The Engineering & Utility Contractors Association recently held its 41st annual installation of the board of directors and officers at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco with more than 250 people and 25 contractor companies in attendance. From left, Mike Ghilotti, Rob Layne, Mark Breslin and Mike McElroy. The evening began with an inspiring invocation by Mike McElroy of FMG, Inc., followed by the installation of new President Rob Layne of O.C. Jones & Sons, Inc., along with the 2011 board of directors and officers. Layne is a graduate of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, with a major in civil
Industry officials were cautiously optimistic following President Obama�s State of the Union address last week, with many calling the effort to renew focus on infrastructure investments crucial to broad economic growth. Stephen E. Sandherr, CEO of the Associated General Contractors of America, says that �in an era of fly specking the federal budget, the president was right to distinguish between wasteful government spending and necessary infrastructure investments.� Investing in infrastructure now doesn�t just boost the private sector, it protects the taxpayers, says Sandherr. �That is because maintaining roads, bridges and water systems now, especially in today�s extremely competitive construction market,
More construction firms are planning to hire workers this year than are planning to make layoffs, according to the results of an industry-wide survey released today by the Associated General Contractors of America and Navigant. The survey, conducted as part of the Construction Industry Hiring and Business Outlook, shows the industry may finally be emerging from a severe downturn. �This won't be an easy year for most firms, but it will be better than last year,� says Stephen E. Sandherr, the association�s CEO. �If current trends continue, this industry will be in a much better position 12 months from now
Fentress Architects and the San Diego Convention Center Corporation have approved the selection of two San Diego architecture firms to join the San Diego Convention Center expansion team. Tucker Sadler Architects and Joseph Wong Design Associates were selected based on each firm�s working knowledge of the existing facility, their success on past projects with the convention center and the experience of key personnel. Pending approvals, the expansion could begin construction in 2013 and be operational in 2015. Fentress� proposed conceptual design for the bayside expansion will create a sustainable 5-acre waterfront public space, the largest ballroom along the Pacific Coast
To develop what is slated to become the nation�s largest, most sustainable fleet operations campus, the seven-member board of directors of Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) has awarded a comprehensive contract to the Turner Construction-Stantec design-build team to develop the new 51-acre East Campus Operations Center. Scheduled for completion in 2013, the new, super-green SMUD campus will be targeting a net-zero energy rating, meaning the property and its facilities will generate as much on-site renewable energy as is consumed. Turner Construction will facilitate the building phase, while Stantec will provide buildings engineering support and primary architecture design, in association with
For the design and construction team of the $700-million Kaiser Fontana replacement hospital project, a major occupational hazard faced daily is a severe sense of d�j� vu. That�s because the 314-bed hospital and accompanying facilities are being built by the exact same team � general contractor McCarthy Building Cos. of Newport Beach and construction administrator HMC Architects of Ontario � that built Kaiser Permanente�s Downey Medical Center in 2009. Those firms were so successful with the earlier project, saving their client $46 million in construction costs and finishing three months ahead of schedule, that Kaiser chose to use them again
Work is fully underway at San Diego International Airport on a Terminal 2 West expansion with 10 new gates, new curbside check-in areas, duel-level roadway, more security lanes and an expanded concession area. The $1 billion project is called �The Green Build� and officials say it will create 1,000 jobs at peak construction as well as qualify for a LEED silver certification. Completion is scheduled for early 2013. Flatiron, in a join venture with Turner and PCL Construction Services, Inc., will be working on the expansion of the Terminal 2 West building and airside (the runway side of the new
Engineering News-Record (ENR), part of McGraw-Hill Construction, and the leading construction news publication in the industry, has launched its first of seven regional editions with ENR Southeast. ENR�s regional editions provide local market coverage, rankings and insights. Regional editions will appear in the pages of ENR six times per year in California, the Midwest, Mountain States, the Southeast, the Southwest, and Texas/Louisiana. New York will be published 10 times per year as a special magazine supplement to ENR. ENR California�s first issue is Feb. 7. �ENR Southeast has us all very excited,� says Keith Fox, president, McGraw-Hill Construction. �The high-quality
SGPA Architecture and Planning reports that Michael Collier, AIA, principal and director of the San Francisco office and vice president of Business Development, retired at the end of 2010. Collier, who joined SGPA in 1984 as a project manager took over as office director in 1987 and became a principal in 1988. He will continue his leadership on the corporate board of directors. COLLIER �Mike has been instrumental in establishing SGPA�s presence in Northern California,� says Dave Reinker, president. �He�s provided leadership in many areas including establishing the branding of our retail, mixed-use, senior living and wellness studios. While we�ll
Every year, since 1982, The American Institute of Architects, California Council has celebrated outstanding architecture through the AIACC Design Awards program. Beginning in 2007, the AIACC began including urban design projects in the Awards program. . The purpose of the AIACC Awards for Urban Design is to recognize distinguished achievements that involve the expanding role of the architect in urban design, city planning, and community development. The awards seek to identify projects and programs that involve public participation and contribute to the quality of the urban environment. These include urban design projects, planning programs, civic improvements, environmental programs, and redevelopment