N.C. Contract Activity Strong, but South Carolina's Slips

The value of new contracts signed in March for future construction activity in North Carolina improved by a significant 24 percent, while South Carolina slowed down and experienced a 13 percent downturn for the month, McGraw-Hill Construction reported recently.

North Carolina's approximately $2.4 billion total for the month was nearly $500,000 higher than last March. The nonresidential sector showed the greatest percentage gain, moving up 96 percent over the same period of a year ago to total $598.7 million.
Residential continued its steady improvement, moving up 13 percent compared to last March and tallying nearly $1.6 billion. The value of nonbuilding contracts was slightly below last March's total with about $270.2 million for the month.

For the year to date, contract activity in North Carolina remains 12 percent ahead of the first three months of 2005. The nonresidential category, with about $1.5 billion worth of contracts, is 33 percent ahead of the same time last year, while the residential market is 18 percent better with a roughly $4.3 billion total. The nonbuilding sector, however, is down 32 percent to about $656 million.

In South Carolina, the March total of about $1.1 billion was down 13 percent compared to last March. The biggest market, residential, fell 6 percent for a total of roughly $796.7 million. The nonresidential market was also negative, down 36 percent to 258.7 million for the month. The nonbuilding sector was the only positive category, recording a 25 percent gain over March 2005 for a total of nearly $78.8 million.

Despite the double-digit downturn in March, the value of South Carolina contracts remains 1 percent ahead of the same time period of a year ago. The nonbuilding category, with a cumulative total of about $291.7 million, is 18 percent ahead, while the residential sector is 9 percent ahead. The nonresidential category, valued at about $533.6 million for the first three months, is down 26 percent compared to 2005.

RDU Awards $258 Million Terminal C Contract to Archer Western

The Raleigh Durham Airport Authority (RDU) awarded a $257.7 million contract to Archer Western Contractors of Atlanta as part of the $430 million redevelopment of its Terminal C. The contractor began its work this spring on the new north concourse and processor building.

RDU acquired the Terminal C lease from American Airlines in 2002, and plans to transform the one-time airline hub facility into a multiple-airline terminal.

Heery and D.H. Griffin to Build New Heritage High School

Heery International of Atlanta and D.H. Griffin Construction Co. in Raleigh have been awarded a contract by the Wake County Board of Education to manage construction of the new $63 million Heritage High School in the town of Wake Forest. Construction is set to begin in early 2007 and the school is expected to open in 2009.

The 270,000 sq.-ft. high school will be built on 60 acres and will house approximately 1,600 students.

National Gypsum Breaks Ground for Mt. Holly Plant

National Gypsum Co. of Charlotte, a manufacturer of gypsum wallboard, broke ground recently for its $125 million high-speed wallboard plant in Mt. Holly, NC. The plant will be capable of producing approximately one billion sq. ft. of wallboard annually at speeds over 500 feet per minute. National Gypsum expects to begin operating the plant during the third quarter of 2007.

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