Raleigh Contractor Wins National Craft Professional Award from ABC

Associated Builders and Contractors presented its "Craft Professional of the Year" award to Rodger Hveem, plumbing superintendent at ABL & Associates Plumbing, Raleigh, N.C., during the association's 2006 national convention in Las Vegas. ABC presents the award each year to a craft professional who excels in his or her field, maintains a lifelong commitment to training and upholds the merit shop philosophy.

"Rodger Hveem's dedication to excellence in the field of plumbing and to the merit shop philosophy made him an outstanding choice for this year's award," said 2006 ABC National Chairman Jack Darnall IV, a vice president-health care division manager for Brasfield & Gorrie, Birmingham, Ala.

Hveem serves as a superintendent for ABL & Associates and acts as a mentor to train the firm's apprentices and other plumbers. He has provided craft leadership on numerous projects and was recently recognized by the DELL Corp. for his safety record during the construction of the company's new plant in Winston-Salem, N.C.
The ABC Craft Professional of the Year winner is selected from seven craft category winners. The craft category winners are evaluated on several clear criteria, with the top candidates being chosen to represent their respective craft.

Skanska USA Recognized for USF Project

Skanska USA Building announced that the new Interdisciplinary Research Building and Multi-Tenant Office Building at the University of South Florida was awarded a 2005 "Best of the Best Award" for Outstanding Special Use Building by the Tampa Bay chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties. Skanska partnered with Atlanta-based developer Carter & Associates on the project.

Skanska managed the construction of the four-level, 133,000-sq.-ft. IDRB and three-level, 101,500-sq.-ft. MTOB. The two buildings provide space for core and shared laboratories, offices for corporate partners, researchers and staff, an expanded 60,000-sq.-ft. business incubator and the Center for Biological Defense. The $25 million project was completed in September and marked the beginning of the development of the University of South Florida's new research park.

Central Florida Engineers Celebrate Excellence

Central Florida engineering firms, the Florida Department of Transportation and the Florida Turnpike Enterprise celebrated excellence in engineering at the Central Florida Engineers Week Awards banquet, held Feb. 25 in Orlando. Gen. Barry McCaffrey, national security expert and chairman of HNTB Federal Services Corp., provided the keynote speech on "Seven Key Challenges Facing America's Engineers."

Engineering awards were presented to the following: