FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT March 18, 2016 Gretchen Waters, (734) 662-2570 PRESS RELEASE RECIPIENTS OF 2016 PYRAMID AWARDS ARE ANNOUNCED The Washtenaw Contractors Association (WCA) announced the recipients of its 19th annual PYRAMID Awards Friday night before a group of the county's leading contractors, architects, construction project owners and labor leaders. Each of these prestigious awards represents exceptional effort in the areas of teamwork, service or innovation. To be chosen as a recipient of a PYRAMID Award, a nomination had to be truly outstanding. The recipients were selected by an independent jury composed of industry experts in Minnesota. The recipients of the 2016 PYRAMID Awards, and the other nominees, are provided below. BEST PROJECT TEAM AWARDS To be selected as a recipient for a Best Project Team award, the project had to involve an extremely high level of cooperation between the Owner, Architect and Contractor, resulting in true synergism between these three entities. This cooperation and synergism must have resulted in an improvement in some critical aspect of the construction project (e.g. quality, budget, completion time, safety record etc.) Best Project Team - Projects under $3 Million RECIPIENT: University of Michigan Memorial Phoenix Lab Battery Prototype Facility Renovation (Ann Arbor, MI) The creation of a battery prototype research facility in the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Lab involved renovation of existing space for a premanufactured dry lab along with the infrastructure on the roof for new HVAC equipment, and coordination with the South Korean company that furnished the battery research equipment. Architect Lord Aeck Sargent Contractor AZ Shmina OTHER NOMINEES: Ann Arbor Arms Architect Damian Farrell Design Group Contractor Phoenix Contractors Owner Ann Arbor Arms
Cotton Family Wolf Wilderness (Royal Oak) Architect Zoo Design Contractor DeMaria Building Company Owner Detroit Zoological Society University of Michigan Credit Union (Ann Arbor) Architect Hobbs & Black Architects Contractor JS Vig Construction Credit Union The Vinton Building (Detroit) Engineer Testing Engineers & Consultants Contractor RAM Construction Services Owner Bedrock Real Estate Best Project Team Projects between $3 Million & $25 Million RECIPIENT: U of M William Clements Library Infrastructure Improvements & Addition (Ann Arbor) This project made improvements to the HVAC, plumbing, electrical, fire detection and suppression, and security systems of this Albert Kahn designed building in a manner that maintained its historic characteristics. A two-story underground addition was constructed to store portions of the library s important resource materials and house the mechanical and electrical plant. Architect SmithGroup JJR Contractor Phoenix Contractors OTHER NOMINEES: Blue Water Transit Bus Center (Port Huron) Architect AECOM/Stevens Architects Contractor DeMaria Building Company Owner Blue Water Area Transit EMU Rackham Hall Renovation (Ypsilanti) Architect TMP Architecture Contractor Spence Brothers Owner Eastern Michigan University MSU West Circle Drive North Campus Infrastructure Project (East Lansing) Engineer Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber Contractor Granger Construction Company Owner Michigan State University Residence Inn Ann Arbor Downtown (Ann Arbor) Architect ZHA Architects Contractor O Neal Construction Owner First Martin Corporation
U of M Hospital Adult Emergency Department Critical Care Unit (Ann Arbor) Architect Niagara Murano Contractor George W. Auch Company U of M School of Education Renovation (Ann Arbor) Architect Stantec Contractor Spence Brothers Best Project Team - Projects over $25 Million RECIPIENT: Muskegon County Adult Jail Complex (Muskegon) Constructing this 100,000 SF, three-story, high security building within 15 feet of an occupied courthouse averaging 1,000 visitors a day on a tight site with heavy pedestrian traffic presented many unique challenges. Value engineering resulted in cost savings that allowed the owner to add high-priority wish list items to the project. Architects - GMB Architecture & Engineering, and Goldberg Group Architects Contractor Granger Construction Company Owner Muskegon County OTHER NOMINEES: Bay Area Water Treatment Plant (Bangor Township) Engineer CDM Smith Contractor Spence Brothers Owner Bay County Dept. of Water & Sewer Lake Trust Credit Union New Corporate Headquarters (Brighton) Architect SmithGroup JJR Contractor The Christman Company Owner Lake Trust Credit Union U of M Munger Graduate Residences (Ann Arbor) Architects Integrated Design Solutions & Hartman- Cox Architects Contractor Walbridge BEST SUBCONTRACTOR AWARDS To be selected as a recipient for a Best Subcontractor Award, the subcontractor must have provided an exceptional level of service that resulted in a significant improvement in some critical aspect of the construction project (e.g. project quality, design, budget, completion time, safety record, etc.) The improvement must have been documented, and the exceptional level of service supported in writing by the project owner, architect, general contractor or construction manager.
Best Subcontractor Award - Contracts under $500,000 RECIPIENT: Detroit Dismantling Corporation for the Henry Ford Hospital Powerhouse Demolition (Detroit) Demolition of two obsolete fuel oil fired boilers and associated piping, tanks, breaching, walkway platforms and ladders; removal of an associated 120 foot high boiler chimney stack, and removal of a previously abandoned 140 foot high incinerator chimney stack. The work took place between the ambulance entrance and public emergency entrance of a busy urban hospital. OTHER NOMINEE: Edwards Glass Company for the U of M Clements Library Infrastructure Improvements and Addition (Ann Arbor) Best Subcontractor Award - Contracts over $500,000 RECIPIENT: John E. Green Company for U of M Munger Graduate Residences The project included the unique approach of constructing 600+ modular bathrooms at on off-site facility. John E. Green worked with the carpentry subcontractor to complete the modules in an assembly line fashion, and prefabricated sections of the piping systems prior to the start of the installation to save time. After delivery to the project site, the modules were connected to plumbing systems that had been installed by a separate crew. OTHER NOMINEES: Acoustic Ceiling & Partition for the DMC Harper / Hutzel Unified Lobby project (Detroit) Acoustic Ceiling & Partition for DURR Systems New Headquarters & Addition (Plymouth) Limbach Company for the Jackson National Life Home Office Expansion (Lansing) Limbach Company for the MSU Clinical Center C-Wing Project (East Lansing) Baker Construction for U of M Munger Graduate Residences (Ann Arbor) The PYRAMID Awards was a hallmark evening because it is the only event for which virtually all sectors of the construction industry in Washtenaw County gather together to celebrate the great achievements of the past year. Major sponsors of the event were Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Local 2, Laborers Local 499 - Employers Cooperation and Education Trust Fund, Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters, and the Washtenaw Industry Advancement Program. The Washtenaw Contractors Association has been serving the commercial and industrial construction industry in Washtenaw County since 1949. Members of the Association include contractors, subcontractors, suppliers and professional service providers. WCA member services include business development, education, labor relations, workforce development, legislative advocacy and The Plan Room. All WCA programs are designed to improve both the success of individual member firms and the construction industry in Washtenaw County as a whole.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT March 22, 2016 Gretchen Waters, (734) 662-2570 PRESS RELEASE WCA ANNOUNCES WINNER OF 2016 PAUL KOCH VOLUNTEER AWARD The Washtenaw Contractors Association (WCA) presented the 2016 Paul Koch Volunteer Award to Larry Hill of Construction Project Adviser Paul Koch was an integral part of the Washtenaw Contractors Association (WCA) for more than 30 years, and was the most dedicated volunteer that the WCA has ever had. After he died in 2012, the WCA Board of Directors established the Paul Koch Volunteer Award which would be given in future years to individuals who are dedicated volunteers for the Washtenaw Contractors Association. The 2016 award was presented to Larry Hill, President of Construction Project Adviser at the WCA s Pyramid Awards program. Larry has been an active volunteer with the Washtenaw Contractors Association for over 20 years. Like Paul Koch he has served in a wide variety of capacities with our organization. He was elected to the WCA s Board of Directors in 1995 and served as a member for seven years, and as both Vice President and President. He also served on the Industry Advancement Program Board of Trustees for seven years. Larry fully understands that the way to get the most out of his firm s WCA membership is to be involved in WCA committees where most of the work of the association really takes place and where business networks can be established. He has been a member of the User Liaison Committee for 23 years, and has served as its Chairperson for 20 of those years. He has been a member of the WCA Social Events
committee for 19 years and on the Workforce Development Committee for eight years including two years as its Chairperson. But what is most important about all the time Larry has served on these Boards and Committees is that he has never been the type to simply show up at a meeting, be engaged for the hour or so that it lasted, and then think about it again only when the next meeting took place. He has actively worked throughout more than 20 years both during and between these meetings - to help create and then implement many significant new WCA programs. He also worked tirelessly while President of the WCA Board to tackle the much less exciting, but equally important internal issues of the organization such as revisions to by-laws and accounting practices. No matter what was needed he has been willing to devote countless hours to advancing the WCA and improving the services to its members. Larry Hill was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He earned his Bachelor s degree in Architecture from the University of Detroit, and after a few years working in that field, he moved to the construction side of the industry where he has stayed for over 35 years. He is currently Owner and President of Construction Project Adviser.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT March 22, 2016 Gretchen Waters, (734) 662-2570 PRESS RELEASE WCA ANNOUNCES WINNER OF 2016 NELSON VANDER HYDEN AWARD The Washtenaw Contractors Association (WCA) presented the 2016 Nelson Vander Hyden Award to Dr. James Stein, Eastern Michigan University 2016 marks the 38 th year that the Washtenaw Contractors Association has presented the Nelson Vander Hyden Award to someone who is a leader in both the construction industry and the community. It is one of only two awards the WCA presents to an individual. The Award is named after Nelson Vander Hyden who was active in the construction industry in our area during the 1960s and 1970s. With the presentation of this award, we commemorate the high standards of moral character, ethics and professionalism that Mr. Vander Hyden demonstrated during his years as a part of the construction industry in our area. In addition to being involved in the construction of many signature projects in Washtenaw County, he was committed to the improvement of the construction industry as a whole, and always found time to give back to his community. Nominations for the W. Nelson Vander Hyden Award are solicited each year from throughout the construction industry, with the selection being made by a committee composed of past recipients. Vander Hyden Award recipients are selected because they exemplify the same high standards of professionalism and commitment to the improvement of the construction industry in Washtenaw County that were characteristic of Mr. Vander Hyden. These individuals are also highly dedicated, through personal involvement, to the betterment of the community as a whole.
Dr. James Stein has spent the majority of his career helping to insure that talented and well prepared young people are available to join the staffs of construction firms of all types throughout Michigan. He has worked in the fields of architecture and civil engineering technology, but has spent the greatest portion of his career more than 25 years as a post secondary construction management educator. He teaches courses in construction systems; production control; construction safety; contracts, documents and specifications; and mechanical and electrical estimating and building systems. However, what is most significant about Dr. Stein s contribution is the tremendous commitment he makes to his students and the construction industry outside of the classroom. He is extremely active in supporting the members of his institution s construction management student chapter, including the chapter s most recent effort to raise funds and complete the work to renovate and modernize department space into a state-of-the-art active learning and testing construction lab. He also coaches students from his department that compete in the regional Associated Schools of Construction competition, and effectively recruits alumni to serve on the Alumni Advisory Board. Dr. Stein is also an active volunteer with the Washtenaw Contractors Association. He serves on the WCA s Workforce Development Committee which plans the annual Just Build It! Construction Career Expo, and was an integral part of the planning for the WCA s Emerging Professionals in Construction Program that was launched last fall. He also teaches the OSHA 30 classes that the WCA offers to its members. Dr. Stein holds a Bachelor s degree in Architecture, a Master s degree in Vocational Education and a Doctorate in Instructional Technology.