchored by a Harris Teeter grocery store, morethan 580,000 square feet of office and commer-cial development, a rehabilitation hospital,county library, schools, day care, three poolfacilities, a club house with fitness center, fourmiles of walk/hiking trails and more.

“We are building a diverse product mix inStone Ridge so we are able to market to manydifferent buyer profiles and increase ourabsorption and sales pace,” Davidson says.

He adds that he is proud of the fact that theStone Ridge development not only shows VanMetre Cos.’ talent for building homes, but alsohow skilled it is in developing a masterplanned community because it can showcasethe breadth of what the company does and allits product types.

Weathering the StormLike many other construction and develop-ment firms, Van Metre Cos. is coping with thedifficulties in the economy. “The economy isnot where it needs to be,” Davidson admits.

However, the company has found it easier tocope with the recession than some competi-tors, since the bulk of its work is in theWashington, D.C., area. “It’s not as bad here as itis in other parts of the country,” Davidson says.

“We are still having a tough time dealingwith low consumer confidence and gettingincreased traffic in the door,” he says. “Theremight be more people that want to buy due tolow interest rates and house prices, but it’s

tough. We’re dealing with some depressedpricing, a lot of competition in our market, butwe are continuing to weather the storm.”

The company did this by making somechanges that allow it to save money. “We’vedone market research and competitive analy-

sis to determine the hot button features thatour customers want to have but we have beenable to reduce building costs without reducingour competitive value,” Davidson says.

“That’s one of the advantages to [being] amore regional builder,” he says. “We canchange on a dime. We have an in-house archi-tecture team ... so we can [go] from concept toactually building in two or three months andhave newly designed product out for salefaster than other builders.”

Despite its challenges, Van Metre Cos. plans toexpand its reach, though not necessarily nation-wide, Davidson says. In addition, while the com-pany is now building 300 units a year, Van Metrewould like to grow to 600 units annually.

Working TogetherVan Metre Cos.' key partners in its work includeTimberlake Cabinetry, Springfield Marble &Granite-Division of Yalcin Inc. and Hayes StairCompany. Good partners help the companyachieve excellence in its properties.

Van Metre Cos.’ divisions have earnedrecognition for their work. For instance, VanMetre Homes received the highest numericalscore in Washington, D.C., in the J.D. Powerand Associates 2007 New-Home CustomerSatisfaction Study. For the past three years,the company was ranked No. 2 in the com-petition, Brian Davidson says.

“We strive to do the right thing when itcomes to customer service and follow up. Abig part of our marketing plan is for all ofour departments to focus on customer serv-ice and this earns us referrals. We havehomeowner parties and community eventsto procure our relationships with our cus-tomers,” he says, noting that this earns thecompany referrals and increased sales.

Doing the Right Things

Van Metre Cos. hasbuilt more than 15,000homes over the years.

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fter more than six decades, ABELBuilding Solution says it is at theforefront of the buildings materialsindustry with a reputation for qual-

ity. “[Our vision] is to be the leading regionalsupplier of superior building solutions,” thecompany says.

Based in Mount Hope, Trinidad, ABEL is oneof the Caribbean’s largest manufacturers ofclay building blocks, Metro steel, aluminumdoors and windows, and Astralite and SpectraUPVC windows and doors. Founders HaroldEckel and William Arehart started the compa-ny with the financial backing of Alfred Alstons.

The company was known at the time as

Trinidad Clay Products and capitalized on theclay reserves in Longdenville, Trinidad. Overtime, the company changed its name toAlstons’ Building Enterprises Ltd. (ABEL) andguided Longdenville to its status as a strongmanufacturing community.

ABEL today is a member of the ANSAMcNal Group of Cos., a conglomerate based inPort of Spain, Trinidad. Under its parentage,ABEL has partnered with Bestcrete Ltd., a firmwith more than 50 years of experience in thebuilding products industry.

“All ABEL and Bestcrete products are man-ufactured to internationally accepted stan-dards with the companies being ISO 9001-

A ABEL Building Solutionswww.abelbestcrete.com• 2010 sales: $80 million+• Headquarters: Mount Hope, Trinidad• Employees: 400• Products: Clay building blocks, steel,windows and doors

“[Our vision] is to be the lead-ing regional supplier of superiorbuilding solutions.”–ABEL Building Solutions

Making It HappenABEL BUILDING SOLUTIONS HAS HELPED BRING PROMINENT PROJECTS TO FRUITION. BY ALAN DORICH

ABEL’s clay productsinclude roof tiles, finishing

tiles and decorative blocks.

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2000 certified,” ABEL says, adding that a broadrange of Bestcrete products have “been usedon a number of prominent projects through-out the Caribbean.”

Proving Their MettleABEL strives to hire and retain talented people.Its team includes General Manager AdamSabga, who is also its youngest manager. Hejoined the company in 2007 after graduatingfrom the University of the West Indies.

Originally, Sabga joined the productsdepartment of its ABEL/Bestcrete division.During his time in the division, he broughtchanges “through the implementation of anumber of programs, [streamlined] the sys-tems in the department and was promoted tothe position of general manager of ABELBuilding Solutions in 2008,” the company says.

ABEL’s team also includes General Managerof Manufacturing Jason Mohammed, who hasbeen in his current role since 2008.

The company also has the expertise ofEngineering Geologist Hayden W. Romano,who has more than 25 years in the construc-tion industry. Romano joined ANSA McNal in2005 as the general manager of Bestcrete and is

now responsible for overseeing ANSA McNal’squarrying operations, which include ABEL’sLongdenville quarry.

Bestcrete’s team includes General ManagerCraig La Croix, who has been its general man-ager since 2008. “[He] started his career withLee Young and Partners as a mechanical engi-neer where he was instrumental in designingand sizing air conditioning systems, ducting,pumps, slurry and portable water lines for oneof the largest manufacturing companies inTrinidad and Tobago,” ABEL says.

In addition, he held roles at Kier/CCC JointVenture and Alcoa Steamship Co. Inc. “[LaCroix] joined ABEL/Bestcrete in September2005 as the engineering and maintenancemanager and quickly proved his mettle, whichwas recognized in his appointment as the gen-eral manager of ABEL Air Condition Divisionin February 2008,” ABEL says. During his timeas Bestcrete’s general manager, La Croix hasdecreased waste, improved equipment utiliza-tion and increased production.

World-class PerformersABEL and Bestcrete have earned rave reviewsfrom their clients. For instance, Richard Azar,

the owner of The Falls at Westmall inWestmoorings, Trinidad, said in a statementthat the firms helped create a “world-classlook for the mall.”

Additionally, Trinbago CommercialDevelopment Co. Ltd. owner Derek Chinpraised the firms for their work onMovieTowne. “On any project, it’s a real benefitto have people share your vision and be com-mitted to making it happen, no matter theobstacles,” he said. “That’s the kind of commit-ment I got from day one from the people atABEL/Bestcrete.”

Nicholas Tower Developer and owner IssaNicholas also praised ABEL and Bestcrete fortheir services on his project in Trinidad.

“When we decided to build a structureunlike any other in Trinidad and Tobago, weknew that proven and reliable suppliers wouldbe required to get the job done,” he says.

Strong SuccessBehind every great firm are the vendors thatsupport it. ABEL Building Solutions hasreceived strong support from firms like UnitedBearings & Equipment Agencies Ltd., whichaid it in its success.


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nhancing staff development pro-grams and educating its partners onsustainable building practices aremajor focus points for C.F. Evans

Construction as it gears up for recovery in thenational housing market.

The Orangeburg, S.C.-based firm has builtmore than 5,000 residential units throughoutthe southeast United States in recent yearsincluding multifamily, senior living and stu-dent housing projects. More than 60 of thecompany’s multifamily communities have uti-

lized financing through programs of theDepartment of Housing and UrbanDevelopment (HUD).

The company’s services include conceptanalysis and site evaluation, preconstructionservices, and general contracting and con-struction management services.

All of C.F. Evans’ projects are driven by acommitment to “build it like it’s ours,” also thecompany’s motto.

“We strive to deliver the same care andattention to each client that we would expect if

we were the owner making the investment inthe project,” says Kyle Evans, who works inbusiness development for the company.

Kyle Evans and his brother, Brett, the com-pany’s general superintendent, represent thethird generation of family involvement. C.F.Evans was founded in 1948 by their grandfa-ther, Clarence F. Evans.

World-class ServiceThe slowdown in the housing market affordedthe company time to take a look at andenhance its operations while it took on smallerprojects. “We’re keeping people busy, andeveryone understands that we have to be moreflexible,” Brett Evans says. “We’ve becomemore efficient and use resources more wisely;we’re in a strong position to move forward andprovide better value to our clients.”

One area of emphasis for the company inrecent years is staff development. C.F. Evans isworking to improve its formal training pro-grams, and has established a mentorship pro-gram where each employee is matched up witha coach, who helps him or her establish andtrack progress toward personal and careerdevelopment goals.

Attracting, engaging, and retaining the bestpeople is critical to the company’s mission ofproviding exceptional service to clients. “Weare a relationship-based company, and ourgoal is always to provide world class customerservice,” General Project Manager DavidSummers says.

“We understand that every client is differ-ent. Before we begin work on any project, wetake time to understand their unique goalsand concerns; we then make it our singularmission to exceed their expectations.”

The company takes a very systematicapproach including using a series of checklistsand other procedures meant to ensure quality.

C.F. Evans Constructionwww.cfevans.com• Headquarters: Orangeburg, S.C.• Employees: 70• Specialty: Residential, commercial andindustrial projects

“We’ve become more efficientand use resources more wisely;we’re in a strong position tomove forward and provide bet-ter value.”–Brett Evans, general superintendent

EA COMMITMENT TO SERVICE AND RELATIONSHIPS IS GUIDING C.F. EVANS BEYOND THE HOUSING MARKET DOWNTURN. BY JIM HARRIS

C.F. Evans has used the hous-ing downturn to enhance itsother operations.

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Evans MovesForward


C.F. Evans also makes sure that safety is astate of mind at all times. The companyemploys a full-time safety director, distributessafety manuals and handbooks to all newemployees, and conducts routine safety “tool-box talks” and site and trade-specific inspec-tions and meetings on each of its project sites.

“At the end of every day, every worker at aC.F. Evans jobsite should depart as safely as heor she arrived,” Summers says.

Certified GreenGreen building is another area where the firmis establishing itself as a leader. C.F. Evansemploys several staff holding the U.S. GreenBuilding Council’s (USGBC) LEED AP and LEEDGreen Associate credentials and the NationalAssociation of Home Builders’ (NAHB)Certified Green Professional designation.

The company is currently working on sever-al projects that expect to achieve either LEEDCertification through the USGBC or certifica-tion to the National Green Building Standardthrough the NAHB Research Center. Whilenewer on the national scene than the USGBCLEED green building rating system, theNational Green Building Standard is an

authentic American National StandardsInstitute approved consensus standard andabove-code green building rating system thatestablishes green practices for new residentialbuildings of all sizes and types. It was specifi-

cally developed to be flexible yet rigorous forthe residential construction industry, and isparticularly well suited for multifamily con-struction, the company says.

One of those projects is the Metro 808 devel-opment in Charlotte, N.C. The 237-unit,232,000-square-foot apartment complex isscheduled for completion in Fall 2011. Greenbuilding methods include the use of energyefficient building materials and the installa-tion of Energy Star appliances in units.

Critical to SuccessSubcontractors and suppliers are critical to thesuccess of C.F. Evans. “We place a high value onthe longstanding relationships we’ve beenable to build and maintain with subcontractorsand vendors over the years, and before doingbusiness with anyone, we work hard to makesure they will be a strong fit to our team,”Summers says. “We are fortunate to havestrong partners in the subcontractors and ven-dors who choose to work with us on projects;they understand that we must all work togeth-er as a team to be successful.”

C.F. Evans’ key subcontractors and vendorsinclude IES Residential Inc.

Here are a few of the honors C.F. EvansConstruction has earned in recent yearsfrom industry peers and others.• One of South Carolina’s “20 Best Places

to Work,” named by the South CarolinaChamber of Commerce

• A Construction Safety Excellence Awardfrom the Carolinas Associated GeneralContractors of America

• National Association of Home Builders’best multifamily project up to five storiesfinalist

• National Association of Home Builders’best student housing rental apartmentcommunity of the year finalist

• Amerisure Insurance Safety Award forworking 306,000 hours without a lost timeinjury between April 2008 and July 2010

• South Carolina Chamber of CommerceSafety Award

Southeastern Excellence


The “no-damage-for-delay” clause hasemerged as an effective means to protect own-ers and prime contractors from these types ofclaims. Although several states have passedlaws restricting the use of these clauses and thecourts have created a number of exceptions, areview of recent judicial decisions reveals theseclauses are upheld more often than not andtherefore can be a useful method of allocatingrisk on construction projects.

Sometimes called “exculpatory clauses”because they absolve a party from responsibili-ty for conduct that otherwise might be action-able, no-damage-for-delay clauses are usuallyinterpreted narrowly and any doubts areresolved against the owner or prime contractorthat seeks to rely on it. The exception to thisrule, however, is that courts construe the term“delay damages” broadly to encompass not justextended overhead or general conditions, butalso loss of productivity, inefficiencies, priceescalation and other impact claims.

A well-drafted no-damage-for-delay clausecan even extend to damages flowing from aforce majeure (a.k.a., “act of God”) event. In arecent case in Florida, a contractor soughtadditional compensation under a fixed-price contract because the project hadsuffered through four hurricanes.The contract stated that the contrac-tor’s sole remedy for a force majeureevent would be an extension of time,and it would not be entitled to delaydamages or any other addi-tional compensation.The contrac-tor – hav-ing finished ontime – argued that its

impact claims were not delay damages. The court rejected this argu-ment, and the contractor was unable to recover.

Enforcement ExceptionsThe courts have imposed several restrictions on the enforcement of no-damage-for-delay clauses. These differ from state to state, but there are afew common threads. The first and most widely recognized exceptionarises when the owner or prime contractor has actively interfered withthe work of a lower-tier contractor.

In Pennsylvania, for instance, a no-damage-for-delay clause will notbe enforced when:

• No. 1, there is an affirmative or positive interference by the ownerwith the contractor’s work, or

• No. 2, there is a failure on the part of the owner to act on someessential matter necessary to the prosecution of the work.

In a recent case involving the construction of a bio-engineering research building in Philadelphia, the

court expressly rejected several claims becausethey did not rise to the level of active interference.The subcontractor in that case argued that thegeneral contractor had actively interfered with the

subcontractor’s work by, among other things,accelerating the work, modifying the

schedule and failing to coordinate thework of various subcontractors.

Because the contract expresslyallowed the general contractor tomodify the schedule and orderacceleration of the work, thecourt found that those acts didnot constitute active interference.

The coordination argumentwas more interesting in that the

subcontractor argued that it wasdenied access to its work by the actsof other subcontractors. Although

the court recognized that denial ofaccess to the site does, as a general

rule, rise to the level of active inter-

Unlike claims for discrete items of additional work, delay claims can exposethe owner or prime contractor to allegations of lost productivity and extendedoverhead. These are difficult to anticipate and expensive to defend.

Dealing With Delay Clauses

Industrial By Chad Michelson


ference, it rejected the argument in this case because the subcontractorhad failed to show that the general contractor had knowledge of the sit-uation or had ordered the subcontractor to begin work despite the con-ditions. As a result, the no-damage-for-delay clause was enforced andthe contractor was denied recovery.

In New York, there are four situations in which a no-damage-for-delay clause will not be enforced:

• No. 1, delays caused by the owner/prime contractor’s bad faith or itswillful, malicious or grossly negligent conduct;

• No. 2, uncontemplated delays; • No. 3, delays so unreasonable that they constitute an intentional

abandonment of the contract; and • No. 4, delays resulting from the owner/prime contractor’s breach of

a fundamental obligation of the contract. These exceptions only apply in narrow circumstances. As is the case

with the active interference exception, it is presumed that the partiesintended to preclude claims for at least some negligent conduct and thecontractor must prove something more than mere negligence. Thus, theuncontemplated delay exception has been held not to cover causes ofdelay that are mentioned in the contract or that would appear to havebeen contemplated at the time of contracting. Things like ordinary poorperformance by the owner or prime contractor and failures of coordina-tion are considered foreseeable and, generally, are not considered to beuncontemplated causes of delay.

In addition to the judicial exceptions discussed above, several stateshave enacted laws limiting the reach of no-damage-for-delay clauses.Such laws exist, in differing forms, in California, Washington, Colorado,Massachusetts, North Carolina, Virginia, Arizona and Ohio. Generallyspeaking, a contractor is more likely to be able to avoid the no-damage-for-delay clause in a state that has enacted statutory limitations than it isin a state that applies judicial exceptions.

Waiving RightsIt is not uncommon for a contractor to argue that an owner or primecontractor has waived its right to rely on the no-damage-for-delayclause. For example, a subcontractor might claim that the prime contrac-tor waived its right to enforce the clause by passing the subcontractor’sdelay claims along to the owner, or that the owner waived its right toavoid delay damages by issuing a change-order that includes compen-sation for delay damages.

The courts generally hold that this type of conduct does not constituterecognition that the contractor is entitled to recover any and all delaydamages unless there is some affirmative representation to the contrary.Including language in its change-orders that reserve all rights under thecontract is likely sufficient to avoid waiving the protection of a no-dam-age-for-delay clause.

A recent case involving a project in Kansas illustrates just how difficult itis to prove waiver. The project was delayed and the general contractorpromised to fairly compensate the plaintiff subcontractor. Although thecourt held that “a rational fact-finder could conclude that the general con-tractor had communicated that it would not enforce the exculpatory

clause,” it nonetheless refused to find that theparties had agreed to waive or modify the clause.

Under Kansas law, such a modificationwould have required consideration, which thesubcontractor argued was present in the formof its decision to continue its work despite thedelays. The court held that this was no consid-eration at all because the no-damage-for-delayclause imposed a contractual requirement thatthe subcontractor continue its work – even inthe face of uncompensated delays – and thedischarge of this type of pre-existing duty isnot legal consideration.

Although there are many exceptions to therule, those exceptions are narrow and no-dam-age-for-delay clauses often are enforced regard-less of whether the result appears to be unfair.Owners should attempt to include these provi-sions in their construction contracts, but con-tractors and subcontractors should be wary.

IN THIS SECTIONB&G Crane ServiceLLC g p.172Equipment provider B&Gcredits its success to anexperienced staff.

CHAD MICHELSON is a partner in the Pittsburgh-based law firm of Meyer,Unkovic & Scott, and chair of the firm’s sustainable development group. Formore information, e-mail [email protected].

Robert B. SomervilleCo. Limited g p.180Robert B. Somerville isworking on a 30-megawatt solar farm.

Company Profiles172 B&G Crane Service LLC 176 T.N. Ward Co.180 Robert B. Somerville Co. Limited –

Sault Ste. Marie Solar Farm Project182 Tinguely Development Inc.


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fter 65 years, B&G Crane ServiceLLC has assembled a staff ofexperts who keep its customerscoming back, Vice President and

General Manager Gawain Grilleta says. “We’vegot people who have been here longer thanI’ve been alive,” he says.

Based in New Orleans, B&G Crane providescrane and hauling equipment rental services.Grilleta’s grandfather Xavier Grilleta Sr. co-founded the company with his brother-in-law,Louis Bronzo, in 1946. Grilleta bought Bronzo’sshare of the company in 1971, and B&G Craneremained 100 percent family owned until amajority interest was acquired by The SterlingGroup in July 2010.

Today, under Sterling’s ownership, B&GCrane operates with more flexibility thanbefore, Grilleta says. “It’s been a breath of freshair,” he declares. “It allows us to grow the com-pany and share some of the risk associatedwith the resources.”

For instance, “Owning, operating and main-taining over $100 million worth of equipmentwhile continually upgrading the fleet was achallenge as a family-owned company,” hesays. “Today, with Sterling’s financial strengthbehind us, it is easier to maintain our opera-tion while growing it at the same time.”

In addition, thanks to Sterling, B&G Craneis better able to serve what Grilleta calls “apretty specialized industry” of regionalpetrochemical companies. “The timing wasright when we got into this business and

B&G Crane Service LLCwww.bgcrane.com• Sales: $40 million+• Headquarters: New Orleans• Employees: 250• Specialty: Crane and hauling equipment rentals

“We try to accommodate[clients] every way we can andthey remain very loyal.” –Gawain Grilleta, vice president and general manager

ASeasoned ProsB&G CRANE HAS FOUND SUCCESS WITH A STAFF THAT HAS MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. BY ALAN DORICH

B&G Crane has beenserving the Southeastfor more than 65 years.

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started servicing them.”B&G Crane provides equipment for plant

maintenance and operates the cranes for itsclients. “We do it for most of the big refineriesin New Orleans and Baton Rouge, [La.],”Grilleta says.

He adds that B&G Crane has grown along-side many of its customers as they havebecome large companies themselves. “We’vegrown with them as the industry has grown,”Grilleta says. “We’ve been with them since thebeginning. It’s a hard [industry for newcomers]to crack into.”

A Broad ViewGrilleta began working at B&G Crane when hewas in high school. “Since I was old enough tohave a driver’s license, I’ve been coming towork,” he says.

It has been a learning experience from thebeginning, he notes. “I’ve been able to beexposed to a lot without having to travel allaround,” he says. For instance, during petrole-um plant shutdowns, “You get to work hand inhand with everybody, all the way up to theplant manager,” Grilleta describes. “You get apretty broad overview of the industry.”

He adds that he is proud of B&G Crane’s

entire staff. “Most of the people are as close tome as my family is,” he claims. “I trust all ofthem [in terms of] their judgment and theircommitment to B&G.”

Dependable PartnersThe company’s long-term vendors also earnGrilleta’s praise. “We have a long relationshipwith these guys,” he says. “We can depend onthem for the service.”

B&G Crane has had particularly long rela-tionships with certain crane manufacturers,such as Liebherr, Tadano, Manitowoc andTerex/Demag. “We’ve been doing businesswith them for eons,” Grilleta says. “Their relia-bility allows us to pass that reliability onto ourclients.” Other key partners include Paul DavisLumber Co. Inc., Ritter Forest Products andLard Oil Company.

Above the CompetitionThe nation’s economy has been both sluggishand more competitive recently, while

Louisiana has stayed fairly busy with post-Katrina construction/improvements and thestrength of the petroleum industry. Therefore,out-of-state companies have been coming toLouisiana to try and stay busy, resulting in avery crowded marketplace. “We’ve had a lot ofpeople show up that we’re not used to see-ing,” Grilleta says, adding that the extra com-petition has made things a little more difficultfor B&G Crane.

“Having to defend your home territory isn’tsomething we’ve had to do in a while, butwhen the economy picks up, we hope thesepeople will go home,” he says, adding that B&GCrane’s experienced team and highly main-tained equipment gives the company a homecourt advantage.

“When we send our guys out to job sites,they’re very familiar with the rules and regula-tions,” he says, adding that customers feel com-fortable with B&G Crane. “We try to accommo-date them every way we can and they remainvery loyal.”

‘We try to accommodate [customers] every way we can.’

B&G says post-Katrina projects have drawn many

out-of-state competitors.

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Getting Done RightB&G Crane is in expansion mode, Grilleta says,and the company expects the same formulathat has made it a success in the past to be thekey to its continued success in the future.“Right now, we’re in the process of openingoffices in Texas to tap into the enormous mar-ket that is Eastern Texas,” he says. “We want tomake sure it gets done right.

“As we find people that fit the mold, we planto try to provide the same services to higher-end clients and people who are willing to payfor superior service and reliability,” he says.

He adds that B&G Crane is keeping safety asits No. 1 priority as it expands. “We have recent-ly added an additional operations manager,field safety man and three craneforeman/assembly directors to our presentLouisiana operations,” he says. “Additionalsupervisors will be needed as our operationspick up speed in Texas.

“All of these employees have company vehi-cles so that they can stay on the road and in thefield making sure that all operations are beingexecuted in the manner that is consistent withexpectations of B&G,” he says. “These employ-ees are there to assist as well as evaluate our

field personnel; they are our eyes and ears inthe field.

“This is in response to the extended coveragearea that we will be servicing in the future,” hesays. “We feel that it is important to have amanagement level presence in the field tomake sure that our employees understand thatour commitment to safety starts at the highestlevels of the company.

“Taking it slow as we expand will be a key toour success,” he continues. “As we expand ouroperations to the West, it is easy to get overzealous when you see the size of the marketand the potential work that is out there.

“We are staying focused on expanding onlyas fast as we can find the right people,” he con-tinues. “It is important to us to recreate theproduct that we have created over the past 65years and not dilute or change it. We feel thatin order to continue to enjoy the success thatwe have had in the past, it all starts with theright people.

“B&G is committed to our expansion and areworking tirelessly to make it happen, but willnot compromise any of the values that havehelped us become the staple in the industrythat we are today.”

B&G Crane expects toexpand into Texas withinthe next few years.

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One of the Northeast’s most promi-nent commercial and residentialbuilders is expanding into new sec-tors while keeping its core values

firmly in place.Ardmore, Pa.-based T.N. Ward Co. has offered

construction management, design/build andgeneral contracting services to clients in thegaming, public housing, institutional and edu-cational fields in the northeast United Statesfor more than 90 years. The company is partic-ularly known for building casinos as well ashousing projects funded by the Department ofHousing and Urban Development, PresidentTom Falvey says.

The company continues to shine in these sec-tors while recently adding industrial projects toits portfolio. “We’ve recently greatly expandedour industrial capabilities,” Falvey notes. “Wehad done industrial projects before, but not tothe extent we are now; we needed to look athow we were conducting business because ofthe economy and increased competition.”

T.N. Ward’s ability to self-perform severalaspects of its projects, including concrete workand large equipment installation, makesindustrial jobs a good fit for the company’sexpertise. “We view ourselves mainly as a gen-eral contractor, so we felt this was a market thatwe brought some value to,” Falvey says. “Givenour general contracting expertise and our abil-ity to self-perform, we felt this was a market wecould be competitive in.”

Diverse PortfolioOne of the company’s largest current industrialprojects is on course to finish in August. T.N.Ward in January 2010 started work on a $40million, 40,000-square-foot expansion toSynagro Technologies Inc.’s PhiladelphiaRenewable Bio-Fuels facility.

The project involves adding a prefabricatedmetal building on a concrete slab to the exist-ing facility. This building will include newequipment used to dry sludge, converting itinto pellets that can be used for fuel and fertil-izer, Falvey says.

Outside of the industrial realm, the companycontinues to find commercial sector work,including the $180 million, 350,000-square-foot

Maryland Live! Casino in Arundel County, Md.,just outside of Baltimore. The project – whichwill be the largest gaming facility in Maryland,according to owners The Cordish Group – willbegin construction in May, Falvey says.

The company also recently started work ona $6 million equipment upgrade project tothe Bristol Wastewater Treatment Plant inBristol, Pa.

Other current and upcoming projects forthe company include parking garages for ahealthcare facility and a convention center,both in Philadelphia.

Ward Reaches OutT.N. WARD CO. EMBRACES NEW PROJECTS IN THE INDUSTRIAL SECTOR AND OTHER AREAS. BY JIM HARRIS

T.N. Ward Co.www.tnward.com• Revenues: $350 million• HQ: Ardmore, Pa.• Employees: 100• Specialty: General contracting andconstruction management

“Safety is not one of the costsyou want to cut on a project.”–Tom Falvey, president

The T.N. Ward Co. delivered adesign/build boiler project toRimtec Corp. in New Jersey.

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Problem SolversT.N. Ward believes in maintaining a high level ofservice on all of its projects, and takes a hands-onapproach with all of its clients, Falvey says.

The company’s reputation and experiencehave made it a go-to contractor in recent years forseveral owners looking for a second opinion onprojects. “As every company is looking for workin the current economy, some contractors arelow-bidding in areas where they don’t reallyhave experience,” Falvey adds. “We’re starting tosee contractors calling us to say they have a prob-lem with their project’s budget or some other ele-ment that needs fixing.

“Some owners that were hiring based on pricebut not holding much to experience are now see-ing that experience has value and just choosing a company based onlow pricing wasn’t the right move for them.”

A Watchful EyeT.N. Ward believes strongly in looking out for the best interest of ownersthrough paying close attention to building quality and safety.

Safety in particular is one of the company’sbiggest priorities. “Safety is always somethingwe have paid attention to; we put an emphasison our own practices, as well as look at our sub-contractors and their ability to do the work,”Falvey says. “Safety is not one of the costs youwant to cut on a project.”

T.N. Ward sets up job-specific safety pro-grams for all of its projects. Project managers,superintendents and key subcontractors look atissues unique to each project that could poten-tially carry risk, such as excavation or the pres-ence of hazardous materials.

Each trade on the project is examined inrelation to potential safety issues, and everyone

involved in the project goes through a safetycourse, Falvey says.

The company maintains close working relationships with all of itssubcontractors in all aspects of construction. “Generally speaking,they’re supportive of our needs in pre-construction and during con-struction,” he adds. “We all look out for the best interests of the projectand each other.”

T.N. Ward supports a number of nonprofitorganizations through volunteerism andfundraising. In particular, the company has a20-year working relationship with theSalvation Army of Greater Philadelphia, forwhom it has performed a number of build-ing and remodeling projects, President TomFalvey says.

The company last year completed the $65million, 128,000-square-foot Salvation ArmyRay and Joan Kroc Center in Philadelphia,Falvey adds.

Community Ties

‘Some contractors are low-bidding inareas where they don’t have experience.’T.N. Ward continues work ona design/build parking garageaddition for Aria Health.

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ntario established its position as a pioneer in renewableenergy when it developed North America’s first comprehen-sive guaranteed pricing structure for renewable electricityproduction. The feed-in-tariff (FIT) program offers stable

prices under long-term contracts for energy generated from renewablesources such as biomass, biogas, landfill gas, on-shore wind, solar photo-voltaic and hydropower.

FIT enables the province to construct renewable energy infrastructureusing private investments without the initial outlay of capital, whileadvancing its mission to phase out coal-fired elec-tricity generation by 2014. In addition, the pro-gram is expected to boost economic activity andgenerate new green industry jobs, especially forthe construction industry.

In particular, FIT has created a unique oppor-tunity for Robert B. Somerville Co. Ltd. For morethan 50 years, the King City, Ontario-based con-tractor has designed, installed and maintainedthe infrastructure for utilities as well as main-line and distribution systems for oil and gaspipelines. The province’s decision to pursuerenewable energy generation bodes well forSomerville since its core business includes elec-trical collection systems.

Perfect PartnershipSince January, Somerville and its joint-venture partner, Ponoka,Alberta-based Almita Piling Inc., have been working on the 30-megawatt Sault Ste. Marie Solar Farm project in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.Under a $1.8 million contract, the two companies are supplying andinstalling nearly 21,750 helical screw piles and a racking system for Q-Cells International Canada, an affiliate of Q-Cells SE. They will subse-quently install the solar panels onto the racking system before the proj-ect concludes in June. Q-Cells will provide operations and maintenance

services for the system. Although Somerville has acted in a subcon-

tractor capacity on previous solar projects, suchas land preparation, road building and electrical

collection, this is its first large-scale solar project,and it is pleased to be doing it in partnershipwith Almita. Together, the companies can pro-vide a full range of services and be more costcompetitive, says Somerville Manager ofContracts and Business Development Abe Dyck.

Aside from its expertise in electrical collec-tion systems, Somerville has constructedpipelines across Canada for decades and has theequipment and experience to build projectsacross a diverse range of terrains. Almita had

Bright OpportunityROBERT B. SOMERVILLE AND ALMITA PILING BUILD A SOLAR FARM PROJECT IN ONTARIO. BY KATHRYN JONES

ORobert B. Somerville Co. Ltd.www.rbsomerville.com• Location: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario• Contract Budget: $1.75 million• Scope: Support work for a 40-megawatt solar farm

“The client liked the fact thatwe … are doing everything wecan to meet their schedule.” –Abe Dyck, manager, contracts & business development

The Sault Ste. Marie Solar Farmwill provide 30 megawatts of

electricity once completed.

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worked as a subcontractor to Somerville on previous pipeline projects,which is how the two companies were introduced.

“Almita has a long history in Alberta of manufacturing and installingscrew piles,” Dyck states. “However, because FIT requires local contrac-tors, they can’t do installations in Ontario unless they open an officehere. That is not their core business. They are very busy in oil and gas inAlberta, so that’s why it is beneficial for us to partner on these solar proj-ects in Ontario.”

Learning ExperienceFIT requires solar farms to be built on land that cannot be used for agri-cultural purposes. As a result, they are typically built in areas with poorsoil conditions, Dyck says. The Sault Ste. Marie Solar Farm site is onswampy land, which is why Somerville and Almita opted to build theproject in the winter and take advantage of the frozen conditions.

However, “This winter was so cold that we lost a lot of the productivitywe were hoping for because the frost was causing more challenges thanwe originally anticipated,” Dyck says. “At the same time, there weredeadlines to get this project on stream, so we increased our resources bybringing in more equipment and more manpower to pick up the pro-ductivity that we had lost.”

Then, in the springtime, a quick thaw created very wet soils, “so wehad to bring in different resources to work around these new soiltypes,” he continues. “The client has been impressed with our abilityto access alternative equipment to meet the new site conditions. Weinvested in a large number of excavators with drill head require-ments to do these screw pile installations. The client liked the factthat we made that expenditure and are doing everything we can tomeet their schedule.”

Because this is the first major solar project Somerville and Almitahave worked on together, the Sault Ste. Marie Solar Farm has been alearning experience for both companies. “It’s a very heavy logisticaleffort that has to run smoothly, and I think we’ve learned everything weneeded to learn on this first project, so we know firsthand how we canimprove for other projects,” Dyck states.

He adds that Somerville intends to continue partnering with Almitaon all future solar farm projects. “This project is 30 megawatts, but thereare at least another 2,500 megawatts of projects that have to be built inthe next couple of years,” Dyck notes. “In fact, there are probably moreprojects than availability of resources.”


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hil Tinguely says he is just as com-fortable on a construction site as he isin the boardroom. “I make myselfpersonally available to clients,” says

Tinguely, owner of the Kailua-Kona, Hawaii,contracting and development company thatbears his name.

“I think many executives tend to placesubordinates in decision-making situations,while I tend to be out in the field.”

Tinguely founded the company in 1996after working for residential constructionand development firms in Hawaii and hisnative California. He brings more than 30years of experience in the bricks-and-mortar,legal and contractual ends of the construc-tion industry.

“I am knowledgeable about everything thatgoes into a structure including mechanical andelectrical systems, finishing and painting, but

also understand thelegal ramifications ofentering into a con-tract,” he says.

Tinguely and hisstaff apply that knowl-edge to residential andcommercial projects

throughout the western part of Hawaii’s “BigIsland.” The company’s capabilities includedesign/build, general contracting and con-struction management services.

The company relies largely on word-of-mouth and referrals from architects, past clientsand real estate brokers to secure its work.

“We offer a high level of confidence andexperience in our region,” Tinguely says. “Welike to say that we have an ongoing relation-ship with 100 percent of the people we’ve pro-vided services for.”

Tinguely Development is celebrating its15th anniversary this year.

Variety of ExperienceTinguely’s initial focus upon its founding in1996 was building high-end luxury homes inresort developments. One major early devel-opment was in the Hualaiai resort on theKona-Kohala coast, where the company built30 homes ranging in market value from $4million to $15 million.

After building homes in Hualaiai and otherresort properties, Tinguely started seekingwork in other sectors, including commercialprojects. “I wasn’t looking to get lockstep intoone segment of the market – I wanted to have

a variety of projects,” he says.One project Tinguely calls one of the most

rewarding he has worked on is the HalauHo’olako Community Center, finished in 2009.The community resource center is Hawaii’s firstLEED Platinum certified building.

The center, built using local building materi-als, features a grouping of gathering placesmeant to maximize natural light and ventila-tion and energy-saving features including anexternal light sensory system.

Like many of the company’s projects, thecenter’s design reflects its natural surround-

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Tinguely Development Inc.www.tinguelydevelopment.com• Revenues: $8 million• Headquarters: Kailua-Kona, Hawaii• Employees: 12• Specialty: General contracting, prop-erty development

“We have an ongoing relation-ship with 100 percent of thepeople we’ve provided servicesfor.” –Phil Tinguely, owner

The Aloha SpiritTINGUELY DEVELOPMENT’S PROJECTS REFLECT THE WARM ENVIRONMENT OF HAWAII. BY JIM HARRIS

MILESTONE

15YEARS

Tinguely Development’s capabilities include design/build,

general contracting and construction management.

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ings. “The lifestyle in Hawaii is veryindoor/outdoor, so we use a lot of windowsand openings in our buildings,” Tinguely says.

Sustainability remains a top priority forthe company. “Hawaii, by its nature, is a sus-tainable environment; the climate onlychanges six to eight degrees from winter tosummer, so we’re not dependent on air con-ditioning or heating,” Tinguely says.“Building homes and structures that takeadvantage of this is a necessary componentof our business.”

One of the company’s biggest current proj-ects is the $40 million Big Island Carbon LLCplant in Kawaihae, Hawaii.

Tinguely Development provided site workand general contracting on the facility, whichwill convert macadamia nut shells into acti-vated carbon that can then be used in prod-ucts including water filters, air conditionersand pill bottles.

Tinguely Development is in the final stagesof construction on the building, slated for com-pletion in spring 2011. “We don’t export muchhere in Hawaii, so we’re excited to be a part ofthat,” Tinguely says.

All of the company’s commercial projects are

built with users and durability in mind. “Theentire community gets to benefit from thoseprojects, so we feel those should be around for150 years,” he adds.

Key StrategiesTinguely Development’s range proved to beinvaluable after the recession started in 2008,significantly slowing down its high-end resi-dential projects.

“One of the first steps we took during the

recession was to reduce overhead, like so manyother businesses,” Tinguely says.

Two key senior staff members Tinguely sayshave been invaluable to the company areGeneral Manager Suzie Bistline and SeniorProject Manager Dale Washburn. Both havebeen with the company for more than 10 years.

Qualified VendorsAlso key to the company’s strategy duringthe recession is a subcontractor prequalifica-tion process. Tinguely Development says itasked prospective vendors for more docu-mentation when submitting proposals,including information about available capi-tal and cost projections.

Once selected, subcontractors serve animportant role on Tinguely Development’sprojects. “We utilize our strong working rela-tionships with subcontractors and suppliersand sit down with them during planning sothey know what’s expected on the project,”Tinguely says. “We’re looking for our subcon-tractors to be an extension of our company andwhat we believe in.” Some of Tinguely’s keypartners include Hamakua Framing &Structure Inc. and Torres Roofing LLC.

Community involvement is important toTinguely Development owner Phil Tinguelyand his staff. “It’s very important to us, as acitizen of this community, to stay involved,and we pride ourselves on having a pres-ence in that capacity,” he says.

The company’s community-centered pro-jected involved donating time, materials anddiscounted services to build a marine birdrehabilitation and recovery facility for theHawaii Wildlife Center, as well as buildingprojects for various humane societies andpark districts.

Involved Citizens


LAST LOOK��

�LINGER HERE

pellow + associates architects gp.110

Food courts present architectswith the opportunity to design

spaces that invite shoppers to linger. The Mapleview Mall

in Burlington, Ontario, gavepellow + associates architectsinc. the opportunity to design a space that stands out from

the rest of the mall.

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today. june 2011

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