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TAMPA Fla.-October 15, 2008– Walbridge announced the receipt of a contract for the construction of seven buildings at the new Panama City-Bay County International Airport in Bay County, Florida.  The contract includes a new 120,000 square-foot terminal building, an air traffic control tower, rental car facilities, public safety building, maintenance facility, utility building and an air cargo building.   Bids for the project were received by the Panama City-Bay County Airport and Industrial District (airport authority) on August 8, 2008. View Progress Photos >

After finding the low bid of $68,570,000 to be significantly over the expected value, an intensive value engineering effort was conducted with the airport’s consultants including Program Manager, KBR; Lead Designer, Post, Buckley, Schuh & Jerrigan; Architect, HNTB; Systems Engineers, TLC and  firms performing specialty design on the project.  The result of this effort was an agreed scope of work over $10 million less than the original bid. 

 “We are proud to be a part of the team building the first new green field airport in the United States in over a decade,” said Walbridge Senior Vice President, David B. Hanson, “this new gateway to northwest Florida will be a great economic stimulus to the region, as well as provide a wonderful front door to some of the world’s most beautiful beaches.”   Work is scheduled to begin this month with completion in the spring of 2010.  It is anticipated that well over 85 percent of the work on the project will be performed by Florida businesses, with the bulk of the efforts coming from the Panhandle Region of northwest Florida.

With worldwide volume over $1 billion and Florida volume of $137 million in 2007, Walbridge is a major force in general contracting for both the public and private sectors.  Walbridge’s current Florida projects include the aviation, K-12 schools, higher education, retail, healthcare, institutional, federal facilities and museum markets.  The company also has broad national and international expertise in automotive and general manufacturing facilities, water/wastewater and power. 

Founded in 1916, Walbridge has steadily grown to become one of the top construction firms worldwide.  Headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, Walbridge provides a full range of services including:  program management, turnkey, process engineering and technical services, construction management, general contracting and design-build. The company also provides self-perform construction services such as concrete, millwright and rigging, production equipment installation and facilities maintenance.  While Walbridge remains the leading firm in the construction of automotive and manufacturing facilities in the United States, the company is also experienced in the commercial, residential, healthcare, research and development, institutional, education, municipal, public works and cultural facilities markets.  For more information, please visit www.walbridge.com.