Hardin, DeKalb Pipeline Win CURT Safety Awards

The Construction Users Roundtable recently presented its Construction Industry Safety Excellence awards to 20 corporations around the country, and two Georgia-based firms were among the winners.

Hardin Construction Co. of Atlanta won a "Constructor Safety Award" in the category of "General Contractors and Operative Builders." CURT cited Hardin's unique safety program features that included an electronic safety database for communication; a safety award presented at the company's annual education conference; and third party auditing.

DeKalb Pipeline Co. of Conyers, Ga., won a "Constructor Safety Award" in the category of "Heavy Construction Other Than Building." The site development contractor was recognized for its management's commitment to safety, with the president in the field correcting unsafe situations; safety craft training for all employees including laborers; and line accountability through taking lead in correcting unsafe situations.

CURT's annual CISE Awards recognize safety leaders in all segments of the construction industry. The competition is open to CURT members, national contractor associations and local construction user councils nationwide. Entries were judged by a panel of construction and engineering executives who represent major corporations that are among the largest consumers in the construction industry.

GUCA Awards $10,000 in Scholarships

The Georgia Utility Contractors Association, Forest Park, recently awarded $10,000 in scholarships to four construction and civil engineering students attending four-year higher education institutions in Georgia. This year's winners included:

· Bruno Barros is a senior at Southern Polytechnic State University majoring in civil engineering. Barros has worked with Engineering Consulting Services during the last year and is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Concrete Institute. He plans on pursuing a career in the structural engineering field as well as working to become a professional engineer.
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· Josh Carnes is a senior civil engineer major at Southern Polytechnic University. Carnes began his career in construction by working for 10 years in the residential home construction field. He also has worked for four years with a heavy equipment and tool rental operation.
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· Scott Joseph Mathis is a junior at Georgia Southern University, where he is majoring in construction management. He is involved in the Georgia Southern Construction Management Guild.
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· David G. Sindelar is a senior construction management major at Georgia Southern University. Sindelar has worked as an estimator for a wastewater and water treatment plant company through an internship over the last two summers.
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Junior- and senior-level students attending four-year colleges and majoring in construction or engineering degree programs are eligible to apply for scholarships from GUCA. The association has awarded more than $75,000 in scholarships since 1995.

"The GUCA scholarship opportunities help open the door for students to complete their educational goals and hopefully gear their construction-related education to the much-needed utility construction industry," said Vikki McReynolds, executive director of GUCA.

Georgia ABC Members Pitch In for Community Project

Associated Builders and Contractors of Georgia's Community Involvement Committee recently held an event where chapter members updated the Roswell Nursing Home's courtyard. Volunteers poured a concrete slab for the facility's new covered patio, performed extensive landscaping work, built a stone walkway through the courtyard and laid brick in an area for outdoor grilling.

"This has been a great project for everyone involved," said Sam Stiteler, chair of the chapter's community involvement committee. "We are very pleased with the results and believe the residents of the Roswell Nursing Home will enjoy their new outdoor area."

All labor and most materials were donated by ABC members.