Florida’s transition to more efficient and clean energy production hit a speed bump in January when Juno Beach, Fla.-based FPL Group said it would immediately halt work on approved nuclear and modernization projects that collectively totaled as much as $20 billion. The sudden move came on the heels of the state Public Service Commission rejecting FPL’s requests for rate hikes totaling more than $1 billion. FPL Group Chairman and CEO Lew Hay cited the decision as evidence of a deteriorating regulatory climate in Florida that “is increasingly hostile to investment. Related Links: $400-Million I-4/Selmon Connector Moves Ahead With Stimulus Funds
Greenville, S.C.-based O’Neal was awarded a construction contract to expand FitesaFiberweb’s plant in Simpsonville, S.C. O’Neal started design for the project in September. Related Links: North Carolina Wins $545 Million in Federal Rail Grants North Carolina: 1% December Drop Adds Up to 28% ’09 Decline South Carolina: 18% December Drop = 36% ’09 Decline Carolinas AGC Presents Top Honors to Construction Leaders South Carolina Leaders Hope for I-73 Stimulus Dollars URS to Operate North Carolina’s Triangle Expressway Toll Facility The company will build two manufacturing lines that will produce items for the hygiene products industry. FitesaFiberweb Simpsonville is a joint
McGraw-Hill Construction, publisher of Southeast Construction, reported that the value of new Florida contracts signed in December for future construction fell by 8% overall, compared to the same period of a year ago. The total of all new contracts was slightly more than $1.7 billion. Related Links: FPL Halts Work on Nuclear, Modernization Projects $400-Million I-4/Selmon Connector Moves Ahead With Stimulus Funds Legoland Florida to Rise at Former Cypress Gardens Construction Starts on Everglades Restoration Project Tamiami Trail Skanska USA Selected as CM for FIU Stempel Complex Stiles to Develop, Build Nova Southeastern Educational Center Contractor to Replace Jet Fuel
Despite a healthy uptick in the residential market, the overall value of Georgia contracts signed in December for future construction fell by 11% for the month, according to McGraw-Hill Construction, publisher of Southeast Construction. Related Links: Batson-Cook, H.J. High Joint Venture for Mitsubishi Power Systems Project McCarthy Wins Project at Clayton State University BRPH/Lifecycle Team Awarded Project at Fort Stewart, Ga. The residential sector improved by 18% in December, compared to the same period of a year ago, for a monthly total of approximately $229.3 million. The other two construction categories went negative, however. Nonresidential starts fell 9% in December
Atlanta-based Hardin Construction Co. announced it has reached an agreement to acquire selected assets of Tampa-based Mathews Construction. According to the companies, Mathews Construction will continue operating under the Mathews name, as a division of Hardin. Related Links: Obama’s Budget for USACE Civil Works Totals $4.9 Billion Danis Building Construction Co. Acquires R.N. Rouse & Co. of N.C. Coral Gables, Fla.-based MasTec to Acquire Precision Pipeline “We are extremely excited to bring Mathews into the Hardin fold, as we view the merger as favorable to both firms’ growth,” said Hardin Chairman Brantley Barrow. “The merger offers Mathews the greater resources
As financially risky as the construction industry is, contractors should give priority to the relationships with sureties, banks and other stakeholders. To lose them is to be thrown adrift in uncertain and fiscally dangerous waters. Contractors need to provide more than lip service. Occasional proof of profitability and a round of golf aren’t enough. What lenders and sureties need is a top-to-bottom understanding of a contractor’s financial management systems and plans for the future. The best way to share this information is with a comprehensive reporting package presented once or twice a year. This can allay many anxieties. To continue
All contractors, no matter what market they serve, face a myriad of employment laws and regulations. For those contractors and subcontractors working on federal or federally funded projects, however, there are additional laws and regulations designed to promote government policies. The laws and regulations apply to every aspect of the employment process, including hiring, firing and everything in between. These laws also usually apply to subcontractors that furnish supplies or services necessary to perform a federal contract. Failure to comply with these laws can lead to a variety of consequences, including lawsuits, criminal penalties, fines and debarment and/or cancellation of
Throughout this issue of Southeast Construction, public works projects are front and center. Here, we provide a look at the strength of the market as a whole, and how contractors are fighting to win work in this critical construction sector. Photo: Dwayne Easterling, Jacobs Associates The $305-million South Cobb Tunnel, currently under construction in Cobb County, Ga., is one of the larger public-works projects under way in the four-state Southeast region. But it’s certainly not the only one. Image: City of Orlando Orlando’s “Venues” building program also includes a $425-mi llion performing-arts center. The center’s design team includes: HKS Architects,
It’s been a long time coming, but the final piece of the city of Jacksonville’s Better Jacksonville Plan is finally becoming a reality. Turner Construction Co. is leading the $224-million design-build construction of the Duval County Courthouse. Construction started last April, with scheduled completion in May 2012. Turner vice president and operations manager David Reaves says the company expects to top out the seven-story, 800,000-sq-ft structure in April. Image: Turner Construction The new Duval County Courthouse, designed by KBJ Architects of Jacksonville, Fla. Turner Construction Co. is leading the construction of the $224-million project. Related Links: Public Works: Industry’s Salvation
The Atlanta area is home to some of the biggest sewer and water projects in the four-state region, and the South Cobb Tunnel is one of the largest. This $305-million contract for the Cobb County, Ga., Water System represents the largest capital improvement project in the water system’s history. Shea –Traylor J.V., a joint venture of J.F. Shea Construction of Camarillo, Calif., and Traylor Brothers of Evansville, Ind., started work on the contract in March 2008. Construction began four months later, with completion expected by 2014. Photo: Dwayne Easterling, Jacobs Associates The South Cobb Tunnel project represents the largest capital
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