Walbridge will be working closely with MCCC representatives and Hobbs + Black Associates Inc., the architect/engineer already secured by the college. To meet the college’s growing enrollment needs, the new facility will provide teaching labs and training classrooms with infrastructure that is flexible to workforce demand. Training will be focused on construction management, alternative energies, hybrid auto, computer-aided design, and nuclear engineering, for which MCCC recently received a $200,000 federal earmark.  

Walbridge Chairman and CEO John Rakolta, Jr, said, “We are pleased to oversee construction of the new Career Technology Center, and support MCCC’s vision for expanding the skill sets of current and future Michigan workers.”

Upon completion, the Career Technology Center will apply to become certified under the U. S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program.

This is the first construction project that Walbridge will manage for MCCC.   Among the many higher-education projects recently completed by Walbridge are the Wayne State University Mazurek Medical Education Commons, Stockwell Hall at University of Michigan, University of Michigan Law School renovations, and the A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education at the College for Creative Studies.   Late in 2009, Walbridge was named construction manager for Eastern Michigan University’s Pray-Harrold Building renovation.

Read the full story at the UTSA Today Web site >

The AGC Construction Safety and Excellence Awards (CSEA) recognizes companies who have developed and implemented excellent safety and loss prevention programs achieved through management commitment, employee involvement, and program innovation.

Walbridge’s innovative safety program has won hundreds of national, local and project safety awards in the past ten years, and the company was named one of America’s Safest Companies by Occupational Hazards magazine. 

Walbridge was nominated by the AGC of Michigan.  

Walbridge Safety Team Leaders Steve Clabaugh and Mark LaClair Accept an Outstanding Safety Performance Award from AGC Michigan.

“It’s great to see the North Terminal receive the recognition it deserves,” said Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano. “It’s an important element in anchoring the Detroit Region Aerotropolis to create the jobs and prosperity of the future.” 

One of the first airport complexes fully designed and constructed post-9/11, the 26-gate, 850,000 square foot North Terminal can accommodate 14 million passengers annually.  The linear footprint creates a faster, more efficient path for taxiing aircraft, which conserves fuel, reduces environmental emissions, and saves time for travelers.  Natural daylight, bright color, and dramatic lighting enhance the passenger experience and impression of the facility. Built within a budget of $431 million, the North Terminal establishes a new benchmark for value-conscious airport planners. 

The work included a multi-airline terminal, Federal Inspection Services (FIS) for international flights, baggage handling, hydrant fueling system, and apron replacement.  Additionally, the team created an enclosed skywalk between the terminal and a parking garage, and a ground transportation center for commercial traffic, to leave the curbside for passenger vehicles.

“We extend our thanks to the local contracting community, which understood the significance of this work, and was committed to excellence throughout,” said Barton Malow Project Executive Doug Maibach.

“Walbridge was pleased to contribute our innovations to this project,” added Walbridge Chairman and CEO John Rakolta, Jr.  “The North Terminal team not only achieved ambitious goals in costs, logistics, and deadlines, it has enhanced the role of Detroit Metro Airport as a world-class gateway to the Metro Detroit Region.”

Wayne County Airport Authority CEO Lester Robinson summed up the meaning of the Build Michigan honor and the importance of the new facility.  “The North Terminal at Detroit Metro Airport is a shining example of how to achieve more with less,” he said. “Working with a very modest budget and a tight set of design limitations, the project team created a facility that satisfied the bookkeepers, provides an ultra-efficient operating environment for airlines, incorporates a number of eco-friendly features, and—most importantly—delights Detroit travelers and visitors to our region.  You can’t ask for much more than that!”

Learn more about this project >

Walbridge joins one of the nation’s largest minority-owned educational program management and construction management firms, Brailsford and Dunlavey and the country’s third largest educational planning and architectural firm, Fanning/Howey Associates, Inc. in overseeing the facilities program.
 

Read the complete story >

The entire project could take a decade. But by May 2011, employees who now work in a World War II-era facility will be in a new $39 million building.

Read the full story at the Corpus Christi Caller-Times >

Housing the offices of the College of Arts and Sciences Departments and incorporating the University’s Department of Information Technology, the Pray-Harrold classroom building opened in 1969 and is the largest classroom building on the EMU campus, serving 10,000 students daily.

Walbridge will be working closely with both EMU representatives and SHW, the Architect/Engineer already secured by the university.  Walbridge will lead both the pre-construction and construction phases of this renovation, which will place high priority on mechanical, electrical and plumbing infrastructure Improvements.

“We are pleased to take on this new project for Eastern Michigan University,” said Walbridge Chairman and CEO John Rakolta, Jr.  “Our team’s preconstruction and renovation experience will enable Walbridge to help EMU preserve its rich history while better serving its growing student base.”

This is the first construction project that Walbridge will manage for EMU.   Among the many university renovation projects recently completed by Walbridge are the Wayne State University Mazurek Medical Education Commons, Stockwell Hall at University of Michigan, and the A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education at the College for Creative Studies, for which a ribbon-cutting was held in September.

Read the full story at www.tampasdowntown.com >

Read the full story at Chattanooga's timesfreepress.com >

Throughout the year, Walbridge participates in Project ONE, an MMBDC initiative that expands participation of MBEs by offering exposure to participating corporate members.  Walbridge’s supplier diversity program also sponsored exhibits at procurement conferences to aid minority business owners.
 

For more information about Walbridge's supplier diversity program, please contact us >
 

The 760,000 square-foot Taubman Center adds a second campus for the College for Creative Studies and is home to the new Henry Ford Academy: School for Creative Studies.  Over 2,000 students, faculty, parents and visitors are expected per day to fill classrooms, labs, exhibition space and a 360-seat dining facility.  Additionally, 300 students will reside in the building.  The facility has 80,000 square feet of developmental space for new or growing creative businesses, professional networks and support services. 

Restoration of the historic building required extensive demolition, removal of hazardous materials and preservation of the building’s façade. Designed in 1928 by Albert Kahn, the Argonaut building served as General Motor’s first research facility featuring the legendary Harvey Earl’s automotive design studio.
 

Read the latest at Panama City's News Channel 7 WJHG.com >

Entries are evaluated by a panel of three or more industry experts with scores based on design, copy writing, innovation, content, interactivity, navigation and use of technology.  The Walbridge/Silverscape Web site submission scored an average 25% higher than its industry peers. 

Read more at www.mmbdc.com >

Army Research Laboratory Director John Miller says the state-of-the-art facility will allow VTD researches to develop the technologies necessary to protect soldiers. 

Building construction is scheduled to complete by April 2011.
 

Read more at Crain’s Detroit Business >

Winning companies are selected based on the following categories: communication, community initiatives, compensation and benefits, diversity and multiculturalism, employee education and development, employee engagement and commitment, recognition and retention, small business, recruitment and selection and work-life balance. 

FRANKFORT, Ky – A new wastewater treatment facility in Petersburg, Ky., is being built under a construction safety partnership between the Kentucky Labor Cabinet, Sanitation District No. 1 in northern Kentucky and Walbridge Construction and Dugan & Meyers, two construction companies that have joined forces for the project.

The Construction Partnership Program is a voluntary agreement in which safety and health experts from the Kentucky Office of Occupational Safety and Health (KOSH), Division of Education and Training make quarterly, consultative visits to the building site to provide extensive safety and health surveys. 
       

Labor Cabinet Secretary J.R. Gray, who today signed the agreement with company officials, said construction partnerships have positive impacts on reducing injuries and implementing safety programs. “Construction partnerships have numerous goals, strategies and measurable results that benefit workers. In fact, employee involvement is a requirement.

“Partners, including the general contractor and subcontractors who want to participate, work to identify training needs and inadequacies in their written safety programs and to identify on-the-job hazards,” added Gray.

Education and training on Kentucky OSH standards are provided when applicable. This continuous engagement between labor and the company eliminates the need for random compliance inspections as long as state requirements are being met. Regular safety meetings also are conducted onsite.

The Western Water Reclamation Facility, located at 5459 Belleview Road in Petersburg, will be a 20-million gallon per day (GPD) wastewater recovery facility. The project costs an estimated $69 million and is scheduled for completion in August of 2012.
 

Read the full story at construction-today.com >

Read the full story at Chattanooga's timesfreepress.com >

There are four levels of LEED Certification bestowed by USGBC:  Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.  Certifications recognize new construction as well as commercial interior (CI) projects.  The CI award received by Walbridge was for the renovation of the interiors of the two floors of the 777 Woodward building that comprise Walbridge’s headquarters across the street from the popular gathering place, Campus Martius.

“We were excited to move our headquarters into the heart of Detroit two years ago,” said Walbridge Chairman and CEO John Rakolta, Jr.  “Today we’re pleased to bring the city recognition that comes with the achievement of an exceptionally high level of sustainability in construction work. 

“Constructing a green office space was the right thing to do for many reasons,” he continued.   “Most importantly, we wanted to foster a culture of sustainability and better benchmark the system that we lead many of our customers through.”

“A CI LEED certification can be even harder to achieve than a new construction project,” explained Dan Lamble, the Walbridge engineering manager responsible for the renovation effort.  “When you’re dealing with existing construction, you must reconfigure and redesign systems as well as replace materials, which is often more complex than starting from scratch.”

The Walbridge office space was constructed using recycled and environmentally safe materials.  For instance, a large percentage of construction materials – flooring, ceiling tiles, wallboards and workstations – were produced using recycled content.  Nearly 80 percent of construction waste was recycled and diverted from landfills, and more than 60 percent of the furniture from Walbridge’s former headquarters site was reused, diverting it from landfills.  Also, more than half of the materials utilized during construction were purchased from within a 500-mile radius of Detroit, minimizing the project’s carbon footprint.  Read more about this project > 

Walbridge’s commitment to reducing environmental impacts during construction continues.  In March, the company launched a sustainable job site program, GreenWISE, as an extension of its existing sustainability efforts.  This new initiative includes requirements that surpass Environmental Protection Agency, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act regulatory and municipal guidelines.

For more information, contact Walbridge Marketing Director Karen Manardo at 313.442.1209.

Founded in 1916, Walbridge has steadily grown to become one of the top 50 construction firms worldwide.  Headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, Walbridge provides diverse delivery options including construction management, program management, general contracting, design-build and turn-key solutions.   Services include pre-construction, engineering management and decommissioning.  The company also self-performs structural concrete and flatwork, millwright and rigging, equipment installation and facilities management.  While Walbridge remains the leading firm in the construction of automotive facilities in the United States, the company also possesses expertise in construction market segments that include airports, healthcare, education, federal government, infrastructure, manufacturing, research and development and power and energy.  For more information, visit the Walbridge website at www.walbridge.com.
 

"One of my top goals, as the commanding officer of what I certainly consider to be the finest naval air station in the world, is to anticipate the needs of war fighters and ensure they have the right equipment and facilities needed to accomplish their missions.  This magnificent structure brings me one step closer to achieving my goal," said NAS Jax Commanding Officer Capt. Jack Scorby Jr.

With construction completed months in advance, the facility incorporates many sustainable design principles including the use of recycled steel, day lighting throughout the hangar and a rain water collection system to recycle water for a helicopter wash rack.

“A project of this magnitude does not happen overnight,” said NAS Jax Public Works Officer Comdr. Chuck Lewis.  “Many personnel from the Navy, both military and DoD civilians and Walbridge played significant roles in the day-to-day execution of this project ensuring the highest quality, timely completion and exceptional safety record through 482,000 man-hours of construction.”

Walbridge was awarded the design-build project by NAVFAC SE on March 21, 2006.

Read more about this project >

Read more about the hangar's opening at Clay Today Online >

The program recognizes outstanding achievement in community planning, architectural design, building development, environmental sensitivity, and encourages future projects to benefit the region through mixed-use and urban connectivity.   The 27th Annual Community Design Awards also marked the 50th anniversary celebration of the Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission. 

Walbridge executives Richard Marshall, Tim Sewell and Project Manager Cranston Harris, who led the $20 million facility’s construction team, received the honor for the Tampa Bay History Center.  Also accepting were Hillsborough County Architect, William Hand and C.J. Roberts, the museum’s president and CEO.  The Tampa Bay History Center was nominated in the Commercial, Public or Quasi Public category based on its contribution to community connectivity, unique and attractive design features and energy or natural resource conservation.  Situated on a former industrial site, in the heart of the Channelside District, the 60,000 square-foot museum is registered with the U.S. Green Building Council and intends to pursue LEED® certification.  Also receiving honors in the category of Historic Preservation and Restoration was Walbridge’s work on Orange Grove Middle Magnet School.  The school, originally built in 1927, received a $3.4 million restoration.  The award was accepted by John Williams of Hillsborough County Schools. 

This year, 25 projects were entered in ten categories.  Winners were selected by judges with experience in the fields of planning, architecture and landscape architecture and who reside outside of Hillsborough County. 
 

Representatives from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality presented the Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance Dundee plant with a Green Corporate Citizen Award. GEMA, supported by the Walbridge Facility Management team, helped reduce production costs by as much as $5 per engine through sustainable solutions and conservation. 

Walbridge Facility Management’s on-site team initiated and implemented many of GEMA’s sustainable measures including lighting reductions, recycling of water used in floor scrubbers and dunnage washing water filtration and reuse. WFM made additional improvements to efficiency in the powerhouse, bulk material handling area and plant operations. 

Read the full article from MonroeNews.com>
 

DETROIT- March 17, 2009- Walbridge, a national construction service provider, has launched a sustainable job site program designed to reduce environmental impact during a facility’s construction.

The Walbridge Intelligent Sustainability and Environmental Program, GreenWISE, surpasses Environmental Protection Agency, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act regulatory and municipal guidelines.  An extension of Walbridge’s sustainability efforts, the job site specific program identifies 18 on-site environmental practices including safety and spill control, use of alternative power and waste management plans.  In addition to creating public awareness, GreenWISE engages Walbridge team members and partners in measurable steps to reduce the environmental impact on communities and promote conservation during construction. 

“GreenWISE is not just a process but a provocative expression of Walbridge’s beliefs and commitment to meet our responsibility to preserve, protect and promote our most precious gift next to life, the environment,” said President and Chief Operating Officer, Richard Haller, who is championing the program. 

Haller said through implementation of GreenWISE, Walbridge will develop a collection of evolving solutions in order to fulfill our responsibility to the next generation.

Job sites will be designated by level of achievement based on performance metrics published quarterly.   Each participating job site will display GreenWISE signage made from eco-friendly materials with a graphical overview of the sustainable practices employed at the site.  

Learn more about GreenWISE >
 

“We commend your entire on-site staff and subcontractors for this accomplishment.  We also thank you for providing a safe work environment for all personnel on your construction site,” said Area Engineer and Chairman of the Fort Benning Safety Committee, George P. Condoyiannis, “This requires a great deal of daily commitment, dedication and focus on your part and I urge you to keep up the outstanding results.”

As a quarterly winner, Walbridge is eligible to receive a 2008 safety award at the Savannah District’s annual Serious About Safety Conference and Awards Banquet.

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.

Read the full article here.

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