Brent Scarbrough & Co. of Fayetteville received top billing as the overall winner during the Georgia Utility Contractors Association's 2005 Hard Hat Safety Awards program in Atlanta. The program recognizes safety achievements in four categories.

Scarbrough was the top competitor in the 100,000-plus man-hours pipeline contractor category.

Instead of having one category, GUCA split the nominees between plant and pipeline contractors, as well as by the number of man-hours. The category winners were as follows: less than 100,000 man-hours, plant contractor: Holt & Mahone Constructors; greater than 100,000 man-hours, plant contractor: Western Summit Constructors; less than 100,000 man-hours, pipeline contractor: Turpin Inc.; and greater than 100,00 man-hours, pipeline contractor: Brent Scarbrough & Co.

Judging criteria considered written safety programs, number of employees with OSHA training and certification as a drug-free workplace.

Georgia Contract Activity Down 8 Percent in February

The value of contracts for future construction in the state of Georgia decreased by 8 percent during February, McGraw-Hill Construction reported.

Overall, contracts for the month totaled approximately $1.8 billion, compared to last February's roughly $2 billion figure. Nonresidential contracts decreased by 45 percent from a year ago, to total nearly $315 million. Residential also declined, by 5 percent, to total approximately $1.2 billion. The value of nonbuilding contracts jumped by a dramatic 71 percent, to total nearly $350.2 million.

So far in 2005, Georgia contract activity has declined by 3 percent compared to the first two months of 2004, with about $3.5 billion in contracts reported. Residential, with approximately $2.3 billion in new contracts, is off by just 2 percent. Nonresidential is down by 29 percent, and totals approximately $631 million. The nonbuilding category is 52 percent ahead of last year's pace, with roughly $628.1 million in new contracts reported.

New Hospital Tower Under Way in Marietta

RogersHardin, a joint venture based in Atlanta, was selected by WellStar Health Systems to build the Kennestone Hospital Bed Tower in Marietta. The seven-story building will consist of 165,000 sq. ft., and house approximately 80 beds. The project includes a medical/surgery/telemetry nursing unit, pharmacy, IV therapy and respiratory therapy departments and a nuclear medicine center.

RodgersHardin is a joint venture of Hardin Construction Co. of Atlanta and Charlotte-based Rodgers Builders.

CDH Architects of Marietta is the project's designer. Completion is scheduled for December, 2006.

Batson-Cook Wins Fourth Contract for Northside Hospital

Batson-Cook Co. of West Point, Ga., has been awarded its fourth construction contract at the Forsyth campus of Northside Hospital. The $23.2 million project will create 121,000 sq. ft. of new space and renovate 13,000 sq. ft. of existing space.

Working with architect Heery International of Atlanta, the general contractor will build eight new general operating rooms as well as 15 post-anesthesia care units. In addition, a new sterile supply facility will be installed as well as an MRI and pre-op/stage II recovery areas. Batson-Cook will renovate existing operating room space to serve as special procedure rooms.

Georgia Renovation Project Draws Praise for Environmental Features

The renovation and addition at The Little White House Museum in Warm Springs, Ga., received the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The work, performed by Batson-Cook of West Point, Ga., included demolition, construction of a new 10,000-sq.-ft. museum, and renovation of several interior spaces. A vital aspect of the project was the incorporation of temperature and humidity control systems to protect the museum's artifacts.