November 19, 2009 - Collins Plumbing, Inc. and Stronghold Engineering, Inc. took home top honors for their work on Quechan Casino Resort and USPS Design-Build Perris Delivery Distribution Center Build Out, respectively. Contractors receiving Awards of Excellence on Thursday for their exceptional achievement were Straub Construction for Luke Air Force Base Permanent Party Dormitory; Reno Contracting for ResMed; Sundt/Pacific Building Group, A Joint Venture for Sony Corporate Headquarters; Lusardi Construction for America Center Buildings 1 & 2 in San Jose, Ca; and Ahrens Corporation for the San Diego Zoo "Elephant Odyssey". Stronghold Engineering, Inc. also received Awards of Excellence for Design-Build Golf Clubhouse Complex MCAS Miramar and Prado Dam Phase II. These projects were considered the best of the best by the judges and were awarded high scores based on safety, craftmanship, design, quality and technical considerations.
Contractors presented with Awards of Merit included Casper Company for the demolition of NASSCO Navy Building #78; Challenger Sheet Metal, a new ABC member, for San Elijo Nature Center; Echo Pacific Construction for Pomerado Elementary School Modernization; Good & Roberts for the Solar Turbines Gas Compression Test Facility Project; Gould Electric for McClellan-Palomar Airport; I.E. Pacific, Inc. for SOF Military Operations on Urban Terrain (MOUT) Training Complex; Ledcor Builders, Inc. and Ledcor Construction, Inc. for San Elijo Town Center and ViaSat Building 7; Lusardi Construction was awarded two Awards of Merit for Claremont Medical Office Building, Claremont, Ca. and Tri-City Wellness Center; and Stronghold Engineering, Inc. the for Install of Photovoltaic System, Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake and Tactical Van Pad Expansion, Camp Pendleton.
The Special Events Committee and chair JP Vercollone with American Express eagerly anticipated the arrival of the Excellence in Construction Dinner and Awards at the Ivy Hotel in the heart of the Gaslamp, which was an overwhelming success. The project winners were the focal point of this event, with twenty one projects recognized based on their achievements. Presented in part by Master Sponsor Stronghold Engineering, Inc, the dinner and awards included a hosted reception in the Ivy Lounge, presented by Lusardi Construction Company, a three-course dinner with a choice red and white wine, hosted by Rowan Electric and Reno Contracting. The awards, shown on multiple big screens by ABC President Scott Crosby, highlighted all 21 projects with special honors, for the first time, going to the top scoring project by a General Contractor and Sub-Contractor. The awards presentation is hosted in part by J Geyer Plumbing. Valet parking was presented by Straub Construction. Thank you to Echo Pacific Construction, a Bronze Event Sponsor.
The projects were completed by a range of ABC Contractors including not only general contractors but also contractors from specialty trades including plumbing, electrical, and sheet metal - a demonstration of the influence Merit Shop Contractors have on the industry with respect to safety, quality, and completion on time and budget. Over 2.6 million manhours were used in completing these projects with minimal reported safety violations, an outstanding success by any measure.
Projects were judged by Joe Guerin, San Diego Daily Transcript, Ron Smith, Interpipe Contracting, and Randy Minnier, MPE Consulting. These veteran judges and ABC Members reviewed each project from start to finish and based their scores on the competition guidelines.
The event was presented by the Special Events Committee with Chair JP Vercollone, American Express. Michele Salas, Ledcor Construction and Lori Miller, Go-Staff helped with check-in. Nicole Miles and Lori from Contractors and Builders greeted and welcomed guests. Gene Reid, Brian Cox Mechanical and Jim Hoffman, Enterprise Fleet Management, assisted ABC Staff in running an effective event. Brooke Velazquez, Go-Staff presented trophies on stage.
Merit Award Winners and additional pictures to follow - space is under construction.
Special guests attending the ABC Event, all supporters and friends of ABC and fair and open competition, included Assemblymember Joel Anderson; Assemblymember Martin Garrick; Steve Danon, Chief of Staff for Congressman Brian Bilbray; and Mayor of Chula Vista Cheryl Cox. Assemblymember Anderson presented a certificate of achievement to Rich Collins for his work on the Quechan Casino Resort, which was the top scoring project by a sub-contractor. The Assemblymember spoke briefly on Collins remarkable success and its impact on the construction industry. Anderson also presented certificates for all the evening's winners which will be mailed by ABC in the coming week.
Steve Danon, from Congressman Bilbray's Office presented certificates to the Excellence Winners and joined them on stage for photos. Mayor Cox closed out the evening with an address to the award winners and ABC contractors. She spoke of her support of ABC, the work done by Merit Shop Contractors, and the fight to ban project labor agreements (PLAs) in the city of Chula Vista. A ballot initiative will be voted on in June 2010 to ban PLAs, the first initiative of its kind in the nation. Both the mayor and ABC are strong supporters of this initiative.
Also in attendance were guests of distinction Anita Lofton and Sonya Johnson from the Black Chamber of Commerce, an organization committed to fair and open competition and a partner with ABC on a national scale.
San Diego Daily Transcript - Stronghold Engineering, Collins Plumbing take home top honors in ABC Excellence in Construction Awards.
Click here for pictures and highlights of the evening. Pictures courtesy of Ken Randall Photography.