Pinnacle Awards Recognize Top Carolina Contractors

The Carolinas Associated General Contractors held its annual convention Jan. 27-29 at the Breakers in Palm Beach, Fla. A highlight of the event was the association's presentation of its annual Pinnacle Awards for outstanding achievement in 2004. This year's awards and winners included:

• Best General Contractor - D.S. Simmons Co., Goldsboro, N.C.
  
• Best Subcontractor/Specialty Contractor - Bryant-Durham Electric Co., Durham, N.C.
  
• Best Supplier/Service Company - Knauff Insurance, Charlotte, N.C.
  
• Best Building Project - Victory Junction Gang Camp, Randleman, N.C. Shelco of Winston-Salem, N.C., was the general contractor for building this camp for terminally ill children. The project was a collaboration between actor Paul Newman and the Kyle Petty family, honoring the memory and vision of driver Adam Petty. ·

• Best Utility Project - Greenline Wastewater Transmission System, Mount Pleasant, S.C. Chandler Construction Services, Ninety-Six, S.C., was the general contractor on this environmental and ecological project preserving sites along U.S. 17 while installing 36-in. pipe 10 ft. underground.
  
  
• Best Highway Project - John N. Hardee Expressway, Columbia, S.C. General Contractor United Contractors, Chester, S.C., carried out a 1.5-mi. project that created a signature into the Capital City Airport, while the firm's value engineering saved more than $1 million.
  
  
• Best Highway Project - Interstate 26 Connector, Madison County, N.C. This project had been in various planning stages for 30 years. The ultimate working relationship forged between the general contractor, APAC-Atlantic of Asheville, N.C., and the North Carolina Department of Transportation resulted in state officials studying it for use in future highway projects.
  
  
• Best Partnering Project - Charleston, S.C., Financial Service Center. General Contractor Hightower Construction Co. of Charleston, Glick Boehm Architects of Charleston, the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Navy were honored for their formal partnering approach. This building, on the former campus of the Charleston Naval Base, carried national security implications because of the nature of the work to be performed there.
  
  
• Build With The Best Award - North Carolina Senator Marc Basnight.

The association also presented awards for service and safety. Firms recognized with this year's Outstanding Service Awards included: BRS, Richfield, N.C.; Carmel Contractors, Charlotte; Hendrix-Barnhill Co., Greenville, N.C.; T.A. Loving Co., Goldsboro, N.C.; Mashburn Construction Co., Columbia, S.C.; McCrory Construction Co., Columbia; Potter-Shackelford Construction Co., Greenville, S.C.; Rodgers Builders, Charlotte; D.J. Rose & Son, Rocky Mount, N.C.; Shelco, Charlotte; State Utility Contractors, Monroe, N.C.; and C.T. Wilson Construction Co., Durham, N.C.

By category, Safety Excellence Awards were presented to the following firms:

• Heavy Construction Division, 100,000 to 300,000 hours - Young & McQueen Grading Co., Burnsville, N.C.;
  
• Heavy Construction Division, 300,000 to 700,000 hours - Ashmore Bros. Inc., Greer, S.C.;
  
• Utility Construction Division, 100,000 to 300,000 hours - BRS, Richfield;
  
• Specialty Contractor Division, 100,000 to 300,000 hours - First place: W.B. Moore Co., Charlotte; and second place: Juba Aluminum Products, Concord, N.C.

NCDOT Could Make Major Cut in Spending

The North Carolina Department of Transportation may need to make cuts in its 2005 construction spending, officials have acknowledged. Some reports have estimated the department may need to trim its project spending by as much as $600 million in 2005, but NCDOT would not commit to any specific dollar amount, due to ongoing state budget negotiations.

The department has cited materials cost inflation as well as a recent change in the way it spent its funds as reasons for the dramatic cuts. According to the Raleigh News & Observer, NCDOT had spent down its cash reserves faster than expected.

In a prepared statement, NCDOT spokesperson Ashley Memory stated: "The department is developing a three-year plan to pace out activities with available revenue. NCDOT is working with the Board of Transportation to incorporate the recommended adjustments into the state's draft 2006-2012 Transportation Improvement Program, which will be released in April."

Memory added, "The situation underscores the need for more transportation funding in North Carolina." She said the state's recently adopted 25-year transportation plan identified a nearly $30 billion gap between need and revenue.

Skanska Contracted by Cape Fear Valley Health System

Skanska USA Building of Winston-Salem was awarded a construction services management contract by Cape Fear Valley Health System for an addition to the Cape Fear Valley Medical Center in Fayetteville. The 300,000-sq. ft. addition will include an emergency department, in-patient imaging, heart and vascular center, a 24-bed critical care unit, 48-bed medical surgical unit, a 500-car parking deck and 50,000 sq. ft. of renovations to the existing hospital. The $90 million project is expected to be completed by 2007.

Contract Activity: North Carolina Up Sharply, South Carolina Down

The start to 2005 was a mixed bag in the Carolinas, as North Carolina recorded a double-digit increase and South Carolina activity declined by more than a quarter, compared to last January. The overall value of January contracts for future construction in North Carolina improved by 17 percent compared to the same period of a year ago, McGraw-Hill Construction reported recently. In South Carolina, the value of new contracts decreased by 26 percent over the same period of a year ago.

In North Carolina, the greatest percentage gain was in the nonbuilding sector, which jumped from roughly $145.5 million last January to $476.2 million. The residential sector experienced a 17 percent increase compared to last year to total $1.1 billion. The nonresidential category decreased by 38 percent to tally $342.2 million, down from last year's $555 million.

In South Carolina, all three sectors were down, with residential showing the lowest rate of decline. The residential sector decreased 2 percent compared to last January, with a total of $460 million. Nonbuilding experienced a 28 percent decline to total just $92.9 million. Finally, the value of new nonresidential contracts decreased 60 percent from last year's $324.4 million total to the most recent $130.8 million tally.

HTNB Selected for Engineering Consulting Contract

HTNB of Raleigh has been selected by the North Carolina Turnpike Authority for a two-year engineering consulting contract. HNTB will assist the authority's staff in studying, constructing and operating toll facilities in the state. The three projects expected to top the priority list include the Garden Parkway in the Charlotte area, Triangle Parkway in the Research Triangle Park area, and Cape Fear Skyway in Wilmington. The combined projects involve 35.5 mi. of four-lane divided roadway.