POWAY–Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of San Diego honored its top construction projects Thursday at its annual Excellence in Construction Awards ceremony at the Prado in Balboa Park.
Vista-based Western Summit took home the Top General Contractor honors with its Otay Water Treatment Plant Upgrade project in Chula Vista. The City of San Diego contracted out to Western Summit to expand its Otay Water Treatment plant in 2009. The plant is one of three that the city utilizes. One challenge Western Summit faced was expanding the plant while keeping it fully operational to deliver quality water for the city.
An official with the city commented, “this was a $25 million project delivered on time and on budget. The Western Summit construction team completed this project with innovative solutions that, without which I believe, this project could not have been built. I feel that this is an excellent example of how effective collaboration can produce real results in schedule, budget, and quality.”
J Geyer Plumbing was awarded the top Small Business Award, as well as the honor of being the highest scoring sub-contractor for their work on “The Q” project in downtown San Diego.
The Q was originally designed as a six-story office building with three ground floor restaurants. However, after almost 70% of the project was completed, the owner made a bold decision to turn the building into loft apartments. This increased J Geyer Plumbing’s scope of work 200%. Despite the change in plans, J Geyer Plumbing completed the project in the original timeframe set by the owner. He used excellent equipment that ranged from a chute with an air cannon to cranes and mixers.
Owner of The Q Jonathon Segal, says, “As the primary stakeholder for The Q, I am pleased to endorse J Geyer Plumbing for an Excellence in Construction Award. Their performance on The Q was outstanding in every sense of the word.”
Twenty six projects were recognized for awards based on safety, quality, and overall value.
Other finalists for the top general contractor were Pacific Building Group, Callaway Golf Headquarters renovation; Straub Construction, Red Rock Canyon Visitors Center; and Stronghold Engineering, Repair and Upgrade Airfield Lighting System.
Gould Electric was the other finalist for the sub-contractor of the year for its Escondido Police and Fire Headquarters project.
There were many other Excellence award winners:
· C.W. Driver, Laguna Cliffs Marriott Renovation;
· Eleven Western Builders, Inc., Willow School;
· I.E. – Pacific, Inc, Design Build Expansion of Parking Structures, Bldg 608 & 636;
· Ledcor Construction, Inc., Gary & Mary West Senior Wellness Center;
· Lusardi Construction, St. Bartholomew’s Catholic Chapel;
· Reno Contracting, Gaslamp Marriott Residence Inn;
· Stronghold Engineering, Inc., Design Build and Install Solar Photovoltaic Carport;
· Stronghold Engineering, Inc., Design Build and Install Solar Photovoltaic System; and
· Stronghold Engineering, Inc., Repair Bachelor Enlisted Quarters, Bldg. 41404.
Merit award winners:
· Echo Pacific Construction, Escondido High School Modernization & Expansion;
· Helix Electric, Park Assist at Westfield Century City Mall;
· Helix Electric, Terasaki Life Sciences Building;
· Rowan Electric, Legoland Water Park;
· Turner Construction, Del Mar Horse Arena Alterations;
· Turner Construction, Ten Fifty B Street Apartments;
· Turner Construction, 1 Mission;
· Western Bay Sheet Metal, Inc., Long Beach Community College, Industrial Tech. Complex; and
· Western Bay Sheet Metal, Inc., San Diego Medical Examiner/Forensic Center.
Cacy Electric took home a Small Business Award of Merit for its Grossmont Science Building, and Turner Construction won a Mega Project award of Merit for its University of California, San Diego: The Village at Torrey Pines West project.
ABC’s Excellence in Construction awards is the premiere competition within the construction industry that recognizes outstanding construction projects. Projects are judged on their safety, quality, and overall value. Judges this year were Joe Guerin, San Diego Daily Transcript, Ron Smith, Interpipe Contracting, George Stoudt, Retired, San Diego Port Authority and Ron Meler, San Diego State.
ABC is a national association with 77 chapters that represents 25,000 merit shop construction and construction-related firms with two million employees.
