Southeast Construction Hosts First "Best Of" Awards Banquet

For the past three years, Southeast Construction has published its annual "Best Of" issue, which recognizes those projects judged to be among the best completed during the last year, as selected by an independent panel of judges. The winners are featured in the magazine's December issue.

This year marked the first time the magazine hosted a "Best of 2003" awards presentation and luncheon, which was held at the Wyndham Orlando Resort on Dec. 2. This year, 30 construction or design companies submitted a total of 48 project entries, spanning 15 categories. For the first time, this year's judges presented two separate "Judges' Awards" for the best overall project - AMEC's Espirito Santo Plaza building in Miami, and the Interstate 75 Peace River Bridge project that New Orleans-based Boh Brothers Construction built in Punta Gorda, Fla.

Al Flettrich, representing the New Orleans office of Boh Bros., accepted the plaque on behalf of his firm, while Carl Walters, vice president with AMEC Construction Management, Fort Lauderdale, accepted his firm's "Judges' Award."

In addition to the Best Of presentations, Kim Kennedy, manager of national forecasting with McGraw-Hill Construction's Dodge Analytics Group, presented a "2004 Outlook" with forecast information about the Southeast's construction markets.

For more information regarding Southeast Construction's annual "Best Of" program, interested parties may contact the magazine at (407) 226-2200.

MasTec Relocates to Coral Gables

MasTec recently announced it has moved its corporate headquarters from Miami to Coral Gables, Fla. The firm's new address is 800 Douglas Road, Penthouse, Coral Gables, FL 33134. The company's main phone number remains unchanged.

Southeastern Crane Opens New Charlotte Facility

Southeastern Crane recently announced the grand opening of its newly constructed facility in the Charlotte, N.C., area, a 10,000-sq.-ft. office, warehouse and service shop in Concord, N.C. Specializing in industrial crane and heavy equipment sales and service, Southeastern Crane has had facilities in the area since 1999.

A division of Jacksonville, Fla.-based Ring Power Corp., Southeastern Crane's North Carolina operations represents such lines as Manitowoc, Manitex, Tadano and Broderson.

Transportation Groups Form Safety Alliance

Improving the health and safety of both workers and motorists in roadway construction zones are key objectives of a new alliance announced recently among the American Road & Transportation Builders Association and its construction industry allies, organized labor and the federal government.

Through the alliance, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and The Roadway Work Zone Safety and Health Coalition - which includes ARTBA, the Laborers' International Union of North America, the National Asphalt Pavement Association, the International Union of Operating Engineers and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health - will develop hazard awareness training and education programs aimed at training workers, educating the roadway construction industry, and reaching out to non-English construction workers about safe practices in roadway work zones.

Alliance members will also share research findings with the construction industry so that the interventions and best practices described in training and outreach activities are based upon the most accurate scientific data.

"ARTBA and its members from the public and private sectors feel strongly they have a moral obligation to protect the safety of workers and motoring public in roadway construction zones," 2003 ARTBA Chairman Tom Hill said. "That's why the association has a long-standing relationship working with the federal government and labor groups to develop an array of educational initiatives and training programs aimed at improving safety on America's highways and in road construction zones. The alliance announced formally November 18 has, in many ways, already been in practice for more than 20 years."

STH Wins AIA's "Firm of the Year" Award

Schwab, Twitty & Hanser Architects, West Palm Beach, Fla., recently captured three Awards of Excellence, and was honored as "Firm of the Year" by the Palm Beach Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

Only five projects were selected for the "Awards of Excellence." The three STH award-winning projects are: The DeSantis Chapel at Palm Beach Atlantic University in downtown West Palm Beach; The Florida Atlantic University Student Services Center on FAU's Boca Raton campus; and The Education and Training Center for Workforce Development at Palm Beach Community College in Lake Worth.

Florida AIA Names Beck "Builder of the Year"

The Florida chapter of the American Institute of Architects recently named The Beck Group, Tampa, as "Builder of the Year." Beck's nomination for this award was sponsored by the Tampa Bay Chapter of the AIA.

As Florida's most prestigious award program for the architecture profession, the AIA Florida Design and Honor Awards recognize Florida's best architects and architect firms. The AIA's "Builder" award recognizes Beck as a firm whose construction and architecture services blend to provide quality through the design and building processes.

CMAA Accepting Nominations for Project Achievement Awards

The Construction Management Association of America is accepting nominations for its annual Construction Management Project Achievement Awards until July 1, 2004. The annual awards program is designed to recognize and promote professionalism in the management of the construction process. Awards will be given to those projects that reflect that mission.

Awards will be presented at CMAA's Industry Recognition Dinner, to be held on Sept. 14, 2004, in San Antonio, Texas.

The competition is open to all CMAA members and nonmembers. Nominated projects must have been completed between June 30, 2003 and June 30, 2004. The award committee will consider project outcomes, overall project management, safety, quality management, cost management, schedule management, project complexity, innovation and creativity, and customer satisfaction as the basis for the award.

Project nomination forms are available and can be downloaded from CMAA's website at www.cmaanet.org/awards.php or by calling CMAA at 703-356-2622.