A joint venture of H.J. High Construction Co. of Orlando and Batson-Cook Co. of Atlanta was awarded the contract to design-build the Mitsubishi Power Systems Savannah Machinery Works. The contractors, working with architect The Austin Co. of Cleveland, will design and construct the first phase of the $325-million project in Pooler.

H.J. High has a history building for Mitsubishi Power Systems, having recently completed a project for the owner in the Orlando area. Robert High, project director for H.J.High, stated in a press release: “Our experience working with Mitsubishi, combined with Batson-Cook’s familiarity with construction in Georgia, provided a natural compatibility for a joint-venture.”

Design firms Hussey Gay Bell & DeYoung of Savannah and Larson & Darby Group of Rockford, Ill., are also involved with the project. The new plant will manufacture gas and steam turbines and refurbish rotors and other power generation equipment. The project will include a 30,000-sq-ft office facility and two bays of manufacturing facilities for a total of approximately 150,000 sq ft.

The team also hired several design-build subcontractors to help fast-track the design process: Excel Electrical, Ivey Mechanical, and Gwinnett Fire Sprinkler from Atlanta, SteelFab from Charlotte, N.C., and Florida Handling Systems from Orlando.