The Base Realignment and Closure Act of 2005 has been a lifeline for some Virginia contractors during a recession that has driven many other sectors to a near-standstill. But with less than 18 months remaining before the mandated Sept. 15, 2011, deadline for completing BRAC, contractors are coming down to crunch time. W.M. Jordan Co. is building the second phase of the Ordnance School Central Campus project at Fort Lee, Va., one of the last components in the Army’s multibillion “Home of Ordnance” initiative at Fort Lee. Related Links: Focus on Virginia To minimize operational disruptions and maintain readiness across
Ironically, a job with only two bidders helped Daniel J. Keating Co. of Narberth, Pa., survive 2009 with no layoff s and $172 million in revenue. Daniel J. Keating teamed up with the Keating Building Corp. of Philadelphia on a $500-million expansion to the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. It’s keeping both firms and their subcontractors busy during a rough economy, and it’s not scheduled for completion until 2011. Related Links: Top Contractors Clark Construction Group Grunley Construction Co. Mid Eastern Builders Bozzuto Construction Co. Oak Contracting Hill International Top Contractors List Also in 2009, the company continued work on
Despite a recession that put a stranglehold on private development, some Virginia contractors continue to breathe easier thanks to the major public and institutional work that has flowed through the state in recent years. Mortenson Construction is aiming for a 2012 completion of the $275-million Martha Jefferson Hospital replacement in Charlottesville, Va. In 2009, KBS of Richmond broke ground on the $51.5-million Henrico County High School #1 in Richmond. The two-story, 255,000-sq-ft facility will complete in June. Related Links: Crunch Time for BRAC But as billions in federal funding comes to an end and state coffers dry up in the
With roots in federal renovation and construction projects, Grunley Construction Co. of Rockville, Md., fared well in 2009. Although regional revenues were down $50 million from 2008, the company finished 2009 with $326 million in revenue and maintained full employment. Related Links: Top Contractors Clark Construction Group Mid Eastern Builders Daniel J. Keating Co. Bozzuto Construction Co. Oak Contracting Hill International Top Contractors List “Our renovation work tends to be sizable, multiyear projects,” says Joel Zingeser, director of corporate development at Grunley. “We’ve had a fairly stable backlog of work, and in April 2009, we were awarded several American Recovery
Hill International with headquarter’s in Houston, recently acquired Boyken International Inc., which also has offices in Houston. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Donald R. Boyken, Boyken International CEO, will serve as senior vice president and south regional manager for Hill’s Project Management Group. Related Links: Building IT Into Construction Dallas Logistics Hub Buildings Achieve Gold LEED Certification STV Acquires Dallas-Based Civil Structures Inc. TxDOT Selects Leader for New Rail Division BNSF Names Dean Wise Vice President, Network Strategy HKS, Hill & Wilkinson, Complete Dallas’ Ronald McDonald House Yates Construction Relocates North Texas Office Operations
Recognizing the economy was turning toward the end of 2008, Mid Eastern Builders of Chesapeake, Va., bid aggressively and secured contracts for a diverse mix of long-term projects that have helped the firm thrive in 2009, with revenues of $190 million up from $158.9 million in 2008. Related Links: Top Contractors Clark Construction Group Grunley Construction Co. Daniel J. Keating Co. Bozzuto Construction Co. Oak Contracting Hill International Top Contractors List “We cover a wide range of project types and have the Noah’s Ark of construction portfolios,” says Mark F. Olmstead, vice president of Mid Eastern Builders. “[That diversity] has
Despite the recession, 2009 proved to be a banner year for Oak Contracting of Towson, Md., as revenue increased to $164 million from $91 million in 2008. Related Links: Top Contractors Clark Construction Group Grunley Construction Co. Mid Eastern Builders Daniel J. Keating Co. Bozzuto Construction Co. Hill International Top Contractors List Dominick J. Dunnigan, director of marketing for Oak Contracting, attributes that success to building relationships that gain repeat clients and a K-12 market that was not hit as hard economically as other segments. “The money and the spending are still there” in building schools, Dunnigan says. Oak constructs
Hanging more than 200 ft over a jobsite in downtown Kansas City, Mo., James Hague doesn’t seem to notice the tiny people and equipment below his feet. Photo: Tudor Van Hampton Hanging from a protective harness, Hague uses a dial gauge to check for excessive play in the crane�s rotator gear. The senior technician is intently fiddling with a dial gauge that measures the amount of play in a crane turntable—the giant gear that rotates the jib. “A bearing could go bad,” says Hague, suspended from a full-body harness. “And that’s something we want to know before the top falls
Firms looking to boost sagging bottom lines and gain more-robust public-sector construction markets generated a record attendance of more than 550 at this year�s federal and military workload briefings, sponsored by the Society of American Military Engineers on March 18 in Alexandria, Va. Traditional pockets of �milcon� work�such as in base closure and housing�are winding down, officials said. But overseas expansion and new initiatives in energy conservation and facility �quality of life� upgrades are boosting work for the short term, just as new conference attendees were boosting their profiles. Photo: Bruce Buckley / ENR DOD service chiefs outline milcon budgets
While President Obama signed the health-care reform legislation into law at a jubilant White House ceremony on March 23, grim-faced Republicans geared up for a battle in the Senate over a "reconciliation" package that amends the bill just signed into law. Riding with that reconciliation measure is the fate of a provision that has divided the construction industry. That provision, sponsored by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), was in the Senate-passed version of the bill and thus is now law. It requires construction companies with more than five full-time employees and a payroll of $250,000 or more to offer health-care coverage