(488,1,5,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','Making a Building Out of An Anthill','none','biomimicry, HOK, Benyus','none','<p>If you\'re looking for building design ideas that are more&nbsp; energy efficient or building systems that protect the environment, you might literally find them in your own backyard.</p>\n<p>A far-reaching trend emerging in green design and sustainability is &ldquo;Biomimicry&rdquo; &ndash; basically applying the best designs in 3.8 billion years nature to a number of industries &ndash; but especially the construction of buildings, cities and communities.&nbsp;&nbsp; On March 19th, Janine Benyus, the world&rsquo;s foremost expert on biomimicry spoke on the topic Washington University&rsquo;s Graham Chapel.<br />&nbsp;<br /><img alt=\"biomimicry\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"222\" src=\"/images/uploads/biomimicry_1.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"266\" />The local hook is that St. Louis-based HOK has exclusive alliance with Benyus&rsquo; <a href=\"http://www.biomimicryguild.com\">Biomimicry Guild&nbsp;</a> to integrate nature&rsquo;s innovations into its designs of structures and communities &ndash; an asset for a community vying for the Obama stimulus dollars that have a multitude of &ldquo;green&rdquo; mandates attached to them.</p>\n<p>Biomimicry applies the knowledge of 3.8 billion years of nature to find solutions to challenges in a number of industries.&nbsp; Leonardo da Vinci applied this &ldquo;nature inspired&rdquo; design in sketching many of his inventive ideas, such as studying bird flight to concept man-made flying machines.&nbsp; Perhaps the most famous example of biomimicry is Velcro.&nbsp; Inventor George de Mestral came up with the concept after observing how burrs stuck to his clothing and his dog&rsquo;s fur. <br /><br />Today, biomimicry is being advanced in the design and construction of buildings and infrastructure in ways that create a more sustainable built environment that coexists in greater harmony with nature.&nbsp; Examples include:</p>\n<ul>\n<li>&nbsp;Termite mounds &ndash; In Africa, certain species of termites have built termite mounds that maintain a constant temperature of 87 degrees F to grow a fungus on which the insects feed.&nbsp; The insects construct air vents that keep the temperature at the appropriate level even when the outside air temperature drops to 35 degrees F at night or rises to 104 degrees F in the day.&nbsp; The Eastgate Centre shopping and office complex in Harare, Zimbabwe uses this termite temperature control to regulate temperate with no conventional air condition or heating.</li>\n<li>&nbsp;Butterfly wings &ndash; Morphotex is a material that imitates the color shifting properties of a butterfly&rsquo;s wings.&nbsp; As a fiber material, it manipulates the use of light to create color through refraction, instead of using dyes or pigments, which use more energy to produce and are more harmful to the environment.&nbsp; It has applications for building materials and textiles.</li>\n<li>Lotus plant &ndash; researchers have found that the Lotus plant can shed contaminants because its leaves have small bumps and waxy crystals that force water to &ldquo;ball up.&rdquo;&nbsp; The bumps raise up dirt -molecules, which are then picked up by the water drops.&nbsp; This &ldquo;lotus effect&rdquo; is now being applied to paint and has applications to textiles, wood and glass.</li>\n<li>&nbsp;Mussels &ndash; Building products such as plywood and particle board are being produced using a glue that was inspired by a substance secreted by mussels.</li>\n<li>The forest floor &ndash; More cost efficient modular carpeting is being produce by mimicking the randomness of colors and patterns found on the forest floor.&nbsp; Rather than uniform colors on the carpet, the randomness makes it very easy to change pieces of the carpet without noticing a difference.</li>\n<li>Whale power &ndash; Wind turbines to produce energy for the built environment are being made more efficient thanks to an aerodynamic study of the whale flipper.</li>\n</ul>\n<p>Next time you putter in the garden or take a walk in the woods, keep your eyes open. Nature may be telling you something about a better way to build.</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>','','307','none','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','','none','If you\'re looking for building design ideas that are more  energy efficient or building systems that protect the environment, you might literally find them in your own backyard.','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(489,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Creve Coeur Center \"TOBY\" Award','none','Creve Coeur Center, Colliers Turley Martin Tucker, TOBY, BOMA','none','<p>The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of St. Louis, has awarded Creve Coeur Center The Office Building of the Year (TOBY) award. The 210,650 square-foot building, located on Emerson Road, won the award in the &ldquo;100,000 &ndash; 249,999 square-foot&rdquo; category. <br />&nbsp;<br />Colliers Turley Martin Tucker (CTMT), which manages the property, submitted the project for the award. The winning application, prepared by the CTMT team, featured a comprehensive overview of the building and its operation, including a description of the property&rsquo;s architecture and interior finishes, community impact, tenant relations, energy conservation, environmental and regulatory compliances, emergency preparedness and security, as well as training of the management team. <br />&nbsp;<br />During the judging process, each application is thoroughly evaluated by a panel of industry professionals. Award criteria include community involvement, site management and environmental policies and procedures. <br />&nbsp;<br />&ldquo;We take great pride in all aspects of the property, from exterior and interior design, to landscaping and environmentally friendly practices,&rdquo; says Will Mura, property manager Creve Coeur Center. &ldquo;To be recognized by our peers at BOMA with this prestigious award is very gratifying.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;<br />The St. Louis winners next compete on a regional level featuring projects in Denver, Kansas City and Minneapolis. <br />&nbsp;</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of St. Louis, has awarded Creve Coeur Center The Office Building of the Year (TOBY) award. The 210,650 square-foot building, located on Emerson Road, won the award in the \"100,000-249,999 square-foot\" category.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(490,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Murray Company Hires Business Development Manager','none','Murray, Shirrell, business development manager','none','<p>Murray Company, a Program Management/Design-Build/Construction Management firm specializing in Hospitals and Healthcare facilities has hired Janet Shirrell, as business development manager.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Murray Company, a Program Management/Design-Build/Construction Management firm specializing in Hospitals and Healthcare facilities has hired Janet Shirrell, as business development manager.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(491,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','',' Ruzicka Joins Rabbitt, Pitzer & Snodgrass','none','Ruzicka, Rabbitt, Pitzer & Snodgrass, P.C. ','none','<p>Derek P. Ruzicka has joined the St. Louis office of Rabbitt, Pitzer &amp; Snodgrass, P.C.</p>\n<p>Ruzicka joins the firm&rsquo;s construction/architect professional liability group and will focus in the areas of design professional liability defense, including architects, engineers, and land surveyors.&nbsp; Mr. Ruzicka is a graduate of Southern Illinois University School of Law (J.D., May, 2008).&nbsp; Prior to attending Southern Illinois University School of Law, Mr. Ruzicka received his undergraduate degree from Valparaiso University.<br /><br />Mr. Ruzicka was admitted to the Missouri Bar in 2008.&nbsp; He is an active member the American Bar Association.&nbsp; Prior to joining Rabbitt, Pitzer &amp; Snodgrass, P.C., Mr. Ruzicka worked as an estimator for Ruzicka Electric &amp; Sons, Inc. &nbsp;</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Derek P. Ruzicka has joined the St. Louis office of Rabbitt, Pitzer & Snodgrass, P.C. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(492,1,5,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','Employee Free Choice Presents a Host of Legal Issues ','none','Free Choice, Kafka','none','<p><em>by Bradley G. Kafka</em></p>\n<p>In St. Louis as in cities across the nation, debates are intensifying as officials representing both management and labor organizations voice their opinions about the potential impacts of the Employee Free Choice Act of 2007.<br /><br />As a result of the victory by the Democratic Party in the November 4 election, employers can expect a renewed effort by Congress to pass a version of the Employee Free Choice Act, Senate Bill 1041 (the &ldquo;New Act&rdquo;), that was supported by 44 Senators, including then Senators Barack Obama and Joseph Biden.&nbsp; If passed, this bill will introduce the most comprehensive revisions to the National Labor Relations Act (the &ldquo;NLRA&rdquo;) since at least 1959. <br /><br />&nbsp;If the New Act passes in its present form, for the first time since the inception of the NLRA in 1935, a union could become the designated collective bargaining representative of an employer&rsquo;s employees notwithstanding a request by the employees or the employer for a secret ballot election conducted by the National Labor Relations Board (the &ldquo;NLRB&rdquo;).&nbsp; Moreover, under the New Act, for the first time in NLRA history, an initial collective bargaining agreement may be imposed on an employer by an arbitrator if the employer and union have reached an impasse in negotiations.&nbsp; Also for the first time, the NLRB would be granted authority, under certain circumstances, to impose fines and other substantial penalties on employers found to have committed certain unfair labor practices.&nbsp; <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; At present, Section 9(c) of the NLRA permits a union that purports to represent a majority of employees in an appropriate bargaining unit to file a petition for a secret ballot election with the NLRB to permit employees to vote on the issue of union representation.&nbsp; An employer is not required to recognize and bargain with a union purporting to represent a majority of its employees unless the NLRB certifies, after an election, that a majority of employees in the bargaining unit have voted for union representation.&nbsp; The New Act would amend Section 9(c) to permit not only a union, but also an individual, to file a petition with the NLRB asserting that a majority of employees in an appropriate bargaining unit wish to be represented by a union or an individual.&nbsp; If the NLRB concludes the employees have signed proper authorizations to have a union or an individual represent them, the NLRB would be required to certify the union or the individual as bargaining representative of the employees without a secret ballot election.&nbsp; <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The precise contours of the new procedure for certifying an individual or a union without an election have not yet been articulated in the Employee Free Choice Act.&nbsp; The Senate draft of the New Act directs the NLRB to develop guidelines and procedures for implementation of the New Act.&nbsp; However, the amendments to Section 9(c) of the NLRA, if passed, could reduce or even eliminate an employer&rsquo;s ability to campaign against union representation of its employees, since the employer may not be aware its employees are signing authorizations for the union until the union has already obtained signatures from a majority of employees.&nbsp; The employer&rsquo;s disadvantage will be compounded by the NLRA&rsquo;s strict limitations on an employer&rsquo;s ability to question its employees concerning their union sympathies or activities.&nbsp; Moreover, the elimination of an employer&rsquo;s right to demand an election increases the likelihood that a union could, through misinformation, coercion or other improper means, inappropriately obtain signed authorizations from employees.&nbsp; <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Senate Bill would also amend Section 8 of the NLRA by adding a new procedure to break an impasse in negotiations for an initial collective bargaining agreement.&nbsp; Under existing law, an employer must bargain in good faith with the newly elected bargaining representative of its employees, but it need not agree to terms it believes are unsatisfactory or detrimental to its business.&nbsp; If the parties reach a legitimate impasse in negotiations, an employer can implement its final offer to the union or continue applying the existing terms of employment.&nbsp; The union has the right to strike.&nbsp; The amendments to Section 8 proposed in the Senate bill would permit the parties 90 days to negotiate an initial collective bargaining agreement.&nbsp; If the parties fail to reach agreement, either party may submit a request for a mediator to the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (the &ldquo;FMCS&rdquo;).&nbsp; If, within 30 days of either party&rsquo;s request for mediation, the parties still have not reached agreement, the New Act requires the FMCS to refer the dispute to an arbitration board.&nbsp; The arbitration panel will then impose a collective bargaining agreement (and all of its terms) on the parties effective for a period of up to two years.&nbsp; <br /><br />Section 4 of the Employee Free Choice Act would drastically increase the NLRB&rsquo;s enforcement power in two ways.&nbsp; First, the Act would require the NLRB to obtain a prompt injunction in federal court against an employer who has allegedly discharged or discriminated against an employee due to that employee&rsquo;s activities on behalf of a union in the period from the inception of a union organizing campaign until an initial collective bargaining agreement is signed by the parties.&nbsp; Second, the Act would alter the NLRB&rsquo;s current practice of awarding only actual back pay to employees found to have been discharged because of their union activities.&nbsp; Since its inception the remedies afforded by the NLRA have been limited to &ldquo;make whole&rdquo; remedies.&rdquo;&nbsp; The New Act would supplement the traditional make whole remedy with liquidated damages in the amount of twice the back pay owed (in addition to the actual back pay) if the discharge occurred between the inception of the organizing campaign and execution of an initial collective bargaining agreement.&nbsp; The New Act would also permit the NLRB to impose a fine of up to $20,000 per violation for any employer who willfully or repeatedly engages in any of a broad range of possible unfair labor practices (including improper statements even if employees experience no loss of pay as a result) during the period between the inception of the organizing campaign and the execution of an initial collective bargaining agreement.&nbsp; <br /><br />If passed, the Employee Free Choice Act will present a host of legal issues.&nbsp; The implementing regulations issued by the NLRB may also have an impact on the manner in which the Act is administered and enforced.&nbsp; Business and labor leaders in St. Louis and across the United States will be watching the status of the Employee Free Choice Act with expectations that, in one form or another, it will be become law.</p>\n<p><em>Bradley G. Kafka is chairman of the Labor and Employment Law Department\nat the law firm of Gallop, Johnson &amp; Neuman, L.C. in St. Louis.&nbsp;\nMr. Kafka represents management in labor and employment matters across\nthe United States.&nbsp; His practice includes federal and state court\nlitigation; collective bargaining negotiations; defense of union\norganizing campaigns; defense of employment discrimination and wrongful\ndischarge cases; and the litigation of restrictive covenant cases\nincluding non-competition claims. </em></p>','','','none','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','','none','In St. Louis as in cities across the nation, debates are intensifying as officials representing both management and labor organizations voice their opinions about the potential impacts of the Employee Free Choice Act of 2007.','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(507,1,5,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','The Balanced Scorecard, Step 2: Develop Performance Metrics ','none','Balanced Scorecard, Develop Metrics, peformance','none','<p><em>By Bill Willbrand Jr., CPA<br />Member, Brown Smith Wallace LLC</em><br /><br />The Balanced Scorecard is a proven method that aligns strategies with everyday performance. In last month&rsquo;s column, we introduced four common barriers to success: the vision barrier, the people barrier, the resource barrier and the management barrier. Now that you have identified some of the reasons your company may not have met recent goals, we&rsquo;ll familiarize you with the steps in the Balanced Scorecard method to improve performance measurement. <br /><br />While measuring a company&rsquo;s performance is nothing new, the Balanced Scorecard method focuses not only on financial outcomes, but also on the human issues that drive those outcomes. Often, non-financial factors are the driving force behind a company&rsquo;s success. This system takes a comprehensive approach and examines employee needs, which drive internal processes, which enhance customer satisfaction, which yields better financial performance.<br /><br />The Balanced Scorecard includes the following four metrics to achieve improved performance:</p>\n<ul>\n<li>Employees/Learning and Growth</li>\n<li>Internal Processes</li>\n<li>Customer Satisfaction</li>\n<li>Financial Performance</li>\n</ul>\n<p>All of these metrics are interrelated, and ultimately can lead to improved performance. For example, developing a safety incentive program (employees/learning and growth) should result in reduced work-related accidents and improved operations efficiency (internal processes). This, in turn, can allow your company to become the price leader and acquire more customers (customer satisfaction) and ultimately grow revenues (financial performance).<br /><br />An important aspect of the Balanced Scorecard approach is that it maintains equilibrium between historical measures (lagging) and future predictive measures (leading). In other words, you need to make sure your measurements are not all lagging indicators of performance. Many financial measurements, by default, fall into this category. Paying attention to leading indicators of future performance, such as new contracts and service response time, can help refine your strategy. <br /><br />When selecting measurements on which to focus, be sure to choose the most important and relevant factors that point to your strategic objective. Each measurement should also meet the following conditions. It must be:<br /></p>\n<ul>\n<li>Linked to the strategic objective</li>\n<li>Repeatable, allowing comparisons over time</li>\n<li>An indicator of future targets and performance</li>\n<li>&nbsp;Accountable, reliable, verifiable and accurate</li>\n<li>Available when needed</li>\n</ul>\n<p><br />Also, keep in mind that successful implementation of the selected metrics requires positive support from all segments of your company&rsquo;s stakeholders. <br /><br />The next Balanced Scorecard column will focus on implementing specific steps to achieve your strategic plans.&nbsp;</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','','none','Last month we introduced four common barriers to success. Now weâ€™ll familiarize you with the steps in the Balanced Scorecard method to improve performance measurement.','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(494,1,2,'','none','','none','','none','Recycle Exchange Website Launched','none','ReSource St. Louis, materials exchange','none','<p>ReSource St. Louis recently launched its newly renovated materials exchange website &ndash; <a href=\"http://www.resourcestlouis.org\">www.resourcestlouis.org</a> &ndash; offering architects, engineers, general contractors, facility professionals and others with a means to exchange construction and demolition materials, such as carpet, lumber, fixtures, and tile. <br /><br /><img alt=\"Resource St. Louis\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"303\" src=\"/images/uploads/resource-st-louis.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"266\" />ReSource St. Louis is the region&rsquo;s only materials exchange website &ndash; a free, online tool focused primarily on commercial construction and demolition waste.&nbsp; Its dynamic database platform features quick posting of materials, automatic notification when materials match a user\'s request, and tracking of the total tonnage of materials diverted over time. Diverting materials from local landfills addresses both economic and environmental concerns for the both providers and recipients of materials.<br /><br />Since launching in 2006, everything from gently used carpet to office furniture and overstock lighting has found new homes through the online though the site. This winter, a grant from the St. Louis/Jefferson County Solid Waste District, the website has been revitalized to make it easier to navigate and use.<br /><br />More than 6,000 items were posted on the ReSource St. Louis Materials Exchange in 2008, including used bleachers, kitchen cabinets and landscaping pavers.</p>\n<p>Feedback from the site includes:<br /><br />\"As a new small business owner, it was a huge find!... I saved approximately $3,500 on flooring. I even put carpet in areas that I had planned to put laminate because there was so much available.\" ( fitness center owner)<br /><br />\"It keeps all that out of the landfill, $2,000 worth of furniture.... Whenever I see a good idea like that, I take every opportunity I can to promote it.\" (sustainability consultant)<br /><br />&ldquo;If we had to go out and buy all this furniture we have, it would have cost us so much money.... (The Materials Exchange) is a great opportunity for start-ups.\" (homebuilder)<br /><br />According to Buildings.com: <br />&bull; In the U.S., total building-related construction and demolition waste is estimated to be 135.5 million tons a year &ndash; that&rsquo;s 30% of the total waste stream! <br />&bull; The average new construction project yields 3.9 pounds of waste per square foot. <br />&bull; The average building demolition yields 155 pounds of waste per square foot. <br />&bull; Three of the largest waste compounds on most job sites &ndash; cardboard, wood and drywall together make up 75% of construction waste &ndash; are fully recyclable.</p>','none','ReSource St. Louis recently launched its newly renovated materials exchange website www.resourcestlouis.org. The site offers architects, engineers, general contractors, facility professionals and others with a means to exchange construction and demolition materials, such as carpet, lumber, fixtures, tile, and more. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','/images/uploads/resource-st-louis.jpg','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(495,1,2,'','none','','none','','none','Looking for the Bottom','none','SIOR, forecast, bottom, commercial real estate','none','<p>If there was a theme to this year\'s St. Louis metro market forecast from the Society of Office and Industrial Realtors (SIOR) it was looking for the bottom. There is so much uncertainty in the marketplace that most of the speakers backed off from making forecasts for 2009. The expectations, however, were that commercial real estate markets have not yet hit bottom.<br /><br /><img alt=\"Crash\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"303\" src=\"/images/uploads/crash.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"266\" />Glenn Guenther of Discovery Group, LLC, described the 2008 as a &ldquo;schizophrenic year&rdquo; for the office market. There was brisk activity in the first half of the year and then the market &ldquo;slipped into a coma&rdquo; for the last half of the year. Taken as a whole, the office market looked &ldquo;surprisingly stable and resilient&rdquo; in 2008 with vacancy rates hitting their lowest levels since 2000, he said, but he doesn&rsquo;t expect that 2009 will look the same. <br /><br />The trends Guenther expects to see in 2009 are:<br />&bull; flat demand for office space,<br />&bull; a migration of tenants from Class A space to Class B space,<br />&bull; a growth in short-term lease renewals, <br />&bull; falling lease rates, and<br />&bull; limited new construction.<br /><br />There are, however, some bright spots, he said. The market is not overbuilt and there are very few big blocks of vacant office space available &ndash; only five blocks of 50,000 square feet or more. The medical and biotech industries are growing, as are Monsanto, Edward Jones, and Scottrade.<br /><br />According to J. Patrick Reilly of Gateway Commercial/Cushman &amp; Wakefield, the industrial market also looks better on paper than it really is. Leasing was up in 2008, absorption of new space was steady, and the vacancy rate was only 6.8 percent, but two large deals skewed the statistics, accounting for 27 percent of activity and regional competitors are adding and absorbing more space each year than is St. Louis. Take Illinois out of the equation and the Missouri side of the metro area actually had a negative absorption rate of industrial space, meaning space was taken out of the market.<br /><br />There has been a paradigm shift in supply chains, he said, and St. Louis is losing the race to connect bulk distribution centers to deep water ports by rail. Craig Meyer, SIOR international president, said the offshoring of manufacturing from the United States has become as big an event as the industrial revolution. Manufactured goods now come to the U.S. by ship &ndash; 75 percent of it to the west coast, 25 percent to the east coast. The new distribution paradigm is to transfer cargo containers from ships to trains, which carry them to bulk distribution centers where the containers are transferred to trucks. &ldquo;Railroads are building bulk distribution centers in Kansas City and Columbus, OH,&rdquo; Reilly said, but not St. Louis.<br /><br />&ldquo;St. Louis is now overbuilt as an industrial market,&rdquo; Reilly said. Rents are less than the taxes on some buildings, he said, and he looks to see some distressed sales later in the year. He suggested that turning the market around may depend on St. Louis developing a niche as an inland port and getting a direct rail connection to a deep water port such as Houston.<br /><br />Alan Bornstein of THF Realty Inc., said the 15-year growth cycle in the retail market is over. In each of the last six months there has been a substantial statistical drop in consumer spending, he said. Couple that with the growth of ecommerce and any future real estate deals in the retail market likely will rely on public-private partnerships instead of private financing, he said.<br /><br />Joe Monteleone of Q10/Triad Capital Advisors Inc. said lenders want more equity in deals &ndash; in the retail market they are willing to lend for 60 percent of the value of a deal, he said &ndash; and they are concerned about refinancing. He noted that $230 billion of commercial mortgage backed securities are coming due in the next three years and one big question mark is how those owners will refinance.<br /><br />&ldquo;Lenders will be conservative for awhile,&rdquo; he said, but &ldquo;every recession creates asset buying opportunities.&rdquo; <br /><br />Monteleone guessed that, &ldquo;we&rsquo;re still trying to find the bottom of the trough,&rdquo; but added that some positive news is that insurance companies expect to get back into the lending market near the end of 2009.</p>','none','If there was a theme to this year\'s St. Louis metro market forecast from the Society of Office and Industrial Realtors (SIOR) it was looking for the bottom. There is so much uncertainty in the marketplace that most of the speakers backed off from making forecasts for 2009. The expectations, however, were that commercial real estate markets have not yet hit bottom.','none','','none','','none','','none',310,'none','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','/images/uploads/crash.jpg','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(496,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Cardinal Glennon Lean, IPD Project  Wins National Award','none','Cardinal Glennon, NICU, Alberici','none','<p>The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) &amp; Surgery Addition at\nSSM Cardinal Glennon Children&rsquo;s Medical Center received the 2009 Vista\nAward &ndash; a national mark of distinction and honor, recognizing the\nimportance of teamwork in the healthcare design and building\nenvironment.&nbsp; The award is granted by the American Society for\nHealthcare Engineering (ASHE) of the American Hospital Association\n(AHA).&nbsp; The NICU &amp; Surgery Addition is one of only three new\nhospital projects in the country to be recognized this year with a\nVista Award.&nbsp; Alberici Constructors served as the project&rsquo;s\nconstruction manager and Christner served as the project&rsquo;s architect.<br /><br />The\nproject team used Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) and Lean\nConstruction techniques to deliver a specialized building that includes\nten operating rooms and a NICU with 60 private rooms.&nbsp; Teamwork led to\nexceptional results in reducing cost and waste, adhering to the\nschedule, and responding to a not-to-exceed budget of $59 million<br /><br />For\nexample, the team conserved 40% of the original construction\ncontingency as an incentive pool. Savings &ndash; accrued through unusual\ncollaboration during design and construction &ndash; were shared by the\narchitect, constructor, engineer and major system subcontractors.</p>\n<p>Partners to the leadership team for the SSM Cardinal Glennon NICU\n&amp; Surgery project were: Owner:SSM Cardinal Glennon Children&rsquo;s\nMedical Center; Architect: Christner Inc.; Contractor: Alberici\nConstructors; and Engineer: McGrath Incorporated Engineering.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) & Surgery Addition at SSM Cardinal Glennon Children\'s Medical Center received the 2009 Vista Award â€“ a national mark of distinction and honor, recognizing the importance of teamwork in the healthcare design and building environment. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(497,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','McMillen Earns Specialty Geotech Certification','none','McMillen, Academy of Geo-Professionals','none','<p>T. Michael McMillen, PE, D.GE, was recently inducted into the initial class of Diplomates of Geotechnical Engineering, a post-licensure specialty certification based on experience, education, and ethics.&nbsp; <br /><br />The program is administered by the Academy of Geo-Professionals, under the American Society of Civil Engineer&rsquo;s Geo-Institute. McMillen has been active in specialty certification for many years and now serves as vice president of the Academy&rsquo;s Board.&nbsp; <br /><br />He is president of Gateway Geotechnical, LLC, a geotechnical design and consulting, and construction testing firm.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','T. Michael McMillen, PE, D.GE, was recently inducted into the initial class of Diplomates of Geotechnical Engineering, a post-licensure specialty certification based on experience, education, and ethics. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(498,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Panel Discussion on Infrastructure April 8','none','Infrastructure, Pipefitters, KAI, History Museum','none','<p>&nbsp;A panel of St. Louis business leaders will address current and future priorities for renewal of the area\'s roads, bridges, sewers and other infrastructure at a free panel discussion on Wednesday, April 8 at the Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd. in Forest Park. The free event, &ldquo;Infrastructure Opportunities: A Stimulus for Economic Growth,&rdquo; begins at 8:30 with continental breakfast and concludes at 9 a.m.<br />&nbsp;<br />Major infrastructure projects represent long-term investments in economic growth that will create thousands of Missouri jobs and add billions to the state\'s economy, according to Kevin Ferguson, vice president of Kwame Building Group, a St. Louis-based construction management firm.<br />&nbsp;<br />Speakers at the panel discussion include Kevin Ferguson, vice president of Kwame Building Group; Jeff Theerman, executive director of the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District; and Pat Kellett, business manager at Plumbers &amp; Pipefitters Local Union No. 562.&nbsp; Admission is free but reservations are requested. To RSVP, e-mail <a href=\"mailto:stlevents@bizjournals.com\">stlevents@bizjournals.com</a>.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none',' A panel of St. Louis business leaders will address current and future priorities for renewal of the area\'s roads, bridges, sewers and other infrastructure at a free panel discussion on Wednesday, April 8 at the Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd. in Forest Park. The free event, â€œInfrastructure Opportunities: A Stimulus for Economic Growth,â€ begins at 8:30 with continental breakfast and concludes at 9 a.m.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(499,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Hensley Starts Community School Expansion','none','Hensley Construction, Ladue, Community School','none','<p>Hensley Construction, Inc. has begun construction on a $6 million expansion and renovation project at Community School in Ladue. following a groundbreaking on March 6.&nbsp; Work to construct a new leadership wing, expand the kitchen, renovate the main entrance and widen the school&rsquo;s driveway is the largest component of an $8 million capital campaign launched in 2007.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Hensley Construction, Inc. has begun construction on a $6 million expansion and renovation project at Community School in Ladue.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(500,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','CB Richard Ellis Releases First Quarter Report','none','CB Richard Ellis, First Quarter, report','none','<p>CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) has released its First Quarter 2009 MarketViews for the Office and Industrial markets. The MarketViews track multitenant space throughout the St. Louis metro area, showing trends in vacancy, construction and absorption, among other measurements.</p>\n<p>The Office MarketView shows that the vacancy rate for the St. Louis market rose to 15.1% in the first quarter of 2009, up from 14.8% at the end of 2008. Lease renewals are the most prevalent transactions in the market, and an increasing amount of sublease space will pressure the office market in the months ahead. Despite the challenges, however, some CBRE brokers see positive signs, especially compared to other slow periods in St. Louis&rsquo; history.</p>\n<p>On the Industrial side, the availability rate decreased slightly, from 12.1% in the fourth quarter of 2008 to 11.9% currently. The vacancy rate, however, showed an increase, ending the quarter at 8.2%. The St. Louis market&rsquo;s vacancy rate remains competitive with peer cities such as Indianapolis and Kansas City.</p>\n<p>Both the Industrial and Office markets have seen a slowdown in new construction, specifically speculative construction, which bodes well for the future, as less new space will need to be filled during a time of relatively slow deal velocity.</p>\n<p><a href=\"/blogfiles/office_market.pdf\"><br /></a><a href=\"/blogfiles/office_market.pdf\">To download the office report, click here</a><a href=\"/blogfiles/office_market.pdf\">.</a></p>\n<p><a href=\"/blogfiles/industrial_market.pdf\"><br />To download the industrial report, click here</a>.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) has released its First Quarter 2009 MarketViews for the Office and Industrial markets. \n','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(501,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Mississippi River Bridge Meeting Set','none','Mississippi River Bridge, I-70, public meeting','none','<p>The Mississippi River Bridge project team has scheduled a public meeting to discuss future renovation work on the St. Louis Ave. and Madison Ave. bridges over Interstate 70.</p>\n<p>The open house-style public meeting is April 16, 2009, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Clay Elementary School, 3820 North 14th Street, St. Louis, MO, 63107.<br /><br />This meeting is open house-style, which means no formal presentations will be made.&nbsp; During the meeting, the MRB team will discuss the project to replace these two bridges across I-70 and to remove the Cass Bridge. Attendees will be able to discuss the bridge replacement schedule, detours and any other concerns. Additionally, attendees can find out about the progress the design team has made on the Mississippi River Bridge and associated projects. Attendees will be able to offer comments or suggestions at any time during the meeting, and be able to document those comments. Attendees, or other interested parties, will be able to submit comments before June 6.<br /><br />The Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission will accept bids for this project in late May. Work on the project will start in late 2009 and is expected to be finished by Dec. 31, 2010.<br /><br />The new Mississippi River Bridge is expected to reduce severe traffic congestion and vehicle crashes on the Poplar Street Bridge (PSB). Currently, PSB carries combined traffic for Interstates 55, 64 and 70. In 2004, traffic counts on the PSB average 120,000 vehicles daily.<br /><br />Visit www.newriverbridge.org/ for more information on the new Mississippi River Bridge.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','The Mississippi River Bridge project team has scheduled a public meeting to discuss future renovation work .','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(508,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Kirchner\'s Wilhelms to Chair National Masonry Association','none','Wilhelms, NCMA, Kirchner, concrete masonry','none','<p>Mark Wilhelms, director of sales for Kirchner Block &amp; Brick, has been confirmed as the chairman of the board-elect for 2009 at the recent Annual Meeting for the National Concrete Masonry Association. The Annual Meeting and election took place in Indianapolis, Indiana on February 28, 2009. <br /><br />Wilhelms, a 24 year veteran of the industry, has served on a number of local regional and national industry associations. He is the Past President of the St. Louis Chapter Constructions Specification Institute, and the Past Chairman of the Missouri Concrete Masonry Council. He is also an Associate Member of the Mason Contractors Association. With this election, Wilhelms will assume the role of Chairman of the National Concrete Masonry Association in 2010.<br /><br />The National Concrete Masonry Association (NCMA), established in 1918, is the national trade association representing the concrete masonry industry. <br /><br />Regarding his confirmation Wilhelms said, &ldquo;I am honored to have been asked to serve. My tenure will represent the fourth time a member of our companies has served as chairman for NCMA.&rdquo;</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Mark Wilhelms has been confirmed as the chairman of the board-elect for the National Concrete Masonry Association.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(509,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Brinkmann Completes Columbia Menards','none','Brinkmann, Columbia, Menards','none','<p>R.G. Brinkmann Construction Co. has completed the first Menards home improvement center in mid-Missouri in Centerstate Crossing, a mixed-use development located at the intersection of Interstate 70 and Missouri Highway 63 in Columbia, Mo. The project totaled more than $6.7 million.<br /><br />&ldquo;Our objective was to expedite completion so that Menards could capitalize on the busy spring sales season,&rdquo; said Jed Momot, Brinkmann project engineer. <br /><br />Situated on a 17.5-acre site, the store consists of 160,000 square feet of retail floor space with an attached 40,000-square-foot open-air garden center and a free-standing 23,000-square-foot warehouse. <br /><br />Owned by Centerstate Realty, Centerstate Crossing contains a 348,000-square-foot shopping center and spans 200 acres in future mixed-use development. It is anchored by Bass Pro Shops and features a Hilton Garden Inn, Furniture Row, Lone Star Steakhouse&nbsp; Saloon and Ruby Tuesday.<br /><br /></p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','R.G. Brinkmann Construction Co. has completed the first Menards home improvement center in mid-Missouri.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(510,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Environmental Names Bender VP of Construction','none','Bender, environmental operations, vice president of construction','none','<p>James K. Bender has joined St. Louis-based <a href=\"http://www.environmentalops.com\">Environmental Operations, Inc.</a> as vice president of construction.<br /><br />Bender, of Dardenne Prairie, has more than 10 years of construction management experience, having worked with McEagle Properties, Home Depot&rsquo;s Southeast Region, and PE Construction Services. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri construction management program.<br /><br />Environmental Operations identifies and resolves environmental issues with integrated environmental and financial expertise, Brownfield incentives and risk assumption tools.&nbsp;</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','James K. Bender has joined St. Louis-based Environmental Operations, Inc..','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(511,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Electrical Connection Sponsors Wind  Workshop','none','The St. Louis Electrical Connection,wind','none','<p><a href=\"http://www.electricalconnection.org/\">The St. Louis Electrical Connection</a> is co-sponsoring the Wind Industry Supply Chain Workshop, the first of its kind in a statewide series.&nbsp; <br /><br />Organized by the Missouri Partnership, the event is open to the public.&nbsp; It will be held Wednesday, April 8, 2009 from 8 a.m. to noon at St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley, 3400 Pershall Road, in Florissant, Mo.&nbsp; Doors open at 7:30 a.m.<br /><br />The workshop will address local business-to-business opportunities in the renewable energy industry.&nbsp; Experts in the field of renewable energy will highlight market opportunities in the wind sector.<br /><br />Presentations will be made by the Missouri Partnership and Cleveland, Ohio-based Great Lakes WIND Network, a wind power industry-based network of manufacturers and suppliers.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><br />Admission is $35.&nbsp; Information and registration are available at the <a href=\"http://www.missouripartnership.com/Library/Events/WindIndustrySupplyChainWorkshopStLouis/tabid/122/Default.aspx\">Missouri Partnership Website</a> , or call 314.725.0949.&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><br />The St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association (RCGA), St. Louis-based Wind Capital Group, the Missouri Department of Economic Development and St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley are also co-sponsors.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','The St. Louis Electrical Connection is co-sponsoring a wind-industry supply chain workshop.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(512,1,2,'','none','','none','','none','St. Louis AIA  Helps Young Designers Hit by Recession','none','AIA, assistance, scholarships','none','<p><img alt=\"Helping Hand\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"303\" src=\"/images/uploads/helping-hand.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"266\" />The St. Louis Chapter AIA is providing financial assistance in professional development to young designers impacted by firm cutbacks in the face of declining work on the boards. AIA issued the following statement in an email to its members:</p>\n<p>\"Last week, the trustees of the AIA St. Louis Scholarship Fund met.\nThe state of the economy and its devastating effect on our industry and\nprofession was one of our topics. We know that the number of unemployed and under-employed architects\nand interns continues to grow. Many firms face extinction as more and\nmore construction projects are placed on hold.</p>\n<p>\"To assist our profession during these uncertain days, the AIA St.\nLouis Scholarship Fund is allocating funds to be made available to\nunemployed/underemployed architects and interns on their pathway to\nlicensure. The funds will be processed through the AIA St. Louis office\nas interest-free loans, to be paid back when full time employment\nreturns, and then on a mutually agreeable and in a reasonable time\nframe. These are unique times, and we are undertaking a unique way to\nsupport the St. Louis architectural community.</p>\n<p>\"The funds may be borrowed for ARE testing and preparation, LEED\ncertification testing and preparation, or for computer classes for\nRevit, BIM or programs that will make you a better architect or intern\nwhen you return to work. We will also consider applications for other\nprofessional growth and development opportunities.</p>\n<p>\"We know that there are impending deadlines such as the LEED testing\ndeadline and the 3.1 ARE... We want the funds to be\navailable immediately for these deadlines.</p>\n<p>\"The AIA St. Louis Scholarship Fund is able to undertake this unique\nstimulus program because of the generosity of its donors and the\nongoing support it receives. We therefore, must express our gratitude\nto the founders and trustees of the Fund for developing and growing the\nfund to allow us to continue to invest in our profession.\"</p>\n<p>A link to the AIA application form is available by <a href=\"/blogfiles/aia_application.pdf\">clicking here</a>.&nbsp; Email the form to <a href=\"mailto:mswatek@aia-stlouis.org\">Michelle Swatek</a> executive director. Email or call 314.621.3484 for more information.</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>','none','The St. Louis Chapter AIA is providing financial assistance in professional development to young designers impacted by firm cutbacks.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','/images/uploads/helping-hand.jpg','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(513,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Johnson, Holdener Join FGM','none','FGM, Johnson, Holdener','none','<p>FGM Architects announced that Christina Johnson and Robert Holdener have joined the FGM O\'Fallon, IL office.</p>\n<p>Johnson, a resident of Granite City, is a 2008 graduate University of Illinois at Chicago with a Master of Architecture. She will be working as an Architectural Intern at FGM.<br /><br />Holdener of Mascoutah, IL is a licensed Architect in Illinois and Missouri and brings over 30 years of experience in design and project management. Bob will be assisting the project team on the new Mascoutah High School in Mascoutah, IL.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','FGM Architects announced that Christina Johnson and Robert Holdener have joined the FGM O\'Fallon, IL office. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(514,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Johnson, Holdener Join FGM','none','FGM, Johnson, Holdener','none','<p>FGM Architects announced that Christina Johnson and Robert Holdener have joined the FGM O&rsquo;Fallon, IL office.</p>\n<p>Johnson, a resident of Granite City, is a 2008 graduate University of Illinois at Chicago with a Master of Architecture. She will be working as an Architectural Intern at FGM.<br /><br />Holdener of Mascoutah, IL is a licensed Architect in Illinois and Missouri and brings over 30 years of experience in design and project management. Bob will be assisting the project team on the new Mascoutah High School in Mascoutah, IL.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','FGM Architects announced that Christina Johnson and Robert Holdener have joined the FGM Oâ€™Fallon, IL office. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(515,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Walton Manager Becomes Erosion, Sediment, Storm Inspecto','none','Leopold, Walton','none','<p>Mike Leopold, senior project manager of Walton Construction-St. Louis, recently earned accreditation as a Certified Erosion, Sediment and Storm Water Inspector (CESSWI).&nbsp; The CESSWI Program offers certification to individuals who are qualified to provide nationally consistent inspections of erosion, sediment, and storm water management practices.&nbsp; Candidates must submit an application and complete a written examination.<br /><br />Leopold joined Walton-St. Louis in August of 2005 and has since managed numerous projects.&nbsp; He currently is working on an Armed Forces Reserve Center in Seagoville, TX and a storm sewer relocation project at Jefferson Barracks.&nbsp; Mike also served as Walton&rsquo;s senior project manager for the new construction of a Wal-Mart Supercenters in Harrisburg, Jacksonville and Marion, Illinois.&nbsp; Mike completed Wal-Mart&rsquo;s storm water program and is a trained Storm Water Professional. Walton Construction is a member of the International Erosion Control Association (IECA).</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Mike Leopold, senior project manager of Walton Construction-St. Louis, recently earned accreditation as a Certified Erosion, Sediment and Storm Water Inspector (CESSWI).','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(516,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Raineri Completes Downtown Urgent Care','none','Raineri, Downtown Urgent Care','none','<p><a href=\"http://www.rainericonstruction.com\">Raineri Construction</a> has completed a $2 million renovation project for Downtown Urgent Care at 916 Olive&nbsp; Street in St. Louis. <br /><br />The first-of-its-kind, 2,600-square-foot clinic hosts six exam rooms, a lab and a digital x-ray machine. There are four physicians on staff.&nbsp;&nbsp; It is serving the estimated 12,000 people who reside in downtown St.&nbsp;&nbsp; Louis and the additional 95,000 individuals who commute downtown to work.<br /><br />Raineri&rsquo;s project spanned all four floors and the basement of the nearly 30,000-square-foot former Truman Office Building purchased by Dr. Sonny Saggar in 2008.&nbsp; With an entry pressed against a public walkway and exposed steel interior columns, the clinic has a decidedly urban feel. The waiting room features hardwood floors and a mural of the St. Louis skyline.<br /><br />In addition to gut renovation work, Raineri created a 2,100-square-foot mezzanine out of the building&rsquo;s original high-ceiling lobby. The mezzanine will be used for future expansion as Saggar works to add dentists, therapists and other specialists to his staff.<br /><br />Raineri Construction, certified by the St. Louis Airport Authority as a Woman Business Enterprise, was founded in 2003 by Ashley Raineri. The firm focuses on turn-key design/build prime contracting and specialized subcontracting in the multifamily residential, commercial and industrial sectors.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Raineri Construction has completed a $2 million renovation project for Downtown Urgent Care.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(517,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Greensfelder Launches Stimulus Support Team ','none','Greensfelder, stimulus','none','<p>Law firm Greensfelder, Hemker&nbsp; Gale, P.C. has launched a new multi-disciplinary practice group to help businesses learn how to most efficiently perform on projects funded by federal stimulus dollars.&nbsp; Its Stimulus Support Team will draw from multiple practice groups to shepherd clients through the complexities and compliance requirements of the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009.<br /><br />&ldquo;For many businesses, the federal stimulus package is a lifeline to get through the recession, so it&rsquo;s important to know how to make the most of the opportunity by understanding how to work effectively on projects funded in whole or part with ARRA dollars,&rdquo; said Jim Scott, a Greensfelder officer and member of its construction law practice. &ldquo;Companies that traditionally focus on private sector work are likely to find the stipulations, processes and protocols mandated by the ARRA mystifying. Our Stimulus Support Team will help speed the learning curve.&rdquo; <br /><br />For the construction industry alone, Scott notes that stimulus contract opportunities will carry numerous contractual, legal and regulatory requirements that need to be carefully evaluated during the bid phase and complied with during contract performance. These range from prevailing wage and COBRA benefits to extensive new reporting and compliance obligations. <br /><br />&ldquo;The act&rsquo;s transparency requirements grant the Comptroller General and the Offices of Inspector General access to contractor and subcontractor records and employees. Other provisions mandate that firms performing such work disclose evidence of criminal wrongdoing by principals, employees, agents and subcontractors&rdquo; added Scott.<br /><br />Other Greensfelder practice groups represented on the Stimulus Support Team include labor and employment, immigration, corporate and real estate.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Law firm Greensfelder, Hemker  Gale, P.C. has launched a  group to help businesses on projects funded by federal stimulus dollars. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(518,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','The \"Real\" World of Engineering','none','student, engineers, real world','none','<p>Thirty-seven students and professors from Missouri University of Science &amp; Technology, Saint Louis University and Washington University spent&nbsp; Saturday April 4 at an all-day workshop to learn about real-world applications of engineering. It was the second hands-on workshop sponsored by the Association of Engineering and Environmental Geologists (AEG) and Geotechnology, Inc. at the firm&rsquo;s headquarters in Maryland Heights, Missouri.</p>\n<h4><img alt=\"Student Engineers 1\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"183\" src=\"/images/uploads/image-2_1.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"244\" /></h4>\n<h4><br /></h4>\n<h4>Students from Missouri University of Science &amp; Technology look at real-time data on a ground penetrating radar cart, which they rolled over the pavement to identify the location of a sewer line. On the right, Glen Adams, R.G., senior geophysicist and project manager, explains what they are viewing on the screen and what it means.</h4>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<h4><br /></h4>\n<h4><br /></h4>\n<h4><img alt=\"Engineers 2\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"194\" src=\"/images/uploads/image-3_1.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"244\" /></h4>\n<h4><br /></h4>\n<h4>Jason Gonzalez, driller&rsquo;s helper, and Brock Slinkard, senior driller, extract a soil sample using the split spoon method. Staff Engineer, Tom Coleman, E.I.T., explains the process to students from Missouri University of Science &amp; Technology.</h4>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Thirty-seven students and professors from Missouri University of Science & Technology, Saint Louis University and Washington University spent  Saturday April 4 at an all-day workshop to learn about real-world applications of engineering. (see photos)','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(520,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','St. Louis Habitat Honored for  27 LEED Platinum Houses','none','Habitat, USGBC, Growing Green, LEED','none','<p>Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis was selected as the U.S. Green Build Council &ndash; St. Louis Regional Chapter&rsquo;s Growing Green Award winner in the residential category. Habitat was chosen from a field of 15 nominees in the inaugural award program. Through their Growing Green Awards, the USGBC-STL recognizes and celebrates &ldquo;the people, organizations and companies that are transforming the St. Louis Region\'s built environment into a more environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy place to live, work and play.&rdquo; <br /><br />Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis built 27 LEED certified platinum houses as part of their most recent Build in the JeffVanderLou (JVL) Neighborhood.&nbsp; These homes double the number of LEED certified projects in the St. Louis region. Prior to the Habitat Build, there were 24 certified commercial projects (at different levels) and three certified home projects in the region.&nbsp; Nationally, as of March 24, 2009, only 230 homes were certified as LEED platinum.<br /><br />Habitat will build another 28 houses in 2009 in the JVL Neighborhood just blocks from their 2008 Build.&nbsp; The build begins next month. All 28 homes are planned for LEED certification. Habitat was chosen from a field of 15 nominees in the inaugural award program. Through their Growing Green Awards, the USGBC-STL recognizes and celebrates &ldquo;the people, organizations and companies that are transforming the St. Louis Region\'s built environment into a more environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy place to live, work and play.&rdquo; <br /><br />Kimberly McKinney, chief executive officer of Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis says Habitat is committed to LEED certification in all the homes they build: &ldquo;We realize that while building houses in partnership with our selected families helps them to realize the \"American Dream\" but we also understand that it is likely they will always struggle economically for the \"extras\".&nbsp; As such, it is important to us to build the most energy efficient and sustainable house possible. As a non-profit, we must be good stewards of the money donated to us but to be able to extend that to being good stewards of the earth is also important.&rdquo;</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Habitat for Humanity St. Louis was selected for a USGBC \"Growing Green\" award in recognition of  27 LEED certifed platinum built in 2009.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(521,1,2,'','none','','none','','none','\"Growing Green\" Awards Honor Sustainability Leaders ','none','','none','<p><img alt=\"Growing Green\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"303\" src=\"/images/uploads/wheres-the-growth.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"266\" />The U.S. Green Building Council- St. Louis Regional Chapter (USGBC) recognized eight organizations and indivduals as leaders in built sustainability at&nbsp; its inaugural Growing Green Awards on March 31.&nbsp; The program recognized people and organizations that are \"Transforming the Built Environment\" and sharing their knowledge of green building and sustainable practices.&nbsp; By choosing judges outside of the St. Louis area, the nominations were evaluated without any preconceived notions of the people and companies, USGBC said.</p>\n<p>Judges were Mark Shapiro, AIA, LEED AP, BNIM, Kansas City;&nbsp; Cindy Finstad, Mortensen Construction, Brookfield, WI ; Jeremy Sigmon, LEED AP,&nbsp; USGBC Advocacy Coordinator, Washington, DC; Kris Neurauter, Sustainable Design Leader, Gensler, Chicago; and Ken Brandson, Haworth, Inc. , Holland, MI.</p>\n<p>Selected for recognition were:</p>\n<p><br /><strong>Innovator Category: WILLIAM A. KERR FOUNDATION</strong><br />The William A. Kerr Foundation transformed a historically significant building in an underdeveloped and often overlooked part of downtown St. Louis into an educational showplace for sustainable strategies. The foundation, a longtime advocate of environmental protection, committed to plans for LEED certification early on. In so doing, the Kerr Foundation Headquarters achieved the first LEED Platinum Certification in the City of St. Louis and only the second in the St. Louis region. The Kerr Foundation not only uses its building to continually educate the public on sustainability by hosting tours, meetings and events, but also funds sustainable causes throughout the region. <br /><em><br />Judges&rsquo; comments:&nbsp; &ldquo;They aimed very high. That&rsquo;s what we want to see, someone with high aspirations, going above and beyond, pushing the boundaries.&rdquo; </em><br /><strong><br />Residential Category: HABITAT FOR HUMANITY SAINT LOUIS</strong><br />Habitat&rsquo;s mission is to eliminate substandard housing in our region and they are doing it with compassion, skill, creativity and a commitment to innovation in energy savings along with sustainable construction techniques and practices. All 27 homes in Habitat&rsquo;s 2008 Build were certified LEED Platinum in March 2009 and plans are well underway for 29 more LEED homes in the 2009 Build. The 2008 Build has been made a case study by Habitat for Humanity International and the Home Depot Foundation that will spread far beyond St. Louis. Much of what is being done here is being adopted as &lsquo;best practices&rsquo; in other parts of the country. And Habitat for Humanity St. Louis in turn, has incorporated building science improvements from other sources it has encountered in its work.<br /><br /><em>Judges&rsquo; comments:&nbsp; &ldquo;They are really pushing the boundaries. Their social connection is a win-win for the entire community!&rdquo; and &ldquo;Just fantastic!&rdquo; <br /><br /></em><img alt=\"Growing Green\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"100\" src=\"/images/uploads/GrowingGreenAwardsLOGO.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"300\" /></p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p><em><strong>Government Award: CITY OF CLAYTON</strong></em><br />The City of Clayton has a long standing tradition of environmental stewardship with its 15-year old residential recycling program, the establishment in 1997 of the Ecology and Environment Awareness Committee and the Tree City Designation from the Arbor Day Foundation. More recently, Clayton ramped up its commitment to being a sustainable leader in the region. In 2006, the Mayor signed the Mayor&rsquo;s Climate Protection Agreement and the Board of Alderman passed a resolution requiring all city-owned, operated and occupied new construction and major renovation to achieve LEED Silver Certification.&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><br /><em>Judges&rsquo; comments:&nbsp; &ldquo;We can take what&rsquo;s happening here and apply it and use it nationwide as a great model for programs, regulations, building activity and so much more.&rdquo; and &ldquo;Absolutely fantastic!&rdquo;<br /></em><br /><strong>Government Category Special Mention: U.S. CONGRESSMAN RUSS CARNAHAN</strong><br /><br />Congressman Russ Carnahan is a strong advocate nationally and locally for high-performance green building and schools.&nbsp; He was the co-founder of the U.S. House of Representatives&rsquo; High-Performance Buildings Caucus and is also member of the Green Schools Caucus, the Sustainable Energy and Environment Caucus, the House Biofuels Caucus and the Congressional Climate Change Caucus. Congressman Carnahan has sponsored and co-sponsored numerous pieces of legislation which have consistently addressed green building, including green schools and green housing, green economic development, alternative energy, climate change and innovative green products. <br /><br />Judges&rsquo; comments: &ldquo;He has played a crucial role in promoting green building in Missouri. Having the government&rsquo;s involvement and support is a key component to transforming the built environment.&rdquo;<br /><br /><strong>Quietly Green Category: Winner: RICHARD REILLY, BOA CONSTRUCTION</strong><br /><br />Richard Reilly has been with Boa Construction Company for over 25 years and now serves as COO. Richard is heavily involved in nonprofit organizations and local associations to promote green building without ever asking for anything in return.&nbsp; He dedicated numerous hours of LEED consulting time to Habitat for Humanity St. Louis&rsquo; 2008 build, introducing several other Boa employees to Habitat to increase the volunteer efforts from his company. Reilly&rsquo;s passion for sustainability is evident in all he does.&nbsp; The associations he chooses to be involved in and the way he completes his day-to-day tasks center on environmental issues.&nbsp; In addition, he encourages fellow employees to become involved in sustainable initiatives, which allows his influence to grow exponentially.&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><br />Judges&rsquo; comments: &ldquo;His passion for sustainability is evident in all he does; he dedicates so much time and energy to actively promoting sustainability.&rdquo; and &ldquo;He seems to breathe it!&rdquo;<br /><br /><strong>Award 2:&nbsp; DAVID BERTORELL</strong>I<br /><br />David Bertorelli spent thirteen years as Facility Director and Director of Space Planning and Design at Enterprise Rent-A-Car\'s corporate headquarters in St. Louis. At Enterprise, David promoted the LEED philosophy within Enterprise and outside, while spearheading the company\'s first LEED CI certified project from start to finish, and positioning the company as the first rental car firm nationally to gain LEED certification. David was also instrumental in launching ReSource St. Louis, an organization aimed at reducing Construction and Demolition waste through reduction, recycling, and reuse. As the co-chair of Greening the Heartland 2008 Conference, David brought the 5-year old conference, hosted by USGBC-STL, to a new level, exceeding attendance, sponsorship and exhibitor participation and &ldquo;paying forward&rdquo; a profit to USGBC-Detroit, the host of Greening the Heartland 2009. <br /><br />Judges&rsquo; comments:&nbsp;&nbsp; &ldquo;His achievements have made a big impact throughout the entire corporation, and most importantly, have changed corporate culture for the better.&rdquo; <br /><br /><strong>Education Category:&nbsp; PARKWAY SCHOOL DISTRICT </strong><br /><br />Parkway realized the need for being environmentally proactive long before the going green trend became popular. Since 1990, the Parkway School District has implemented a number of programs focused on environmental compliance, waste diversion, energy conservation, water conservation and green cleaning practice under the Parkway Environmental Services Department, Parkway Planning and Construction or the Parkway Buildings and Grounds Department. The materials recovery program began in 1990 and has diverted 11,466 tons of material from the landfill since May of 2000, while the waste diversion has generated $263,800 in revenue. The District&rsquo;s energy conservation program focuses on the operational side and includes conservation measures implemented daily, over weekends, holidays, and summer breaks. The energy saved is the equivalent of removing 23,420 cars from the highway or planting the equivalent of 3,337,434 tree seedlings for 10 years. The average avoided utility expenses for the district have been $843,062 for each of the last 15 years. <br /><br />Judges&rsquo; comments:&nbsp; &ldquo;Educating our children is the best place to start. This is an area of maximum impact because educating children impacts their ideas, and thus our future. Their efforts and achievements towards this end are transformational.&rdquo;<br /><br /><strong>Commercial Category: LOFTWORKS, LLC</strong><br /><br />Ten years ago, Craig Heller&rsquo;s company, LOFTWORKS, LLC, converted a long vacant warehouse space into the first for-sale condominiums in downtown St. Louis. LOFTWORKS recognized the potential of downtown St. Louis to be a neighborhood distinguished by sustainable lifestyles and building practices.&nbsp; After ten years, LOFTWORKS is completing another first: developing the first LEED Gold core-and-shell project in downtown St. Louis. LOFTWORKS&rsquo; commitment to maintaining the building with sound sustainable practices and transferring these practices to its other projects increases the level of commitment to creating a green downtown.&nbsp; LOFTWORKS has raised the bar for its future developments for all other developers downtown.<br /><br />Judges&rsquo; comments: &ldquo;They showed a real commitment to the community. We really liked the social equity component in their work. Their vision and community-centered approach truly broadened their engagement with the community.&rdquo;<br /><br />Next year&rsquo;s Growing Green Awards will be held Wednesday, March 31, 2010, and nominations will open at the first of the year.</p>','none','The U.S. Green Building Council- St. Louis Regional Chapter (USGBC) recognized eight organizations and indivduals as leaders in built sustainability at  its inaugural Growing Green Awards on March 31.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','/images/uploads/wheres-the-growth.jpg','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(522,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Belleville Hospital Plans Expansion ','none','Bellleville, Memorial, expansion','none','<div id=\"storycontent\">\n<p><a href=\"http://www.memhosp.com/\">Memorial Hospital</a> in Belleville, IL plans to build a $24 million orthopedic and neurosciences center.</p>\n<p>The facility, which will be between 85,000 and 89,000 square feet,\nwill include orthopedic surgeon and neurosurgeon offices and an\noutpatient center for physical, occupational and hand therapy and\nsports medicine. An open MRI also will be available at the center,\nwhich will be located on Frank Scott Parkway. The two existing medical office buildings on\nMemorial&rsquo;s campus, which are both smaller than the proposed addition\nwill be fully leased by the end of the year.</p>\n<p>Pending state approval, Memorial plans to break ground at the end of\nthe year with completion slated for the summer of 2011. Memorial, a\n313-bed hospital, reported $239.8 million in 2008 revenue.</p>\n</div>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Belleville\'s Memorial Hospital plans a $24 million expansion','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(523,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','CVS Pharmacies Plan Major Push Here','none','CVS, pharmacies, unions, contractors','none','<p>CVS Pharmacies has had discussions with St. Louis contractors and unions about building a significant number of stores here.</p>\n<p>Currently two stores have been announced. One will be built at the southwest corner of Lemay Ferry Road\nand Lindbergh Boulevard and the other at\nthe northeast corner of Gravois and Hampton avenues. CVS recently opened the only Downtown St. Louis pharmacy in the lobby of the AT&amp;T building at 909 Chestnut St.</p>\n<p>CVS officials have sought favorable terms from union leaders and contractors as a ramp-up to acquiring locations and beginning the push into St. Louis. Sources told CNR that representatives of CVS told them the nation\'s largest pharmacy chain indicated an intention to take on its major competitor, Walgreen\'s, head-on.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p>\n<p>The 13,000-square-foot stores will have drive-thru windows and photo\ndevelopment services. Cedarwood Development of Akron, Ohio, is the\ndeveloper.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','CVS Pharmacies has had discussions with St. Louis contractors and unions about building a significant number of stores here. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(609,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Architecture Billings Show Recovery Stalling','none','AIA, billings, index','none','<p>There has been a recent moderation in the downturn in design services billings, but the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) reveals that an economic recovery has stalled. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending.</p>\n<p>The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the May ABI rating was 42.9, nearly identical to the 42.8 mark in April.&nbsp; This score still indicates an overall decline in demand for design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The new projects inquiry score was 55.2, the third straight month with a score in the mid-50\'s. <br />&nbsp;<br />\"The design and construction marketplace is extremely competitive right now,\" said AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker, PhD, Hon. AIA. \"Prospective clients are casting a wider net causing numerous firms to bid for the same project, which is why the high level of inquiries is not necessarily translating into additional billings for project work at many firms.\"<br />&nbsp;<br /><strong>Key May ABI highlights:</strong></p>\n<p>&nbsp;<strong><br />Regional averages:</strong></p>\n<ul>\n<li>Northeast (48.3)</li>\n<li>Midwest (41.5) </li>\n<li>South (41.3) </li>\n<li>West (39.4)</li>\n</ul>\n<p><br /><strong>Sector index breakdown: </strong></p>\n<ul>\n<li>multi-family residential (45.5) </li>\n<li>mixed practice (44.5) </li>\n<li>commercial / industrial (43.1) </li>\n<li>institutional (38.0)</li>\n</ul>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p><strong>Project inquiries index:</strong> 55.2 <br /><strong><br />About the AIA Architecture Billings Index</strong><br />The Architecture Billings Index is derived from a monthly \"Work-on-the-Boards\" survey and produced by the AIA Economics&nbsp; Market Research Group. The index has been compiled since 1995.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Inquiries to architects for new projects remain favorable, but are still not translating into work.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(525,1,2,'','none','','none','','none','Greg Behlman and Finishing the Race','none','Greg Behlman, race','none','<p><em>&ldquo;The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong&hellip;&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.&rdquo;</em><br /><br />In the photo of me resplendent in spandex accompanying this column I&rsquo;m displaying what is probably the broadest smile I&rsquo;ve shown in any photo ever taken of me, dating back to childhood. <br /><br /><img alt=\"Tom Bike\" class=\"table-left\" height=\"243\" src=\"/images/uploads/tom-bike.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"150\" />I began the day the photo was taken in bone-chilling desert cold and finished it in beating Tucson, AZ sun. I had just ridden a bicycle 110 miles. The professional riders had completed their ride hours before me. But I had not given up. I had finished. <br /><br />Right now you may be struggling to stay in the race. Even if you&rsquo;re holding your own you may feel some days like you&rsquo;re running out of gas. In bicycling that&rsquo;s called &ldquo;bonking&rdquo;.&nbsp; Riders who have trained for distance pay careful attention to their intake of liquid and food while riding. Allow yourself to become dehydrated and your muscles will cramp; forget to eat and you&rsquo;ll &ldquo;bonk&rdquo;&mdash; run out of energy and be completely unable to continue. <br /><br />Attending to the family, spiritual, physical, business, financial, social and intellectual parts of our life and keeping them in balance are particularly hard in times like these. But they were never more important than they are right now. That balance is critical to our attitude. And attitude, backed by the right amount of fuel in all aspects of our life is what enables us to finish the race. <br /><br />I recently attended a half-day seminar presented by national sales coach Tom Hopkins. Early in his career Hopkins was taught that whatever kind of day, week or month he was having, the proper response when people asked how things were going was &ldquo;Unbelievable.&rdquo; &ldquo;Either way that pretty well covers it,&rdquo; Hopkins said.&nbsp; Tom Woodcock from Seal the Deal, whose column runs in CNR, encourages his clients to do the same.<br /><br />I was sharing stories with a group of folks during cocktails at a Midwest Council American Subcontractors Association meeting. The question went round the group about how business was going, prompting a lot of eye rolling. I was just a couple of days out of the Tom Hopkins seminar, so I told the group about Tom Hopkin&rsquo;s suggestion. <br /><br />That exchange led to a dinner conversation between myself and Dave Behlman, one of the fellows in the group. The Behlman family owns Behlman Builders, a large finish carpentry and framing, firm, plus drywall and crane companies. I have worked with the Behlman brothers on some projects and we have become friends.<img alt=\"Greg Behlman\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"303\" src=\"/images/uploads/greg-behlman_1.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"266\" /><br /><br />At dinner Dave and I found out that our stories were very similar. We both grew up in families of seven children with contractor dads. We both remembered that when things were lean in construction growing up it had meant day-old bread stores and powdered milk. We talked about understanding what it takes to get through tough times in business and in life. <br /><br />Dave recalled a few years back when his mom was still alive they were sitting at the kitchen table talking about the time when Dave and his siblings were growing up.&nbsp; Dave&rsquo;s son was listening and his jaw began to drop. &ldquo;Grandma, were you poor?,&rdquo; the boy asked. Dave&rsquo;s mom thought about the question and said, \"I guess we WERE poor. But we didn\'t know it.\"<br /><br />Dave asked me if I had heard the latest news about his brother Greg, who is vice president at Behlman Builders. Last July Greg was diagnosed with cancer that a spread to a large mass pressing the kidneys on his back.&nbsp; He went through 12 weeks of chemotherapy, which lasted through November. <br /><br />I had seen Greg around the first of the year and he looked great.&nbsp; But on January 31st he went to the emergency room with a high fever. An infection, which perplexes his doctors to this day, had attacked his lungs. It was probably some vestige of the weakness caused by the chemo. For a while it was touch-and-go. But day-by-day Greg has come back. When Dave talked to me his brother was scheduled to go to a rehab center. <br /><br />Dave&rsquo;s pride for his brother was obvious in his eyes as he told me the story. &ldquo;My brother is determined to be there for his family,&rdquo; Dave said. &ldquo;He may end up needing to walk with an oxygen tank, but he will walk down the aisle when his daughters get married.&rdquo;<br /><br />That&rsquo;s what finishing the race is all about.</p>\n<p><br /><em>If you\'d like to see how Greg\'s doing or drop him a note, visit <a href=\"http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/gregbehlman/guestbook\">his web page at CaringBridge.com</a>. </em><a href=\"http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/gregbehlman/guestbook\"><br /></a></p>','none','(A Column by Publisher Tom Finan)\n\nIn the photo of me resplendent in spandex,  that you\'ll see when you click to read the rest of this column, I\'m displaying what is probably the broadest smile I\'ve shown in any photo ever taken of me, dating back to childhood.','none','','none','','none','','none',329,'none','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','/images/uploads/greg-behlman_1.jpg','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(526,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Premier Renews McCarthy Healthcare Agreement','none','McCarthy, Premier,healthcare','none','<p>The group purchasing division of the healthcare alliance <a href=\"http://www.premierinc.com\">Premier, Inc. </a>has renewed a national agreement with <a href=\"http://www.mccarthy.com\">McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.</a> to provide construction management services/general contracting and consulting services to Premier\'s more than 1,500 acute care hospital members.&nbsp; McCarthy is one of the nation\'s leading healthcare builders, with offices nationwide.<br /><br />Since 2003, McCarthy has offered Premier members comprehensive construction management and/or general contracting services on renovation, replacement and new facility healthcare projects, as well as a menu of consultant services directly related to healthcare capital improvements.&nbsp; Consulting services include such areas as: selection of the appropriate project delivery method for the owner\'s needs, assisting the owner in the refinement of internal systems to ensure successful project outcomes and structured utilization of Premier\'s Supplier agreements.<br /><br />\"We are pleased to have McCarthy continue to provide our members a diverse range of construction services,\" explained Mark Kearschner, director, Construction Services with Premier.&nbsp; \"Over the last 6 years McCarthy has demonstrated it could meet our members\' needs in offering cost- competitive terms and conditions for their services.\"<br /><br />\"Healthcare has always been a major part of our company\'s expertise, and through this program, the Premier member hospitals have an opportunity to take advantage of the both GPO benefits and McCarthy\'s industry leading service,\" said John Kreidich, manager Healthcare Services with McCarthy. \"We are excited to continue to offering services to Premier members for another 3 years.\"<br /><br />In the last six years, the contract value for all McCarthy projects involving Premier owners exceeds $2 billion, with work completed with more than a dozen hospital systems across America. The Premier healthcare alliance is more than 2,100 U.S. hospitals and 54,000-plus other healthcare sites working together to improve healthcare quality and affordability.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Premier, Inc. has renewed a national agreement with McCarthy Building Companies, Inc..','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(527,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Spidle joins Burns & McDonnell ','none','Spidle, design/build, Burns & McDonnell','none','<p>Craig Spidle has joined Burns &amp; McDonnell to direct the national engineering firm&rsquo;s design/build practice in St. Louis, Breck Washam, associate vice president and general manager of St. Louis area operations.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Spidle has more than 30 years experience in construction and design/build. Prior to joining Burns &amp; McDonnell, he was president of CRB Builders in St. Louis.&nbsp; Earlier in his career, he served as vice president and general manager of the Global Industrial Group and Construction Division Manager at the former Sverdrup Corp., a national engineering, architecture and construction firm.</p>\n<p>Over his 30-year career, Spidle has amassed a diverse project portfolio that includes pharmaceutical, high tech manufacturing, food and beverage, aviation, energy, and infrastructure projects valued at more than $1 billion. <br /><br />&ldquo;Craig is one of our region&rsquo;s premier design/build experts,&rdquo; says Washam.&nbsp; &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a great addition to this growing part of our business<br /><br />Burns &amp; McDonnell, one of the nation&rsquo;s oldest engineering firms, with a multi-disciplined staff of more than 3,000. More than 150 professionals staff the St. Louis regional offices.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Craig Spidle has joined Burns & McDonnell to direct the St. Louis design/build practice.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(529,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Hanneke Adds Koskolos, Colatruglio','none','Hanneke, Colatruglio, Koskolos','none','<p>Hanneke Hardware &amp; Industrial Supply has appointed Dean Koskolos as an account manager on its outside sales team. Hanneke has also appointed Cheryl Colatruglio as their Home D&eacute;cor Development Manager at the Hanneke Home Center location in Affton</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Hanneke Hardware & Industrial Supply has appointed Dean Koskolos as an account manager on its outside sales team. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(531,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','ASA Midwest Honors \"Best GCs\"','none','','none','<p>Local subcontractors held their annual celebratory gala on April 4 to honor the best contractors in the business. The American Subcontractors Association-Midwest Council hosted the 16th Annual Awards Gala at the Hilton Ballpark.&nbsp; <br /><br />ASA members nominate and vote for the best general contractor in three categories based on the size of the business. Past winners of the general contractor awards nominate and vote for the best subcontractors.<br /><br />The criteria for best general contractors are: Bid Ethics Practice, Equitable Contract Provisions, Safety Policy &amp; Practice, Payment Practices, Jobsite Supervision, Scheduling Coordination, Subcontractor Relations and Administrative Procedures.&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><br />The yardsticks for best subcontractors are: Bid Ethics Practice, Safety Policy &amp; Practices, Jobsite Supervision, Communication, Scheduling Coordination, Project Relations, Administrative Procedures and Quality Workmanship.&nbsp; <br /><br />All voting is kept confidential until the awards ceremony.&nbsp; <br /><br />The winners of the 2008 Awards Gala were: <br />&bull; Best General Contractor Category A (above $50 million in gross revenues)&mdash;Alberici Constructors, Inc., <br />&bull; Best General Contractor Category B ($20 - $50 million in gross revenues)&mdash;Kadean Construction Company, <br />&bull; Best General Contractor Category C (under $20 million in gross revenues)&mdash;Landco Construction. <br />&bull; Best MEP Subcontractor Category A (above $11.5 million in gross revenues)&mdash;Kaemmerlen Electric, <br />&bull; Best MEP Subcontractor Category B (under $11.5 million in gross revenues)&mdash;Duct Systems, Inc., <br />&bull; Best Specialty Subcontractor Category A (above $11.5 million in gross revenues)&mdash;Flooring Systems, Inc. and <br />&bull; Best Specialty Subcontractor Category B (under $11.5 million in gross revenues)&mdash;Bazan Painting Company.<br /><br />Other awards given at the gala were:<br />&bull; Best General Contractor Field Employee&mdash;Cal Barton, McCarthy Building Companies, <br />&bull; Best General Contractor Office Employee&mdash;Diane York, Kadean Construction Company&nbsp; <br />&bull; Best Engineer Award was given to Warren Kohm of Ross &amp; Baruzzini, Inc.&nbsp; <br /><br />ASA Member Safety Awards were given to: <br />&bull; Division I (over 1,000,000 man hours)&mdash; Sachs Electric Company, <br />&bull; Division II (500,000 &ndash; 1,000,000 man hours)&mdash;PayneCrest Electric &amp; Communications, <br />&bull; Division III (200,000 &ndash; 500,000 man hours)&mdash;Midwest Service Group, <br />&bull; Division IV (100,000 &ndash; 200,000 man hours)&mdash;ACME Constructors, <br />&bull; Division V (50,000 &ndash; 100,000 man hours)&mdash;Construction Services 2000, Inc., Grant Contracting, Parkway Construction Services, and Swanson Masonry, Inc., and <br />&bull; Division VI (under 50,000 man hours)&mdash;American Steel Fabrication, Inc., Freeman Contracting, Lindberg Waterproofing, Inc. and Oreo &amp; Botta</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Local subcontractors held their annual celebratory gala on April 4 to honor the best contractors in the business.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(534,1,2,'','none','','none','','none','40 Years as Voice, 20 Years of Excellence ','none','Regional Excellence, Habitat, CNR, 40','none','<p>On September 24th a <em>St. Louis CNR</em> \"birthday party\" benefiting Habitat for Humanity will be held.&nbsp; The event will recognize excellence in the construction industry here and CNR\'s role as the industry voice for four decades.</p>\n<p><img alt=\"Regional Excellence\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"303\" src=\"/images/uploads/regional.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"266\" />The 20th annual<em> St. Louis CNR </em>Regional Excellence Awards will be presented at a dinner event at the Missouri Athletic Club. The event will also be a \"birthday party,\" marking CNR\'s 40th year as the \"Voice for the St. Louis Construction Industry.\"</p>\n<p>\"The St. Louis construction industry has been an incredibly warm and receptive \'family\' for our efforts at CNR,\" said CNR Publisher Tom Finan. \"We felt that it would be fitting to make this celebration into something lasting by assisting Habitat for Humanity in their efforts to create affordable housing.\"</p>\n<p>In addition to the Regional Excellence awards, <em>CNR</em> will present the first Thomas J. Finan, Jr. award, recognizing humanitarian contributions to the St. Louis community by members of the construction industry. The award is named in honor of the founder of <em>CNR.</em></p>\n<p>Last year, St. Louis Habitat constructed 27 LEED Platinum-certified homes, a fact that was recognized at the recent USGBC \"Growing Green\" awards. St. Louis Habitat is currently the third-largest developer of LEED-certified housing in the United States.</p>\n<p><br />The St. Louis Construction News and Real Estate Regional Excellence Awards recognize those projects completed in the previous year that, in sum, demonstrate excellence in design and construction, and a positive contribution to the St. Louis community. <br /><br />Now in their 20th year, the Regional Excellence Awards are the only comprehensive awards recognizing the best results of the construction industry when all the sectors -- owners, designers, and contractors -- work together as a team. The judges this year were: Judges were John Berendzen, principal, Fox Architects and past president, St. Louis Chapter AIA: Dr. Steve Bannes, director, Graduate School of Construction Management, Washington University; Paula Crews, director, sustainability practice, Paradowski Creative; Dr. John Gaal, director of education, St. Louis Carpenters\' District Council; and Thomas Finan, publisher of St. Louis Construction News &amp; Real Estate.<br /><br />The awards will be presented at CNR\'s 40th Anniversary Celebration, \"A Celebration: 40 Years of Excellence,\" to be held in September at the Missouri Athletic Club. The event will be a fundraiser for&nbsp; St. Louis Habitat for Humanity. Arrangements for a date are being finalized. &nbsp;<br /><br />The winners of the 2009 Regional Excellence Awards are:<br /><strong><br />Neighborhood Redevelopment</strong><br />14th Street Mall<br />Owner: Crown Village Partners, Old North St. Louis Restoration Group &amp; Regional Housing &amp; Community Development Alliance<br />Architect: Rosemann &amp; Associates<br />General Contractor: E.M. Harris Construction Company<br /><br />Judges&rsquo; Comment: The $35 million redevelopment of27 buildings along the former 14th Street Pedestrian Mall is one of the largest and most exciting neighborhood redevelopment projects in the city.&nbsp; In addition to breathing new life into the abandoned buildings along the former mall, this development will restore the 2600 and 2700 blocks of N. 14th Street as a drivable but pedestrian-friendly street<br /><br /><br /><strong>Historic Renovation</strong><br />Cannon Design Headquarters - Powerhouse Building<br />Owner: Cannon Design<br />Architect: Cannon Design<br />General Contractor: R.G. Ross Construction Company<br /><br />Judges&rsquo; Comment: The &ldquo;ship in a bottle&rdquo; design and construction reclaimed a long abandoned power plant and brownfield site as a modern, environmentally sensitive office building in a renovated historic skin.<br /><br /><strong><br />Infrastructure</strong><br />Coldwater Creak Treatment Facility<br />Owner: Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District<br />Engineer: Black &amp; Veatch<br />Construction Manager: KAI/Jacobs Joint Venture<br />General Contractor: Goodwin Brothers Construction Co.<br /><br />Judges&rsquo; Comment: Transforming a 45-year-old wastewater treatment plant into a new&nbsp; $57 million wastewater treatment plant while 30 million gallons per day of sewage flow through it &ndash; amazing.<br /><br /><strong><br />Public Building</strong><br />Cottleville City Hall<br />Owner: City of Cottleville, MO<br />Architect: Kostecki Architects<br />Construction Manager: Paric Corporation<br />General Contractor: C. Rallo Contracting<br /><br />Judges&rsquo; Comment: The new &ldquo;green&rdquo; city hall in Cottleville is a fitting symbol for the bikeable-walkable-sustainable community that Cottleville has become..&nbsp; When construction was completed on the town&rsquo;s $5.3 million city hall and police station in December, city government could boast that their new home used 30 percent less energy than a similar traditional building and reduced water pollution by capturing and treating water on site.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Transportation</strong><br />Gateway Multi-Modal Transportation Center<br />Owner: City of St. Louis<br />Architect: KAI Design &amp; Build<br />General Contractor: K&amp;S Associates<br /><br />Judges&rsquo; Comment: Built on a challenging site under a highway and on top of an old lake bed and abandoned cinder deposit bins, the St. Louis Gateway Transportation Center provides Downtown St. Louis a much needed public transit center to serve Amtrak passenger trains, Greyhound Buses, MetroLink, Metro buses and taxis. And it has the capacity to serve a future commuter train<br /><br /><br /><strong>High-Tech</strong><br />Pfizer Building MM <br />Owner: Pfizer<br />Architect: Flad Architects<br />General Contractor: McCarthy Building Companies<br /><br />Judges&rsquo; Comment: Green construction, building information modeling, and innovative use of heat recovery wheels make this cell banking facility a stand out project.<br /><br /><strong>Creative Renovation</strong><br />Shock City Studios<br />Owner: Blueprint Concepts, LLC<br />Architect: The Lawrence Group<br />General Contractor: The Lawrence Group Projects<br /><br />Judges&rsquo; Comment: The historic renovation of an old ice warehouse into a state of the art recording studio was an inspired idea.<br /><br /><strong><br />Editor&rsquo;s Choice: Corporate Headquarters</strong><br />Solae<br />Owner: Clayco, Inc.<br />Architect: Cannon Design<br />General Contractor: Clayco, Inc.<br /><br />Judges&rsquo; Comment: A unique four-buildings-in-one design and sustainable design features produced a fitting headquarters for a growing biotech company.<br /><br />&nbsp;</p>','none','On September 24th a \"birthday party\" benefiting Habitat for Humanity will be held. recognizing excellence in the construction industry here and CNR\'s role as the industry voice for four decades. ','none','','none','','none','','none',328,'none','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','/images/uploads/regional.jpg','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(542,1,2,'','none','','none','','none','SSM St. Clare Hospital: Different by Design','none','St. Clare, design, SSM, Alberici','none','<p>Robert Porter, executive vice president, strategy and business development, SSM Health Care, can spend 45 minutes talking about what is new or different about patient rooms at SSM&rsquo;s new 154-bed St. Clare Hospital in Fenton, MO, and even then he won&rsquo;t have exhausted the subject. To Porter, the patient room at St. Clare Hospital is the architectural center of how SSM has re-envisioned hospital care. That re-envisioning led SSM to design the new hospital in a new way, build it in a new way, and ultimately operate it in a new way.<br /><br />With hospital costs nationally outpacing the ability of people to pay and hospitals errors making sick, SSM decided &ldquo;it was time to fundamentally rethink what we do,&rdquo; Porter said. The first &ldquo;visioning&rdquo; session for the new $230 million hospital was in April 2005. The goals were easily stated &ndash; improve the patient experience and reduce costs &ndash; but the processes of accomplishing them were very complex.<br /><strong><br />Changing the design process</strong><br /><br />Porter said SSM&rsquo;s approach to St. Clare Hospital differed in four fundamental ways from the typical hospital design process:</p>\n<ul>\n<li>&ldquo;We took months to understand the patient side: shadowing patients, using photojournalism to record their experiences, and using patient diaries, and from that we tried to determine what would an ideal patient experience look like.</li>\n<li>Separately we mapped the processes of how work was done, looking at things like nurse travel time.</li>\n<li>We also engaged in clinical visioning: trying to figure out how health care will change.</li>\n<li>And we looked at where communications and IT are going as tools of what we do.</li>\n</ul>\n<p><br /><img alt=\"St. Clare Hospital\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"303\" src=\"/images/uploads/st.-clare.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"266\" />&ldquo;That gave us high level planning and then we went down into the details, functions, and spaces,&rdquo; he said.<br /><br />&ldquo;In the traditional design process, you go to the departments and ask them what volume of work they will have and what problems do they need fixed. But then you&rsquo;re just putting new building blocks on the same chassis. That is about how health care is produced, not how it is experienced,&rdquo; he said.<br /><br />Hummel, Green and Abrahamson, Inc.of Milwaukee, WI was the primary architect on the hospital, with Mackey Mitchell Associates serving as the local architect. Mackey Mitchell Associates was the primary architect on the connected medical office building and ambulatory surgery center.<br /><br />As it turned out, there was a lot of overlap between sources of patient dissatisfaction and inefficiency and waste. Patients hated being left in a hall somewhere to wait for the next thing to happen to them.&nbsp; And one of the things SSM learned from lean manufacturing was that anything that interrupts the flow of work increases waste and inefficiency.<br /><br />&ldquo;One of the biggest sources of frustration and waste is waiting time,&rdquo; Porter said. To improve flow, SSM decided to invest more capital up front to duplicate important technologies in different departments instead of funneling everyone through one place. So, the emergency department and the ambulatory center got their own radiology equipment, for example. &ldquo;Hospitals traditionally tried to save capital by investing in one radiology department. But having to take patients from all over the hospital to radiology and have them wait in the hallways until there is an opening backs up everyone else and causes tremendous waste. So we gave the departments that most use radiology their own equipment,&rdquo; he said.<br /><br />The theme of improving the patient experience runs from the campus sight plan and signs and cues to help visitors find their way to the artwork in patient rooms and public areas<br /><br />&ldquo;From our ring road, you have four choices: the emergency entrance, the public entrance, the medical office building, and the procedure center. In addition to signs, each has its own distinctive architectural markings. We&rsquo;ve distributed parking to correspond with services, and each entrance has its own reception area,&rdquo; Porter said.<br /><br />Spellman Brady selected the artwork. By coincidence, Diana Spellman was undergoing treatments for cancer while she was working on the St. Clare hospital project. &ldquo;I was coming from radiation treatments to go into high level meetings and I felt like I was glowing. I had to tell them,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I was able to bring experience and view as patient to selecting artwork. To really be patient centered it has to create positive, uplifting experience for patients&hellip; Some dated hospital rooms really make you sicker than you are sick because they are so depressing,&rdquo; she said.<br /><br />&ldquo;They let us push the envelope in choosing artwork that is uplifting and colorful, and in letting us use different media. We used glass, sculpture, custom photography, and more. It was very impressive that the administration put that kind of thought into it,&rdquo; she said.<br /><br />&ldquo;This hospital is designed to be more restful. We looked at noise, light, and d&eacute;cor all with an eye to accelerating patient recovery. By putting patients in a more healing environment we save dollars that would otherwise be spent on longer stays,&rdquo; Porter said.<br />&ldquo;We even have an open MRI to reduce stress on those patients who are claustrophobic or just don&rsquo;t like closed spaces,&rdquo; he said.<br /><br />SSM also put a lot of thought into alleviating another major source of patient dissatisfaction and waste: errors.<br /><br />The Institute of Medicine called medical errors &ldquo;a leading cause of death and injury&rdquo; in a report to Congress in 2006. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) estimated that nationwide, roughly two out of every 100 people admitted to a hospital would suffer an injury as a result of a medical error while in the hospital. The IOM estimated that between 44,000 and 98,000 people a year were killed by preventable errors in hospitals, more than died every year in car accidents and more than were killed by breast cancer or aids. Indeed, the IOM called hospital errors the eighth-leading cause of death in the United States. The IOM also estimated that the direct medical charges associated with treating hospital errors totaled between $9 billion and $15 billion.<br /><br />SSM and its designers made several design decisions in order to reduce medical errors and make sure the hospital provides &ldquo;the right care in the right place at the right time,&rdquo; said Porter. The most basic decision was standardization.<br /><br />&ldquo;All eight of the operating rooms are oriented the same. Everything in them is the same and equipment hangs from ceiling booms,&rdquo; Porter said. &ldquo;The standardization is to cut down on mistakes resulting from things not being where you expect them to be,&rdquo; he said. The operating rooms also are substantially larger than in the old hospital: 600 square feet compared to about 400; and the one cardiac operating room is 800 square feet in size. Plus, they are organized ergonomically and they all have advanced operating lights that do not cast any shadows.<br /><br />All patient rooms also have the same configuration and handedness in order to minimize errors. They all are private rooms and bathroom is in the same corner in every room, instead of neighboring rooms having bathrooms back-to-back. That meant twice as many stacks for plumbing. &ldquo;It cost $3 - 4,000 more per room to make each room the same instead of having bathrooms head to head,&rdquo; Porter said, or about $500,000 more for the whole hospital.&nbsp; How many mistakes do they have to avoid in order to make up that cost? &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know,&rdquo; Porter said. &ldquo;In a high intensity environment, standardization unquestionably makes for greater reliability, but it is hotly debated, even within our own organization, on whether it makes a difference in patient rooms.&rdquo; Nevertheless, SSM spent the money, because, &ldquo;we wanted to make the optimum safe environment for our patients,&rdquo; he said.<br /><br />The bathrooms in the patient rooms are not rectangular boxes. Porter called the five-sided bathrooms, &ldquo;one of the more brilliant architectural decisions,&rdquo; in the hospital&rsquo;s design. Having a slanted wall nearer the patient bed, &ldquo;preserves the patient&rsquo;s view of the window and creates more space in the room,&rdquo; he said, and research has shown that the ability to see out a window speeds a patient&rsquo;s recovery.<br /><strong><br />Changing the construction process</strong><br /><br />Changing the design process was one piece of how SSM sought to reinvent the hospital; changing the construction process was another. <br /><br />&ldquo;The way the trades were engaged was different from traditional construction,&rdquo; said Timothy Gunn, project director Alberici Constructors, the general contractor. &ldquo;And their relationship with the design team was very different from the traditional [relationship],&rdquo; he said.<br /><br />SSM used a process called &ldquo;lean construction&rdquo; to build the new 430,000-square-foot hospital. Alberici, SSM, and the architect selected the main trade contractors early &ndash; Murphy Co. Mechanical Contractors, Guarantee Electrical Co., St. Louis Automatic Sprinkler Co., and Niehaus Construction Services. All of those contractors were on cost-plus-fee contracts. &ldquo;That let them be nimble in implementing change, and in a hospital, where you want to include the most modern equipment, there is a lot of change,&rdquo; said Gunn.<br /><br />The trades contractors worked together in &ldquo;the big room,&rdquo; as Gunn called it, a doublewide trailer full of computers and flat screen display panels. There, detailers from all the trades worked together to create a part of a building information model, in this case a three dimensional model of everything above the ceiling with descriptions &ndash;&ndash; all of the ductwork, conduit, and piping &ndash;&ndash; so that they could coordinate all of the above the ceiling work and maximize how much they made in the shop and trucked to the site. This effort was accomplished utilizing 3D modeling within a web-based server system that allowed real-time design-engineering coordination between the project design team.<br /><br />&ldquo;The electrical, mechanical, and fire protection systems were all virtually built in the 3-D model before we started installing them,&rdquo; said Mark Bengard, senior vice president of Murphy Co., which installed all the piping for medical gases, plumbing, and heating and cooling. &ldquo;SSM has a 3-D model now so if they need to track down a valve they can look in their electronic model instead of disturbing patients by lifting ceiling tiles or opening access doors in the walls to find it. That is a powerful tool and it is something almost no one else has,&rdquo; he says. <br /><br />Modeling all of the above the ceiling work electronically produced two other important results. &ldquo;We prefabbed in excess of what would be typical, due to the confidence everyone had that they would have the space to put their work,&rdquo; Gunn said. And all the planning helped the trades make up lost time. &ldquo;In 2008 we faced one of the wettest years in history. We had lost the planned number of weather days for the entire project by March, and being behind on the exterior put us behind on the interior finish,&rdquo; Gunn said. Having built the job electronically in 3-D, the trades contractors could see that they could get creative with sequencing the above the ceiling work to make up lost time. <br /><br />&ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t necessarily have to have mechanical contractor in first in all phases,&rdquo; said Steve Kellenberger, director of construction for Guarantee Electrical. &ldquo;As long as you followed the design and put your work where you were supposed to, you could go in and put your work out of the typical sequence. It eliminated conflicts between tradesmen,&rdquo; he said. <br /><br />With that kind of cooperation, said Gunn, &ldquo;we were able to make up time and maintain the scheduled opening date.&rdquo;<br /><br />Just as electronic records &ndash; the 3-D model &ndash; played a crucial role in the construction of St. Clare Hospital, they also will be a crucial part of what makes St. Clare Hospital different. &ldquo;Our data backbone is as big and complex as our electrical backbone. That is because the single most important variable in health care is information,&rdquo; Porter said.<br /><br />&ldquo;The low voltage work here was extraordinarily complicated. They included electronic records, VOIP (voice over internet protocol), nurse call systems, telemetry, security, and paging,&rdquo; Gunn said. Guarantee Electrical Co. was the single source electrical installation contractor installing the power, lighting, emergency, technology, data, fire alarm and security systems.<br /><br />Changing operations<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />&ldquo;We made points of data entry ubiquitous,&rdquo; Porter said. &ldquo;No more paper charts,&rdquo; he said. To make sure that data is reliably and quickly entered, St. Clare Hospital has an electronic record portal in each patient room and also outside each room at a window at which a nurse can observe the patient and make notes.<br /><br />The electronic record also is designed to cut down on medication mistakes via its connection to a medical dispensing system in each room. According to the Institute of Medicine, medication errors alone kill more people annually than do workplace accidents.<br /><br />Porter explained how the medical dispensing system works: &ldquo;The pharmacist stocks the patient&rsquo;s drugs in the room in a secure drawer that can be opened only by entering the correct security code into the electronic record portal. Each prescription has a bar code for the drug and a bar code for the patient. This reduces the number of people handling the drug to three, which should reduce errors.&rdquo; And since the physician orders the prescription electronically, there should occur no handwriting deciphering errors.<br /><br />The same system data wiring backbone that supports electronic records and the medical dispensing system also lets the operations department at St. Clare Hospital remote control the temperature in every patient room, office, and surgery suite. &ldquo;We use a Trane Tracer Summit Automated Control System to control the heat in each room individually from the control room or the Internet, and we can give the room occupants control within a set band of temperatures,&rdquo; said Andy Gratton, team leader of plant operations. <br /><br />With the Trane Summit System, &ldquo;they have an ability they never had before to see hundreds of pressures and temperature in chiller. They can get data and keep track of issues as they&rsquo;re developing and schedule maintenance before issues become a problem,&rdquo; Bengard said. &ldquo;A good building management system can make a great difference in the time spend on a problem,&rdquo; Gratton added.<br /><br />Some of the equipment controlled via the Trane Summit System is new to the St. Louis area, but all of it &ldquo;is light years from where they were in their old building,&rdquo; Bengard said.<br /><br />The new steam boilers, for example, are much more efficient than the old ones. &ldquo;We went from a traditional, 692 horsepower boiler system to two, 200 hp and two 300 horsepower boilers.&rdquo; The new boilers can operate at two stages, 50 percent or 100 percent, and they can cycle on and off, whereas SSM had to keep the old boiler system idling. The new boilers &ldquo;can go from zero to 80 pounds of steam in five minutes, while with the traditional boilers we would take two days to do that so that we didn&rsquo;t crack the refractory wall. That makes the new ones more efficient, because we don&rsquo;t have to keep operating them when they aren&rsquo;t needed,&rdquo; Gratton said.<br /><br />&ldquo;We did a lot of research when selecting boilers and actually took [Gratton and other SSM representatives] on a trip to the closest ones in operation, which were in Chicago,&rdquo; said Bengard. The new boilers also have scale sensors on the inside to alert the operations team to any buildup of scale that might require cleaning.<br /><br />&ldquo;The new air systems also are fairly unique,&rdquo; Bengard said. &ldquo;They utilize a Hunt Air Fanwall system. A typical air-handling unit has one large centrifugal type fan. These have an array of nine or more, so if one fan fails the whole system isn&rsquo;t down. That redundancy aspect is fantastic for hospitals. It has the same performance as a centrifugal fan, but if one fan fails in a fanwall, you can block that off in minutes if you don&rsquo;t have a replacement and your system won&rsquo;t know its missing,&rdquo; he explained.<br /><br />SSM also invested in two, 850-ton chillers and a 125-ton chiller. &ldquo;We can operate just the smaller one in the winter to produce the chilled air we need for operating rooms,&rdquo; Gratton said.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />&ldquo;They selected the most efficient chillers they could. They are probably twice as efficient as what they had [in the old hospital] in Kirkwood,&rdquo; Bengard said&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><br />&ldquo;We were very thoughtful in how we spent money to make health care more effective,&rdquo; said Porter. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re essentially retooling the hospital stock to increase efficiency and increase effectiveness. Our aim is to deliver the right care at the right time in the right place,&rdquo; he said.</p>','none','To Robert Porter, executive vice president, strategy and business development, SSM Health Care, the patient room at St. Clare Hospital is the architectural center of how SSM has re-envisioned hospital care.','none','','none','','none','','none',337,'none','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','/images/uploads/st.-clare.jpg','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(533,1,5,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','LEED For Retail: Developers seeing BLACK through GREEN','none',' LEED, retail','none','<p><em>by Kurt Thompson<br />Market Leader for ecostrategy<br />Oculus Inc.</em><br /><br />Green\nis a market differentiator.&nbsp; Even in today&rsquo;s tumultuous economy,\nbuilding owners, property managers, and tenants are maintaining their\ncommitments to green building and sustainability as key components of\ntheir real estate portfolios.&nbsp; With investments at an all-time low for\nnew construction and the leasing outlook bleak, building owners and\ndevelopers are now retrofitting their existing retail and other\ncommercial building stock to increase the value and marketability of\ntheir overall portfolios.&nbsp;&nbsp; A new tool called LEED for Retail is coming\nonline this year, and savvy developers are teaming up with architects\nand sustainability consultants to bolster their balance sheets with\ngreen retail building retrofits in a down market.&nbsp; <br /><br />The United\nStates Green Building Council (USGBC) has created LEED for Retail to\naccommodate the unique nature of the retail environment, while keeping\nin mind the different types of spaces that retailers need for their\ndistinctive product lines. There are two different tracks to follow\nwith LEED for Retail:&nbsp; LEED Retail NC, which is aligned with the\ndevelopers&rsquo; role; and LEED Retail CI, which is aligned more with the\ntenants&rsquo; role in retail property design and construction.&nbsp; Both systems\nare divided into five categories in which credits (points) can be\nachieved:<br />&bull; Sustainable Sites<br />&bull; Water Efficiency<br />&bull; Energy &amp; Atmosphere<br />&bull; Materials &amp; Resources<br />&bull; Indoor Environmental Quality<br />&bull; Innovation &amp; Design Process<br /><br />The\ntotal number of prerequisites and credits achieved by a project\ndetermines the certification level of that project.&nbsp; Certification\nlevels include Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. <br /><br />LEED\nRetail NC puts greater emphasis on site selection and energy\nperformance, whereas LEED Retail CI emphasizes material selection and\nindoor environmental quality as the main drivers of its rating system.&nbsp;\nThe LEED for Retail reference guide will be formatted to LEED 2009\nstandards, and is expected to become available by the end of the first\nquarter of 2009 when the pilot versions are finalized.&nbsp; As part of the\nLEED 2009 changes, the certification scale under LEED for Retail varies\nbetween each track. LEED Retail NC has a higher maximum point\nthreshold, requires one additional prerequisite, and requires projects\nto receive a greater number of points to achieve minimum certification.<br /><strong><br />Why Invest in Green Retail Building?</strong><br /><br />There\nare several retail industry drivers influencing developers, building\nowners and property managers to build green.&nbsp; The most powerful is the\npotential to lower operating expenses and increase resale values.&nbsp; A\n2007 study conducted by Davis Langdon concluded that on resale values\nalone, a LEED building sold for a $171 per square foot premium versus\ncomparable &lsquo;non-green&rsquo; (brown) buildings designed and built just a few\nyears prior.&nbsp; The CoStar Group recently presented a study that found\nthat rent rates in LEED buildings were on average $11.33 per square\nfoot greater than comparable non-LEED peers.&nbsp; LEED certified buildings\nalso have higher occupancy rates, nationally, by approximately 360\nbasis points or 3.6%, according to the CoStar Group.&nbsp; All of these\ntraits increase the marketability of a project and create opportunities\nfor developers to maximize their return on investment.<br /><br />The\nsecond most critical factor pushing commercial real estate developers\ninto green retail building is market competition.&nbsp; Nearly 90% of the\nrespondents to a national survey on Green Building published by\nNational Real Estate Investor said they will own, lease, or manage some\nform of green building or real estate within the next five years.&nbsp; If\nyour firm is not engaging in sustainable development practices, the\nstrength of your holdings is likely to decrease as tenant demand and\ngovernment incentives drive investment away from non-green buildings\nand into your competitor&rsquo;s green building down the street or across the\nroad.<br /><br />Commercial retail developers are acting quickly to take\nadvantage of a green building&rsquo;s benefits.&nbsp; Among the top trends\ndevelopers are utilizing in their projects are energy efficiency,\nsustainable site development, and water efficiency.&nbsp; LEED for Retail\nrecognized these trends and stacked the points in each category by\nworking with developers to maximize their benefit.&nbsp; Smart developers\nare leveraging these strategies to reduce operating expenses and\nstructuring leases to profit from green building and sustainable\ndesign. <br /><br />Energy efficiency is a fundamental driver of LEED.&nbsp;\nThere are seventeen possible points to choose from in this category,\nwhich represent the greatest potential for cost savings.&nbsp; Approximately\none third of the total savings associated with green building can be\nattributed to energy efficiency, which is about $0.30 to $0.39 per\nsquare foot in a LEED Silver plus building, according to a recent study\nled by the CoStar Group.&nbsp; Developers and landlords can realize a part\nof these savings by structuring lease deals appropriately.&nbsp; For\nexample, benchmark the energy costs of older, similar properties to\nquantify the savings of your project and guarantee a lower cap rate on\noperating expense cap by some percentage.&nbsp; Pass these savings through\nto your triple net tenants in expense.<br /><br />Oculus Inc. and\necostrategy recently helped a retail landlord in Chicago to meet the\nburdens of new &lsquo;green&rsquo; planned development zoning requirements while\nalso saving money and generating positive publicity.&nbsp; A modular green\nroof system was utilized to cover nearly 100% of the project&rsquo;s flat\nroof space.&nbsp; This creative solution reduced the landlord&rsquo;s burden for\nthe remainder of the development significantly, and generated a great\ndeal of positive exposure through local media.&nbsp; The green roof enhanced\ntheir public image and elevated their brand to &lsquo;top of mind&rsquo; among the\nconsumers.<br /><br />The second major trend for developers is sustainable\nsite development.&nbsp; Sustainable site development encourages developers\nto analyze local population and infrastructure density as well as the\navailability of alternative transportation methods in order to maximize\nthe site efficiency of the development.&nbsp; A smaller footprint in a more\ndensely developed area has the potential to require less capital to\nconstruct, reduces the environmental impact of the project, and reduces\nurban sprawl.&nbsp; Brownfield redevelopment can also be a critical strategy\nfor sustainable sites, especially when redevelopment credits are\navailable through the local and national government, which reduce the\ndevelopers&rsquo; investment and provide positive marketing exposure for a\nproject. <br /><br />Water efficiency can lower development costs and help\nmaintain lower operating expenses through innovative, yet\nstraightforward solutions that reduce the amount of potable water used\nfor non-essential items.<br /><br />In order to be successful at\nimplementing green building practices for retail developments or\nretrofits, the entire project team must be on board from day one of the\nproject.&nbsp; Partnering with the right architect, sustainability\nconsultant, and contractor is paramount to minimizing the cost impact\nof green design.&nbsp;&nbsp; With the right team in place, developers can achieve\nthese benefits for a cost premium between 2% and 7%, depending on the\nlocal market, the intensity of sustainable design elements, and the\ncommitment of the project team, according to CoStar Group.&nbsp; <br /><em><br />Kurt\nThompson is the Market Leader for ecostrategy, which provides\nsustainability and environmental strategy consulting and education\nservices to clients of Oculus Inc.&nbsp; Oculus Inc. is a WBE-Certified,\nfull-service architecture and consulting services firm with offices in\nSt. Louis and Dallas. </em></p>','','','none','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','','none','Even in todayâ€™s tumultuous economy, building owners, property managers, and tenants are maintaining their commitments to green building and sustainability as key components of their real estate portfolios','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(541,1,2,'','none','','none','','none','Roads Tussle With Other Transportation Modes  for Bucks','none','transportation, Missouri Transportation Alliance','none','<p>Missouri&rsquo;s Great Transportation Debate entered Round Two recently with\nMissouri Transportation Alliance spokesman Jewel Patek saying that the\nchallenges of arriving at a consensus plan for transportation were\ngreater in urban areas. As if to illustrate that point, the two\ndistrict chairpeople of the Missouri Transportation Alliance found\ntheir call for better roads fall a little flat when they brought it to\nSt. Louis in March. A cross section of citizens representing everyone\nfrom service workers to CEOs responded that transportation means more\nthan roads and a transportation plan is more than a list of projects.<br /><br />The\nMissouri Transportation Alliance was founded last autumn to develop and\nrecommend a statewide transportation program for the next decade to\nenhance road safety, replace failing bridges, grow the economy, and\ncreate &ldquo;quality&rdquo; jobs. It was founded because the road construction\nmade possible by voter approval of Amendment 3 in 2004 is coming to an\nend and new funding must be found to continue the same level of highway\nwork. Construction groups, such as the Associated General Contractors,\nSITE Improvement Association, the Eastern Missouri Laborers&rsquo; District\nCouncil, and the St. Louis Building &amp; Construction Trades Council\nare among the group&rsquo;s core &ldquo;stakeholders.&rdquo;<br /><br />The Missouri\nTransportation Alliance was founded just in time to face the recession\nand get caught in the crossfire of a dispute over the spending of extra\nfederal highway money made available by the &ldquo;stimulus&rdquo; act &ndash; the\nAmerican Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. So, when Bill McKenna\nand Susan Stauder opened up the transportation alliance&rsquo;s second round\nof public hearings with a meeting in the student government chambers at\nthe University of Missouri-St. Louis, they encountered some push back.<br /><br />At\na meeting in the Student Government Chamber at the University of\nMissouri &ndash; St. Louis on St. Patrick&rsquo;s Day, McKenna and Stauder\ndisplayed maps showing how little road construction is planned for the\nMissouri Department of Transportation&rsquo;s (MoDOT) District 6 in the\n2009-2013 period compared to how much construction took place from\n1999-2008. District 6 consists of St. Louis city and county, and St.\nCharles, Jefferson, and Franklin counties. <br /><br />McKenna also\ndisplayed graphics showing how much truck traffic has increased on\nroads in the state in the last ten years, and said Missouri could\nbecome a regional distribution hub if the state could maintain and\nimprove its roads. According to McKenna, Missouri is within a 10-hour\ndrive of half of the country\'s population. With improvements to the\nstate\'s highway system, river ports and railways, &ldquo;it could become the\nnation\'s premier central distribution point and bring tens of thousands\nof additional jobs to the state,&rdquo; he said. But if Missouri does not\ninvest more in its infrastructure, it could lose the competitive battle\nfor distribution center jobs to Kansas or Illinois, he added.<br /><br />Many\npeople in the audience of about 55 expressed more interest in moving\npeople than in moving products, however, and they expressed more\ninterest in alternatives to the use of private autos on public roads\nthan they did in building more roads.<br /><br />Garry Earls, chief\noperating officer of St. Louis County, said the county&rsquo;s top goal is\nexpanding the region&rsquo;s light rail system, MetroLink. Representatives of\nthe Service Employees International Union said bus service is crucial.\nBob Baer, president and CEO of Metro, said his agency wants money to\noperate buses and the light rail system.<br /><br />&nbsp;&ldquo;We should be talking\nabout growth goals and revitalizing the built cores,&rdquo; said Thomas\nShrout, executive director of Citizens for Modern Transit. &ldquo;We need\ndensity at transit stops. Your report has to include how zoning and\nlaws have to encourage that vision. A bridge in Tuscumbia is not part\nof a vision. It is just a project,&rdquo; he said.<br /><br />Bicycle enthusiasts\nalso criticized the highway department for focusing only on cars and\ncalled for incorporating bicycle lanes in highway and bridge designs.<br /><br />But\nthe torrent of demands also raised concerns about cost. &ldquo;The cost of\nroad transportation is tremendous. Then add in mass transit, ports, and\nrailroads and the tax needed to fund it all is exorbitant. How will you\ndecide what is to be included,&rdquo; asked Steve Hoven, corporate vice\npresident &ndash; public affairs of SSM Health Care?<br /><br />But Bill McKenna,\nstatewide chairman and District 6 co-chair of the Missouri\nTransportation Alliance is an old hand at dealing with those sorts of\nquestions and controversies. As chairman of the Missouri Highway and\nTransportation Commission, he faced tugs-of-war every time funding came\nup, said Tom Stevener, vice president of business development at Horner\n&amp; Shifrin, Inc. &ldquo;There is always contention over how much money\ngoes to rural areas and how much goes to urban areas,&rdquo; Stevener said.\n&ldquo;Outstate people always feel they are getting the short end of the\nstick and mobilize behind the Farm Bureau to get more,&rdquo; he said.<br /><br />Patek\nis familiar with those controversies, too. In 2004, he successfully\nmanaged a campaign to amendment the Missouri Constitution to dedicate\nall state motor fuel taxes and vehicle user fees to roads and bridges,\neffectively taking about $130 million out of the general fund and\nredirecting it to road construction and maintenance. The promise of\nAmendment 3, as it was called, was that the money would be used to make\nroads safer and smoother and to fix failing bridges. The\nnewly-dedicated tax stream leveraged bonds that financed a $1.7 billion\ngusher of projects that quickly raised that quality of Missouri&rsquo;s state\nroads from among the worst in the nation to among the best, and also\nreduced traffic deaths, but little of the money was directed towards\nfixing failing bridges. All the bond money will have been spent by the\nend of this year, however, and Amendment 3 revenue will be unavailable\nfor any new projects for many more years to come as it is dedicated to\npaying off that bond. It is the exhaustion of the Amendment 3 bond that\nprompted the formation of the Missouri Transportation Alliance.<br /><br />Listening\nto county and municipal agencies and finding compromises between local\nagencies and a common ground on which to erect a transportation plan is\nthe task that McKenna and the transportation alliance have set for\nthemselves. McKenna displayed the skills that will help him do that at\nthe meeting at the University of Missouri &ndash; St. Louis. Over the course\nof the forum, it became clear that there was broad and deep support for\nmass transit among the St. Louis attendees. <br /><br />Susan Stauder,\nco-chair of District 6 and vice president - infrastructure and public\npolicy for the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association\n(RCGA), expressed that support when she said, &ldquo;There is a very great\nneed to look at mass transportation. It is one of the things we need in\nour toolbox to get people around&hellip;We have a very successful mass transit\nsystem, but we&rsquo;re losing about 1/3 of the service at the end of the\nmonth. We need to fix it. It is a real jewel. We need to preserve and\nexpand it.&rdquo;<br /><br />McKenna first explained that the Missouri Department\nof Transportation and the Missouri Highway and Transportation\nCommission, despite their names, cannot fund transit. &ldquo;The problem with\nthe existing system is that the transportation department is funded\nlike a highway department: taxes go into a road fund and the\nconstitution says that money cannot be used for anything but roads and\nbridges,&rdquo; McKenna said.<br /><br />When Earls pushed back, saying that if\nthe purpose of the forum was to find out what were local priorities for\ntransportation, then St. Louis County&rsquo;s priority is expanding Metrolink\nto double revenue miles and reach 95 percent of the county&rsquo;s\npopulation. McKenna shot back: &ldquo;It has to be something that is saleable\nstatewide.&rdquo;<br /><br />But after several more speakers weighed in to back\nMetrolink, McKenna accepted that for metro St. Louis, transit has to be\npart of a statewide transportation plan. &ldquo;Obviously, mass transit is\nimportant to St. Louis. That is a sea change. We&rsquo;ve never had state\nfunding for mass transit before,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp; <br /><br />St. Louis&rsquo;s\ncommitment to a multimodal transportation system is more than just\nverbal. A multimodal system does not just include mass transit as an\noption, but it also provides connections between different types of\ntransportation. The Gateway Transportation Center, which opened in\nNovember 2008, is an example of that commitment. The project was funded\nby federal, state and local government agencies, with participation\nfrom Amtrak, Greyhound and MetroLink. Construction on the project began\nin 2006 with construction of a MetroBus station at 14th and Spruce\nStreets that links MetroLink riders to the downtown bus system and vice\nversa. That was followed by the construction of a 37,000-square-foot\nMultimodal Center at 15th and Spruce Streets. <br /><br />The Multimodal\nCenter houses Amtrak train and Greyhound bus operations, a food court\nand concourse linkage between Greyhound, Amtrak and MetroLink. Don\nKoppy, vice president and director of architecture at KAI Design &amp;\nBuild, said the $27 million Multimodal Center was designed and built\nwith an eye on the future. Koppy, who began working with an earlier\ndesign of the project in 1996, said that Amtrak&rsquo;s current service does\nnot justify the expense of connecting it to the Multimodal Center, &ldquo;but\nthe city decided to put infrastructure in place for when commuter rail\ncomes into the city, and commuter rail makes sense if people are going\nto go out to the exurbs. So it was planned for long term.&rdquo; <br /><br /><img alt=\"Transportation Debate\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"303\" src=\"/images/uploads/transport_1.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"266\" />&ldquo;We\ninvested in a multimodal system,&rdquo; Koppy said. &ldquo;The Multimodal Center is\nat a centralized location and from there you can go to the airport or\nget on a train, a bus, or a cab, and in the future you will be able to\nget on commuter rail. I don&rsquo;t know what else we could have, except we\ndon&rsquo;t have bikes,&rdquo; he said.<br /><br />Joining KAI on the project were:\nK&amp;S Associates as the general contractor, Jacobs Civil Engineering,\nlandscape architect SWT Design Inc., and St. Louis-based Kiku Obata\n&amp; Company. <br /><br />Transit is important in many areas of the\nstate, not just St. Louis, Stevener said. &ldquo;Kansas City operates a bus\nsystem and they have the same problems we do,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Places like\nCape Girardeau, Springfield, Joplin, Columbia and Jefferson City also\nhave transit systems. There are a lot of OATS (Older Adult\nTransportation Service) systems out-state, and in southeast Missouri\nthere is MTS based in Fredericksburg. There are more and more folks out\nthere who are becoming dependent on transit of some form or other, if\njust because people are getting older. I think there is demand even\nout-state for something more than roads and bridges,&rdquo; he said.<br /><br />&ldquo;I\nthink the guys at the state understand that. For years I&rsquo;ve heard the\ncommission (Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission) talk about\ntotal transportation, now called multimodal, but the difficulty is\nwhere the money comes from. Most funding comes from fuel tax and it is\ndedicated by the constitution to roads and bridges, so they can&rsquo;t spend\nit on anything else,&rdquo; he added. And when it comes to going to the\nlegislature for funding from general revenue, &ldquo;you&rsquo;re in competition\nwith everything else. That is real fisticuffs,&rdquo; he said.<br /><br />Finding\na plan that has broad support throughout the state is just the first\npart of the process. The second part if figuring out to fund it to\navoid fisticuffs in the general assembly.<br /><br />&ldquo;The motor fuel tax is\nprobably the silliest way to collect a tax there has ever been, because\nit can&rsquo;t keep up with inflation,&rdquo; Stevener said. &ldquo;If you apply an\ninflation factor of three percent a year, we&rsquo;re collecting the same\namount of money now as when we first put in a tax in the 1920s to go\nfrom dirt roads to macadam.<br /><br />&ldquo;We have to do away with this\narchaic motor fuel tax and go to something more universally based, and\nget away from a dedication to roads and bridges make funding available\nfor all transportation. Lots and lots of other states do that as normal\nbusiness,&rdquo; he said.</p>','none','Urban and rural interests continue to be at loggerheads, as traditional road building supporters vie with advocates of rail, bus, bike greenways and other modes of transportation for scarce dollars. ','none','','none','','none','','none',333,'none','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(536,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Wilson, Guarantee, C&R Mechanical Build Sisters of Mercy Data Center','none','SSM, data center, Guarantee, Wilson','none','<p>A St. Louis-based construction team is building a 42,500-square-foot Tier III data center in Washington, MO for Sisters of Mercy Health System (Mercy). Construction on the data center is slated for completion in December 2009, with facility commissioning to be finished by August 2010.</p>\n<p>The data center, valued at approximately $60 million, will serve 19 acute care hospitals with 4,000 beds, two heart hospitals, a managed care plan (Mercy Health Plans), physician offices and various healthcare facilities in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. <br /><br />&nbsp;SM Wilson&nbsp; Co. is general contractor, Guarantee is serving as design/build electrical contractor, joining general contractornical contractor C&amp;R Mechanical Co is design/build mechanical.</p>\n<p>The Mercy Health System is investing in the data center to advance its goal of having all patient medical records &ndash; diagnostics, therapies, outcomes &ndash; filed electronically. After the facility in Washington is commissioned, a data center in St. Louis will provide remote data archiving and restoration support to the facility in Washington.<br /><br />A primary factor in selecting the Washington, Mo. site was access to and availability of electrical power. Prior to the start of construction, Guarantee and the team helped Mercy resolve issues related to power, namely the distance of redundant power and the cost of getting it and other utilities to the site. The amount of power being brought to the building is sufficient to light a town of 14,000 people.<br /><br />The electrical design is scalable, decreasing the need for upfront investment. Initially, the center will have a capacity of four 1.0MW 416/240V N+1 modular uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems, each expandable to 1.6MW in 200KW segments as the load grows.<br /><br />To achieve further savings, each UPS is linked to a 416/240V unit sub that serves the data center by way of remote power panels located in data center racking. The configuration eliminates additional transformation typically found in data centers served by conventional 480V to 120/208V power distribution units. All servers are merely connected at 240V to 120V, creating significant savings in rack wiring and reduced energy costs by eliminating additional transformation losses.</p>\n<p>&nbsp;A web-based building management system controls interior and exterior lighting designed to ASHRAE 90.1 2004 standards. Also, all mechanical motors are high efficiency with variable speed drives. <br /><br />The center carries a finish specification of 368 watts per square foot of raised floor area. Upon opening, it will have a 35KV customer sub-station with dual 7 MVA 12.47KV secondary transformers that are expandable to 14 MVA, with transmission and delivery rates at transmission-grade level to enable it to support next-generation, high-density systems. 2N redundant utility service is provided by a pair of separately routed 138/35KV utility transformers, with N+1 emergency service back-up provided by two 2MW 12.47KV diesel generators (expandable to four). <br /><br />Two fiber-optic concerns serve the site, using the &ldquo;front door/back door&rdquo; technique to assure utmost service reliability. <br /><br />Security is optimal. Entry checkpoints are manned via closed circuit television, with entry intercoms monitored by a 24/7/365 command center.&nbsp; All perimeter and non-public entries are keycard controlled, while biometric print and iris readers protect entry to the center and secure areas. Each row of racks in the data center has dedicated video surveillance.&nbsp; In total, more than 100 cameras protect the data center and generator building, both of which are constructed to F2 tornadic standards. The buildings are also earthquake and blast-resistant, with multiple zoned pre-action systems for fire protection. <br /><br />St. Louis-based Sisters of Mercy Health System is the ninth largest Catholic healthcare system in the U.S. based on net patient service revenue. More than 31,000 professionals and 4,600 physicians are employed or practice at Mercy facilities.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','A St. Louis-based  team is building a Tier III data center in Washington, MO for  Sisters of Mercy Health System (Mercy).','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(537,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Jewish Community Center Expansion Completed','none','Jewish, JCC, Wilson','none','<p>S. M. Wilson &amp; Co. has completed construction of a new 95,000 square foot, state-of-the-art fitness and recreational complex at the Jewish Community Center of St. Louis (JCC).</p>\n<p>The new recreation complex represents Phase I of a 154,000 square foot, $32 million building program that also will include the partial demolition and renovation of the existing Carlyn H. Wohl building at the Creve Coeur location. The new fitness/wellness complex will be connected to the Wohl building.&nbsp; S. M. Wilson is providing construction management services for the entire building program.</p>\n<p>The new recreation complex features a coffee/juice bar located in the main lobby, an indoor recreational and lap pool, new racquetball and squash courts, a fitness and training center, a gymnasium with an elevated running track, meeting spaces, a health club, professional locker rooms, family and youth locker rooms and a spa.</p>\n<p>Renovations to the Wohl building will create additional space for community gatherings and cultural events. A black box theatre will be created for community theatre group performances, and a new performing arts center will provide an area for dance classes and cultural productions. New spaces also will be added for adult day services and an expanded early childhood center. Meeting rooms and a banquet facility will accommodate the needs of large company retreats or small group meetings. In addition, a new Beit Midrash (learning center), adult education programming and administrative offices also will be included in the project.</p>\n<p>Construction is scheduled for completion in February 2010.</p>\n<p>The architecture firm for the project is M+H Architects, Inc.</p>\n<p>The Jewish Community Center of St. Louis is a multigenerational gathering place open to everyone in the community regardless of faith, age and background. The JCC offers a variety of programs and services including educational, cultural, social, Jewish identity-building and recreational programming throughout its campuses in Creve Coeur and Chesterfield.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Work has been completed on a fitness and recreational complex for the Jewish Community Center.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(538,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Architect Billings Show Improvement','none','AIA, billings, architects, index','none','<p>&nbsp;After a series of historic lows, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) was up more than eight points in March. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the March ABI rating was 43.7, up from the 35.3 mark in February.&nbsp; This was the first time since September 2008 that the index was above 40, but the score still indicates an overall decline in demand for design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The new projects inquiry score was 56.6. <br />&nbsp;<br />&ldquo;This news should be viewed with cautious optimism,&rdquo; said AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker, PhD, Hon. AIA. &ldquo;The fact that inquiries for new projects increased is encouraging, but it will likely be a few months before we see an improvement in overall billings. Architects continue to report a diversity of business conditions, but the majority is still seeing weak activity levels.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;<br /><strong>Key March ABI highlights:</strong><br />&nbsp;<br />Regional averages: South (43.4), Northeast (41.8), Midwest (37.5), West (36.1)<br />Sector index breakdown: mixed practice (44.0), institutional (42.9), multi-family residential (39.4), commercial / industrial (35.0)<br />Project inquiries index: 56.6 <br /><strong><br />About the AIA Architecture Billings Index</strong><br />The Architecture Billings Index is derived from a monthly &ldquo;Work-on-the-Boards&rdquo; survey and produced by the AIA Economics&nbsp; Market Research Group. Based on a comparison of data compiled since the survey&rsquo;s inception in 1995 with figures from the Department of Commerce on Construction Put in Place, the findings amount to a leading economic indicator that provides an approximately nine to twelve month glimpse into the future of nonresidential construction activity. The diffusion indexes contained in the full report are derived from a monthly survey sent to a panel of AIA member-owned firms. Participants are asked whether their billings increased, decreased, or stayed the same in the month that just ended. According to the proportion of respondents choosing each option, a score is generated, which represents an index value for each month.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none',' After a series of historic lows, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) was up more than eight points in March.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(539,1,5,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','The Balanced Scorecard Part 3: Achieving Goals','none','Balanced Scorecard, step 3','none','<p><em>by Bill Willbrand, Jr., CPA<br />Member, Brown Smith Wallace LLC<br /></em><br />As you have learned in the previous two columns on this topic, The Balanced Scorecard is a proven method that aligns business strategies with everyday performance. The first column described how to identify and overcome common barriers to success. Column two took the method further by introducing you to metrics that can be used to achieve improved performance.&nbsp; <br /><br />Now you are ready for implementation. To implement the Balanced Scorecard, you need to execute three comprehensive phases. These phases are broken down into eight separate steps. <br /><br /><strong>Phase 1: The Strategic Foundation</strong><br /><br />The first step is strategic alignment. A clear strategy is essential to formulating the Balanced Scorecard. For a strategy to be clear, it must have both specific objectives and a well-structured set of targets. An example of a strategic objective expressed in relation to action would be the following: Hand tool loss will be reduced by 50 percent in the next six months through the implementation of a radio frequency identification system for single items valued at more than $100.<br /><br />The second step is communicating your plan. Once you have clear objectives, you must be able to communicate them to your stakeholders. Every individual in your organization needs to know the objectives and understand how his or her daily job performance supports the achievement of these goals. To best convey your plan, you may need to alter your communication style for each segment of your audience. <br /><br />Step three is to establish strategic areas. Setting priorities when identifying even general areas for improvement is essential to staying on target. The Balanced Scorecard allows for a focus of five or fewer strategic areas. Key strategic areas you might want to include in your scorecard are:<br />&bull; Customer Service<br />&bull; Depth/Breadth of Service Lines<br />&bull; Safety<br />&bull; Innovation<br />&bull; Improved Profitability<br /><br />Every goal you set must drive a strategic result. For example, the strategic objective of reducing hand tool loss described above would drive toward the more general strategic area of financial performance. <br /><br />Now that you have established your strategic objectives and strategic areas, you are ready for step 4: building a strategic grid. A strategic grid is a visual tool to outline the specifics of your strategy in relation to employee learning and growth, internal processes, customer satisfaction and financial performance. <br /><br /><br /><img alt=\"Balanced\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"178\" src=\"/images/uploads/balanced.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"361\" /><br /><br /><strong>Phase 2: Three Critical Components<br /></strong><br />At step five in the process, you will add metrics to your strategic grids. As discussed in last month&rsquo;s column, these metrics must be:<br />&bull; Linked to the strategic objective<br />&bull; Repeatable, allowing for comparisons over time<br />&bull; An indicator of future targets and performance<br />&bull; Accountable, reliable, verifiable and accurate<br />&bull; Available when needed<br />&nbsp;<br />Some examples of measurements that are leading indicators of performance are customer referrals, new contracts and service response time. Whichever metrics you choose, be sure to focus on those which are most relevant to your strategic objectives. <br /><br />Step six is to establish targets for your metrics.&nbsp; In order for a metric to be useful, you must have a target goal and a timeline in which you expect to meet that goal. In the hand tool example, the timeframe of reducing loss by 50 percent in the next six months serves as the target of the measurement. <br /><br />One of the most gratifying components of implementing the Balanced Scorecard is putting programs into place to achieve your strategic objective. A viable program must:<br />&bull; Require some level of resource commitment<br />&bull; Have designated leadership<br />&bull; Be supported and sponsored by executive leadership<br />&bull; Benefit one or more strategic objectives <br /><br />An example would be to establish a program to promote company-wide safety (the strategic objective), which would include designated awards (resource commitment) and have the support of company leaders as demonstrated through internal communications and company events. The program should also be led by one manager or team. <br /><strong><br />Phase 3: Deployment</strong><br /><br />The eighth and final step in the process is launching your first Balanced Scorecard within your organization. When aligning the developed scorecard with other parts of your business, you can make certain there are no conflicts or competing agendas. As you launch your plan and the programs to support it, you will have the opportunity to gain buy-in from stakeholders throughout the company. A successful implementation will ensure all your employees know and are focused on the measurement and accomplishment of these plans in their day-to-day activities. <br /><br /><br /></p>','','','none','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','','none','As noted in previous columns, The Balanced Scorecard aligns business strategies with everyday performance. Now you are ready for implementation','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(540,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Annette Lehnbeuter joins Frost','none','Frost, Lehnbeuter','none','<p>Annette Lehnbeuter recently joined <a href=\"http://www.frostelectric.com\">Frost</a> as a lighting quotation specialist at the Maryland Heights headquarters.</p>\n<p>Her responsibilities include providing electrical contractors with competitive lighting quotes for new construction, retrofit and renovation projects. Lehnbeuter works closely with lighting manufacturer representatives, architects, engineers and electrical contractors to create accurate and timely lighting quotes as determined by the job specifications and fixture schedule or the design build descriptions. In addition, she promotes energy saving lighting products and practices, expedites lighting orders, and solves lighting issues for customers as well as explains examples of current lighting trends.</p>\n<p>Lehnbeuter earned her bachelor&rsquo;s degree from the University of Missouri &ndash; St. Louis (UMSL). She has served as an officer for the Women&rsquo;s Electrical Board (WEB) for the past five years and currently acts as the chairperson of the WEB.</p>\n<p>Frost, now in its third generation of Frost family ownership, focuses on the electrical supply, industrial, automation, tools, safety and voice/data industries.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none',' Annette Lehnbeuter recently joined Frost as a lighting quotation specialist at the Maryland Heights headquarters. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(543,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Muncipal Courts Redevelopment Gets Green Light','none','Heisman, Muncipal Courts','none','<p>The City of St. Louis has selected Heisman Properties, LLC to redevelop the historic Municipal Courts Building (to be renamed 1300 Market) in downtown St. Louis.&nbsp; The original architect of the building was Isaac Taylor, who was the principal\narchitect for the 1904 World&rsquo;s Fair as well as many significant\nbuildings in St. Louis including the Jefferson Memorial, the Bee Hat\nBuilding and Hadley Square.<br />&nbsp;<br />Heisman Properties is working closely with EVS Realty, Friedman Group, REALTORS and the City of St. Louis to redevelop the century old building. Rosemann &amp; Associates, P.C. will provide architectural design and BSI Contractors are providing construction costs. St. Louis Comptroller, Darlene Green said, &ldquo;We are very excited about the development of the Municipal Courts Building and its prospects as part of St. Louis\' downtown&rsquo;s revitalization.\"<br />&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;The 160,000 sq. ft. renowned courthouse is located at 1300 Market Street and was constructed in 1911. Heisman Properties will spend $40 million to redevelop the building. Plans include ground floor restaurant, retail and office space, first floor cultural/gallery and office space with second and third floor office space. In addition to the interior, Rosemann\'s design calls for several walkways, courtyards, plazas and terraces to surround the building. <br />&nbsp;<br />&ldquo;Once completed, this project will tie recent downtown developments together,\" Heisman Senior Vice President of Acquisitions Chad Forrest said. \"It will be the centerpiece of a destination area featuring the Scottrade Center, soon-to-be-redeveloped Kiel Opera House, Sheraton City Center Hotel and Condos, MetroLink, the Gateway Multimodal Transportation Center and the revitalized mall.&rdquo;</p>\n<p>With a projected completed date set for 2010, the building will not only house office tenants, but will act as a conduit between both the civic and cultural communities. &ldquo;Being in such a desirable location we anticipate not only servicing our core tenants, but will offer the ability to provide locations for cultural events and meeting places with those who want to share in this extraordinary redevelopment,&rdquo;Heisman Properties Principal Curt Schroeder said.&nbsp; <br />&nbsp;<br />The grand hallway with vaulted ceilings and elegant entrance will showcase St. Louis art exhibits and will feature a fully designed courtroom. &ldquo;We have one courtroom that seems to have missed its 1960&rsquo;s upgrade,&rdquo; remarks Heisman Principal Rob McRitchie. &ldquo;Our intent will be to restore this exquisite space and utilize it for events as well as mock trials, which many law firms desire.\"<br />&nbsp;<br />Plans are also under development for a 600 car parking garage directly adjacent to the property. To service the area, plans call for retail tenants and one or more restaurants to be added along 14th Street catering to daytime users and community events at the neighboring Scottrade Center and the soon coming Kiel Opera House.</p>\n<p>&nbsp;The project has financing and is poised to begin construction this year based on the final negotiation of tenant commitments, Heisman said in a news release.<br />&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;LEED certification and green efforts will be a cornerstone in Rosemann\'s design and construction efforts. &ldquo;Ample parking, great transportation and freeway access is key,&rdquo; Heisman\'s Forrest said. &ldquo;But let&rsquo;s not forget the fact that we will be adjacent to the MetroLink and City&rsquo;s Multimodal Transportation Center.\"&nbsp; <br />&nbsp;<br /><br />&nbsp;<br />For more information visit www.1300marketstl.com &lt;http://www.1300marketstl.com/&gt; .<br />&nbsp;<br />ABOUT HEISMAN:&nbsp; Heisman Properties, LLC is a privately held real estate company focused on acquiring, developing and managing urban real estate throughout the United States. In 2006, Heisman Properties and partners purchased the 160,000 sq. ft. Chemical Building, now renamed Alexa Lofts, at 777 Olive Street. Designed by architect Henry Ives Cobb in 1896 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.&nbsp; Plans call for 132 market-rate apartments, two floors of office space and retail space on the ground floor. <br />&nbsp;<br />In 2004, Heisman Properties and partners purchased the 194,000 square foot A.D. Brown Building at 1136 Washington Avenue in St. Louis. Built in 1898, it was once the headquarters of the Hamilton-Brown Shoe Co. Heisman finished renovations to the building, which is now called the Meridian. All 95 loft condominiums have been sold.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','The City of St. Louis has selected Heisman Properties, LLC to redevelop the historic Municipal Courts Building.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(544,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','James Collins, Fence Company Founder, Dies ','none','Collins, Collins and Hermann','none','<p>James (Jim) Collins died Wednesday, April 29, due to complications of cancer.&nbsp; Mr. Collins was a founder of Collins &amp; Hermann, Inc.</p>\n<p>Collins &amp; Hermann, with offices in St. Louis and Kansas City, is a specialty subcontractor providing guardrail,\nsigning, civil construction, fencing and metal fabrication solutions to\ncustomers throughout the Midwest.</p>\n<p>He is survived by his wife Mary Jo.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Visitation is Monday, May 4, at Bucholz Mortuaries, 2211 Clarkson Road, Chesterfield, MO 63017<br /><br />There is a Funeral Mass on Tuesday, May 5, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Clair Assisi, 15668 Clayton Road, Ballwin, MO 63011 with burial following the mass at the Jefferson Barracks Cemetary.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','James (Jim) Collins, a founder of Collins & Hermann, Inc., died Wednesday, April 29.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(546,1,5,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','Failed Streets Haunt Developer, Surety, Subs','none','concrete, streets, Berra, Essex','none','<p>Improperly poured concrete streets triggered a series of claims and counterclaims between Jefferson County, Essex Contracting, Inc. (the developer of three subdivisions), Essex&rsquo; subcontractors J.H. Berra Paving Co., Inc. and Boling Concrete Construction., Inc., and the developer&rsquo;s surety Federal Insurance Company.&nbsp; The case is <em>Essex Contracting, Inc. v. Jefferson County</em>, 2009 WL 454280 (Mo.), decided February 24.&nbsp; <br /><br />The dispute on a project that started in 1995 provides a great lesson in the complexity of construction legal issues and on how wrong things can go.&nbsp; Even worse, the dispute is not completely over, for the Supreme Court of Missouri has sent the matter back to the trial court for further consideration on one issue.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><br />The saga began when Jefferson County required developer Essex to post three separate bonds totaling $3,598,249 for development of the Winter Valley subdivision.&nbsp; The bonds covered three phases of construction.<br /><br />When Essex could not complete the streets on time, Jefferson County and Essex agreed to a one-year extension in exchange for a guarantee from Essex and a pledge that the guarantee would be backed by the bonds already in place.&nbsp; The guarantee provided that if Essex did not complete the project within one year, including any necessary repairs to the work, the county would do so and use the bonds to reimburse for the costs to complete the work.&nbsp; In essence, this made the previous bonds, if they were not already, into performance bonds, whereby the county was assured the money necessary to complete the job if Essex failed to perform.<br /><br />Construction of the concrete streets required three phases:&nbsp; (1) clearing and grading, (2) leveling dirt and compacting the subgrade, and (3) pouring the streets in a slip-form paving technique where the concrete is poured in a continuous fashion and control joints are added later.<br /><br />Some of the streets began to split and crack.&nbsp; Both the developer and the subcontractors repaired and replaced broken slabs, but this created a bigger problem by revealing that at least some of the slabs were not poured to the proper thickness.&nbsp; The county required Essex to do core sample testing.&nbsp; The county was not satisfied with the results and in 2005 the court ordered additional core testing.&nbsp; This testing revealed that there were an additional 218 slabs of concrete that were deficient in thickness by more that 0.3 of an inch, in violation of the subdivision regulations.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><br />Essex made additional repairs and sought release of the bonds.&nbsp; The county responded by refusing to release the bonds and presented Essex with a further list of deficiencies.&nbsp; Essex eventually filed a declaratory judgment lawsuit seeking the release of the bonds.<br /><br />The county conceded that part of the bonds could be released, but kept in place $1,015,837 for work it claimed was not properly completed.&nbsp; The county responded to the lawsuit by counter suing Essex for faulty work and added Federal as a defendant for its failure to disburse the bonds to the county.&nbsp; Federal then cross sued the county stating that the bonds were void or that the improvements were complete.<br /><br />Members of the Winter Valley Homeowners&rsquo; Association intervened in the lawsuit.&nbsp; They filed claims against Essex for injunctive relief and damages, alleging negligence, breach of contract and zoning enforcement.&nbsp; Essex filed third-party petitions against its subcontractors Boling and Berra for indemnity and breach of contract.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><br />At trial, an expert for the county who was a licensed geotechnical engineer testified that poor subgrade conditions and support were responsible for the failures in the streets.&nbsp; There was evidence at trial that concrete trucks drove on the subgrade during the pouring, which if true could have disturbed the subgrade condition. <br /><br />Boling attempted to recompact the subgrade after the trucks had disturbed it.&nbsp; They were unable to do so in at least one place because the trucks had brought in so much moisture that the dirt could not be recompacted. <br /><br />The trial court concluded that Essex failed to meet the standards of the subdivision regulations and the requirements of the guarantee.&nbsp; The court ordered Essex and Federal to pay the remainder of the bonds ($1,015,838) to the county to fund completion and to pay an additional $102,174 in civil penalties, also to be funded from the bonds.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><br />The trial court also entered judgment in favor of Essex on its claims of indemnity against its subcontractors in the amounts of $73,913 for Boling and $28,261 for Berra for their shares of the $102,174 civil penalty.&nbsp; Boling and Berra also had to pay Essex $6,040 and Berra $6,468 for the costs of the core testing.&nbsp; <br /><br />The trial court awarded $35,875 in costs against Essex and Federal for the intervenors&rsquo; costs to repair the improperly poured streets.&nbsp; Intervenors also recovered their attorney fees in the amounts of $219,277 from Essex, $7,088 from Berra and $17,013 from Boling.&nbsp; The Supreme Court rejected claims they were excessive by deferring to the judgment of the trial court, especially in a case of this length and complexity. <br /><br />The Supreme Court affirmed the trial court&rsquo;s decision with the exception of Essex&rsquo; claim for indemnity against Boling and the assessment of attorney fees against the subcontractors.&nbsp; The Supreme Court decided that if Boling was responsible for part of the thin concrete, then the trial court should have sustained Essex&rsquo; claim for indemnity.&nbsp; The trial court will have to consider this further, per the order from the Supreme Court.&nbsp; The attorney fee awards were not supportable because there was no contract between the intervenors and the subcontractors that would entitle the intervenors to recover attorney fees.&nbsp; <br /><em><br />James R. Keller is a partner at Herzog Crebs LLP where he concentrates his practice on construction law, complex business disputes, real estate and ADR.&nbsp; He also is an arbitrator and a mediator.</em><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />&nbsp;<br /><br /><br /><br />&nbsp; <br /><br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>','','338','none','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','','none','Improperly poured concrete streets triggered a series of claims and counterclaims. ','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(547,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','\"Green\"  Products Event Planned May 14','none','AWI, woodworking, sustainable, green, symposium ','none','<p>The Missouri&ndash; Illinois Architctural Woodworking Institute (AWI) is holding its second annual symposium on sustainable products to educate the construction industry about the various types of green woodworking products that exist in the market and to introduce them to the local<br />suppliers who carry related items.</p>\n<p><img alt=\"Green Products Symposium\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"137\" src=\"/images/uploads/green-products.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"250\" />The event will be held May 14 from 3:30 to 7 p.m. at the William A. Kerr Fondation,&nbsp; 21 O\'Fallon Street, just north of the President Casino on the downtown St. Louis riverfront.</p>\n<p>The event will consist of two presentations. The first presenter, Richard Poindexter from Columbia Forest Products, will address the issue of<br />&ldquo;Decorative Plywood and Interior Air Quality.&rdquo; The second presenter, LK Wilhelms of Smith &amp; Fong, will discuss &ldquo;Designing<br />with Sustainable Bamboo.&rdquo; Both presentations will focus on knowing the difference between a truly green product and green-washing. A CEU can be earned for each presentation attended and also for visiting the exhibitors&rsquo; booths at the event, allowing a total of three CEUs.</p>\n<p><strong>EVENT SCHEDULE</strong><br />3:30 - 4:00 Exhibitor displays, networking, &amp; hors d&rsquo;oeuvres<br />4:00 - 5:00 Presentation: Decorative Hardwood Plywood &amp; Interior Air Quality<br />5:00 - 6:00 Exhibitor displays, networking, &amp; hors d&rsquo;oeuvres<br />6:00 - 7:00 Presentation: Designing with Sustainable Bamboo<br />This event is FREE to the St. Louis construction industry.</p>\n<p>The event is free to members of the construction industry. RSVP by Friday, May 8, 2009 by contacting Karen Duree at 314.524.0602 or <a href=\"mailto:kduree@amslonline.com\">kduree@amslonline.com</a></p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','The Missouriâ€“ Illinois Architectural Woodworking Institute AWI is holding its second annual symposium on sustainable products.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(548,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Coldwell Banker Commerical  Announces Transactions','none','Coldwell Banker Commercial, transactions','none','<p><a href=\"http://www.cbcstl.com\">Coldwell Banker Commercial</a> CRA LLC has announced the following new transactions:<br /><br />Carl Conceller, SIOR and Lynn Richter of Coldwell Banker Commercial represented Lutheran Senior Services in the purchase of a 30,000 square foot office building located at 1150 Hanley Industrial Court, Brentwood, MO 63144 from Heartland Bank, represented by Grubb &amp; Ellis/Gundaker Commercial.<br /><br />Jerry Worley of Coldwell Banker Commercial represented WIF 1, LLC in the lease renewal of 2,500 square feet of industrial space with Heuvelman Consulting Services, Inc. d/b/a The Garage Design Center at the Larkin Williams building located at 1731 Larkin Williams Road, Fenton, MO 63026.<br /><br />Carl Conceller, SIOR and Chris Reh of Coldwell Banker Commercial represented 1st Choice Courier and Distribution, Inc. in the lease of 3,000 square feet of industrial space located at 9461 Dielman Rock Island Industrial Drive, St. Louis, MO 63132 from LaClair Warehouse One, represented by Sansone Group.<br /><br />Mike Wolken, SIOR and Ken Kaller of Coldwell Banker Commercial represented Cook Bros RE LLC in the lease renewal of 15,106 square feet of industrial space with Facilitec, Inc. at the Eagle Industrial building located at 5422 Eagle Industrial Court, Hazelwood, MO 63042.<br /><br />Vicki Dolan of Coldwell Banker Commercial represented Lutheran Church Extension Fund &ndash; MO Synod in the lease renewal of 6,761 square feet of office space at the Sunset Hills Office Building located at 10733 Sunset Office Drive, Sunset Hills, MO 63127 with Consilman/Hunsaker and Associates, represented by Schlafly Corporation.<br /><br />Coldwell Banker Commercial represented Hampton Village Associates in the lease renewal of 4,765 square feet of retail space with Johnnie Brock&rsquo;s Greeting Cards &amp; Gift Shops, Inc. at Hampton Village Shopping Center located at 40 Hampton Village Shopping Center, St. Louis, MO 63109.<br /><br />Coldwell Banker Commercial CRA LLC is one of the largest full-service commercial real estate companies in St. Louis, with more than 3 million square feet of property, valued at $175 million, under management. <br />.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Coldwell Banker Commercial CRA LLC has announced the following new transactions:','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(549,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Novus Headquarters Goes (LEED) Platinum','none','Novus, LEED, Clayco','none','<p>The Novus International headquarters has achieved LEED Platinum certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED Platinum is the highest level of certification available for sustainable buildings with USGBC.<br /><br />&ldquo;The Novus International headquarters showcases many established and forward-thinking elements of sustainable design and construction. The facility highlights the company&rsquo;s level of commitment in developing a headquarters that offers a holistic point of view, one that considers the total, long-term environmental impact &ndash; from construction to day-to-day operation,&rdquo; said Paul Todd Merrill, P.E., LEED AP, director of sustainable construction for Clayco, contractor on the project.&nbsp; <br />&nbsp;<br />Located in the Missouri Research Park in St. Charles, Mo., the $20 million project included renovation of Novus&rsquo; existing 42,000-square-foot building and a 48,000-square-foot addition, including two floors of office space, 10 research laboratories, a state-of-the-art employee and customer training center, a fitness center and a catering cafeteria.<br />&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Novus is only the fourth commercial building in Missouri to achieve Platinum status and one of fewer than 100 commercial buildings in the U.S. to receive the honored designation. The headquarters features:</p>\n<ul>\n<li>an environmentally-focused framework including a 5,000-square-foot array of solar panels, currently the largest array in the state of Missouri;</li>\n<li>creative use of recycled materials such as plastic detergent bottles &amp; post industrial aluminum waste; extensive use of rapidly renewable materials such as bamboo flooring &amp; doors; <br /></li>\n<li>restoration of Missouri native and adaptive vegetation and landscaping that require zero irrigation, saving thousands of gallons of water each year;</li>\n<li>high performance envelope and energy systems, including the use of a chilled water distribution system;</li>\n<li>preferred parking for low emitting and fuel efficient vehicles;</li>\n<li>a storm water system that will reduce the environmental impact of runoff and improve water quality to receiving rivers;</li>\n<li>10% of the total materials were derived from salvaged materials; </li>\n<li>and 30% of the total materials were made from recycled content. </li>\n</ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<br />Other sustainable efforts incorporated into the facility to promote and enhance the health and productivity of its employees include floor-to-ceiling windows to maximize the use of natural light while providing a direct connection to the surrounding environment, and include a new state-of-the-art, energy-efficient underfloor HVAC system that allows the temperature to be controlled individually at each work area.</p>\n<p>Forum Studio&nbsp; was architect. Joining Clayco and Forum Studio on the project are Alper Audi, as structural engineer; Stock and Associates, as the civil engineer; and Loomis and Associates, as the landscape architect. <br />&nbsp;</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','The Novus International headquarters has achieved LEED Platinum certification.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(550,1,2,'','none','','none','','none','Concrete: Wonder Material in Aggregate','none','concrete technology, cement','none','<p>A miracle material invented by the Romans is still going strong. After more than two thousand years the material, cement-based concrete, is still durable, innovative, and cost competitive.<br /><br />Consider the I-64 construction project. The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) picked concrete for the road material over asphalt. Dan Galvin, spokesman for Gateway Constructors, which is building the highway, said MoDOT looked at both the lifecycle costs and initial costs of using either material. Concrete has a lower lifecycle costs, because it requires less maintenance, he said. And due to the high price of oil at the time, the initial cost difference between asphalt and concrete &ldquo;was minimal,&rdquo; he said. So, MoDOT concluded taxpayers would get the most value from concrete.<br /><br />Although the cost difference between asphalt and concrete for the reconstruction of I-64 may have been minimal, the amount of material used in the project is not. In the first half of the project, the portion west of I-170, Gateway Constructors poured 145,000 cubic yards of concrete in depths ranging from 9.5 to eleven inches, &ldquo;and we should do something similar with the second half as well,&rdquo; Galvin said. The eleven-inch depth comes from a full depth pour where Gateway Constructors completely removes and replaces the old concrete and roadbed. The 9.5-inch depth is when Gateway Constructors simply overlays new concrete on top of the existing road surface. In addition to the road surfaces, Gateway Constructors also poured 40,000 cubic yards of structural concrete in bridges and 85,000 linear feet of concrete in barrier walls. Gateway Constructors also set 264 precast concrete bridge beams, 149,000 square feet of precast concrete bridge deck and 290,000 square feet of precast concrete retaining wall. <br /><br />&ldquo;We are confident concrete is the most durable and cost effective pavement our tax dollars can buy,&rdquo; said Patrick Juelich, marketing director for the St. Louis Concrete Council. &ldquo;The benefits of concrete construction on the I-64 project and future roadways are more than getting a pavement that will last for 50 years. Another benefit is it supports job creation in Missouri through the use of rock, sand and cement all produced in and around the state,&rdquo; he said.<br /><br />Of course, concrete has been used in roads since the time of the Romans. Much more recently an innovative form of concrete has been used to reduce run-off from pavement and manage stormwater. Last year, the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) approved something called pervious concrete for an exemption from its imperious user charge. &ldquo;We have a charge based on the amount of impervious area &ndash; the area under surfaces that don&rsquo;t suck up rainwater &ndash; a user has. If the paved area is pervious, where the water can percolate through, we do not assess that charge,&rdquo; said Lance LeComb, a spokesman for MSD. &ldquo;In the long run, we hope this impervious charge will spur the use of these greener, more environmentally friendly surfaces,&rdquo; he added.<br /><br />Pervious concrete works by letting water drain through to the gravel bed underneath it, explained Jerry Eidson, sales representative for Breckenridge Material Company. It can do that because it is full of interconnected spaces, &ldquo;we&rsquo;re talking 10-20 percent voids,&rdquo; he said. That means pervious withstands repeated freeze-thaw cycles better than traditional concrete, he said. &ldquo;Traditional concrete is very dense,&rdquo; he said. Pervious concrete, however, has so many voids that water doesnt&rsquo;t get trapped in cracks, but instead flows through to the gravel bed where the subgrade warmth keeps it from freezing, and all the voids in the concrete leave plenty of room for expansion and contraction.<br /><br />&ldquo;Pervious is new to the area. Five years ago you never saw it,&rdquo; said Scott Inserra, president of Wilson Concrete, a concrete contractor, who has completed one pervious concrete job in the area.<br /><br />Landvatter Ready Mix began making pervious concrete in 2007, although it has been used in other parts of the country, said Melissa Landvatter, quality control and sales manager for Landvatter Ready Mix. &ldquo;It is a hugely different mix from traditional concrete,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;It is a very dry, very thick mix, and the mix design is crucial to its success,&rdquo; she said. Landvatter has made pervious concrete for three different jobs in the St. Louis area, but sees many more jobs requesting bids for it. &ldquo;This potentially could be a significant market,&rdquo; she said.<br /><br />&ldquo;What really kicked it off was MSD started raising stormwater rates. When big commercial parking lots and campuses started getting dinged on their MSD bills last year, they started looking at pervious concrete,&rdquo; said Eidson.<br /><br />Joseph Vitale, president of Concrete Strategies, which first installed pervious concrete at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, agreed that storm water management is the biggest draw for pervious pavement. &ldquo;Storm water infiltration using pervious pavement will become common practice as the engineering and construction community become more familiar with utilizing this green building tool as part of their Best Management Practice toolbox,&rdquo; he said.<br /><br /><strong>Cost</strong><br /><br />Pervious concrete costs 10-15 percent more from the supplier, &ldquo;but you recoup that in your MSD bill,&rdquo; Eidson said. <br /><br />Inserra said the labor charge to install pervious concrete &ldquo;is about the same&rdquo; as the cost in installing traditional concrete, but the installation process is different.<br /><br />&ldquo;The installation process is unique and takes special tools and experience,&rdquo; agreed Don Wade, program manager for Magruder Construction, a concrete contractor that has installed pervious concrete in St. Louis and elsewhere. &ldquo;The cement/concrete industry requires that installers become certified through the National Ready-Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA),&rdquo; he said. There are three-levels of certification ranging from technician to crafstman. The first level, technician, requires attendance at a one-day training seminar and successfully completion of a two-hour test. The second level requires an additional one-two days experience in addition to the test. The third level, craftsman, requires at least 3,000 hours (almost two years) of verified experience. Magruder Construction has three employees that are NRMCA certified as craftsmen.<br /><br />&ldquo;I recommend that only those companies that have the craftsmen-level of experience be allowed to bid on any projects in the St. Louis area,&rdquo; Wade said.<br /><br /><strong>Savings</strong><br /><br />When properly designed as part of a new stormwater management system, pervious pavement can save an owner or developer money. &ldquo;The cost advantages associated with using pervious concrete to manage stormwater go beyond eliminating MSD&rsquo;s impervious charge of 14 cent per 100 square feet,&rdquo; Vitale said. &ldquo;Traditional pavements usually require traditional detention based stormwater management practices. With pervious pavement, stormwater can be detained under the pavement, where it infiltrates into the ground and reduces the need for storm sewers, detention basins and related infrastructure. Commercial users could realize a 45 percent savings in total ownership costs over the 20-year design period by using pervious concrete for the paving element in the design. Developers have been able to add more than 40 percent more retail rental space for projects that would have been required for detention,&rdquo; he said. <br /><br />&ldquo;If your are able to eliminate storm sewers and detention structures from your project, the cost savings are overwhelming. If you can eliminate a half acre detention pond, that is 1/2 acre you don&rsquo;t need to buy,&rdquo; Inserra added.<br /><br />Wade said pervious concrete is as durable as traditional concrete, which is more durable than asphalt. &ldquo;Concrete gets stronger with age while asphalt deteriorates over time,&rdquo; he said. Vitale agreed. &ldquo;Parking areas properly designed and constructed will last 20-40 years with little or no maintenance,&rdquo; he said. Pervious pavements, however, cannot be resurfaced as is often done with conventional asphalt pavements, Wade said, and routine maintenance practices have to change to avoid pushing dirt and debris down into voids to clog them.<br /><br />Want to make sure the pervious mixture will work? A testing company such as Geotechnology, Inc., can test the permeability of the mix to measure water flow and can even test core samples for permeability after the concrete is poured.<br /><br />With Clayton, Wildwood, Washington University, and the Missouri Botanical Gardens all planning to use pervious concrete, St. Louis will see more of this innovative form of an old miracle material. <br /></p>','none','A miracle material invented by the Romans is still going strong.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(607,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','ASA Midwest Claybird Event Turns Shotguns on Legislation','none','ASA Midwest, claybird, PAC','none','<p>The American Subcontractors Association Midwest Council will hold its seventh annual claybird tournament on Saturday July 18 at the Blawhawk Hunting Club in Old Monroe, MO. <br /><br />The costof the event is $100 per person or $400 per team, shells not included. Registration is limited to the first 100 persons. The event registration covers l00 targets at 14 different stations, lunch, prizes and door prizes, a gun raffle, and spirits following the shoot. <br /><br />To reach the club from Highway 70 West, take Highway 79 North (approx. 15 miles) to Highway C.&nbsp; Turn left onto Highway C (approx. 4 miles).&nbsp; Turn right on Childs Road and drive approximately one mile.&nbsp;&nbsp; Turn left onto Breavator Road.&nbsp; Club is at the top of the hill on the right.&nbsp; From Highway 61, take Highway C out of Moscow Mills.&nbsp; Turn left on Childs Road and drive approximately 1 mile.&nbsp; Turn left on Breavator Road and club is on your right.<br /><br />Sponsorships are available, including a lunch sponsor for $1000, an event sponsor for $750, and station sponsors for $100. <br /><br />To register, make checks payable to ASA Midwest PAC, P.O. Box 270, Union, MO 63084. for information call 314.214.1664.&nbsp;&nbsp; No cancellations will be accepted after July 10. No-shows will be billed. <br /></p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','The American Subcontractors Association Midwest Council will hold its seventh annual claybird tournament on Saturday July 18 at the Blawhawk Hunting Club in Old Monroe, MO.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(608,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','McCarthy Employees Go to Bat for Charities','none','softball, McCarthy, tournament','none','<p><a href=\"http://www.mccarthy.com\">McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.</a>, recently hosted its 13th Annual Architect/Engineer Charity Softball Tournament.&nbsp; Under the McCarthy Heart Hats community outreach program, all proceeds from the annual event are donated to a St. Louis charity of the tournament winner\'s choosing.&nbsp; Since its inception, the event has generated more than $70,000 for area charities.<br /><br />This year, the co-ed tournament held at the Bridgeton Municipal Athletic Complex attracted participants from 18 local architectural and engineering<br />firms. The combined team of Simms Building Group, Inc. and Trivers Associates captured first place, splitting their winnings of $3,500 between<br />Annie Malone Children and Family Service Center and the Salvation Army.&nbsp; The second place team of Horner &amp; Shifrin team elected to split its $1,500 prize between Kids in the Middle, Inc. and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri. In addition to the softball competition, a grilling competition<br />rounded out the event. Six grilling teams competed for the Master Griller title, which ultimately went to PayneCrest Electric &amp; Communications.&nbsp; A<br />$1,500 donation will be made to their chosen charity, Epworth Children &amp; Family Services. <br /><br />\"Trivers has been a participant in the McCarthy Softball Tournament for a few years now, and it has always been a great experience,\" commented<br />Architectural Designer Michael Meyer, LEED AP, with Trivers Associates. \"The tournament has consistently been a great environment to raise money for charity through fun and competition. The Simms/Trivers team worked together, rising to the championship, while having fun and enjoying the atmosphere all for a great cause.\"<br /><br />Floyd Simms, president and CEO with Simms Building Group, agreed. \"This event exceeded our expectations.&nbsp; From the selection of the venue to the<br />variety of available foods, this affair was first class all the way.&nbsp; The Simms/Trivers team toughed it out to beat over a dozen other teams to win<br />the overall championship, and it was all of course for a great cause.\"<br /><br />For 13 years, the Architect/Engineer Charity Softball Tournament has generated much needed funds for St. Louis community organizations. In 2008,<br />St. Louis-based architectural and interior design firm The Lawrence Group celebrated as tournament champion, donating winnings to two local charities, Studio STL and Life Skills. Other past recipient organizations have included:&nbsp; Kids in the Middle, Camp Wartburg, Multiple Sclerosis Society,<br />Ranken Jordan, Loyola Academy of St. Louis, St. Patrick Center, Downtown YMCA, St. Louis Shriners Hospital, Alzheimer Association and Breast Cancer Research Foundation.<br /><br />\"When we started this event more than a decade ago, we saw it as a fun way to bring the local building professionals together to help make a difference in our community,\" said Scott Wittkop, president of McCarthy\'s Central Division.&nbsp; \"It is an inspiration to see the impact the tournament continues to have on those participating and the organizations it assists.\"<br /><br />In addition to McCarthy, the teams participating in this year\'s softball tournament represented the following companies:&nbsp; Burns &amp; McDonnell; Cannon<br />Design; CH2M-Hill; Chiodini Associates; EDM Inc.; Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum (HOK), Inc.; Horner &amp; Shifrin, Inc.; Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc.; KPFF Consulting Engineers; The Lawrence Group; Maverick Technologies,LLC; McClure Engineering Associates; Oates Associates, Inc.; Peckham Guyton Albers &amp; Viets, Inc. (PGAV); Ross &amp; Baruzzini, Inc.; Simms Building Group, Inc.; Trivers Associates; and Volz Engineering.<br /><br />The six teams competing in the grilling competition were:&nbsp; Hilti North America; Industrial Sheet Metal Erectors, Inc.; Maverick Technologies, LLC;<br />Negwer Materials, Inc.; PayneCrest Electric &amp; Communications; and T.J. Wies Contracting, Inc. <br /><br />Founded in 1864, McCarthy is one of the oldest privately held construction firms in the nation.&nbsp; The McCarthy Heart Hats community outreach program is dedicated to encouraging, supporting and recognizing McCarthy employees\' volunteer efforts in employees\' communities.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Since its inception, McCarthy\'s Heart Hats community outreach program\'s softball tournament has raised more than $70,000 for area charities','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(552,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Foster Hires Joseph Sneed','none','Foster, Sneed','none','<p><br />J.E. Foster Building Company is has hired Joseph Sneed as vice president.</p>\n<p>Sneed has over 23 years of construction experience and is a LEED Accredited Professional.</p>\n<p>He most recently was the director of pre-construction at Kozeny Wagner, Inc.<img class=\"table-left\" height=\"187\" src=\"/images/uploads/Joe Sneed_DSC0509_1.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"125\" /></p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','J.E. Foster Building Company is has hired Joseph Sneed as vice president. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(689,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Video: AGC Gives Consumers Chance to Recycle Materials ','none','Recycle, Reuse, AGC, event','none','<p>The Associated General Contractors of St. Louis have decided to be proactive in driving home the message of sustainable construction to the consumer level by enlisting homeowners in the practice.</p>\n<h4><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHEUjUuhM7o\"><img alt=\"Honey\'s Birthday Surprise\" height=\"207\" src=\"/images/uploads/honey.jpg\" width=\"225\" /></a></h4>\n<h4>Click on Image to View</h4>\n<h4>A young couple really gets into the spirit of Agc\'s recycle/reuse event in this promotional YouTube video. <br /></h4>\n<p>Sustainable construction practices are being used every day by AGC of St. Louis members in constructing St. Louis\' commercial and industrial facilities. The AGC wants to bring that sustainable practice to the general public by sponsoring the (AGC)2 event -<br />Associated General Contractors Advocating Green Construction\".</p>\n<p>\"Just as many construction firms have learned to recycle and reuse construction<br />materials, this event will allow homeowners from the region to recycle construction materials that they have previously not been able to recycle,\" an AGC release said.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>The general public is invited to bring residential asphalt roofi ng shingles and untreated/unpainted drywall, lumber, brick and landscaping blocks to be recycled. ONLY these products listed will be accepted. Any materials not listed above are considered trash and disposal fees will apply.</p>\n<p>Only homeowners will be allowed to participate in this event. Normal customers of Peerless Resource Recovery, Inc. or commercial/residential contractors will not be permitted to dump. There is a one ton limit on recycled material accepted.</p>\n<p>Directions: From I-44, take the exit for Highway 141 north. At the fi rst stop<br />light turn west on Elam Ave. and immediately turn south on S. Elam Ave.<br />Peerless Resource Recovery, Inc. is located at the very end of S. Elam<br />Ave. about half a mile. Look for (AGC)2 event signs along the way.<br />Sponsored by AGC of St. Louis in conjunction with<br />AGC of St. Louis &bull; www.agcstl.org &bull; (314) 781-2356</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','The Associated General Contractors of St. Louis have decided to be proactive in driving home the message of sustainable construction to the consumer level by enlisting homeowners in the practice.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(679,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Architecture Billings Index Points to Continued Struggles','none','Architecture Billings Index, AIA   ','none','<p>Another stall in the recovery for the construction industry was marked, as the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) dropped to its lowest level since June. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the August ABI rating was 41.7, down slightly from 43.1 in July.  This score indicates a decline in demand for design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The new projects inquiry score was 55.2.</p>\n<p>\"While there have been occasional signs of optimism over the last few months, the overwhelming majority of architects are reporting that banks are extremely reluctant to provide financing for projects, and that new equity requirements and conservative appraisals are making it even more difficult for developers to get loans,\" said AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker, PhD, Hon. AIA. \"Until the anxiety within the financial community eases, these conditions are likely to continue.\"<br /> <br /><strong>Key August ABI highlights:</strong></p>\n<ul>\n<li>Regional averages: Northeast (45.2), South (44.1), Midwest (43.0), West (37.5),</li>\n<li>Sector index breakdown: commercial / industrial (45.6), multi-family residential (43.4), mixed practice (41.4), institutional (37.5)</li>\n<li>Project inquiries index: 55.2 </li>\n</ul>\n<p><strong>About the AIA Architecture Billings Index</strong></p>\n<p><br />The Architecture Billings Index is derived from a monthly \"Work-on-the-Boards\" survey and produced by the AIA Economics  Market Research Group. Based on a comparison of data compiled since the survey\'s inception in 1995 with figures from the Department of Commerce on Construction Put in Place, the findings amount to a leading economic indicator that provides an approximately nine to twelve month glimpse into the future of nonresidential construction activity. The diffusion indexes contained in the full report are derived from a monthly survey sent to a panel of AIA member-owned firms. Participants are asked whether their billings increased, decreased, or stayed the same in the month that just ended. According to the proportion of respondents choosing each option, a score is generated, which represents an index value for each month. The regional and sector data is formulated using a three-month moving average.<br />About The American Institute of Architects<br /></p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Another stall in the recovery for the construction industry was marked, as the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) dropped to its lowest level since June.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(680,1,2,'','none','','none','','none','Sheet Metal Local 36 Plans $15 Million Training and Headquarters Facility','none','Sheet Metal Workers\' Local 36, headquarters, Green Street, training','none','<p>Sheet Metal Workers\' Local 36 announced the approval from its\nmembers to move forward with the purchase and renovation of the former\nMissouri Boiler building on the northeast corner of Jefferson and\nChoteau avenues in downtown St. Louis to develop a new\nstate-of-the-art, 96,023 square-foot campus. Current plans call for the\nbuildings, which will serve as the new training center, Local 36\nheadquarters and 1,000-seat multiple event venue, to earn Leadership in\nEnergy and Environmental Design (LEED) accreditation.</p>\n<p><img alt=\"New Local 36 Building\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"120\" src=\"/images/uploads/Local36BuildingImage.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"250\" />Emerging job markets, and sustainability are two key areas of business Sheet Metal Workers\' Local 36 has focused on in recent years to help create and keep up with growth in the sheet metal and HVAC industries.  With the support of its membership, Local 36 will soon be making those key areas priorities as it unveils plans for a new $15 million green facility.<br /> <br />\"The approval of this project has some incredible implications for Local 36,\" said Local 36 President and Business Manager David C. Zimmermann.  \"It shows great dedication from our members towards becoming sustainable and creating the resources to develop an elite training facility.\"<br /> <br />The new facility will resurrect the boiler manufacturing structure in the Choteau Crossing, incorporating multiple sustainable energy systems. w<br /> <br />\"I want to congratulate Local 36 as they move forward with their new state-of-the-art headquarters,\" said Kaci Starr Tripplet, Alderman of the 6th Ward of St. Louis.  \"Their continued presence in the 6th Ward and advancement of clean energy principles in the building trades makes our city a cleaner, more environmentally friendly place.\"<br /> <br />The new Local 36 Training School will more than double the size of its current 20,000 square-foot facility to over 50,000 square-feet.  The extra space will allow for more full-scale mockups for use in training and provide additional classroom space that will help Local 36 advance its green training initiatives.  A 14,000 square-foot meeting hall and over 20,000 square-feet of office space are also part of the plans for the facility which will, for the first time, have all the functioning arms of Local 36 under one roof.  <br /> <br />Local 36, along with Green Street Properties, Treanor Architects P.A., G.S. &amp; S. Construction, Solutions AEC and Stock and Associates, plan to break ground on the project before the end of 2009 and anticipate being able to open the new facility within 12 months of groundbreaking.</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>','none','Sheet Metal Workers\' Local 36  has announced the approval from its members to purchase and renovate the former Missouri Boiler building at Jefferson and Choteau avenues as a $15 million training facility and headquarters.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','/images/uploads/local-36-square.jpg','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(554,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Ameren Awards Environmental Operations Contract','none','Ameren, Environmental Operations','none','<p>Ameren Corporation has selected <a href=\"http://www.environmentalops.com\">Environmental Operations, Inc.,</a> of St. Louis for a multi-year master services agreement to provide environmental consulting and remediation work in Illinois and Missouri. <br /><br />The first projects to be undertaken by Environmental Operations under the new agreement will be former manufactured gas plants in Mattoon, Champaign and Granite City.<br /><br />Environmental Operations is the St. Louis region&rsquo;s largest environmental firm.&nbsp; The company identifies and resolves environmental issues with integrated environmental expertise, Brownfield incentives and risk assumption tools.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Ameren Corporation has selected Environmental Operations, Inc., of St. Louis for a multi-year master services agreement.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(555,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','David Banford Joins Guarantee Electrical Co.','none','Guarantee, Banford','none','<p>David Banford has joined Guarantee Electrical Co. as director-industrial.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Banford is a 25-year veteran in the industrial contracting industry.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Most recently, he served as team leader on the Holcim Cement Plant in Ste. Genevieve, MO, the largest kiln cement plant in the world.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','David Banford has joined Guarantee Electrical Co.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(556,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Construction Confidence Low, New Survey Shows','none','survey, ENR, confidence','none','<p>&nbsp;<a href=\"http://enr.construction.com/Default.asp\">Engineering News-Record</a> (ENR) and <a href=\"http://vocuspr.vocus.com/VocusPR30/Url.aspx?517212x3534789x-2579478\">McGraw-Hill Construction</a><a href=\"http://vocuspr.vocus.com/VocusPR30/Url.aspx?517212x3534789x-2579478\"> Research&nbsp; Analytics</a> have introduced a new quarterly <a href=\"http://vocuspr.vocus.com/VocusPR30/Url.aspx?517212x3534788x-3097040\">Construction Confidence Index</a>&nbsp;&nbsp; to measure industry sentiment about the construction market, including market sectors, expectations and trends. The Construction Confidence Index is 25 on a scale of 100, where a value of 100 indicates all respondents report &ldquo;improving&rdquo; activity and a value of 50 means all respondents report &ldquo;stable&rdquo; activity. Results from the inaugural survey are included in this week&rsquo;s issue of ENR, &ldquo;Survey: Firms Don&rsquo;t See Quick Recovery.\"</p>\n<p>When assessing the construction market, 86% of survey responders, including general contractors, subcontractors and designers, see it currently declining, and most believe the market turnaround is at least 12 to 18 months away. Employment figures are also grim: 62.3% of firms reported they have laid off people in the past six months, with one in 10 saying that over 20% of all staff had been cut; 35% expect further cutbacks. Not surprisingly, the stimulus bill elicited more positive responses, with 61% agreeing that the bill will have a positive impact on the industry.<br />&nbsp;<br />&ldquo;By surveying leaders at the top companies in the industry, we are able to get a better pulse on market conditions,&rdquo; said Janice L. Tuchman, editor-in-chief of Engineering News-Record. &ldquo;Their opinions and viewpoints are strong indicators for where the market stands and where it is headed. ENR&rsquo;s Construction Confidence Index is certain to serve as a powerful industry assessment tool, especially in the challenging times that lie ahead.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;<br />The next quarterly survey will be available in July 2009 and will feature industry indicators and timely topics such as the stimulus bill.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','McGraw-Hill\'s first quarterly construction confidence index shows industry confidence at 25 on a scale of 100.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(557,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Construction Confidence Low, New Survey Shows','none','survey, ENR, confidence','none','<p>&nbsp;<a href=\"http://enr.construction.com/Default.asp\">Engineering News-Record</a> (ENR) and <a href=\"http://vocuspr.vocus.com/VocusPR30/Url.aspx?517212x3534789x-2579478\">McGraw-Hill Construction</a><a href=\"http://vocuspr.vocus.com/VocusPR30/Url.aspx?517212x3534789x-2579478\"> Research&nbsp; Analytics</a> have introduced a new quarterly <a href=\"http://vocuspr.vocus.com/VocusPR30/Url.aspx?517212x3534788x-3097040\">Construction Confidence Index</a>&nbsp;&nbsp; to measure industry sentiment about the construction market, including market sectors, expectations and trends. The Construction Confidence Index is 25 on a scale of 100, where a value of 100 indicates all respondents report &ldquo;improving&rdquo; activity and a value of 50 means all respondents report &ldquo;stable&rdquo; activity. Results from the inaugural survey are included in this week&rsquo;s issue of ENR, &ldquo;Survey: Firms Don&rsquo;t See Quick Recovery.\"</p>\n<p>When assessing the construction market, 86% of survey responders, including general contractors, subcontractors and designers, see it currently declining, and most believe the market turnaround is at least 12 to 18 months away. Employment figures are also grim: 62.3% of firms reported they have laid off people in the past six months, with one in 10 saying that over 20% of all staff had been cut; 35% expect further cutbacks. Not surprisingly, the stimulus bill elicited more positive responses, with 61% agreeing that the bill will have a positive impact on the industry.<br />&nbsp;<br />&ldquo;By surveying leaders at the top companies in the industry, we are able to get a better pulse on market conditions,&rdquo; said Janice L. Tuchman, editor-in-chief of Engineering News-Record. &ldquo;Their opinions and viewpoints are strong indicators for where the market stands and where it is headed. ENR&rsquo;s Construction Confidence Index is certain to serve as a powerful industry assessment tool, especially in the challenging times that lie ahead.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;<br />The next quarterly survey will be available in July 2009 and will feature industry indicators and timely topics such as the stimulus bill.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','McGraw-Hill\'s first quarterly construction confidence index shows industry confidence at 25 on a scale of 100.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(558,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Freeburg, IL  Updates Wastewater Infrastructure Plan','none','Freeburg, Horner & Shifrin, Rhutasel and Associates','none','<p>Recently completed wastewater facilities planning provided by the team of Rhutasel and Associates, Inc., and Horner &amp; Shifrin, Inc., will aid in providing for existing needs and future growth for the Village of Freeburg, IL&rsquo;s, wastewater collection and treatment systems. The Freeburg Facilities Planning Area (FPA) encompasses an area of about 14,000 acres around Freeburg.&nbsp; The plan provides recommendations for both new and renovated wastewater collection and treatment facilities for a 20-year planning period.<br /><br />Freeburg officials recognized the need to plan for growth as a result of improvements made to Highway 13/15 into the Village and other enhancements.&nbsp; The improvements will provide the financial resources and wastewater infrastructure necessary for the foreseeable future. As a result, the Village&rsquo;s wastewater treatment system needs to be upgraded to support proposed residential and commercial developments. According to Horner &amp; Shifrin Project Manager John Lauth, &ldquo;By proactively initiating the facility plan program, the Rhutasel/Horner &amp; Shifrin team was able to make recommendations that will help the Village make the improvements needed in a phased time frame.&rdquo;</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Recently completed wastewater facilities planning will aid in providing for existing needs and future growth for the Village of Freeburg, IL.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(559,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Gray Completes Impact Strategies Headquarters ','none','Impact, Gray','none','<p>Gray Design Group completed architectural and interior design services for the new 20,000-square-foot, multi-tenant Fountains Court Building in Fairview Heights, Ill., which houses the 5,000-square-foot headquarters of commercial builder, Impact Strategies. Gray&rsquo;s design team created a brand identity consistent with Impact&rsquo;s corporate image, using multi-textural interior and exterior materials and exposed structure as prominent design features.</p>\n<p>&ldquo;We worked with Impact on creating a facility that highlights its excellent craftsmanship skills,&rdquo; said Wendy Gray, principal, Gray Design Group. &ldquo;The usage of exterior materials allowed us to maximize the design budget while creating a very unique atmosphere that evokes a strong architectural presence and quality.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;<br />Impact&rsquo;s clients are greeted with a gridded glass wall of varied glass types and colors that acts as a shared backdrop central to both reception and the client collaboration center. A large, centrally located kitchen/lounge doubles as additional meeting space. <br />&nbsp;<br />Gray&rsquo;s design team included Gray and Principal Toby Heddinghaus, along with project manager Ashley Smith.<br />&nbsp;<br />Gray is a leader in creating spaces that are true reflections of companies&rsquo; brand identities. The firm recently won the Award of Merit in Midwest Construction&rsquo;s Best of 2008 competition for its interior design work on KPFF Consulting Engineers&rsquo; office in Des Peres, Mo. <br />&nbsp;<br />Impact Strategies is a full-service commercial builder primarily serving the 16-county St. Louis metropolitan region, specializing in retail, commercial, health care, senior housing and warehousing. Visit Impact on the Web at www.buildwithimpact.com/ &lt;http://www.buildwithimpact.com/&gt; .&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />&nbsp;<br />Founded in 1982, Gray Design Group provides full-service architectural and interior design, locally and nationwide, through its St. Louis design studio. Recent interiors projects include Parkside Financial Bank and the interior design of the new 230,000-square-foot Brady Commons Student Union at University of Missouri-Columbia. Gray currently is providing architectural and interior design services for Elsevier and Schattdecor. For more information, visit www.graydesigngroup.com &lt;http://www.graydesigngroup.com&gt; . <br />&nbsp;</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Gray Design Group recently completed the interior of a building in Fairview Heights, which includes the headquarters of contractor Impact Strategies.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(560,1,2,'','none','','none','','none','Giacin Touts Aggressiveness at Kaiser Electric','none','Kaiser, Giacin','none','<p>Kaiser Electric&rsquo;s new president and largest stockholder, Steve Giacin, said the building operations and construction industries are going to start seeing a new side of Kaiser Electric. &ldquo;We never had a marketing strategy before,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m implementing a strategy. We&rsquo;re going to be more aggressive about building new relationships,&rdquo; he said.<br /><br />Giacin became president at Kaiser Electric on January 1, 2009, although he said he really took over running the company a year earlier as the executive vice president of operations. January 1, 2008 was when the Kaiser brothers &ndash; Robert, James, and John &ndash; sold 70 percent of their stock in the company to Giacin and four other employees. Giacin bought 30 percent of the stock and Michael Lundry, Michael Murphy, Ken Naumann, and Jerry Dorhauer each bought 10 percent. Robert B. Kaiser founded Kaiser Electric in 1952 and passed ownership of the company to his sons when he retired in 1988. Approaching retirement age themselves in 2007, and with no third generation to take over the company, they decided to sell the company to employees.<br /><br />An early sign of Kaiser&rsquo;s new aggressiveness was the decision to open an office in Granite City, IL in November 2008. &ldquo;Established customers have asked us to cross the river with them,&rdquo; Giacin said. In late 2008, Kaiser had the opportunity to hire three experienced project managers in that market and took it, he said. Naumann then became the vice president of operations of the new Illinois division of the company and Murphy became the vice president of operations of the St. Louis division.<br /><br />While the marketing of the company is changing, the company&rsquo;s service will continue to be first rate, Giacin said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re known for our professionalism and our value-added services, and those will continue to be top-notch,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Our field people are second to none,&rdquo; he said.<br /><br />Under former president George Azzanni, Kaiser consistently ranked as one of the top six or seven electrical contractors in the metro area, and generated sales of $30-$35 million a year Giacin said. For the past five years, the company has employed an average of 150 field electricians and 34 staff people, and maintained a fleet of 60 vehicles. Kaiser performs a lot of design/build work, Giacin said, and works mainly in the health care, industrial, and commercial markets. <br /><br />Giacin said Kaiser has positioned itself to be &ldquo;on the leading edge&rdquo; of green building services and energy efficiency, and also expects to see more opportunities for water and wastewater work. &ldquo;Our office and field staff have expertise in water and waste water projects. It is definitely a specialty, you can&rsquo;t use a typical electrician on it,&rdquo; he said.<br /><br />Giacin&rsquo;s attitudes towards marketing reflect his roots in contracting&hellip;and hockey. Giacin grew up in a contractor&rsquo;s household &ndash; his father was a masonry contractor. Giacin began an apprenticeship in the electrical trades in 1985 and worked his way up through foreman, project manager, service manager, manpower coordinator, and executive vice president to president. He has been with Kaiser for 11 years. Giacin also grew up playing hockey. He played hockey at the Affton ice rink when it opened in 1971 when he was nine years old. His brother Jim played hockey for Culver Academy in Culver, IN in his high years, and was drafted in the ninth round by the Los Angeles Kings upon his graduation in 1989. In college, he played hockey for St. Lawrence University. As an adult, Giacin coached his son Tony and daughter Taylor in hockey. Now 18 and 16, respectively, they both play hockey at Culver Academy.<br /><br />Whether in hockey or contracting, it is the team that is important, said Giacin. &ldquo;It is easy to sell, but it is the field staff that delivers the job,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We have a special group of people here and they are what gives me credibility,&rdquo; he said.</p>','none','Kaiser Electricâ€™s Steve Giacin, said potential customers are going to start seeing a new side of Kaiser Electric.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(561,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Kwame Manages Runway Reconstruction','none','Kwame, Lambert','none','<p>The City of St. Louis has awarded Kwame Building Group (KWAME) a contract to provide construction management on a runway and taxiway rehabilitation and reconstruction project at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. <br />&nbsp;<br />KWAME, a St. Louis based construction management firm, will provide construction management and quality assurance material testing on a runway and three taxiways. The project will begin May 1, 2009, and is expected to be completed November 30, 2010.</p>\n<p>&nbsp;&ldquo;The construction is part of the Airport&rsquo;s overall pavement management plan to improve and maintain runways and taxiways to meet FAA standards at Lambert,&rdquo; said Mike Minges, KWAME program manager.&nbsp; &ldquo;The project will require major coordination with the Airport and the Air Traffic Control Tower to minimize the impact of shutdowns required for the reconstruction of the taxiways and runway.&rdquo;&nbsp; <br />&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;The project includes construction management and quality assurance material testing for rehabilitation of Runway 12L-30R Keel Section from Taxiway J to E; reconstruction of Taxiway V from Taxiway F to Runway 24 - Phase I; reconstruction of Taxiway F from Taxiway V to Runway 24; and reconstruction of Taxiway S from Runway 6 to Taxiway D.<br />&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;KWAME currently is the program management consultant on the &ldquo;Airport Experience Program,&rdquo; the extensive renovation campaign at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport that will redefine, renovate and enhance the terminal, concourse and passenger support facilities at Lambert&rdquo;.<br /><a href=\"http://www.kwamebuildinggroup.com\"><br />&nbsp;Kwame Building Group</a> is a pure program and construction management firm providing estimating, scheduling, project planning, value engineering and other project management services as an independent advocate for owners and developers.&nbsp;</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','The City of St. Louis has awarded Kwame Building Group (KWAME) a contract to provide construction management on a runway and taxiway rehabilitation and reconstruction project at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(562,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Sheet Metal Workers Help St. Vincent Home','none','Sheet Metal Workers, St. Vincent','none','<p><a href=\"http://www.sheetmetal36.org\">Sheet Metal Workers Local 36</a> has donated $20,000 to St. Louis-based St. Vincent Home for Children.<br /><br />The donated funds were raised by Local 36 at its annual Golf for Children golf tournament that took place on Monday, May 11 at Glen Echo Country Club in St. Louis.<br />&nbsp;<br />&ldquo;Local 36 is proud to assist St. Vincent Home in whatever ways we can,&rdquo; said David C. Zimmermann, president-business manager of Sheet Metal Workers Local 36.&nbsp; &ldquo;The work that the Home does to improve the lives of children in the area is truly amazing and extremely important to our community.&rdquo;</p>\n<p>As a residential treatment center founded in 1850, St. Vincent Home provides care 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for abused and neglected children with moderate to severe emotional problems, behavior disorders, and/or learning disabilities. The home serves children ages 6-18 and provides loving care, housing, nutritious meals, clothing and therapy (individual, group and family) and is licensed to care for up to 36 children at a time.<br /><br />&ldquo;Local 36 members are caring neighbors who go beyond the call of duty in both their professional careers and in the community,&rdquo; said Lee Ann Taylor, executive director of St. Vincent Home for Children.&nbsp; &ldquo;The long-standing generosity and support of Sheet Metal Workers&rsquo; Local 36 has been simply unbelievable!&nbsp; Despite the current economy, they have given to us from the heart matching their 2008 gift of $20,000.&nbsp; Local 36 plays a significant role in helping us continue our mission of changing the lives of abused and neglected children in our community.&rdquo;<br /></p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Sheet Metal Workers Local 36 has donated $20,000 to St. Louis-based St. Vincent Home for Children.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(563,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Luke LaBeau Named Helmkamp Safety Director','none','LaBeau, Dial, Helmkamp','none','<p>Helmkamp Construction Company announced the hiring of Luke LaBeau as safety director.&nbsp; Labeau received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Safety Management from Central Missouri State University.&nbsp; He is a member of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE).&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Ryan Dial has moved to a position for Helmkamp as the site safety manager at the WRB Refining facility in South Roxana, IL.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Helmkamp Construction Company is a third-generation, family-owned general contractor, serving the St. Louis, Metro East and Southern Illinois Markets since 1938.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Helmkamp Construction Company announced the hiring of Luke LaBeau as safety director.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(564,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','HDA Looks Past Downturn','none','HDA, architects','none','<p>Despite the down economy, one St. Louis area design firm is figuring to grow. St. Louis-based HDA Architects moved to larger quarters in January.<br />&ldquo;Our goal was to prepare for future growth,&rdquo; said Kim Herbeck, interior designer at HDA and the person responsible for the interior design of the<br />firm&rsquo;s new office suite.<br /><br />HDA&rsquo;s new offices in Central Park Square One in Chesterfield have 7,600 square feet, or 26 percent more space than their old offices in Maryville.<br />&ldquo;We have two more private offices and room for six more work stations,&rdquo; said Patrick Holleran, director of marketing.<br /><br />&ldquo;As a bonus, we have more natural light and it is quieter and more peaceful,&rdquo; he said.<br /><br />Herbeck&rsquo;s design emphasizes teamwork. &ldquo;The private offices don&rsquo;t have doors and we brought them into proximity with the open office space,&rdquo; she said,<br />&ldquo;and we have lower partitions between work stations than in the old office to make teamwork easier.&rdquo; She also deepened the work stations so that people would have room to roll-out a full set of plans at their desks. Herbeck also added an extra conference room, since the conference room in the old office space was always in great demand as a space where people could work together.<br /><br />The new space also serves as a marketing tool&mdash; the artwork on the walls now depicts HDA projects.<br /></p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Despite the down economy, one St. Louis area design firm is figuring to grow.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(565,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Highway Commission Awards Projects','none','MHTC. highways, award','none','<p>The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission (MHTC) awarded several&nbsp; St. Louis projects at its May meeting. Approximately $7.15<br />million was awarded to contractors for various roadway improvement projects.</p>\n<p>All contracts were awarded to the lowest bidder. The projects include:</p>\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Route PP over Hoosier Creek - This project consists of bridge rehabilitation on the Route PP bridge over Hoosier Creek in Franklin County.<br />This project was awarded to HBI Construction, LLC (Villa Ridge, MO) for $235,116. This project is expected to begin in June 2009 and should be<br />completed by August 2009.<br />&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Interstate 70 at Earth City Expressway-This project will repair and resurface pavement on the shoulders of the Earth City Expressway ramps<br />and Interstate 70. This project was awarded to Pace Construction Company LLC (St. Louis, MO) for $390,475. This project is expected to begin in June 2009 and should be completed by August 2009.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Route 47 at Country Club Lane - This project will improve safety and capacity of Route 47 at Country Club Lane in Franklin County. This<br />project was awarded to N.B. West Contracting (St. Louis, MO) for $446,145.85. This project is expected to begin in June 2009 and should be<br />completed by September 2009.<br />&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Interstate 70 and Interstate 170 interchange- This project consists of installation of mast lighting at the I-70 and I-170 interchange.<br />This project was awarded to Gerstner Electric Inc. (Fenton, MO) for $905,861.42.&nbsp; This project is expected to begin in June 2009 and should be<br />completed by February 2010.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission (MHTC) awarded several  St. Louis projects at its May meeting.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(574,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Geotechnology, Inc. Wins Highway Project','none','Geotechnology, MoDOT, U.S. 60/65','none','<p>Geotechnology, Inc., a provider of consulting services in geotechnical and environmental engineering, materials testing and drilling, has been awarded a contract for work on a major highway project in southwest Missouri.&nbsp; Archer Western Contractor (of Chicago) selected Geotechnology to provide professional services for work on the U.S. 60/65 project in Greene County .</p>\n<p>The estimated $65-million project will improve traffic flow and safety at the U.S. 60/65 interchange in southeast Springfield for the next 20 years by:<br />&bull; Building flyover ramps for the two busiest movements &ndash; northbound U.S. 65-to-westbound U.S. 60 and eastbound U.S. 60-to-northbound U.S. 65. This will eliminate the short weaving area on the northbound U.S. 65 bridge over U.S. 60<br />&bull; Building bridges for U.S. 60 and adjacent ramps over the BNSF railroad track serving the Springfield City Utilities power plant. High-speed traffic will no longer have to stop for coal trains at the crossing west of U.S. 65<br />&bull; Building new northbound and southbound U.S. 65 bridges<br />&bull; Widening and re-decking the eastbound and westbound U.S. 60 bridges over Lake Springfield, and extending the ramp lanes onto the bridges.<br /><br />Geotechnology&rsquo;s scope of services will include drilling, settlement gauges, Crosshole Sonic Logging (CSL) and Pile Dynamic Analysis (PDA). The project will be managed by the team in the firm&rsquo;s Overland Park, KS office.&nbsp; <br />-</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Geotechnology, Inc. has been awarded a contract for work on a major highway project in southwest Missouri.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(575,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Colliers Turley Martin Tucker Closes $20 Million Essence Lease ','none','Colliers Turley Martin, Essence, lease','none','<p>Colliers Turley Martin Tucker (CTMT) announced completion of one of the area&rsquo;s largest commercial leases to-date in 2009. David Kelpe, CCIM, SIOR and Art Kerckhoff, CCIM of CTMT, represented Essence Healthcare in the lease of 104,740 square feet of office space, located at 13900 Riverport Drive in Maryland Heights, valued at $20 million from Duke Realty Corporation.<br /><br />Privately held Essence Healthcare was represented by Kelpe and Kerckhoff of CTMT in the 10-year lease which commenced May 1, 2009. The property in Maryland Heights, Missouri is the former home of Express Scripts who recently completed its move to the University Missouri St. Louis campus. With over 104,000 square feet in three stories of fully furnished office space, the building offers ample room for this fast growing company to expand. <br />&nbsp;<br />&ldquo;A transaction of this magnitude is a win-win for everyone and retaining headquarters in St. Louis only strengthens the region&rsquo;s vitality,&rdquo; says David Kelpe, CTMT representative. &ldquo;In addition, the space is centrally located, and its &lsquo;open office&rsquo; structure offers an abundance of natural light.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />Essence Healthcare, a health maintenance organization (HMO), is consolidating two offices in Creve Coeur and will relocate company headquarters to the Riverport Business Park. The company manages health service plans for Medicare patients and was formed in 2004 as an offshoot of Esse Health, a local physician group practice. Essence Healthcare employs over 200 people locally, serves five states with over 25,000 beneficiaries and continues to grow at a healthy pace. <br />&nbsp;</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Colliers Turley Martin Tucker (CTMT) announced completion of a lease transaction valued at $20 million. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(610,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Hilliker Announces Real Estate Deals','none','Hilliker, real estate, transactions','none','<p>Hilliker Corporation announced seven recent real estatate transations.<br /><br />Brian O\'Connell of Hilliker Corporation represented both parties in the lease of 3,000 sq.ft. of office space located at 7350 Manchester Road in Maplewood to Herman London Group LLC by Maple King LLC.<br /><br /><br />Hal Ball of Hilliker Corporation represented both parties in the sale of the 9,000 sq.ft. office building located at 215 Dunn Road in Florissant to Metopolitan Urological Properties LLC from Gordon Hanish Partnership.<br /><br /><br />Will Aschinger of Hilliker Corporation represented both parties in the lease of 3,000 sq.ft. of office/warehouse space located at 147 &amp; 149 Grand Avenue in Kirkwood to STL Furniture Warehouse Inc. by Danco Enterprise LLC.<br /><br /><br />Brian O\'Connell and Peter Newton of Hilliker Corporation represented Richard and Elizabeth Nix in leasing the 5,520 sq.ft. office/retail building located at 5389 Arsenal in the City of St. Louis to Kim Salls, Behavior Intervention Services represented by Paula Priest of ReMax Results.<br /><br /><br />Patrick McKay of Hilliker Corporation represented both parties in the lease of 3,000 sq.ft. of office/retail space located at 1956 N. Broadway in the City of St. Louis to Brenda &amp; Jerry Morris, Maree Hill and Jemecia Bailey by 1322 Development Group, LLC.<br /><br /><br />Meade Summers of Hilliker Corporation represented both parties in the lease of 26,633 sq.ft. of office/warehouse space located at 827 Koeln Avenue in the City of St. Louis to Corrupak Container, LLC by South County Warehouse, LLC.<br /><br /><br />Brian O\'Connell and Peter Newton of Hilliker Corporation represented Mark J. and Harry Becker in the sale of the 4,606 sq.ft. office/warehouse building located at 2607-2609 Texas Avenue in the City of St. Louis to Building Wealth LLC represented by Marty Ribuodo of ReMax Associates.<br /><br />&nbsp;</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Hilliker Corporation announced seven recent real estatate transations.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(568,1,5,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','Look Inside Others\' Boxes','none','ideas, thinking,learning, Bazan','none','<p><strong>by Walter Bazan, Bazan Painting</strong></p>\n<p>We all know the value of education. Too often each of us in our own way, while working within our own business in our own trades, sometimes tend to get a little pigeonholed. We tend to do things the same way, the way we&rsquo;ve always done it. Only branching out when a new product or equipment is introduced within our trade. And sometimes then we go kicking and screaming.</p>\n<p>Each month there are at least 10-12 different trade journals that cross my desk or now even come to me via email. All of these have great articles with information that is both educational and worthwhile and even sometimes entertaining. Reading these materials is not a bad thing; in fact it is a good thing.</p>\n<p>It&rsquo;s good for your business and it&rsquo;s good for you. But I wonder how many people read trade journals, newsletters or other resource material from places and people outside our own trade specific organizations. I recently picked up a <em>Hispanic Business Journal</em> and found it very interesting to read things from a different perspective.</p>\n<p>My wife, who is a tennis coach, gets tennis and coaching newsletters. I regularly read through those finding interesting information about coaching and while we are all in business, we certainly are all coaches for our employees and our business associates. Or at the very<br />least, we are players in the same game.</p>\n<p>I suggest that at least one-quarter of your reading material needs to come from outside our<br />&ldquo;comfort zone.&rdquo;</p>\n<p>We&rsquo;ve all heard the expression &ldquo;think outside the box.&rdquo; My challenge for every one of us is to certainly think outside of your own box, but to also take a peak inside other people&rsquo;s box. I am sure you will gain new ideas and new perspectives that in the long run will be profitable for you.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','','none','Too often each of us in our own way, while working within our own business in our own trades, sometimes tend to get a little pigeonholed. ','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(611,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Construction Careers Center Graduates Fifth Class','none','Construction Careers Center, graduation','none','<p>The Construction Careers Center graduated its fifth class of seniors at a ceremony June 25.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Thirty-six students will received diplomas in the ceremony, which was held at Harris-Stowe State University in midtown St. Louis.</p>\n<p>The students have several options for their future. Some have accepted apprenticeships with local union training programs, some will enter the workforce and others will continue their education at a community college or four-year university.</p>\n<p>The Construction Careers Center is a four-year charter high school developed by the Associated General Contractors of St. Louis (AGC) to provide a new educational resource for the construction industry, while preparing students for the future by providing a foundation in academics, exposure to the construction industry and relevant vocational education preparation. Since opening in September 2001, more than 200 seniors have graduated from the CCC.&nbsp; &nbsp;<br /></p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','The Construction Careers Center graduated its fifth class of seniors at a ceremony June 25.  ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(570,1,2,'','none','','none','','none','8,000 Attend Fifth \"Meet the Machines\" ','none','','none','<p>Nearly 8,000 adults and kids were on hand to \"Meet the Machines\" at Budrovich Excavating &amp; Contracting Headquarters on April 25, 2009.&nbsp; The event was the 5th annual for the St. Louis construction community.&nbsp; This year&rsquo;s event saw many local partners add to the excitement of the event.&nbsp; McCarthy Building Companies, MC Industrial, and Guarantee Electrical all joined the event as primary partners.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>The event was held at Budrovich&rsquo;s headquarters, which is in an old quarry in south St. Louis County.&nbsp; The day began at 10am and 1500 hard hats were distributed by 12:00pm.&nbsp; Each child also received an event site map, developed by Bax Engineering, as well as a goodie bag upon entry to the event.&nbsp; At the entrance the kids were treated to a five-foot-tall dancing bass fish dangling from a 90 ton crane over a lake.<br /><br /><img alt=\"Meet the Machines 2009\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"303\" src=\"/images/uploads/meet-the-machines-09.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"266\" />Attendees also experienced many different themed stations involving some aspect of construction or just all around fun.&nbsp; Stations included, &ldquo;Rock City&rdquo; where the young constructors were able to play Guitar Hero and Wii games.&nbsp; Additionally they could decorate their hard hats at Sticker City hosted by the Magic House.&nbsp; There were multitudes of equipment in &ldquo;The Boneyard&rdquo; for the young constructors to climb into the seat and imagine themselves working on a construction site.&nbsp; The equipment was provided by Luby Equipment Co..&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Children 3-5 years old had a chance to &ldquo;dig for gold&rdquo; in a giant sandbox while sitting on &ldquo;CAT kids&rdquo; diggers.&nbsp; At the &ldquo;Picture This!&rdquo; station kids enjoyed an opportunity to have their photo taken in a CASE mini excavator or get their photo taken with Izzy the Grizzlie from the Gateway Grizzlies.&nbsp; The highlight for many kids on the day was the &ldquo;Basket Bullseye&rdquo; station where they had the opportunity to ride in a 125&rsquo; man-lift and win a Gift Card by dropping Nerf football into a bullseye the size of a 5 gallon bucket!&nbsp; The prize was donated through Best Buy.&nbsp; They could enter trivia contests, participate in &ldquo;Cosmic Bowling&rdquo;, view the Hansen&rsquo;s Tree Service Monster Truck and Manitowoc OCC Chopper, autograph a dozer blade painted in a &ldquo;Superheroes&rdquo; theme, climb up to see the cockpit of some of the largest mobile hydraulic cranes in Missouri, check out Budrovich&rsquo;s new Manitowoc 2250 crawler crane, go for a 60&rsquo; ride in an aerial lift provided by Midwest Aerials, and much more.&nbsp; <br /><br /><br />According to A.J. Ford, vice president of marketing for Budrovich, &ldquo;After five years of hosting this event, I cannot believe the excitement and interest it generates, yearly.&nbsp; We started this event five years ago as a way to introduce young kids to the heavy side of the equipment industry mostly as a grassroots campaign with the construction industry.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>\"This event has generated more interest and excitement than we ever would have imagined.&nbsp; We have people coming from as far away as Arkansas, Kansas, Iowa and Kentucky to attend the event.&nbsp; With the help of all of our event partners and volunteers, I believe we are accomplishing something unparalleled in the construction industry.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Alan Connor, father of two young boys said, &ldquo;This event is the rock star of kids events in St. Louis.&nbsp; My boys are asking if they can go back today!&rdquo;&nbsp; Rick Oertli with Guarantee Electrical Company added, \"Guarantee was delighted to be involved in this year\'s event.&nbsp; It was a wonderful experience for our employees and their family members who attended and/or volunteered. Meet the Machines is a great way to expose the community at large to our industry.\"<br /><br /><br />The Budrovich Companies specialize in large mobile hydraulic, rough terrain and crawler crane rental, site utility excavation, mass &amp; finish grading, and residential, commercial and industrial land development.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Event Partners included, McCarthy Building Companies, MC Industrial, Guarantee Electrical, Luby Equipment, Midwest Aerials, Schnucks Stores, Kirby Smith, Manitowoc Cranes, JD Kutter Insurance, Travlers, Amerisure, Bax Engineering, Pona Trucking, Henry Trucking, Bussen Quarries, Best Buy, The Magic House, Sign-A-Rama, St. Louis County Police, Mehlville Fire Protection District.</p>','none','Nearly 8,000 adults and kids were on hand April 25th at the fifth annual \"Meet the Machines\" family event. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','/images/uploads/meet-the-machines-09.jpg','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(572,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Women in Trades Win Seed Grant','none','MOWIT, women in trades, grant','none','<p>Missouri Women In Trades (MOWIT) were awarded $25,000 in social investment seed capital from the Daughters of Charity Foundation of St. Louis.<br /><br />Missouri Women In Trades was one of five finalists in the Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition (SEIC) at Washington University.&nbsp; The announcement of the awards was made at the annual SEIC&nbsp; Awards Ceremony at Washington University, on April 23, 2009.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Missouri Women In Trades is a not-for-profit dedicated to promoting the professional and personal empowerment of women through careers in the construction trades.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>The Daughters of Charity Foundation of St. Louis, established in 1995, supports programs that impact persons who are poor and vulnerable in order to improve behaviors, enhance healthy lifestyles and enable individuals and communities to help themselves.</p>\n<p>The Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition (SEIC) is the first of its kind in the region. Competitors begin by entering their idea on www.ideabounce.com, and over the course of the competition, they participate in an elevator pitch competition, write a sustainability plan for their social venture, and make a final oral presentation.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Throughout the competition the participants receive feedback from an expert panel of judges representing area universities, nonprofits, investors, and service providers.&nbsp; Founding partners of the SEIC are the YouthBridge Community Foundation and the Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at Washington University.&nbsp; The Skandalaris Center works across campus and the community stimulating collaboration, innovation and entrepreneurial creativity to build an innovation environment where ideas, people, and actions change lives.&nbsp;</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Missouri Women In Trades (MOWIT) were awarded $25,000 in social investment seed capital from the Daughters of Charity Foundation ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(576,1,5,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','sffsfsf','none','sfsffsf','none','<p>sfsfsfsdfs</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','','none','sfsffs','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(577,1,5,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','test','none','test','none','<p>test</p>','','339','none','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','','none','test','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(578,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Historic Tax Credit Compromise: Lawmakers Find Common Ground ','none','tax credit, Missouri, historic','none','<p>In the early hours of Friday, May 15, a compromise bill was crafted which struck middle ground between Missouri Senators who had spent months gridlocked over the historic tax credit issue and economic development. Senator Brad Lager (Maryville), who pushed for a cap and other limitations on the historic tax credit, said that the language achieves the necessary budget certainty, which he sought throughout session.<br /><br />The compromise resulted in the following:<br /><br />&bull; A per-project residential cap of $1,000,000 in qualified rehabilitation expenditures (QREs) for owner occupied single-family homes; <br />&bull; A small project exemption for projects with $1.1 million in qualified rehabilitation expenditures&nbsp; (QREs) (these do not count toward a cap);&nbsp; <br />&bull; A $140 million cap on historic tax credits (existing projects do not fall under the cap); and&nbsp; <br />&bull; An effective date of January 1, 2010.<br /><br />Senator Smith (St. Louis) said, &ldquo;We struck a compromise to protect the historic preservation program for years to come. The&nbsp; $140M cap is high enough to give lenders confidence that deals will go through. Delaying the effective date for the cap until next year will give many developers the time to line up financing and apply before caps take effect. Most importantly, the exemption I negotiated for smaller projects will ensure that rehabbers go to the front of the tax credit line and will never have to worry about a cap.&rdquo; <br /><br />The small project exemption, first proposed by Peter Noonan of Commerce Bank, will allow smaller-scale projects to continue redevelopment without worry about the cap. Based on historical data, around 75 percent of all deals will be unaffected by the cap, toward which their dollars will not count. Jacob Sanders, a Springfield, MO, CPA, said, &ldquo;the small deal exemption is key. It&rsquo;s those small developers right now that are having such a hard time. Plus, the large percentage of projects, especially outside of Saint Louis and Kansas City, will fall into that category.&rdquo; <br /><br />Missouri Preservation&rsquo;s Deb Sheals said the new provisions to restrict historic rehabilitation tax credits should have little affect on future redevelopment. &ldquo;Based upon past use, the $140 million cap, paired with the critical small project exemption, should allow the program to function close to the level it has in the past several years.&nbsp; In FY08, for example, just over $161 million were issued in historic credits, and of that, a little more than $20 million went to projects that would be covered by the small project exemption,&rdquo; she said.<br /><br />Preservationist Michael Allen of Landmarks Association of St. Louis, Inc., expressed relief at the outcome. &ldquo;The compromise won&rsquo;t stop the wave of job creation and community development that started when the credit was created in 1998,&rdquo; he said.<br /><br /><br />&ldquo;We set up the language with the development and finance community in mind,&rdquo; Noonan said. &ldquo;We want folks to be able to confidently buy the buildings, and then work with their lenders with the surety that the credits will be there for them for the life of the rehabilitation, how ever long that may be. We also fought hard, to some heavy resistance, to allow a safety valve to ultimately get additional credits above the allocation level in the case of cost overruns or increases in project scope.&nbsp; That is key for this to work effectively.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><br />Since its inception in 1998, Missouri&rsquo;s historic tax credit program has been recognized nationwide as the national model for its ability to generate jobs and spur housing growth across every region of the state. According to the Missouri Department of Economic Development, the historic tax credit program generated nearly 5,000 jobs in fiscal year 2007. Donovan Rypkema, a leading preservation economist, said the program has produced over 40,000 jobs since its inception in 1998.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><br />Some legislators this year sought to greatly restrict the tax credit program through the economic development bill. Opponents argued for more limitations on the amount of credits issued through the state program, which already uses tighter rules than the federal historic preservation tax credit. Advocates of the historic tax credit emphasized the economic benefit of the program.<br /><br />Working throughout session for the preservation of the credit were longtime advocates Jerry Schlichter, attorney, and Eric Friedman of Friedman Group Realtors, along with Coalition staffer Anne Suggs. Coalition representatives Peter Noonan of Commerce Bank, lobbyist Jim Farrell of Policy Solutions, and Deb Sheals of Missouri Preservation worked alongside legislators to ensure the session ended with a workable compromise. Husch Blackwell Sanders, LLP provided key legal expertise to draft language capturing the details of the legislation.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','In the early hours of Friday, May 15, a compromise bill was crafted  over the historic tax credit issue and economic development.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(579,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Unico Donates Equipmen to Sheet Metal Local 36','none','Unico, equipment, Local 36','none','<p>&nbsp;Unico Inc., manufacturer of&nbsp; a small-duct, high-velocity central heating and air conditioning system, has donated more than $10,000 worth of equipment to the Sheet Metal Workers International Association Local 36 Training Center. <br />&nbsp;<br />The donated equipment included 3.5-ton blower with an advanced control board, a 3-ton UniChiller RC, round and slotted outlets, and 2-inch supply tubing. Unico also sent two trainers &ndash; Michael Lindsay and Bill Brunsen &ndash; to present on refrigeration in general and demonstrate the equipment to the Sheet Metal Workers.</p>\n<p><img alt=\"Unico Local 36 class\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"200\" src=\"/images/uploads/Local-36.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"244\" /></p>\n<h4>Michael Lindsey of Unico conducts a training class for members of Sheetmetal Local 36.<br /></h4>\n<p>Lindsay, an expert on refrigeration principle, testing, fabrication, design and application, provided a two-hour overview of the general principles of refrigeration and how it pertains to airflow in an HVAC system. &ldquo;Unico is committed to supporting education and training within the HVAC industry,&rdquo; Lindsay said. &ldquo;In particular, it&rsquo;s to our benefit when installers understand how our system works.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;<br />The Sheet Metal Training Schools operate for the education of sheet metal apprentices and the continuing education of journeymen. It is a cooperative effort between Sheet Metal Workers Local 36 and the St. Louis chapter of the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association. Through the cooperation, it established the management body called the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee, which oversees the program.<br />&nbsp;<br />The Unico System is a small-duct, high-velocity central heating and air conditioning system manufactured by Unico Inc. Ideal for custom home, historic preservation and niche commercial applications, The Unico System&rsquo;s main trunk and flexible supply tubing can be installed in just one-third the space of more traditional HVAC ducting systems. Quieter and less visible than other systems, The Unico System provides superior indoor comfort that is energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. For more information, visit www.unicosystem.com &lt;http://www.unicosystem.co</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none',' Unico Inc., manufacturer of  a small-duct, high-velocity HVAC, donated  equipment and training to the Sheet Metal Workers training program.\n ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(581,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','First Mississippi River Bridge Contract Awarded','none','Mississippi River Bridge, Fred Weber, Highway and Transportation Commission','none','<p>The Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission awarded the first construction project for the<a href=\"http://www.newriverbridge.org/\"> New Mississippi River Bridge </a>during their monthly meeting June 3, 2009.<br /><br /><img alt=\"New Mississippi River Bridge\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"303\" src=\"/images/uploads/st.-louis-bridge.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"266\" />The commission awarded a project to remove and replace the Madison Street and St. Louis Avenue bridges over Interstate 70 in downtown St. Louis to<br />Fred Weber, Inc., for $4.44 million. The majority of work on this project will start after I-64 reopens between Kingshighway and Interstate 170. Crews will remove the St. Louis bridge first; after work is complete the rebuild that bridge, crews will remove and replace the Madison Street Bridge. During<br />work to remove the Madison Street Bridge, crews will also remove the Cass Avenue Bridge in preparation for replacing that bridge later in 2010.<br /><br />This work is part of preliminary work on the $640 million Mississippi River Bridge. The new bridge is expected to reduce severe traffic congestion and vehicle crashes on the Poplar Street Bridge (PSB). Currently, PSB carries combined traffic for Interstates 55, 64 and 70. In 2004, traffic counts on<br />the PSB average 120,000 vehicles daily.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','The Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission awarded the first construction project for the new Mississippi River Bridge.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(582,1,5,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','Weighing Risks Associated With Green Building','none','green building, liability, risks','none','<p>As the number of green building projects across the U.S. continues to grow, building owners, contractors, architects, and engineers, are expressing concern about a variety of risks that may be associated with these projects. The list of potential risks is a long one, including potential financial exposures, uncertainty about evolving regulatory standards and legal issues, validating the qualifications of consultants and subcontractors, and assessing whether the long-term performance of green building materials meet expectations.<br /><br />A new report from Marsh Inc., a leading insurance broker and risk advisor, found that significant potential risks may be associated with green-built and LEED certified projects and construction project participants are not sure how best to manage them.<br /><br />According to Marsh&rsquo;s report, building owners, contractors, and design firm executives are most concerned about potential financial risks, including the affect of green design, construction, and ownership on profitability and cost, and the ability to complete projects on time and on budget.<br /><br />The report &ndash; based on feedback from 55 senior executives involved in green design and construction who participated in one of a series of four half-day forums held by Marsh from mid-2008 to early this year &ndash; ranked the top five risks associated with green building projects. Financial issues were considered the most serious because of the likely potential for green building practices to increase the cost of projects.<br /><br />The Marsh forum participants cited standard of care and related potential legal risks as the second most significant potential exposure. These risks encompass the challenges associated with achieving appropriate LEED certification as required by the owner, tenant, or other critical third party, defining the standard of care as the green building environment evolves as well as the competency of team members, and the evolving building codes with the potential establishment of strict liability standards.<br /><br />&ldquo;While it&rsquo;s exciting to see the green building movement gain momentum, success for design and construction firms involved in these projects, as well as for the building owners, ultimately may depend on having a clear understanding of their potential risks and the most effective ways to address them,&rdquo; said Michael Feigin, a managing director of Marsh and the firm&rsquo;s Global Construction Practice Leader.<br /><br />In terms of potential frequency and severity, the following three types of exposure rounded out the top five green building risks confronting the construction industry:<br /></p>\n<ul>\n<li>Performance risks, which center on the ability of products, systems and buildings to perform in a green environment.</li>\n<li>Consultant, subconsultant, and subcontractor risks, including challenges associated with making sure firms assigned to a project have the appropriate training and expertise, and questions about the ability to replace a defaulting contractor with one that has appropriate certifications and qualifications.</li>\n<li>And regulatory exposures, such as uncertainty about how the regulatory environment might evolve with respect to green building, including the concern that the potential for punitive damages might drive owners to seek warranties and guarantees to recapture costs from contractors and subcontractors.</li>\n</ul>\n<p><br />Other key risks identified by the Marsh green building forum participants, include supply chain challenges, technology, brand and reputation exposures, education, and return on investment.<br /><br />&ldquo;Despite the industry&rsquo;s concerns about these exposures, many of them can be addressed to varying degrees through the availability of commercial insurance and surety solutions, or in some instances mitigated through contractual agreements,&rdquo; said Catha Pavloff, a senior vice president of Marsh and leader of the firm&rsquo;s Green Building<br />Team.<br /><br />&ldquo;Nonetheless, the commercial insurance market still is evolving with respect to green building exposures. As underwriters become more adept at assessing and quantifying risks associated with green building, we may see a growth of green-building-specific insurance coverages,&rdquo; she added.<br /><br />Marsh&rsquo;s report, Green Building: Assessing the Risks &ndash; Feedback from the Construction Industry, is available free of charge by making a request online through <a href=\"http://global.marsh.com/news/articles/greenbuildingsurvey/register.php.\" title=\"Green Building Risks\">http://global.marsh.com/news/articles/greenbuildingsurvey/register.php.</a><br /></p>','','','none','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','','none','As the number of green building projects across the U.S. continues to grow, building owners, contractors, architects, and engineers, are expressing concern about a variety of risks that may be associated with these projects.','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(583,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','River City Casino Construction Moving Forward','none','River City Casino','none','<p>Yates/Paric continues to make steady progress on the $375 million River City Casino, Pinnacle Entertainment&rsquo;s casino project on the Mississippi Riverfront in Lemay.<br /><br />Builders achieved a major milestone on the project recently with the successful completion of the 90,000-square-foot concrete barge that is now floating in the newly completed moat. The structural steel and roofing are complete, and exterior skin elements and interior drywall are well underway. <br /><br />Construction is on schedule and the casino is expected to open in early 2010, pending final approval by the Missouri Gaming Commission. <br /><br />River City, with the casino, a new public roadway and other amenities, will be among the largest developments in St. Louis, and is in one of its most densely populated areas. <br /><br />Yates/Paric is a joint venture partnership of W.G. Yates &amp; Sons Construction Company of Philadelphia, MS and Paric Corporation.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Yates/Paric continues to make steady progress on the $375 million River City Casino.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(584,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','HOK Third in Magazine\'s Top Practice List','none','Architect, magazine, HOK','none','<p>HOK was one of the top-ranked firms in <em>Architect </em>magazine\'s recently released the \'Architect 50,\' a new benchmark ranking of the top 50 architectural practices. HOK ranked third in the survey and is prominently featured in the publication&rsquo;s May 2009 issue.</p>\n<p>\"We designed the Architect 50 quite simply to promote a well-rounded definition of success,\" says the magazine\'s introduction. \"The criteria for inclusion comprise a trifecta of critical goals for every practice: profitability, sustainability, and design quality.\"&nbsp; According to Architect\'s description of HOK, \"The green giant can boast a slew of recent LEED projects and a new, notable partnership with the Biomimicry Guild.\"&nbsp;</p>\n<p><a href=\"http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hanleywood/architect_200905/#/46\" title=\"HOK in Architect magazine\">View the complete rankings list and HOK&rsquo;s complete profile in the magazine</a>.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p>\n<p>HOK is a global architectural firm that specializes in planning, design and delivery solutions for buildings and communities. Founded in 1955, the firm&rsquo;s expertise includes architecture, engineering, interiors, planning, lighting, graphics, facilities planning and assessment and construction service</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','HOK was one of the top-ranked firms in Architect magazine\'s recently released the \'Architect 50\'.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(585,1,2,'','none','','none','','none','Wash U. Opens Model Green Building','none','Wash U., green, Tyson,  Living Learning Center','none','<p>An opening ceremony for\nwhat could be one of North America\'s greenest buildings was held May 29 at Washington University\nin St. Louis\' new Living Learning Center at the university\'s Tyson\nResearch Center.</p>\n<p>Tyson, located 20 miles southwest of the Danforth Campus, is 2,000\nacres of woods, prairie, ponds and savannas where dozens of WUSTL\nfaculty and students predominantly do environmental research.</p>\n<p>The Living Learning Center is a 2,900-square-foot facility built to meet the <a href=\"http://ilbi.org/\" target=\"_blank\"><span class=\"red\" title=\"Go to Living Building Challenge\">Living Building Challenge</span></a> &mdash; designed to be the most stringent green building rating system in the\nworld &mdash; of the Cascadia Region Green Building Council (CRGBC). No\nbuilding has met its standard yet, but the Living Learning Center is in\nthe running to be the first in North America.</p>\n<table align=\"right\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"2\" style=\"margin: 0px 0px 5px 5px; height: 318px;\" width=\"297\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td align=\"right\"><a href=\"http://news-info.wustl.edu/asset/page/normal/8316.html\"><img align=\"right\" border=\"0\" height=\"225\" hspace=\"0\" id=\"cistern\" src=\"http://news-info.wustl.edu/pub/libs/images/usr/8316.jpg\" vspace=\"0\" width=\"300\" /></a></td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td align=\"right\" class=\"photoCredit\"><span class=\"photocredit\">Photo courtesy Dan Hellmuth, Hellmuth and Bicknese Architects</span></td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"photoCaption\"><span class=\"photocaption\">Rainwater that\nfalls on the building will pass through a filter before it is stored in\nthis 3,000-gallon cistern. The cistern is pictured alongside the Living\nLearning Center before being placed underground.</span></td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td align=\"right\" class=\"photoDownload\"><a class=\"photodownload\" href=\"http://news-info.wustl.edu/asset/page/normal/8316.html\"> </a></td>\n</tr>\n</tbody>\n</table>\n<p>The center is designed to be a zero net energy and zero wastewater\nbuilding &mdash; both among the 16 requirements to earn \"living building\"\nrecognition from the CRGBC. The CRGBC is a chapter of both the U.S.\nGreen Building Council (USGBC) and the Canada Green Building Council\n(CaGBC).</p>\n<p>The Living Learning Center will capture rainwater and purify it for\ndrinking and will be powered so efficiently by solar energy that the\nbuilding often will pump energy back into the electric grid to be\npurchased by the local energy company.</p>\n<p>Other requirements include diverting a high percentage of\nconstruction waste (80 percent or more, depending on the material) from\nlandfills and obtaining materials from within a certain mile radius of\nthe construction site to reduce carbon emissions from travel and\nshipping. Occupational spaces also must contain operable windows to\nprovide access to fresh air and daylight.</p>\n<p>\"Since Living Building Challenge was launched in November 2006, more\nthan 60 project teams throughout North America have opted to pursue\ncertification,\" said Eden Brukman, the CRGBC\'s research director. \"The\nTyson Living Learning Center is one of the first two of these projects\ncompleting construction in May, and there are many people throughout\nthe country &mdash; and the continent &mdash; watching with eager anticipation.</p>\n<p>\"Living Building Challenge is a rigorous performance-based standard.\nAll 16 stated characteristics must be integrated into a successful\nproject, such as net-zero energy and water, habitat exchange, nontoxic\nmaterials and beauty and inspiration,\" Brukman said. \"In order to be\ncertified as a Living Building, it must be fully operational for at\nleast 12 consecutive months; this program demands proof that the\noccupants engage the project as anticipated. After all, an empty\nbuilding serves no purpose.\"</p>\n<p>Brukman noted that the Living Building Challenge is not meant to\ncompete with the USGBC\'s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design\n(LEED) Green Building Rating System&trade;, which is a nationally accepted\nbenchmark for the design, construction and operation of\nhigh-performance green buildings.</p>\n<p>\"The Living Building Challenge is instead viewed as an additional\noutlet to promote the goals set by the USGBC and CaGBC &mdash; it establishes\na vision for a project\'s environmental and social responsibilities from\na new vantage point,\" Brukman said. \"In fact, both national\norganizations have endorsed Living Building Challenge.\"</p>\n<p><strong>Ongoing teaching tool</strong></p>\n<p>Many of the Living Learning Center\'s features contribute to the\nbuilding\'s net-zero water and energy use, said Jonathan M. Chase,\nPh.D., director of the Tyson Research Center and associate professor of\nbiology in Arts &amp; Sciences. The rainwater that will fall on the\nbuilding will pass through a filter before it will be stored in a\n3,000-gallon underground cistern.</p>\n<p>The pavement surrounding the building is porous and will absorb\nalmost all storm runoff. Waterless composting toilets will eliminate a\nmajor use of water and enable the collecting of waste that will be used\nas fertilizer for the surrounding grass. A 17-kilowatt photovoltaic\nsystem will power the facility.</p>\n<p>The exposed exterior and interior wood used to build the center,\nincluding the cedar siding, came from Tyson grounds &mdash; either from\nfallen trees or from trees slated for removal. The structural wood came\nprimarily from Pocahontas, Ark., approximately 200 miles away &mdash; well\nwithin a 500-mile requirement to reduce carbon emissions associated\nwith the transportation of materials.</p>\n<p>The structure, which was designed by Hellmuth &amp; Bicknese\nArchitects with Bingman Construction Co. of Pacific, Mo., serving as\nthe general contractor, also will feature a \"bat house\" built into the\nbuilding\'s eave, complete with two \"bat cams\" for observation of the\ncreatures.</p>\n<p>The Living Learning Center will be available to members of the WUSTL\ncommunity, as well as other local institutions, and house a\nseminar/classroom for several WUSTL classes, including a seminar for\nundergraduate and graduate students and local environmental researchers\nthis summer and three environmental courses this fall.</p>\n<p>It also will serve as the base of operations for a summer\nhigh-school outreach program that is co-sponsored by the Missouri\nBotanical Garden\'s Shaw Nature Reserve and funded by the National\nScience Foundation (NSF).</p>\n<p>According to the architect, the building\'s most important feature is\nits ability to be used as an ongoing teaching tool &mdash; another one of the\n16 requirements to be named a \"living building.\"</p>\n<p>\"The curriculum for the summer program is already being developed\nusing some of the building features, which can all be analyzed as a\nbiological process,\" said Dan Hellmuth, a principal and co-founder of\nHellmuth &amp; Bicknese Architects.</p>\n<p>\"The PV (photovoltaic) output is monitored in the lobby via a\ntouchscreen monitor and over the network, showing how much power the\nbuilding is producing and how much CO2 is being avoided,\" Hellmuth\nsaid. \"This monitoring system can be built on over time to look at\nwater consumption, energy use, etc.\"</p>\n<p>According to Hellmuth, there were many challenges associated with\nconstructing a \"living building,\" including obtaining permits for\nrainwater potable water and composting toilet systems and finding\ncertified framing wood within a 500-mile radius of Tyson, which is\nlocated off I-44 at the Beaumont-Antire Road exit.</p>\n<p>\"I don\'t think any of us knew the challenges this would bring,\nincluding Washington University, our design team, the contractors or\nthe folks at Tyson,\" Hellmuth said, \"but throughout the process we have\ncontinually met them in a seemingly endless gauntlet.\"</p>\n<p>Participating in the opening ceremony will be Chancellor Mark S.\nWrighton; Edward S. Macias, Ph.D., provost, executive vice chancellor\nand the Barbara and David Thomas Distinguished Professor in Arts &amp;\nSciences; Henry S. Webber, executive vice chancellor for\nadministration; Ralph S. Quatrano, Ph.D., the Spencer T. Olin Professor\nand interim dean of Arts &amp; Sciences; Chase; and Kathryn G. Miller,\nPh.D., professor and interim chair of biology.</p>\n<p>\"The opening of the new Living Learning Center is an exciting event\nfor Washington University,\" Quatrano said. \"It demonstrates not only\nthe university\'s emphasis on sustainability but also its commitment to\nteaching, research and community outreach. We have been building\nfaculty strength in ecology and environmental science, and this\nstructure will help in our educational mission and commitment to\nstudent research and instruction.\"</p>\n<p>\"Tyson is in the midst of a major revolution and is a cornerstone of\nthe environmental research and education initiatives of Washington\nUniversity,\" Chase said. \"The Living Learning Center will provide\nmuch-needed space for our growing programs and also will serve as focus\nfor research and education itself.\"</p>\n<p>Eighteen St. Louis-area high-school students will be among the first\nto use the Living Learning Center beginning June 1 as part of the NSF\ncollaborative grant for the Shaw Nature Preserve and Tyson to instruct\nthe interns in ecological research.</p>\n<p>Last summer, the students went out to Shaw to learn basic skills and\nresearch techniques in the part of the program called SIFT &mdash; Shaw\nInstitute for Field Training. This summer, those same students will ply\ntheir newfound skills on research projects with WUSTL faculty and\ngraduate students as part of TERF &mdash; Tyson Ecological Research\nFellowship.</p>\n<p>Washington University is in the process of finding support for the\nLiving Learning Center, and several naming opportunities are available,\nincluding the center itself and its combined lab and classroom,\ncomputer lab and outdoor teaching deck.</p>','none','An opening ceremony for what could be one of North America\'s greenest buildings was held May 29.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(586,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Duke Leases 182,000 SF in Lindbergh Center','none','Duke, Lindberg Distribution Center, Fiserv','none','<p>Duke Realty Corporation (Duke) announces that it has leased 182,483 square feet in its Lindbergh Distribution Center in Hazelwood, Mo., to Fiserv, Inc., a provider of business critical communications, marketing services, and plastic card production services to various industries. Developed by Duke as a speculative building and opened in late 2007, Lindbergh Distribution Center is now 92 percent occupied with Fiserv&rsquo;s lease.<br /><br />Located in Hazelwood, a northwest St. Louis submarket, Lindbergh Distribution Center features 32&rsquo; clear height ceilings, dock and drive-in loading, and abundant trailer and car parking. The building is located in an Airport Enhanced Enterprise Zone, which offers tenants the opportunity for tax abatement and other incentives. Fiserv joins Matrix Packaging of Missouri, which occupies 150,000 square feet of space, and Whitney Design, Inc., which leases 152,000 square feet, in Lindbergh Distribution Center. Within Lindbergh Distribution Center, Duke has 43,450 square feet remaining for lease. The location of this property is at the corner of James S. McDonnell Blvd and N. Lindbergh Blvd. Air travelers from Lambert International Airport can easily identify the property from above due to a large Duke logo on the building&rsquo;s rooftop. <br /><br />Fiserv was represented by Tripp Hardin, senior vice president of CB Richard Ellis and Phil McCarthy, tenant advisor with Transwestern, while Jon Hinds, vice president of Industrial Leasing, represented Duke in the transaction.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Duke Realty Corporation (Duke) announces that it has leased 182,483 square feet in its Lindbergh Distribution Center.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(587,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Electrical Industry Introduces Sustainable Energy Training','none','NECA, IBEW, sustainable, green','none','<p>St. Louis union electricians and electrical contractors, who are among those most hurt by job losses in the manufacturing sector, are now shaping a new economic future in the renewable energy industry.&nbsp; The Electrical Industry Training Center, located at 2300 Hampton Ave.,&nbsp; recently unveiled a revised curriculum with an emphasis on &ldquo;green&rdquo; training.&nbsp; The training will prepare the region&rsquo;s future workforce in manufacturing and installing solar cells, lithium ion batteries, wind turbines, fuel cells and other kinds of renewable energy.</p>\n<p>According to the <a href=\"http://www.repp.org\">Renewable Energy Policy Project</a> , efforts to rein in Missouri&rsquo;s carbon emissions have the potential to generate more than 22,000 manufacturing jobs in wind, solar, geothermal and biomass industries.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>As a result, The Electrical Connection has been cultivating these types of industries to create a new manufacturing base, generating jobs for its members.&nbsp; The Electrical Connection is a partnership of St. Louis Chapter, National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local One. The organizations operate the Electrical Industry Training Center.<br />&nbsp;</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','St. Louis electricians are now training to provide new \"green\" energy sources.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(588,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Walton Awarded  Parris Island Barracks ','none','Walton, Marines, barrack, Parris Island','none','<p>Walton Construction Company, LLC, was recently awarded an additional $18.8 million contract to design and build a fourth barracks facility at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, S.C.&nbsp; This third option, awarded by the Department of the Navy &ndash; Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast, brings the project&rsquo;s total value to $78.4 million.&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;With this addition to the original contract, the total project includes four three-story precast concrete barracks, a headquarters training complex, central mechanical plant and a physical training circuit. All buildings on the project will be LEED Silver certified to include environmentally friendly design features, recyclable materials and energy efficient products.<br />&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Walton Construction was recently awarded a contract for a fourth Marine barracks facility at  Parris Island, S.C. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(591,1,5,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','Isadore the Icon: A Decent Man','none','Millstone, Gaal','none','<p><em>by John S. Gaal</em></p>\n<p>Isadore Erwin Millstone (commonly known to St. Louisans as I.E. Millstone) granted this author an interview in 2005 that was first published in the September 2005 issue of CNR. We share the interview again as a tribute to this man who contributed so much to our industry and area. <br /><br /><strong>JSG:</strong> How soon after graduating from Washington University did you begin working in the fields of architecture and construction?<br /><strong><br />IEM:</strong> Soon after graduation, I began working for Mississippi Valley Structural Steel. I worked there until the end of 1927. The reason I left is that I had a desire to do something beyond detailing steel. At that time, the City of St. Louis approved a multi-million dollar bond issue for the construction of civic buildings and sewers. Having knowledge that I was a recent graduate with reinforced concrete experience, the City of St. Louis hired me.&nbsp; Mr. Horner was then head of the department of Streets and Sewers and later founded Horner and Shifrin Consulting Engineers. <br /><br /><br /><strong>IEM:</strong> While working to improve the quality of concrete for the City of St. Louis, I met Albert Perbal, a French engineer whose specialty was reinforced concrete design.&nbsp;&nbsp; We eventually left our positions to begin our own consulting firm. At this time, many architectural firms did not have in-house engineers with our area of expertise. For awhile, things were going well and then came the Depression. As with most people during this era, we lost everything we had invested in the stock market. Eventually, Mr. Perbal sent his family back to France to live with relatives while he went on to patent many of his inventions not related to the construction industry. Meanwhile, I decided to start my own firm. Interestingly enough, in my eyes, the Depression allowed everyone to start from scratch. In my opinion, it created new opportunities for all sectors of the economy.<br /><br /><br /><strong>JSG:</strong> What / Who assisted you in becoming a successful businessman?<br /><br /><strong>IEM:</strong> From a company standpoint, between 1929 and 1946 my firm opened a number of offices outside the St. Louis area. Our first year our volume was $34,000. As you can see, we were small which made it difficult to get bonding. However, by 1936, my firm was awarded the first federal contract for public housing in the United States in St. Petersburg, FL. We built St. Louis&rsquo; Clinton-Peabody housing project in 1939 using reinforced concrete. During this timeframe, companies wanted to invest in growth&hellip;not bricks and mortar. Eventually, we designed, built and leased buildings to GE, Emerson, Famous-Barr, and many others. As we built, I bought stock in many of my customers&rsquo; firms. Equally important, I also give a lot of credit to my field supervision of which many were union carpenters. What impressed me is that these men were well-educated and willing to continue their learning. For many years, our college grads would work under our carpenter superintendents before moving into supervisory positions.</p>\n<p>From a personal standpoint, besides a lot of luck, I believe my willingness to work hard and my ability to visualize the future were keys to my success. In the early days, many firms needed to be located near railways&hellip;so, I bought land along these routes. Eventually, companies wishing to expand would come to me not only to purchase the land but to design and build their buildings. My sixth sense really paid off after World War II (WWII), with regards to the combination of pent-up demand and the growth in the use of automobiles. Land became a precious commodity to many of my customers&rsquo; businesses since parking now became a significant design issue. This strategy was so successful that by the end of WWII we were able to set-up the Millstone Foundation: a charitable foundation for assisting St. Louis institutions.&nbsp; The foundation is still active today and my grandsons, Robert Millstone and Thom Kuhn, are officers of the foundation.<br /><br /><strong>&nbsp;JSG:</strong> What role did your firm play in building the current Busch Stadium?<br /><br /><strong>IEM:</strong> Millstone Construction Co. entered a joint venture with Fruin-Colnon to build the stadium. The contract for the stadium and east garage totaled $21 million. This project was unique from a design standpoint: poured-in-place reinforced post tensioned concrete. I give a lot of the credit for the design of the stadium to Sverdrup. To my knowledge, it may be the only structure of its kind. As you can imagine, I am somewhat disappointed to see it go!<br /><br /><strong>JSG:</strong> How do you feel about the new Busch Stadium complex?<br /><br /><strong>IEM:</strong> Well, the original Busch Stadium was built for another era: one that required a dual-use facility. I feel that today&rsquo;s design better accommodates its sole purpose: baseball. After all, from a business perspective, the object is to earn more money. Among other issues, the new seating arrangements allow for the owners to accomplish this objective.<br /><br /><br /><strong>JSG:</strong> What inspired you to become a philanthropist?<br /><br /><strong>IEM:</strong> I always felt privileged to live in the USA. (In fact, I lost several family members due to Hitler&rsquo;s reign.) Life was simple when I was growing up. I remember children of all kinds playing in the streets together. As a Jew, I was never discriminated against. I had and still have a wonderful family. Although I enjoyed traveling and playing golf, as I prospered, I did not feel a need to have too much money or too many material things. Therefore, I wanted to see that others could enjoy life. I made sure all of my children, grandchildren, and many of my relatives received good educations. In fact, our foundation still funds numerous college scholarships&hellip;I believe in helping others succeed and many of our employees have gone on to do so. In addition, with families facing so many issues today, we have provided assistance to many community centers in St. Louis and around the globe.<br /><br /><br /><strong>JSG:</strong> From a global competition viewpoint, what predictions would you make about the future of the construction industry?<br /><br />IEM: Closer to home, I see the city making a comeback despite the issue of urban sprawl people are returning. For St. Louis to survive, we need to focus on high-wages jobs and to me that means life sciences. We must avoid destroying our tax base if we are to improve our public school systems. The one thing we must remember is that you cannot give away your income without going bankrupt.<br /><br />From a global standpoint, nowadays, telecommunication technologies allow work to be done nearly anywhere around the globe. Consequently, in today&rsquo;s world most firms are international! With China now taking over US industries, we can no longer view countries like China and India as backwards. I often look at the list of PhD graduates in science and engineering from Washington University and notice that many of the students are foreign-born. To this end, I am a firm believer that more of our families need to support first-class educational systems for our children!<br /><br /><br /><strong>IEM:</strong> With this in mind, I would like to ask you about your views concerning the turmoil the AFL-CIO now faces?<br /><br /><strong>JSG:</strong> In my opinion, a number of unions are starting to realize that in order to retain and gain membership, their organizations must start acting like businesses instead of relying on decades-old practices that are no longer relevant in the 21st Century. It seems to me that the Change to Win Coalition is following a similar strategy implemented by the United Brotherhood of Carpenters in March of 2001. In other words, unions need to view management as partners&hellip;not the enemy!<br /><br /><br /><strong>JSG:</strong> With all due respect, in one sentence, how do you wish to be remembered?<br /><br /><strong>IEM:</strong> As a decent person!<br /><br /><em><br />Dr. John S. Gaal is the Director of Training &amp; Workforce Development for the Carpenters&rsquo; District Council of Greater St. Louis &amp; Vicinity. He can be reached at jgaal@carpdc.org. The original interview took place in Clayton, MO.</em></p>','','342','none','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','','none','This interview with I.E. Millstone originally appeared in CNR in 2005.','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(592,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Churchill Apartments Win Landmarks Award','none','Churchill Apartments, Landmarks, award','none','<p>Winston Churchill Apartments received one of St. Louis Landmarks Association Most Enhanced Awards. The Award honors the most enhanced, best restorations and rehabs in the area from the past year.<br /></p>\n<p>Winston Churchill Apartments, located at Cabonne and Belt in the Upper West End, was renovated in the 80\'s and had fallen into disrepair and had 300 police calls a year going to the property, the worst property for the police department in the city.<br /></p>\n<p>Dublin Capital, Friedman Group, Ltd REALTORS and Housing &amp; Community Solutions, Inc. working with Congressman Lacy Clay, the Mayor\'s office and Alderman Frank Williamson worked with various community groups and provided the debt, equity and a development plan and development team to create a $12 million gut rehab of this landmark building including additional secured parking. When the first developer could not proceed, Eagle point of Portland, MN stepped in to become the developer and completed and enhanced the project.<br /></p>\n<p>Changing the physical reality of the building enhanced the neighborhood where millions of dollars of additional development is going on: from single family for sale green homes to a large loft project being developed in the area. Enhancing this once grand old building has also removed an impediment to the community\'s ongoing development. This was a real team and community effort to make the<br /> project work.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','The formerly troubled Winston Churchill Apartments received one of St. Louis Landmarks Association Most Enhanced Awards. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(593,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Construction Financing Approved on Centene','none','Centene, financing','none','<p>Construction financing on Centene Corporation&rsquo;s new headquarters building is now in place. A $186 million construction loan has been approved by a group of banks led by U.S. Bank.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>The project is located at Hanley and Forsyth in Clayton. It is scheduled for completion in 2010. <br /><br />Demolition on the former Library Limited building began in October, officially beginning work on the complex, which will have 460,000 square feet of office space and 28,125 square feet of retail.<br /><br />The equity partners in the project are Centene, Clayco and The Koman Group.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Construction financing on Centene Corporationâ€™s new headquarters building is now in place.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(594,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Paric Building Regions Bank in Wentzville','none','Regions Bank, Paric','none','<p>Construction of a $1.2 million Regions Bank facility in Wentzville, led by Paric as construction manager, is on-schedule for completion in late summer.<br /><br />The 3,800-square-foot, single-story structure and four-lane drive-through at 1843 Wentzville Pkwy. is of steel and metal stud construction with a brick exterior.<br /><br />Paric partnered with PKA Architects on the project.<br /></p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Construction of Regions Bank facility in Wentzville is on-schedule for completion in late summer.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(595,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Horner and Shifrin Designs Aux Vases Bridge','none','Horner & Shifrin, Aux Vases','none','<p>Horner &amp; Shifrin, Inc., is performing a hydraulic analysis, a scour study, and preliminary and final bridge design for the Route B Bridge Replacement over the Aux Vases River in Ste. Genevieve County for the Missouri Department of Transportation. <br /><br />Increased popularity in the region\'s wineries has resulted in additional traffic on Route B that includes numerous bus groups. The new two-lane bridge will significantly improve safety for motorists throughout the corridor. <br /><br />This fast-track project is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The new bridge will replace the existing 230-foot-long, one-lane truss bridge with a two-lane, girder-type bridge with concrete barriers. <br /><br />\"This project\'s success hinges mostly on two critical issues - quickly developing the hydraulic report that will dictate the required grade and span arrangement, and effective communication and coordination with the MoDOT District 10 personnel who will be providing the adjacent roadway design,\" said Horner &amp; Shifrin Project Manager Michael Banashek. \"Because this project is funded by ARRA, schedule adherence, in both design and construction, will be imperative.\"<br /></p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Horner & Shifrin is conducting analyses and preparing designs for a bridge over the Aux Vases River. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(596,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Vee-Jay Promotes Melanoma Awareness','none','melanoma, Vee-Jay Cement, OUR M.O.M. ','none','<p>Vee-Jay Cement is working with Our Mark on Melanoma, Inc. (OUR M.O.M., Inc.) during the month of June to promote awareness of melanoma.</p>\n<p>\"Our goal ifor the campaign is to raise $10,000 for the prevention, detection, and potential cure of melanoma,\" said Chase Ernst, safety and strategic partnerships director for Vee-Jay. \"We owe it to those employees working in the field every day to have proper education on the risks associated with melanoma.</p>\n<p>Vee-Jay sent promotional materials to the principal contact at each member company of the AGC of St. Louis.</p>\n<p>OUR M.O.M., Inc. is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit founded by the eight children of Patricia Schellhardt Malone, who died of melanoma in June 2007.&nbsp; The purpose of the organization is to raise awareness and education and prevention of skin cancer. There is currently no cure or effective treatment for metatastic melanoma.</p>\n<p>\"We are thankful to Vee-Jay Cement for allowing us to partner with them,\" said Patricia Malone\'s daughter Elizabeth Schocklee, who is OUR M.O.M.\'s board chair. Shocklee is a partner with Evans &amp; Dixon, who practices in the construction industry.</p>\n<p>For more information go to <a href=\"http://www.ourmominc.com/VeeJay.aspx\">http://www.ourmominc.com/VeeJay.aspx</a></p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Vee-Jay Cement and OUR M.O.M., Inc. are promoting melanoma awareness during the month of June.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(597,1,2,'','none','','none','','none','Unions Give Climate Prosperity Project a Step Up','none','RCGA, Climate Prosperity, RCGA, Sheet Metal Workers','none','<p>The St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association (RCGA) has announced that metropolitan St. Louis is one of eight pilot regions for the Climate Prosperity Project, a new economic development effort launched by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.<br /><br />The Climate Prosperity Project will seek to guide economic development efforts based on the strategy of &ldquo;green savings, green opportunity, and green talent.&rdquo; Richard Fleming, president and CEO of the RCGA, is president of the Climate Prosperity Project board of directors. The other seven pilot regions are: Silicon Valley/San Jose, CA; Portland, OR; Denver, CO; Seattle, WA; Southwest Florida; Montgomery County, MD; and the State of Delaware.<br /><br /><img alt=\"Climate Prosperity\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"303\" src=\"/images/uploads/climate-prosperity.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"266\" />&ldquo;We come at it from an opportunistic standpoint as the region&rsquo;s economic development agency. We see a potential for new opportunities for creating jobs, expanding existing companies, and attracting new companies. We certainly see it as an opportunity for a substantial amount of building things,&rdquo; said Fleming.<br /><br />&ldquo;Green savings,&rdquo; said Fleming, means simply that energy efficiency saves money, which can then be used for other things. &ldquo;Energy efficiency is the quickest way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and bring prosperity to individuals, businesses, and communities,&rdquo; he said. In Portland, OR, he said, people and businesses are saving $2.6 billion a year because of an energy efficiency initiative begun a decade ago.<br /><br />&ldquo;Green opportunity&rdquo; refers to innovation, entrepreneurship and strong economic growth that solutions to the challenges of climate change will generate, he said.<br /><br />&ldquo;Green talent,&rdquo; he said, means that entrepreneurs, scientists, and construction workers all are critical to retrofitting buildings, installing renewable energy projects, etc. &ldquo;Communities must ensure they have a trained workforce in order to prosper during this transformation,&rdquo; he said.<br /><br />While the project in St. Louis is still in the &ldquo;formative stage,&rdquo; Fleming said, some of the first local activities, which will be under the banner of &ldquo;green savings,&rdquo; will be to educate companies about tangible steps they can take to improve energy efficiency and the opportunities there for returns on investment.<br /><br />That will create an immediate need for suitably trained construction workers &ldquo;to get the job done,&rdquo; said Fleming.<br /><br />The union construction industry already has put in place training programs to help meet that need. <br /><br />The Electrical Industry Training Center announced has the establishment of a wide-ranging green training initiative to prepare the region&rsquo;s union electrical workforce to meet the needs of emerging green and alternative energy industries.&nbsp; The training center unveiled its curriculum at an open house for St. Louis area lawmakers and business leaders on May 28, 2009. <br /><br />&ldquo;We are both cultivating opportunity in the new green economy and training the workforce necessary to build it,&rdquo; said Stephen P. Schoemehl, business manager for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local One. &ldquo;We can make St. Louis the center of renewable energy development in the Midwest. To do that, we need a highly skilled workforce. We already have the essential curriculum in place to create that workforce and build a brighter future for St. Louis,&rdquo; he said.<br /><br />IBEW Local One partners with the St. Louis Chapter, National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) to form the Electrical Connection. <br /><br />Among the skills already developed within the ranks of IBEW Local One are the wiring and installation of solar panels, wind turbines and &ldquo;smart building&rdquo; technologies that conserve energy. The new training consolidates 70 courses into one green curriculum that includes:<br /><br />&bull; Photovoltaic cells;<br />&bull; Fuel cells;<br />&bull; Building automation;<br />&bull; Lighting efficiencies; <br />&bull; Energy efficient installations; and<br />&bull; Programmable logic controllers.<br /><br />&ldquo;As the nation continues to push the development of electricity from cleaner energy sources, the installations are becoming more complex,&rdquo; said Dennis Gralike, director of the Electrical Industry Training Center. &ldquo;Safety is a huge concern. For example, while solar is a low voltage source when it is placed in arrays, the voltages can reach as high as 600 volts. It is essential that only skilled electricians install them in accordance with the National Electric Code,&rdquo; he said.<br /><br />Sheet Metal Workers Local 36 also has launched a program to train its members for &ldquo;green&rdquo; projects.<br /><br />Dan Andrews is the coordinator of the training program for Local 36, which is based in St. Louis, and represents 3,200 members in Arkansas and Missouri.&nbsp; Andrews has been an outspoken proponent of sustainable building for many years, speaking on regional panels throughout the region on the subject, and introducing training programs to his membership.<br /><br />Andrews explained that in order to assist those contractors pursuing LEED construction and other green building projects, Local 36 member training focuses on the latest LEED guidelines, especially in regard to:<br /><br />&bull; Good duct design and installation in the HVAC area;<br />&bull; Instruction and training in retrofit and add-on and replacement;<br />&bull; The proper techniques and principles for troubleshooting, service and repair of HVAC equipment and systems, and the understanding of refrigeration principles and their application to Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC&rsquo;s);<br />&bull; Verifying an HVAC system is designed, installed and calibrated as described in the Energy and Atmosphere section of LEED certification; and<br />&bull; Installing architectural sheet metal as cool roofs, or hot or cool walls.<br /><br />Local 36, with the help of LEED-accredited professionals, is updating curriculum to add additional green training to its journeymen programs as well.&nbsp; &ldquo;Very few jobs remain where green isn&rsquo;t somehow involved and it&rsquo;s important for our most experience workers to have the greatest understanding of the processes as possible,&rdquo; said Andrews. <br /><br />Tear out and replacement is one growing area of training in sheet metal that can contribute greatly to the success of achieving green status. New methods of duct work installation for all units, including high-efficiency units, can help increase the efficiency of the systems even further.&nbsp; &ldquo;Part of getting your new heating and cooling unit to reach its maximum efficiency is making sure the duct work is properly built and installed,&rdquo; Andrews said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re working to train workers in new areas so that projects can be as green as possible,&rdquo; he said.<br /><br />One new technology gaining market acceptance is geothermal heating and cooling. Not only are these systems green, but they also are aesthetically pleasing, because they are unobtrusive.&nbsp; Local 36 has one of just three geothermal units in the country that is available for training, and it is the only one that is fully operational.&nbsp; &ldquo;Having a fully operational unit allows us to train in design and installation,&rdquo; Andrews said.&nbsp; Part of the installation process and training Local 36 workers receive is identifying the proper soils to use to bury the wells and tubing for the units in order to help increase efficiency.<br /><br />Moving forward, &ldquo;I think we need to outline a career path that can help lead future sheet metal workers to an Accredited Professional certification,&rdquo; Andrews said. &ldquo;That path would help promote the understanding of the responsibilities of every individual working on a green project,&rdquo; he added.<br /><br />According to the Renewable Energy Policy Project (www.repp.org), efforts to rein in Missouri&rsquo;s carbon emissions have the potential to generate more than 22,000 manufacturing jobs in wind, solar, geothermal and biomass industries. As a result, the Electrical Connection has been cultivating these types of industries &ndash; and traveling the country to lure them to Missouri &ndash; to create a new manufacturing base, generating jobs for Missourians.<br /><br />&ldquo;For union electricians and electrical contractors, the potential is more than just building or retrofitting renewable energy manufacturing facilities,&rdquo; said Douglas R. Martin, executive vice president of the St. Louis Chapter, NECA. &ldquo;We have the capability to work with product manufacturers and a project&rsquo;s design team to customize our training. We can then prepare our skilled workforce to assemble and install new technologies with precision,&rdquo; he said.</p>','none','St. Louis unions have stepped up to provide training and manpower that will help the RCGA\'s \"Climate Prosperity Project.\" ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','/images/uploads/climate-prosperity.jpg','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(598,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','PRIDE Honors Four Leaders  Aug. 20   ','none','PRIDE, awards, Millstone, Mulligan, Post, Hunt','none','<p>PRIDE of St. Louis, Inc., the region&rsquo;s construction labor-management organization, will honor legacies of building, philanthropy and construction teamwork at its second annual awards luncheon. On Aug. 20, 2009, PRIDE will salute men for their roles in advancing PRIDE&rsquo;s mission to make St. Louis the best place to build at a luncheon at the Renaissance St. Louis Grand&nbsp; Suites Hotel in downtown St. Louis.</p>\n<p>The honorees are:</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<ul>\n<li>The&nbsp; late I.E. Millstone, visionary, philanthropist and founder of Millstone Construction, now Millstone-Bangert, Inc.&nbsp;&nbsp; Millstone will be honored with the Industry Impact Award.</li>\n<li>John Mulligan, owner and&nbsp; founder Mulligan Construction, Inc. Mulligan will receive the Al Fleischer Management Award named for the late Alfred J. Fleischer, who helped co-found PRIDE and was its first management co-chair.</li>\n<li>Rick Post, construction, transmission&nbsp; and specialty contractor manager, Prairie State Generating Company, LLC. Post will be honored with the Joe Rinke Owner Award. The award is named for Joseph W. Rinke, PRIDE&rsquo;s first owner co-chair.</li>\n<li>Joseph J. Hunt, general president, International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Hunt will be honored with the Dick Mantia Labor Award. The award is named for Dick Mantia, who co-founded&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; PRIDE and remains board member emeritus of the organization. </li>\n</ul>\n<p>&ldquo;In their own unique way, each of these men has advanced economic development through construction teamwork,&rdquo; said Jim LaMantia, executive director of PRIDE. &ldquo;They have been dedicated to the highest quality, most productive and safest construction practices.&rdquo;<br /><br />PRIDE, founded in 1972, is an acronym for Productivity and Responsibility Increase Development&nbsp; Employment. For more than 35 years, PRIDE has worked to maintain harmony and build cooperation among St. Louis area AFL-CIO construction craft workers, contractors, construction buyers, architects, engineers and suppliers.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','PRIDE of St. Louis, Inc., the region\'s construction labor-management organization, will honor legacies of building, philanthropy and construction teamwork at its second annual awards luncheon.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(599,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Kirberg Promotes Solar Panel Stimulus Funds ','none','Kirberg, solar panels, Stimulus','none','<p>Kirberg Company, supplier of solar PV (photovoltaic) panels, has been spreading the word about $2.7 billion in government stimulus funds available<br />to units of local government, such as city and county departments, from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) for renewable energy through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The purpose of this block grant is to get money into the community and get builders and suppliers back to work fast, so the opportunity to receive stimulus dollars for implementing renewable energy into city and county buildings has a short timeline. The original deadline was extended to encourage increased applicants, with the final application deadline being June 25, 2009.<br /><br />\"It\'s very easy to apply for these funds and we\'re trying very hard to get St. Louis City and County involved,\" said Eric Kirberg of Kirberg Company. \"The problem is that a lot of eligible applicants aren\'t aware of the grant and the deadline is approaching quickly. If the money isn\'t used, it goes<br />back to the government and the opportunity is lost.\"<br /><br />Kirberg\'s effort to educate local government offices on the availability of these funds comes on the heels of Missouri Proposition C, also known as the Clean Energy Initiative, which requires utility companies to gradually increase their usage of renewable energy annually until 15 percent of the energy used in the state is renewable. This, for example, will require Ameren UE to store 8 megawatts of renewable energy by 2012.<br /><br />\"The best option for achieving this will be to build integrated solar PV panels into buildings,\" says Kirberg. \"The panels fit right into the roof membrane of the building and work to reduce and recycle energy usage.\"<br /><br />Interested parties can visit <a href=\"http://www.kirberg.com\">kirberg.com</a> for more information on the grant and learn how to apply.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Kirberg Company, supplier of solar panels, has been spreading the word about $2.7 billion in government stimulus funds. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(600,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Paric Selected For Green Fast-Track Remodeling','none','','none','<p>Paric Corporation has been selected for the $3 million, 24,000-square-foot fast-track remodeling and rehabilitation project of the Delmar-Skinker Building to create 16 apartments and to renovate street-level retail space at the high-traffic intersection of Delmar and Skinker, just north of Washington University at St. Louis.<br /><br />The green project adds wind turbines to the roof for electrical generation, reuses current doors and other furnishings, requires a high efficiency HVAC system and follows LEED guidelines throughout.<br /><br />Because the living units on the second and third floors of the building are targeted to the student housing market, the project must be completed by mid-August. <br /><br />The building is owned by Washington University. Trivers Associates is the architect on the project.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Paric Corporation has been selected for the $3 million, 24,000-square-foot fast-track \"green\" remodeling and rehabilitation project of the Delmar-Skinker Building.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(601,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','New Sachs Division Seeks Smaller Jobs','none','Sachs, smaller projects, ','none','<p>Sachs Electric has formed  \"Sachs Select,\" a division designed to recapture the market for smaller work, including retail, restaurants, and schools.</p>\n<p>Sachs said that new IBEW Local 1 rates have enabled Sachs to be more competitive on smaller work that had recently gone to nonunion contractors.</p>\n<p>Assistant Vice President Joseph Barnard will head the division.</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Sachs Electric has formed \"Sachs Select\" to help recapture the market for smaller projects. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(605,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Walton Completes Chesterfield Medical','none','Walton, Chesterfield, Medical','none','<p>Walton Construction has completed construction of Chesterfield Medical Institute, a new 20,000-square-foot medical office building and ambulatory surgical center in Chesterfield, Missouri.&nbsp; The $6.8 million medical facility houses three medical practices including Laser &amp; Dermatologic Surgery Center, West County Dermatology and Generation Dental Group.&nbsp; Owners of the Chesterfield Medical Institute are Dr. George Hruza, Dr. Dan Ring and Dr. Julie Ring.<br /><br />The two-story building on Chesterfield Parkway is wrapped in brick with limestone accents. Oversized windows allow sunlight to enter throughout the building. A&nbsp; steel sunshade and decorative tubing accent the entrance canopy and elevated stair towers.&nbsp; <br /><br />Walton completed the project on time and on schedule.&nbsp; <br /></p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Walton Construction has completed construction of Chesterfield Medical Institute.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(615,1,5,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','Small Details Matter','none','details, Woodcock, sales','none','<p>When dealing with an intensely competitive marketplace, the one item that holds true is that the small things matter.&nbsp; Sales reps, estimators, project managers and owners are scrambling for every opportunity and percentage of profit.&nbsp; This is the perfect environment to look at how you approach the customer base and fix the little details that you may have let slide for years.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<br />There are two important steps to successfully doing this self-evaluation: <br />1. Be honest with yourself.&nbsp; Blinding your eyes to your own mistakes will never produce results. <br />2. Be willing to change.&nbsp; The list below may seem trivial but add up each small increment and you have a significant difference maker. <br /><br />Here are some of the most common detail errors:<br /></p>\n<ul>\n<li>No name or message on voicemail. (Very impersonal and rude)</li>\n<li>Unprofessional attire</li>\n<li>Amateurish presentation materials</li>\n<li>Poor hygiene</li>\n<li>Too talkative</li>\n<li>Off color humor</li>\n<li>Sexist attitudes</li>\n<li>Dirty vehicle</li>\n<li>Arriving late to meetings</li>\n</ul>\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />You may not do any of these or you might do them all.&nbsp; The point is to evaluate yourself and make sure. You may be shooting yourself in the foot and not even realizing it!&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>','','343','none','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','','none','The current environment is a good time to look at how you approach the customer base and fix the little details that you may have let slide for years.','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(614,1,2,'','none','','none','','none','Finalists Announced for Keystone Awards','none','Keystone, awards, AGC','none','<p>Thirty-six local construction projects have been selected as finalists for the 2009 Construction Keystone Awards.</p>\n<p>The Construction Keystone Awards are hosted by the Associated General Contractors of St. Louis (AGC).</p>\n<p><img alt=\"Keystone\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"252\" src=\"/images/uploads/keystone-inside.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"260\" />Criteria include skill, teamwork and innovation. Both general contractors and specialty contractors enter projects.</p>\n<p>&nbsp;Fifty-two entries were reviewed to chose those projects selected as finalists.</p>\n<p>The awards will be presented Nov.2 at the Millennium Hotel Downtown.</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p><strong>2009 Keystone Awards Finalists</strong><br /><strong><br />General Contractor/Construction Manager &mdash; Building Construction<br />Project $40 million or more</strong><br /><br />Alberici Constructors, Inc.<br />Project: SSM St. Clare Health Center<br />Owner: SSM Health Care<br /><br />McCarthy Building Companies<br />Project: The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis<br />Owner: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis<br /><br />McCarthy Building Companies<br />Project: St. Anthony\'s Medical Center Heart and Surgical Pavilion<br />Owner: St. Anthony\'s Medical Center<br /><br /><strong>General Contractor/Construction Manager &mdash; Building Construction<br />Project $10 million to $40 million</strong><br /><br />H.B.D. Contracting, Inc.<br />Project: Bank of Washington<br />Owner: Bank of Washington<br /><br />Paric Corporation<br />Project: The Moonrise Hotel<br />Owner: Joe Edwards<br /><br />Tarlton Corporation<br />Project: Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital Inpatient Bed Unit / Inpatient Pharmacy Addition<br />Owner: BJC HealthCare<br /><br /><strong>General Contractor/Construction Manager &mdash; Building Construction<br />Project under $10 million</strong><br /><br />Paric Corporation<br />Project: The Magic House, St. Louis Children\'s Museum<br />Owner: The Magic House, St. Louis Children\'s Museum<br /><br />S. M. Wilson &amp; Co.<br />Project: Woolworth Building Historic Renovation<br />Owner: McCormack Baron Salazar<br /><br />The Lawrence Group Projects, LLC<br />Project: Shock City Studios<br />Owner: 2200 Gravois, LLC__<br /><br /><strong>General Contractor/Construction Manager &mdash; Industrial/Infrastructure Construction Project $10 million or more</strong><br /><br />BSI Constructors, Inc.<br />Project: Citygarden<br />Owner: Gateway Foundation<br /><br />Goodwin Brothers Construction Co.<br />Project: River 7000 Project<br />Owner: Buzzi Unicem USA<br /><br />Goodwin Brothers Construction Co.<br />Project: MSD - Coldwater Creek<br />Owner: Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District<br /><strong><br />General Contractor/Construction Manager &mdash; Industrial/Infrastructure Construction Project under $10 million</strong><br /><br />Kozeny-Wagner, Inc.<br />Project: Old Post Office Plaza<br />Owner: Downtown Now!<br /><br />MC Industrial, Inc.<br />Project: Ameren UE Portage Des Sioux Unit #1 Fall 2008 Outage<br />Owner: Ameren UE<br /><br />Volk Construction Company<br />Project: Barnes-Jewish Hospital Shoenberg Cooling Towers<br />Owner: Barnes-Jewish Hospital<br /><br /><strong>Interior Build-Out Project<br /></strong><br />Gypsum Associates, Inc.<br />Project: St. Alphonsus Liguori \"Rock\" Catholic Church<br />Owner: St. Alphonsus \"Rock\" Church / Archdiocese of St. Louis<br /><br />R. G. Ross Construction Company, Inc.<br />Project: Cannon Design Powerhouse<br />Owner: Cannon Design Powerhouse, LLC<br /><br />Volk Construction Company<br />Project: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis - 6th Floor Renovation<br />Owner: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis<br /><br /><strong>Specialty Contractor &mdash; Building Construction<br />Project $5 million or more</strong><br /><br />Corrigan Company<br />Project: Holcim Cement \"Lee Island\" Plant Utility Piping<br />Owner: Holcim Cement<br /><br />Guarantee Electrical Company<br />Project: SSM St. Clare Health Center<br />Owner: SSM Health Center<br /><br />Murphy Co., Mechanical Contractors &amp; Engineers<br />Project: SSM St. Clare Health Center<br />Owner: SSM Health Care<br /><br /><strong>Specialty Contractor &mdash; Building Construction<br />Project under $5 million</strong><br /><br />Golterman &amp; Sabo, Inc.<br />Project: Washington University Law School<br />Owner: Washington University<br /><br />John Bender Drywall<br />Project: Bank of Washington<br />Owner: Bank of Washington<br /><br />Murphy Co., Mechanical Contractors &amp; Engineers<br />Project: Danforth University Center at Washington University<br />Owner: Washington University<br /><strong><br />Specialty Contractor &mdash; Industrial/Infrastructure Construction<br />Project $5 million or more</strong><br /><br />Murphy Co., Mechanical Contractors &amp; Engineers<br />Project: Pfizer NRB<br />Owner: Pfizer<br /><br />PayneCrest Electric, Inc.<br />Project: Buzzi Unicem Cement Plant in Festus, MO<br />Owner: Buzzi Unicem USA<br /><br />PayneCrest Electric, Inc.<br />Project: Holcim Cement Ste. Genevieve Plant<br />Owner: Holcim Ltd.<br /><br /><strong>Specialty Contractor &mdash; Industrial/Infrastructure Construction<br />Project under $5 million</strong><br /><br />Hayward Baker, Inc.<br />Project: GKN Aerospace<br />Owner: GKN Aerospace<br /><br />Hayward Baker, Inc.<br />Project: LeMay WWTP Tunnel Jet Grouting<br />Owner: St. Louis Metropolitan Sewer District<br /><br />Murphy Co., Mechanical Contractors &amp; Engineers<br />Project: Covidien - Pilot 14<br />Owner: Covidien<br /><br /><strong>Sustainable Construction<br /></strong><br />Clayco, Inc.<br />Project: Novus International Global Headquarters<br />Owner: Novus International, Inc.<br /><br />Musick Construction Company<br />Project: Emerson St. Louis Data Center<br />Owner: Emerson<br /><br />Volk Construction Company<br />Project: Washington University - Danforth Campus<br />Owner: Washington University<br /><strong><br />Emerging Contractor</strong><br /><br />Boyer Fire Protection<br />Project: Wal-Mart Supercenter - St. Peters<br />Owner: L. Keeley Construction<br /><br />D &amp; L Painting &amp; Drywall<br />Project: Life Science Lab<br />Owner: St. Louis Science Center<br /><br />FireStoppers/Rebel<br />Project: SSM St. Clare Health Center<br />Owner: SSM Health Care</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>','none','Thirty-six finalists have been selected for consideration for this year\'s AGC Keystone Awards. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','/images/uploads/keystone.jpg','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(616,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Construction Unemployment Picture Brightens','none','AGC, employment, Simonson','none','<p>The construction employment picture brightened slightly with 18 states adding construction jobs from April to May according to a new analysis of data released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).&nbsp; However, construction employment overall continued to decline, noted Ken Simonson, the chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America.<br /><br />\"Projects funded by the stimulus legislation probably mitigated the overall downturn in construction jobs in May,\" Simonson said, noting however that the BLS data do not separately identify &lsquo;stimulus\' hires.&nbsp; \"While the stimulus is starting to help, it is not keeping pace with overall declines in construction activity in most places.\" <br /><br />Simonson noted that North Dakota saw the biggest increase in construction employment from April to May, with a 9-percent rise, seasonally adjusted, followed by Mississippi, 4 percent; South Dakota and Indiana, 3 percent each; and West Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin and Nebraska, 2 percent each.&nbsp; (To prevent disclosure of data for industries with small employment totals, BLS presents construction combined with mining and logging in South Dakota, Nebraska, four other states and the District of Columbia.)<br />&nbsp; <br />Despite these localized construction gains, however, national construction employment dropped by 59,000 (almost 1 percent), seasonally adjusted, from April to May, Simonson added.<br /><br />Compared to construction employment this time last year, the current jobs picture is bleaker, Simonson said.&nbsp; For example, Arizona, shed 28 percent of its payroll jobs in construction over the past 12 months.; Kentucky and Connecticut 21 percent each, and Nevada and Tennessee (combined data), 20 percent each.&nbsp; Meanwhile, only North Dakota (4 percent) and South Dakota (3 percent) added construction jobs since last May.&nbsp; <br /><br />Metro-area data also provided a grim picture over the past 12 months. (Metro figures are not seasonally adjusted and thus are suitable for comparing only to same month in prior years.)<br /><br />Only nine out of 311 metro areas for which data is available had year-over-year employment gains in construction (or combined sectors), led by Baton Rouge, 7 percent; Grand Junction, Colorado (combined data), 5 percent; Odessa, Texas, and Bismarck, N.D. ( both with combined data), 4 percent; and Decatur, Illinois (combined data), 3 percent. Two metros had no changed in construction (combined data) employment, while 300 had losses. The steepest losses over the past 12 months were in Pascagoula, Miss. (combined data), -40 percent; Redding, Calif. (combined data), -37 percent; Reno-Sparks, Nev., -31 percent; Tucson and Phoenix-Mesa, Scottsdale, both -29 percent.&nbsp; <br /><br />\"Whether more states and metros join the &lsquo;win column\' in adding construction jobs depends largely on how quickly all levels of government turn stimulus money into contracts,\" Simonson said.&nbsp; \"Local governments must avoid imposing their own Buy American standards, states must work promptly to hold bid lettings, and federal agencies need to clarify reporting requirements and rules.\"<br /><br />Simonson noted that getting more stimulus money flowing will help companies like San Angelo, Texas-based Reece Albert Inc. which has been able to save 20 jobs to date because of stimulus funded highway work.&nbsp; And given the likelihood of continued declines in privately-funded construction, getting stimulus funds flowing for non-transportation projects will help companies like Gorham, Maine-based R.J. Grondin&nbsp; Sons pick up more water main and other construction work.<br /><a href=\"http://www.mmsend1.com/ls.cfm?r=23959382&amp;sid=6806742&amp;m=758734&amp;u=agca&amp;s=http://www.agc.org/galleries/econ/Metro%20empl%200509.pdf \"><br />Click here to view the state and metro-area construction employment figures. </a></p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','AGC reported that 18 states added construction jobs from April to May. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(617,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Wilson Begins Mattoon, IL Health Center Project','none','S.M. Wilson, Mattoon, Lincoln Health Center','none','<p>S. M. Wilson has begun construction of a new two-story medical office pavilion and a $1.6 million road construction project at Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center in Mattoon,<br />Illinois.&nbsp; Construction is scheduled for completion in June 2010.&nbsp; The company is providing pre-construction, construction management and general<br />contracting services for the projects.</p>\n<p>The $7.2 million, 42,000 square foot facility will be built on the existing hospital campus and include space for pediatrics, behavioral medicines,<br />occupational health, Sleep Disorders Center, family practice and general hospital offices. A second project, which is budgeted at $1.6 million,<br />includes construction of a new road to provide an alternate entrance and exit to the hospital.&nbsp; Utilities will also be brought to out parcels of land<br />to be developed in the future.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>These are the fifth and sixth construction projects S. M. Wilson has handled for Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center.&nbsp; The company has<br />previously built Medical Office Pavilion #2, including a cardiac catheterization lab, Outpatient Surgery Center and orthopedic suite.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','S. M. Wilson has begun construction of a new two-story medical office pavilion and a $1.6 million road construction project ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(618,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Contegra Completes $22 Million Gateway Center Project','none','Gateway Center, Contegra, Proctor Gamle','none','<p>Contegra Construction Co. has completed expanding the Westway III distribution center at Gateway Commerce Center in Madison County, Ill. from 580,000 to nearly 1.2 million square feet to accommodate tenant Proctor Gamble. The expansion is enabling the consumer products giant to consolidate its metro St. Louis distribution operations at one location.<br /><br />Contegra provided complete turn-key construction services on the $22 million project which results in a building that blends 1,138,000 square feet of warehouse topped by 32-foot clear-height ceilings with 20,000 square feet of office space. <br /><br />The 2,300-acre distribution park, located at the intersection of I-270 and I-255, was launched in 1997 and currently hosts roughly nine million square feet of distribution space in 19 buildings. Also present at Gateway are The Dial Corporation, Hershey Foods Corp., Unilever,&nbsp; and OHL. <br /></p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Contegra has doubled the size of Proctor Gamble\'s space at Gateway Center in Madison County, IL. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(619,1,2,'','none','','none','','none','MO/IL DOTs Spark  MRB Bridge Diversity Debate','none','Mississippi River Bridge, diversity, transportation departments','none','<p>\n<meta name=\"Title\" />\n<meta name=\"Keywords\" />\n<meta content=\"text/html; charset=utf-8\" />\n<meta content=\"Word.Document\" name=\"ProgId\" />\n<meta content=\"Microsoft Word 10\" name=\"Generator\" />\n<meta content=\"Microsoft Word 10\" name=\"Originator\" />\n<link href=\"file:///Users/tom/Library/Preferences/Microsoft/Clipboard/msoclip1/01/clip_clip_filelist.xml\" rel=\"File-List\" />\n<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> Normal\n  0\n  0\n  1\n  690\n  3938\n  PGD\n  32\n  7\n  4836\n  10.265 </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> 0\n  0\n  0 </xml><![endif]-->\n<style>\n\n</style>\n</p>\n<p>The Missouri and Illinois transportation departments want\nthe federal government to let them set separate contracting goals for including\nwomen and minority owned businesses on the new Mississippi River Bridge\nproject.</p>\n<p>\"When we looked at the availability of minority-owned\nbusiness to do work for MoDOT and the utilization of those businesses, we found\nthere was a disparity,\" said Lester Woods, MoDOT\'s director of external civil\nrights.</p>\n<p>Before they can set separate goals for the involvement of\nwomen-owned and minority-owned businesses, however, they have to get the\nFederal Highway Administration to waive federal regulations that mandate a\nsingle contracting goal for \"disadvantaged business enterprises,\" a category\nthat includes both women-owned and minority-owned businesses.</p>\n<p><img alt=\"WBE at MRB Bridge Meeting\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"303\" src=\"/images/uploads/WBE.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"266\" />The transportation departments held public hearings on\nTuesday and Wednesday to gather public comments to support their application\nfor separate goals for women- and minority-owned businesses. They\'ve also hired\nMason Tillman and Associates, Ltd., to prepare a disparity study to justify\nhaving separate goals. And they are in a hurry. They aim to submit their\nrequest for a waiver on August 1, because they aim to advertise in early September\nfor bids for building the main span of the bridge.</p>\n<p>The hearings exposed some simmering tensions between women\nand minority contractors. Over 200 people attended the hearing on Tuesday.</p>\n<h4>Women Business Owners were out in force at a public hearing held by the Missouri and Illinois Department of transportation.<br /></h4>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Woods said Missouri\'s record shows a clear disparity in the\navailability of minority-owned businesses to work with the transportation\ndepartment and how much they end up being utilized on transportation projects.\nHe said that 62 percent of the businesses in the pool of certified\ndisadvantaged business enterprises in the MoDOT region that includes St. Louis\nare minority-owned businesses, but they\'ve received only 12 percent of\ncontracts for disadvantaged business enterprises. Businesses owned by women\nmake up 38 percent of the pool, but they have received 88 percent of the\ndisadvantaged business enterprise contracts, he said. (On May 15, 2009, citing\na 2004 availability study, MoDOT said that businesses owned by white women made\nup 65 percent of the construction disadvantaged enterprise pool. Businesses\nowned by African Americans made up 20 percent of the pool, and businesses owned\nby Hispanics, Asians, or Native Americans accounted for the rest.)</p>\n<p>Women business operators expressed concerns that the process\nwas rigged to take business away from them.</p>\n<p>\"It seems you\'re only interested in advocates for minority\nbusinesses. Will you be speaking to advocates for women, too,\" Patty Evansco\nasked of Eleanor Ramsey, the representative of Mason Tillman.</p>\n<p>Evansco, who is secretary of J-C Hauling, a women-owned\ntrucking company in Millstadt, IL, said that if the transportation departments\nset a goal for women-owned companies that is lower than the amount of work they\nget now, \"we stand to lose business and that could cause a great financial\nhardship for many women-owned businesses.\"</p>\n<p>But Yusef Haqq, chairman of the Mississippi River Bridge\nAdvisory Committee and spokesman for the African American Business and\nContractors Association, said the disadvantaged business enterprise program \"is\ngetting hijacked when you see disparity like you see in this district... We\'re\nseeking an overhaul of the program.\"</p>\n<p>\"Eighty-eight percent and 12 percent does not sound equal,\nlevel, or fair,\" said Yaphett El-Amin, executive director of MOKAN, a minority\ncontractors\' association. \"We\'re asking the U.S. Department of Transportation\nto look at MoDOT and IDOT, and if they find there is discrimination, we\'re\nasking them to halt all federal funds to the area until (the transportation\ndepartments) remedy discrimination,\" she added.</p>\n<p>The Associated General Contractors (AGC) of St. Louis, with\nwritten support from the AGC of America and the American Road &amp;\nTransportation Builders Association, was the only association to specifically\noppose the waiver plan in public.</p>\n<p>\"We will never support a waiver from federal law. The law is\nthe law,\" said Leonard Toenjes, president of the AGC of St. Louis. \"If they\nthink there is discrimination, they should do a proper study and not rush\nsomething through,\" he said.</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>\"Quotas haven\'t worked in 40 years, why do they think that\nif we do more of what doesn\'t work, it will work now,\" Toenjes added.</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Ramsey explained that the waiver the departments of\ntransportation are seeking is for contracting only, not for workforce\nparticipation. MoDOT estimates that the $640 million project will create only a\nhandful of direct construction jobs in Missouri: 18 to build the Missouri\napproach to the bridge and 63 on the main span of the bridge crossing the\nriver.</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>','none','The Missouri and Illinois transportation departments want the federal government to let them set separate contracting goals for including women and minority owned businesses on the new Mississippi River Bridge project.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','/images/uploads/WBE.jpg','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(620,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','IMPACT Strategies Starts Belle Valley Project','none','IMPACT Strategies, Power Maintenance & Constructors','none','<p>Construction-management firm IMPACT Strategies has broken ground on a new, 26,650-square-foot facility for Power\nMaintenance &amp; Constructors (PMC).&nbsp;</p>\n<p>The $2.25 million office/warehouse structure is being built on the last\navailable lot in the third addition of Belle Valley Business Park in\nBelleville, IL.&nbsp;</p>\n<p><img alt=\"Belle Valley\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"188\" src=\"/images/uploads/belle-valley.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"250\" />The new facility will\nreplace PMC\'s existing location on N. 17<sup>th</sup> Street in Belleville.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>The project is scheduled\nfor completion in December.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>IMPACT Strategies joined forces\nwith architectural firm Gray Design Group on the project.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','IMPACT Strategies has started construction on a new facility for Power Maintenance & Constructors in Belleville, IL. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(621,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','KC Group Taps Grubb & Ellis for Casino-Area  Apartments ','none','Grubb & Ellis, KC Venture Group, RiverCity Casino','none','<p>Grubb &amp; Ellis Company (NYSE: GBE), a real estate services and investment firm, and Grubb &amp; Ellis|Gundaker Commercial, an independently owned and operated affiliate of Grubb &amp; Ellis Company, today announced that they have been selected to represent KC Venture Group LLC in the sale of the Southwest Crossing and Cedar Creek Lodge apartment communities in St. Louis. <br /><br />Joseph Allison, senior vice president, Grubb &amp; Ellis|Gundaker Commercial, Symeon Stavrakas, senior associate in Grubb &amp; Ellis\' Chicago office, David Biales, associate vice president, Grubb &amp; Ellis|Gundaker Commercial, Andrea Aston, advisor, Grubb &amp; Ellis|Gundaker Commercial, and Brian Pohl, senior vice president in Grubb &amp; Ellis\' Chicago office, will market the communities for sale.<br /><br /></p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Grubb & Ellis has been selected by KC Venture Group in the sale of two apartment communities close to RiverCity. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(623,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Kirby-Smith Acquires Dallas Company','none','Kirby-Smith, Continental','none','<p><a href=\"http://www.kirby-smith.com/custompage.asp?pg=construction\">Kirby-Smith Machinery Inc.</a>, a regional heavy construction equipment and crane dealer, announced it acquired Dallas-based Continental Equipment Company. The strategic acquisition allows for Kirby-Smith Machinery to retain the Komatsu construction equipment line as well as maintain additional construction-related product lines. <br />&nbsp;<br />In 1998, Continental was purchased by one of the world&rsquo;s largest trading companies, Sumitomo Corporation of America, and has five locations throughout Texas. Kirby-Smith will operate the newly acquired Continental locations under the Kirby-Smith Machinery name. With the addition of Continental, Kirby-Smith will have a total of nine branches located in Oklahoma City; Tulsa, Okla.; Kansas City, Kan.; St. Louis; and Dallas; as well as Fort Worth, Amarillo, Lubbock and Abilene, Texas. Overall, the company will employ more than 300 people. <br />&nbsp;<br />Kirby-Smith is a full-service equipment distributorship, offering new and used equipment sales, parts and service. It also offers a diverse equipment rental fleet and is one of the largest privately owned rental companies in an eight-state region.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Kirby-Smith Machinery Inc., a regional heavy construction equipment and crane dealer, announced it acquired Dallas-based Continental Equipment Company.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(624,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','HOK Tops Green Design Ranking','none','HOK, green, sustainable','none','<p>For the second consecutive year, HOK ranks as the greenest design firm on the planet. A recent survey published in the July 6 issue of <em>Engineering News-Record</em> (ENR) magazine ranked the global architectural design practice as the firm engaged in the most sustainable work.</p>\n<p>The survey is based on revenue for design services generated in 2008 from projects actively seeking certification from major third-party environmental<br />standards or ratings organizations, such as the U.S. Green Building Council\'s LEED&reg; certification system. HOK generated $197.54 million, or 26 percent of total revenue, from sustainable projects in 2008.</p>\n<p>In the magazine\'s individual rankings by sector, HOK ranked first in the \"Education\" sector; second in the \"Commercial Offices\" sector; second in the \"Sports, Entertainment &amp; Civic\" sector; and third in the \"Government Offices\" sector.</p>\n<p>As a group, the Top 100 firms generated $2.85 billion in design revenue in 2008 from projects registered with, and actively seeking certification from,<br />third-party ratings groups. This marked a 63.9% increase over $1.74 billion in revenue from 2007 for the group.</p>\n<p>Despite the economic downturn that has slowed global construction, HOK\'s green expertise and impact have continued to increase. \"While the business<br />has shifted dramatically in the past year, sustainable design continues to resonate among clients across all sectors and regions,\" says HOK Sustainable<br />Design Director Mary Ann Lazarus. \"We are continuing to broaden our expertise to help clients solve their environmental, economic and social challenges through traditional and non-traditional strategies. And through our exclusive alliance with the Biomimicry Guild, we are applying nature\'s innovations to the planning and design of buildings, communities and cities worldwide.\"</p>\n<p>A pioneer in the green building movement since the erly 1990s, HOK\'s sustainable design expertise has led to 43 LEED certified projects, six<br />BREEAM rated projects and more than 100 others actively pursuing certification. The firm has played a significant role in applying sustainable design strategies to emerging geographic regions, building types and sectors.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','For the second consecutive year, HOK ranks as the greenest design firm on the planet.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(625,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Guarantee Electrical EOTP Paying Dividends','none','Guarantee, EOTP','none','<p>As its first wave of\nemployee-owners approach 100 percent vesting in Autumn 2010, St. Louis-based Guarantee\nElectrical Co. is finding that its\n2005 decision to launch an employee ownership transfer plan (EOTP) is paying\ndividends even greater than expected.&nbsp; In fact, the initiative has proven\nso invigorating to the financial and managerial underpinnings of the\n107-year-old firm that it is looking to attract new merger partners from across\nthe U.S. by using the prospect of employee ownership as a primary lure.</p>\n<p>Guarantee ranks among the\nnation\'s largest electrical contractors with 2008 revenues topping $156\nmillion, regional offices in Denver, CO and Granite City, IL&nbsp; plus on-going\noperations in California.&nbsp; The\ncompany has about 120 salaried employees and employs up to 1,000 electrical and\ncommunication craft workers at project peaks.</p>\n<p>Guarantee\'s EOTP consists of\ntwo components - a Key Management Stock Purchase Program (KMSPP) and an ESOP.&nbsp; For the KMSPP, the\ncompany\'s Executive Management Team (EMT) recommends participants to its Board of Directors.&nbsp; In\nturn, the board approves all stock purchases.&nbsp; Every non-bargaining employee with a minimum of one year of\nservice, working at least 1,000 hours annually, qualifies for inclusion in the\nESOP. \"Only non-bargaining employees qualify because there is a lot of turnover\namong hourly construction workers,\" said Rick Oertli, president and chief executive officer of the\ncompany. \"In addition, union workers have some very attractive benefits that\nnonunion employees don\'t have, so the ESOP helps level the playing the field,\"\nhe said. Employees can purchase stock using\ncompany contributions that are set as a percent of base salary.&nbsp; In 2008,\nGuarantee contributed 11.4 percent of each qualified employee\'s salary to the\nstock purchase fund.</p>\n<p>Right now, salaried employees\nin the ESOP own 17.5 percent of Guarantee stock, while a group of executives\nand managers holds 56.5 percent, said Oertli.&nbsp; Retired and non-working family shareholders of the once 100\npercent family-owned company hold the remaining 26 percent - compared to the 62\npercent they held when the EOTP was launched in 2005.&nbsp; The goal, said Oertli is for the ESOP to hold 30 to 40\npercent of the company\'s shares by 2012, with key executives and managers\nowning the 60 to 70 percent balance.</p>\n<p>With the&nbsp; successes\nof its 2003 acquisition of Kimsey Electrical Contracting, based in Denver, CO, and its 2004 purchase of St.\nLouis-based voice/data/video installer TEL-Vi Communications, growth-minded Guarantee is scouting for additional\nmergers in 2009.&nbsp; It is targeting\ncontractors with good reputations, annual revenues of $10 million or more, a solid\nhistory of performance and established market positions.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>\"Our Kimsey and TEL-Vi\nmergers significantly broadened our managerial and engineering talent pools and\nhave been consistently accretive to our bottom line.&nbsp; Guarantee is a\nstronger organization today than it would be otherwise,\" Oertli said.&nbsp;\n\"The fact that we now offer a proven employee ownership plan sweetens\nthe deal for merger candidates concerned about the long-term future of team\nmembers who have contributed to their firm\'s success.... Prospective new\nemployees see a framework already in place to integrate themselves as owners.\nAnd historically, firms with employee ownership outperform concerns without\nthat shared ownership.\"</p>\n<p>Oertli\'s assertion was most\nrecently borne out in research completed at the City University of New York in\n2008.&nbsp; The study, entitled <em>Employee Ownership and Participation\nEffects on Firm Outcomes</em>, posited that a typical 200-person employee-owned firm\ncould be expected to post an almost $9 million annual sales advantage over a\n200-person counterpart without employee ownership.&nbsp; Using standard\nstatistical methods, the average per employee sales advantage for\nemployee-owned firms was a healthy 8.8 percent greater than non-employee-owned\ncounterparts of the same size in the same industry.</p>\n<p>Oertli\nbelieves other strategic advantages attributed to employee ownership surface in\nchallenging economic environments. \"Unquestionably, employee-owned firms tend\nto cultivate company-wide engagement and a &lsquo;team\' mentality.&nbsp; That gives us a leg up as we compete\nfor work in a tough economy,\" he said. \"It also supports long-term continuity\nin management and strengthens our ability to retain and develop superior\ntechnical talent - factors that again enable us to compete more successfully.\"</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Guarantee Electrical Co. is finding that its 2005 decision to launch an employee ownership transfer plan (EOTP) is paying dividends even greater than expected. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(626,1,5,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','Hot Rod Heart','none','Arteaga, Wayne, Willys, Geezer Gassers','none','<p class=\"MsoNormal\">&ldquo;Ooh, let\'s go ridin\'<br />Cruisin\' down the open road<br />We can put the top down<br />Listen to the radio<br />Big ol\' Buick<br />And a big ol\' sky<br />Wheels on fire<br />And I\'ll tell you why<br />I got a hot rod heart.&rdquo;</p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">From <em>Hot Rod Heart </em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\">by John Fogerty</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">On June 15<sup>th</sup>,\na black Monda<img alt=\"Wayne Arteaga car\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"201\" src=\"/images/uploads/arteaga-car.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"300\" />y morning with rain coming down so hard that it sloshed\ninto my shoes, I followed a large and diverse crowd into the Shrine of\nSt. Joseph,<span> </span>just north of the Convention Center.</p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">There were men in suits, women in pearls and other folks in dressy casual. Then there were the guys in the &ldquo;<a href=\"http://www.geezergassers.com/\">Geezer Gassers</a>&rdquo; T-shirts.</p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">I was attending the memorial service for Wayne Arteaga.<span> </span>Wayne was the &ldquo;quiet&rdquo; Arteaga<span> </span>&ndash; and that was saying a lot.<span> </span>Robert\nWayne Arteaga was the son of Robert &ldquo;Bob&rdquo; Arteaga, brother of Eldon\nArteaga, and uncle of Bradley Arteaga of Arteaga Studios.<span> </span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">The\nArteagas have been intertwined in the history of St. Louis and the\nbuilding industry here for almost three-quarters of a century. Bob\nbegan by working for others, photographing legendary celebrities such\nas Charles Lindbergh and Babe Ruth. Then the Arteagas received a\ncommission to photograph the Arch&rsquo;s construction. The assignment was to\nshoot once a month, but instead the Arteagas shot thousands of photos,\ncreating an unprecedented record of the construction of a national\nmonument.</p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">The\nArteagas have been passionate advocates for St. Louis, and particularly\nfor Downtown. On the wall of Arteaga Studios at the corner of Brannon\nand Delor is a sign from their old studio, which was located from 1946\nto 1953 on what is now part of the Arch Grounds. The &ldquo;A&rdquo; in Arteaga is\nan Arch, which is really strange when you consider that the design for\nthe Arch had not even been conceived at that time.</p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">The\nArch photography was a defining moment for the Arteagas. Eldon, Wayne,\nand Bradley have become familiar figures at industry events, and for\ntheir documentation of the construction in St. Louis.<span> </span>The breathtaking restoration of the Shrine of St. Joseph was an Arteaga family mission.<span> </span>Sitting in the church on June 15 I couldn&rsquo;t believe it was the same pigeon-infested disaster they&rsquo;d shown me before work began.</p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Bob\nArteaga was a walking dichotomy, profane in one breath and deeply\nspiritual in the next, but always passionate. Eldon is everybody&rsquo;s best\nfriend, always good for a bad joke. I&rsquo;ve never had a conversation with\nhim that lasted less than half an hour. Eldon&rsquo;s son Bradley is the\nconsummate businessman/entrepreneur &shy;&ndash; outgoing, smart, and direct.</p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">\n<meta content=\"text/html; charset=utf-8\" />\nThen\nthere was Wayne. Wayne could be funny with a dry wit that could be\nhysterical at times. But mostly he was quiet in counterbalance to the\nalmost manic enthusiasm of Bob and Eldon. He was devoted to his wife\nBernie and daughter Chris. Wayne could almost seem boring&hellip; until you\nsaw his cars. When I met Wayne he was driving a lime green Willys that\nhe&rsquo;d converted into a pickup truck.</p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Wayne\nbecame legendary in drag racing circles for his maroon 1939 Willys with\na blown 360-inch Chrysler Hemi engine. Wayne and his friend John\nHellmuth blew up engines and had fun through the 1960s. Eventually\nWayne&rsquo;s daughter Chris caught the bug. Wayne converted the green truck\ninto a racer and painted it blue for her.</p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Wayne\nis legendary in hot rod/drag racing circles, as a Google search of his\nname quickly reveals. Brad Arteaga told me that a couple of weeks\nbefore his uncle died there was a get-together of the old gasser racers\nthat Wayne attended. &ldquo;Some young guys were in awe. They were asking him\nto sign their dashboards,&rdquo; Brad said.</p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">In\nhis own way, Wayne Arteaga was just as passionate as his more\nvociferous dad, brother, and nephew. But it isn&rsquo;t his passion for\npre-WWII Willys that I&rsquo;ll remember him for. When I think of Wayne I\nrecall his devotion to his family and friends, his steadiness in a\ncrisis and the grace that he gave me in some of my less graceful\nmoments.</p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--></p>\n<p>As John Fogerty would say, Wayne Arteaga had a hot rod heart.</p>','','345','none','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','','none','On June 15th, a black Monday morning with rain coming down so hard that it sloshed into my shoes, I followed a large and diverse crowd into the Shrine of St. Joseph, just north of the Convention Center. ','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(627,1,2,'','none','','none','','none','Construction All Star Heroes','none','ASA, Cardinals, USO, military','none','<p><!--[endif]-->The All Star game may have made headlines\nfor St. Louis, but the Midwest Council, American Subcontractors Association,\nrecently put together some lifetime baseball memories of its own.</p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 16pt;\">The ASA was looking for a way to give back to active U.S.\nmilitary in the St. Louis area. The answer: Cardinals Baseball. ASA members donated\n146 tickets with a face value of $9,100 to the USO. The average ticket value\nwas over $62 each.&nbsp; One firm also donated food and drink vouchers also\nwith their tickets. Military from Whiteman AFB, Fort Leonard Wood, Scott Air\nForce Base, Springfield Missouri, Sparta IL</p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 16pt;\">Tom McDonnell, of George McDonnell and Sons, who\ncoordinated the ticket effort, explained how it came about. &ldquo;At ASA&rsquo;s July 2007\nmeeting, the members had an open discussion about fundraisers and helping in\nthe community.<span>&nbsp; </span>A number of ideas,\nsuch as a canned food drive, which was implemented over the Christmas holidays,\nwere floated. Hugh Young of United Rentals suggested helping USO of Missouri.&rdquo;</p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><img alt=\"David Motes\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"303\" src=\"/images/uploads/features/dave-motes_1.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"266\" /></p>\n<h4>Major David Motes of the 101st Airborne, with Wife Sarah and Daughter Molly at a Cardinals/Twins game.<br /></h4>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica;\"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--><!--[endif]--></span></p>\n<p>\n<meta name=\"Title\" />\n<meta name=\"Keywords\" />\n<meta content=\"text/html; charset=utf-8\" />\n<meta content=\"Word.Document\" name=\"ProgId\" />\n<meta content=\"Microsoft Word 10\" name=\"Generator\" />\n<meta content=\"Microsoft Word 10\" name=\"Originator\" />\n<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> Normal\n  0\n  0\n  1\n  149\n  853\n  PGD\n  7\n  1\n  1047\n  10.265 </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> 0\n  0\n  0 </xml><![endif]-->ASA received a number of emails from military, including\nthe following from Major David Motes:</p>\n<p>\"<em>Ms Gillick, Mr. Fogarty, and Team\nat the ASA-Midwest Council:</em></p>\n<p><em>\" I am a\nSoldier very recently assigned to Scott AFB, IL.&nbsp; Since 2002, I\'ve been on four deployments to Afghanistan and\nIraq for a total of 40 months. In fact, I just returned six months ago from my\nlatest deployment to Iraq while on assignment with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team,\n101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).</em></p>\n<p><em>\"I want to\nexpress my sincerest gratitude for your organization\'s donation of the baseball\ntickets.&nbsp; Despite the loss last\nnight to the Twins, my family and I had a great time!&nbsp; My daughter is just only recently getting into the\nexcitement of Cardinals baseball.&nbsp;\nWe thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the game, especially when we\nyelled \"charge!\" as a family in the hopes that the Redbirds would\npull out a victory.</em></p>\n<p><em>\"I\'ve\nattached a picture of my family at last night\'s game.</em></p>\n<p><em>\"Again, I want to thank you for the gift of the tickets!</em></p>\n<p><em>Regards,</em></p>\n<p><em><br /></em></p>\n<p><em> Dave\nMotes\"</em></p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>','none','The All Star game may have made headlines for St. Louis, but the Midwest Council, American Subcontractors Association, recently put together some lifetime baseball memories of its own. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','/images/uploads/features/dave-motes_1.jpg','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(628,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','S.M. Wilson to Manage $51 Million for Clayton Schools','none','S.M. Wilson, Clayton, schools','none','<p>&nbsp;\n<meta name=\"Keywords\" />\n<meta content=\"text/html; charset=utf-8\" />\n<meta content=\"Word.Document\" name=\"ProgId\" />\n<meta content=\"Microsoft Word 10\" name=\"Generator\" />\n<meta content=\"Microsoft Word 10\" name=\"Originator\" />\n<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> Normal\n  0\n  0\n  1\n  246\n  1407\n  PGD\n  11\n  2\n  1727\n  10.265 </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> 0\n  0\n  0 </xml><![endif]-->S. M. Wilson &amp; Co. has been selected to provide\npre-construction and construction management services for a $51 million program\nof building renovations, expansions and site improvements for the School\nDistrict of Clayton.&nbsp;\nThe two-year, multi-phase building program will include improvements to\nClayton High School, Captain Elementary School, Glenridge Elementary School,\nMeramec Elementary School and the Family Center.</p>\n<p>Construction\nis scheduled to begin in August.&nbsp;\nFunding for the program was made possible by the recent passage of Proposition\nS by voters in the School District of Clayton.</p>\n<p>Clayton\nHigh School will receive three new additions, including a three-story\nscience and technology addition consisting of new classrooms and science labs\nand a small two-story addition featuring athletic department space and new\nhealth classrooms.&nbsp; The school\'s\ntheater will also be renovated along with renovations to many of the existing\nclassrooms and offices. The project also includes HVAC and building system\nupgrades.</p>\n<p>The\nelementary schools will all receive additional classroom space, as well as\nrepairs and updates to the heating, air conditioning, plumbing and electrical\nsystems.&nbsp;&nbsp; The Family Center\nwill receive additional early childhood education classroom space.</p>\n<p>Architects\ninclude Bond+Wolfe Architects for the high school project and Trivers\nAssociates for the elementary schools and Family Center projects.</p>\n<p>S.\nM. Wilson is currently completing a district-wide school renovation program for\nthe Ladue School District.</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','  S. M. Wilson & Co. has been selected to provide services for a $51 million program for the School District of Clayton. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(630,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Kwame\'s Thompson Elected to  SLCC Foundation Exec Committee','none','Thompson, Kwame, St. Louis Community College','none','<p>Tony Thompson, president of <a href=\"http://www.kwamebuildinggroup.com \">Kwame Building Group</a> of St. Louis, has been elected to the executive committee of the St. Louis Community College Foundation board of directors for fiscal year 2009/2010.<br /><br />The St. Louis Community College Foundation advances the college&rsquo;s educational mission by soliciting and administering funds for college scholarships, programs, capital projects and endowment.<br /><br />Kwame Building Group is a pure program and construction management firm providing estimating, scheduling, project planning, value engineering and other project management services as an independent advocate for owners and developers.&nbsp; Public and private sector projects include educational facilities, major airports nationwide, light-rail systems, hospitals and government facilities.&nbsp; KWAME is headquartered in St. Louis with division offices in Dallas, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Pittsburgh and Seattle.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Tony Thompson, president of Kwame, has been elected to the St. Louis Community College Foundation executive committee. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(629,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','AIA Panel Predicts \"Significant\" Commercial Drop Through 2010','none','AIA, consensus, commericial','none','<p>Feeling the effects of the struggling overall U.S. economy, nonresidential construction spending is expected to decrease by 16 percent in 2009 and drop by another almost 12 percent in 2010 in inflation adjusted terms. Commercial projects will see the most significant decrease in activity.&nbsp;&nbsp; In contrast, most institutional building categories are expected to see much more modest declines over this period. These are highlights from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) semi-annual <a href=\"http://info.aia.org/aiarchitect/thisweek09/0710/0710b_consensus.cfm\">Consensus Construction Forecast</a> , a survey of the nation\'s leading construction forecasters. <br />&nbsp;<br />\"While there are some indications that the overall economy is beginning to recover, nonresidential construction activity typically lags behind the rest of the economy,\" said AIA Chief Economist, Kermit Baker, PhD, Hon. AIA. \"Commercial facilities such as hotels, retail establishments and offices will feel the decline most dramatically. The institutional market will fare much better as stimulus funding becomes available for education, healthcare and government facilities.\" <br />&nbsp;</p>\n<h4>Market Segment Consensus Growth Forecasts <em>(AIA GRAPHIC)</em></h4>\n<p><img alt=\"AIA Consensus\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"612\" src=\"/images/uploads/aia-consensus.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"493\" /><br />&nbsp; <br />&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>\"This nonresidential downturn is shaping up to be the deepest decline in nonresidential activity in over a generation.\" Baker added. \"However, we\'re beginning to see some moderation in the trends in design billings at architecture firms, so we hopefully are nearing the bottom of this cycle.\"&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />&nbsp;<br /><strong>About the AIA Consensus Construction Forecast Panel</strong><br />The AIA Consensus Construction Forecast Panel is conducted twice a year with the leading nonresidential construction forecasters in the United States including, McGraw Hill Construction, Global Insight, Moody\'s economy.com, Reed Business Information, the Portland Cement Association, and FMI. The purpose of the Consensus Construction Forecast Panel is to project business conditions in the construction industry over the coming 12 to 18 months. The Consensus Construction Forecast Panel has been conducted for 11 years.<br />&nbsp;</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','The AIA Consensus Panel sees commercial work taking the biggest hit through ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(631,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Suttle Mindlin Published in Turkish Magazine','none','Suttle Mindlin, Turkish','none','<p>Tasarim magazine, a Turkish design publication, featured <a href=\"ttp://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102629139363&amp;s=459&amp;e=001DRpQobs5JlWjmZYytKOD0Jat3G63vzT6_qhUgU92Hww6JPF6Xr01dD_uiPpRXm2aGePxKTChcBr4CibbWxoaQka_nycoSXeB9jxfL5GrVXsEaK2q_ZqEIw==&gt;\">Suttle Mindlin</a> in a recent shopping malls themed issue.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>The Suttle Mindlin project, Dolce Vita Porto, is a&nbsp; 2 million square foot urban&nbsp; revitalization project comprising retail, entertainment, residential and <br />hotel in the city of Porto, Portugal.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Suttle Mindlin provided full services, including design and construction documents and managing a team of professionals <br />on two continents and six cities.&nbsp;&nbsp; Dolce Vita Porto has been widely&nbsp; published, has won several international design awards, and is a strong <br />commercial and cultural success, Suttle Mindlin said. <br /><a href=\"http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102629139363&amp;s=459&amp;e=001DRpQobs5JlWjmZYytKOD0Jat3G63vzT6_qhUgU92Hww6JPF6Xr01dD_uiPpRXm2aGePxKTChcBr4CibbWxoaQka_nycoSXeB9jxfL5GrVXsEaK2q_ZqEIw==\"></a></p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Tasarim magazine, a Turkish design publication, featured Suttle Mindlin in a recent shopping malls themed issue. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(632,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Funeral Services Held for Clayco\'s Greg Beck','none','Beck, died, CFO','none','<p>Funeral services were held today (Monday, July 20) for Greg Beck, CFO and senior vice president at <a class=\"story_clink\" href=\"http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/related_content.html?topic=Clayco\">Clayco</a>.</p>\n<p>Beck died July 16 of injuries suffered when he was struck by a car July 15 while running near his Chesterfield home.</p>\n<p>Beck joined Clayco in 2006 and was a partner in the Overland-based development and construction firm.</p>\n<p>Prior to joining Clayco, Beck was CFO at <a class=\"story_clink\" href=\"http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/related_content.html?topic=HBE%20Corp\">HBE Corp.</a> in St. Louis County.</p>\n<p>Beck is survived by his wife of 27 years, Marianne, and three children, David, Emily and Steven.</p>\n<p><img alt=\"Greg Beck\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"228\" src=\"/images/uploads/beck_1.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"175\" /></p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Mike Murphy, CFO at Clayco prior to his retirement in\n2005, is returning as interim CFO of Clayco effective immediately.</p>\n<p>&ldquo;Greg was a great family man, athlete, friend, partner and best co-worker we could ask for&rdquo; a Clayco spokesperson said.</p>\n<p>Memorial tributes should be sent to Friends of KIDS with Cancer, 530 Maryville Centre Drive (63141)</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Funeral services were held today (Monday, July 20) for Greg Beck, ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(678,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','NAWIC Block Fest Highlight of Oct. 3 Parents as Teachers Event','none','NAWIC, Parents as Teachers, Block Fest','none','<p>A highlight of The National Center for Parents as Teachers Family Play\nDate&nbsp; from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3 at the St. Charles Convention Center will be BLOCK Fest&trade;, an interactive construction exhibit developed by the University of Idaho Parents as Teachers program to build math and science skills in young children.</p>\n<p>Using hands-on activities through block play, BLOCK Fest&trade; encourages young children and their parents to learn and play side by side. St. Louis Chapter 38 NAWIC is partnering with Parents as Teachers at Family Play Date to expose young children to the world of construction through BLOCK FestTM as well as through its own demonstration project.</p>\n<p>Children don\'t come with instruction manuals, so for 25 years Parents as Teachers has been helping parents embrace their important role as their child\'s first and best teacher. BLOCK Fest&trade; , along with dozens of local exhibits will give area families an opportunity to experience Parents as Teachers and a variety of other family-friendly activities.<br /><br />Based in St. Louis, the <a href=\"http://www.parentsasteachers.org.\">National Center for Parents as Teachers</a> is the resource base and backbone of the largest parent education program in the nation.</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','St. Louis Chapter 38 NAWIC will partner with the National Center for Parents as Teachers (PAT) on an interactive construction program at the Oct. 3 PAT Family Play Date. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(641,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Budrovich BIG on You Tube','none','Budrovich, crane, YouTube','none','<p>\n<meta name=\"Title\" />\n<meta name=\"Keywords\" />\n<meta content=\"text/html; charset=utf-8\" />\n<meta content=\"Word.Document\" name=\"ProgId\" />\n<meta content=\"Microsoft Word 10\" name=\"Generator\" />\n<meta content=\"Microsoft Word 10\" name=\"Originator\" />\n<link href=\"file:///Users/tom/Library/Preferences/Microsoft/Clipboard/msoclip1/01/clip_clip_filelist.xml\" rel=\"File-List\" />\n<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> Normal\n  0\n  0\n  1\n  137\n  785\n  PGD\n  6\n  1\n  964\n  10.265 </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> 0\n  0\n  0 </xml><![endif]-->\n<style>\n\n</style>\n</p>\n<p>The biggest new star on YouTube may be a crane owned by\nBudrovich.</p>\n<p>A.J. Ford, vice presi<a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fi-mFgCeKfE\"><img alt=\"Budrovich 550\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"155\" src=\"/images/uploads/budrovich.jpg\" style=\"float: right;\" width=\"200\" /></a>dent for sales and marketing at\nBudrovich, posted a time lapse video of the assembly of what he said is the\nlargest mobile hydraulic crane in the Midwest, the GMK7550-550 mobile,\nhydraulic, self-erecting, 550-ton crane.</p>\n<h4>Click on Image to Watch Budrovich video<br /></h4>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Ford shared a few of the huge crane\'s stats:</p>\n<ul>\n<li>Only 550 ton within 300 miles of St. Louis</li>\n<li>Grove GMK7550-550 ton.</li>\n<li>Purchased in 2006</li>\n<li>197 ft. of five-section full power main boom</li>\n<li>240 ft. of lattice luffing jib OR</li>\n<li>230 ft. of fixed lattice jib</li>\n<li>430 ft. of overall tip height</li>\n<li>Mega-Wing boom attachment</li>\n<li>352,000 lb. of hydraulically installed/removed\ncounterweights</li>\n</ul>\n<p>Ford said the crane\'s applications include heavy\nindustrial, power generation, refining, commercial windfarm maintenance,\nemergency response, and long-reach. Since 2006 it has been used in Missouri,\nIllinois, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa.</p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: ArialMT; color: navy;\"></span> <!--EndFragment--></p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','The biggest new star on YouTube may be a crane owned by Budrovich.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(642,1,2,'','none','','none','','none','Operating Engineers Help Set Table for Habitat Party','none','Habitat, Operating Engineers','none','<p>\n<meta name=\"Title\" />\n<meta name=\"Keywords\" />\n<meta content=\"text/html; charset=utf-8\" />\n<meta content=\"Word.Document\" name=\"ProgId\" />\n<meta content=\"Microsoft Word 10\" name=\"Generator\" />\n<meta content=\"Microsoft Word 10\" name=\"Originator\" />\n<link href=\"file:///Users/tom/Library/Preferences/Microsoft/Clipboard/msoclip1/01/clip_clip_filelist.xml\" rel=\"File-List\" />\n<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> Normal\n  0\n  0\n  1\n  509\n  2905\n  PGD\n  24\n  5\n  3567\n  10.265 </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> 0\n  0\n  0 </xml><![endif]-->\n<style>\n\n</style>\n</p>\n<p>There were speeches, tears, prayers, face painting, the\nHarris Stowe University band, and all the other earmarks of a celebration on\nSunday Aug. 1, when Habitat for Humanity St. Louis handed over the keys of 10\nnew homes to the homes\' owners.&nbsp;\nAnd some Operating Engineers Local 513 apprentices, their instructor, a\nlocal masonry contractor, and an equipment vendor played a role in helping the\nparty to happen.</p>\n<p>The dedication ceremony was held at the heart of the\nproject near the intersection of Thomas and Garrison in the Jeff-Vander-Lou\narea.&nbsp; It marked the completion of\nPhase I of this year\'s build, which will total 24 homes by Christmas. Last\nyear, Habitat for Humanity St. Louis completed 27 LEED Platinum-certified homes\n- one of the largest assemblages of LEED-certified residential property in the\ncountry. This green community will total more than 90 homes in a\nlong-overlooked section of urban St. Louis, just North of St. Louis University\nand the Fox Theatre, East of Grand Avenue.</p>\n<p><img alt=\"Talisha Franklin\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"303\" src=\"/images/uploads/habitat.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"266\" /></p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<h4>Talisha Franklin Holds The Keys to her new home.</h4>\n<p>Faced with a daunting schedule and just a week to go\nbefore the dedication ceremony, William McHugh, construction manager for\nHabitat for Humanity St. Louis, put out a call for help with the finish grading\nfor the first ten home sites. Normally that task is performed by Habitat staff,\nbut McHugh realized that if they could get some assistance in the form of\nBobcat operators they\'d be able to keep volunteers and staff focused on moving\nthe remaining 14 homes forward.</p>\n<p>Ready, willing and able, Operating Engineers Local 513\nresponded to the call, sending seven apprentices and an instructor out to the\njobsite. Dan Head of Kirkwood Masonry also stepped up to help. Randy White of\nBobcat of St. Louis even hauled in extra equipment to make sure the lots were\ngood to go when the sod trucks rolled in.</p>\n<p>Hundreds of volunteers have committed months of time\nworking on the construction that led up to the Aug. 2 event.&nbsp; Mohammed Jier, a native of Kenya, who\nreceived the keys to his new home along with his wife Shams Dad, thanked\n\"God, and everyone who helped, and everyone who donated, and everyone who\nprayed or kept us in their thoughts\" for the home into which the couple\nand their children Ali and Aisha are moving.</p>\n<p>Through the combined efforts of generous sponsors,\ndedicated volunteers and the agency\'s remarkable staff, Habitat for Humanity\nSt. Louis is literally transforming the neighborhood into which Talisha\nFranklin will move with her children Ta\'Anyea and Terrel at the end of this\nmonth. Every Saturday since construction began, Franklin, who is completing her\nMasters\' degree in early childhood education, has worked shoulder to shoulder\nwith volunteers to put a roof over her family\'s head. Even after a grueling\neight hour workday, construction leaders say it wasn\'t unusual to see her dash\nhome to tackle an important paper or to ferry her kids to Cub Scout camping\ntrips, birthday parties and family outings. Franklin will close on her new home\nin just a few weeks.</p>\n<h4><img alt=\"Habitat Map\" height=\"313\" src=\"/images/uploads/habitat-map.jpg\" width=\"319\" /></h4>\n<h4>Area of this Year\'s Habitat Build<br /></h4>\n<p>The St. Louis Police Department is so appreciative of the\ndifference this renewal project is making in the JeffVanderLou neighborhood\nthat it staged helicopter landings on a nearby grade school ball field for the\nbenefit of the families attending the dedication.</p>\n<p>Habitat is already well under way with Phase II of this\nyear\'s build, which is set to wrap up in September. Phase III should be\nfinished in time for Christmas. To find out more about Habitat for Humanity St.\nLouis, visit www.habitatstl.org or call 314-371-0400,&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>','none','There were all the earmarks of a celebration on Sunday, Aug.,  when Habitat for Humanity St. Louis handed over the keys of 10 new homes.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','/images/uploads/habitat.jpg','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(636,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Arcturis Honored for Edward Jones Concrete                                                ','none','Arcturis, precast, Edward Jones','none','<p>Arcturis, a local, multi-disciplined architectural design firm, has been awarded a 2009 Design Award from PCI (Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute). Arcturis won the award for Best Office Building Project for its work on the Edward Jones North Campus Building in Maryland Heights. The award will be presented at PCI&rsquo;s annual convention in October. PCI is a Chicago-based national industry organization dedicated to\nfostering greater understanding and use of precast and prestressed\nconcrete.<br /><br />&nbsp;Arcturis was recognized by the industry group for its ability to find a distinctive yet affordable precast concrete solution for the exterior of the six-story, 198,100 sq. ft. steel structure. &ldquo;The challenge for us was to create the classic yet contemporary look of limestone, but stay within our construction schedule and budget,&rdquo; explained the project&rsquo;s architect, Dave Nichols. &ldquo;We sought alternate materials that would approximate the look of limestone, but at a significantly reduced weight.&rdquo;<br /><br />&nbsp;More than 50,000 square feet of the building&rsquo;s exterior is now covered with a carbon fiber grid that will not corrode and that saves weight and concrete. The architectural precast materials weigh up to 50 percent less than conventional precast concrete panels, yet yield the same performance and appearance qualities. &ldquo;Precast helped us make the strong design statement we wanted,&rdquo; added Arcturis&rsquo; Vern Remiger, AIA.<br /><br />&nbsp;The Edward Jones facility will house approximately 800 occupants as part of a long-term campus plan that the investment firm is developing over several years. It shares a four-acre site with a 312,500 square foot campus parking garage with capacity for 958 cars. The building also features sun-shading devices, interior light shelves, raised access flooring and direct/indirect lighting.<br /><br />&nbsp;In 2008, Arcturis (www.arcturis.com) ranked as the region&rsquo;s largest interior design firm in the St. Louis Business Journal Book of Lists. A registered Woman-Owned Business, Arcturis offers planning and urban design, architecture, interiors, graphic design, facility support services, real estate strategies, landscape architecture and civil engineering services for communities, major corporations, higher education, financial institutions, the hospitality industry and public facilities.<br /><br />&nbsp;<br /><br /></p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','The use of prescast/prestressed concrete in hte new Edward Jones North Campus Building has won an award for Arcturis. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(637,1,5,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','Expand Your Base','none','sales, expanded base, Woodcock','none','<p>The easy thing to do when markets get tight and business slows is to blame the economy or external factors.&nbsp; As your traditional customer base slows down, you slow down,&nbsp; causing you to struggle to maintain revenue levels.</p>\n<p><img alt=\"expanded base\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"190\" src=\"/images/uploads/expanded-base.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"244\" />Unfortunately, this is simply an excuse.&nbsp; When we aren\'t challenged to expand our customer base we usually don\'t.&nbsp; As I travel around the country I hear people talk about pricing competition, dwindling demand or the lack of financing available.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Let me give you a very simple solution: <em>expand your customer base.</em></p>\n<p>Though this may seem elementary, few actually apply it.&nbsp; Expanding your base can occur in two fashions:</p>\n<ol>\n<li>Going to non-traditional customers. </li>\n</ol><ol>\n<li>Iincreasing the number of clients.&nbsp; </li>\n</ol>\n<p>There is no such thing as a finite pool of business opportunity, merely the limitations of our own efforts.&nbsp; Setting sales strategies to aggressively approach these business pools is essential to success.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Doing the basic research necessary by reviewing websites, past projects, network connections or marketing materials can give you a leg up in qualifying the new clients you will approach.</p>\n<p>Doing nothing is a guarantee of lesser results than previous years.&nbsp; Not having a plan is conducive to failure.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Spreading your base will also solidify your market position and financial health when the economy rights itself. All in all, widen that business backside as much as possible!</p>','','346','none','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','','none','Tom Woodcock says that now is the time to look to more prospects and non-traditional customers.','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(638,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','MO Construction Employment Somewhat Better Than Other States','none','jobs, Simonson, BLS','none','<p>Good news of an ironic sort: Missouri construction employment isn\'t off as much as other places. But Illinois is a whole other story.</p>\n<p>Missouri placed just below the top third in U.S. construction emploment June \'08 to June \'09, according to a report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).&nbsp; The state ranked 18th in total construction jobs, having lost 13,300 jobs since last June. Illinois ranked 32nd in employment, with a loss of 38,100 jobs, June-to-June.</p>\n<p><img alt=\"job loss\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"57\" src=\"/images/uploads/job-loss_3.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"525\" /></p>\n<p>Construction workers continued to bear the pain of steep job losses\nalmost everywhere in June, as construction employment rose only in\nNorth Dakota (by 5 percent) and Louisiana (4 percent), compared to June\n2008, according to new data released by BLS.</p>\n<p>Jobs disappeared in the remaining 48 states and the District of\nColumbia, with losses as great as 26 percent in Arizona, 23 percent in\nNevada, 22 percent in Connecticut and 20 percent in Tennessee, noted\nKen Simonson, the chief economist for the Associated General\nContractors of America.\n\"The Recovery Act will start mitigating job losses in all states for\nthe rest of the year and into 2010,\" said Simonson. \"But the worsening\nstate and local fiscal picture, along with continued sluggishness in\nthe private sector, means that nonresidential construction work will\nkeep shrinking.\"</p>\n<p>\"Single-family homebuilders appear finally to have touched bottom\nand should begin hiring on net,\" Simonson commented. \"However, the\nmulti-family market remains moribund, with weak demand, excessive\nsupply in many states and no credit availability.\"</p>\n<p>Simonson urged Congress to act quickly on transferring money into\nthe federal Highway Trust Fund to avert interruption of payments to\nhighway contractors that would force more layoffs. He also called for\nprompt enactment of pending authorization bills for highways and\ntransit, aviation and water projects, along with passage of\nappropriations bills that include federal construction.</p>\n<p>\"All of these bills will deliver both short- and long-term benefits\nto the American public, while providing desperately needed jobs for\nconstruction workers in every state,\" he added.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Missouri placed just below the top third in U.S. construction emploment June \'08 to June \'09.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(639,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Sharp June Drops in Nonresidential','none','Reed, nonresidential','none','<p>The value of nonresidential construction starts nationally in June &ldquo;decreased 71% from May, more than offsetting the 27% increase the previous month,&rdquo; Reed Construction Data Chief Economist Jim Haughey reported on Thursday, based on Reed&rsquo;s compilation of starts. &ldquo;Every construction category declined significantly in June.The May-June boom/bust is substantially random. Nonetheless, the slim starts total reported for June does signal that nonresidential construction is entering the weakest period in this business cycle. But by itself, June was not as grim as the starts total suggests.The 22% year-to-date decline is a better indicator of the trend for the rest of the year than the 71% June decline. The current bid calendar suggests that much of the June drop will be reversed in the next few months.&rdquo;<br /><br /><a href=\"http://www.mmsend1.com/ls.cfm?r=186186751&amp;sid=7006983&amp;m=779301&amp;u=agca&amp;s=http://www.nabe.com\">&nbsp; A quarterly survey</a> of 102 corporate and trade association economists released on Monday by the National Association for Business Economics&nbsp; &ldquo;provides new evidence that the U.S. recession is abating, but few signs of an immediate recovery,&rdquo; said Sara Johnson, of IHS Global Insight. &ldquo;Only 10% [of 59 respondents to the question] expect to increase capital spending expectations on structures over the next 12 months, congruent with April&rsquo;s results&rdquo; and the fourth straight quarter in which more respondents expect a decrease than an increase in investment in structures.&nbsp; <br /><br />&nbsp; Industrial production (IP) in manufacturing sagged 0.6% in June, seasonally adjusted, and 15.5% over 12 months, the Federal Reserve reported on Wednesday.&nbsp; IP of construction supplies fell 0.2% and 21%. Manufacturing capacity utilization, which along with IP can indicate future demand for factory construction, slumped to 64.6% of capacity, compared to a long-term average of 79.6%.<br /><br />&nbsp; The consumer price index (CPI) for all urban consumers climbed 0.7% in June, seasonally adjusted, but fell 1.4% over 12 months, the biggest drop since 1950, BLS reported on Wednesday. The CPI for urban wage earners and clerical workers (CPI-W), which is used to adjust many wage contracts in construction and elsewhere, fell 2.0% over 12 months.<br /><br />&nbsp;Some construction materials prices are rising. Nucor-Yamato Steel on Wednesday announced a $40-per-ton net increase in structural steel prices effective on August 1, matching an earlier announcement by Gerdau Ameristeel. Lafarge Aggregates and Concrete on June 30 announced an aggregate price increase effective on August 1 that &ldquo;will vary between 0% and 6%, dependent on Lafarge location and product type.&rdquo; The Illinois Department of Transportation released its July bituminous (liquid asphalt) index on July 9; it rose 5.9% from the June level. But the Energy Information Administration reported on Monday that the average price of on-highway diesel fuel fell for the fourth straight week, to $2.50 per gallon, 47% less than one year ago.<br /><br />&nbsp;Seasonally adjusted nonfarm payroll employment by state fell in June in 39 states and the District of Columbia, rose in 10 states and was unchanged in South Dakota, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported on Friday. Compared to June 2008, employment fell everywhere except in North Dakota (+1.6%) and Alaska (unchanged). The largest 12-month percentage decreases were in Michigan, -8.1%, Arizona, -7.4%, Nevada, -6.2% and Oregon, -5.6%. The unemployment rate rose everywhere from a year earlier. Seasonally adjusted construction employment rose from May to June in 12 states, fell in 375 plus D.C. and was unchanged in Hawaii, Indiana and Maryland. Compared to June 2008, construction employment decreased everywhere except in North Dakota (+5%) and Louisiana (+4%). The biggest percentage declines were in Arizona, -26%; Nevada, -23%; Connecticut, -22%; Tennessee, -20%; and Kentucky and California, -19% each.</p>\n<p>&nbsp;Build America bonds have become a hot way to finance state-funded construction. &ldquo;Led by a $352 million sale from the North Carolina Turnpike Authority, the Build America Bonds program generate $1.72 billion of new issuance this past week, comprising nearly a quarter of municipal sales,and $7.9 billion in just the past eight weeks,&rdquo; the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday. &ldquo;they have been a shot in the arm for municipal borrowers. In February, Kentucky explored selling bonds but found investors uninterested and prospects dim. When the state tried again in June, however, it sold $209 million of Build America bonds easily, says Tom Howard, director of the Kentucky office of financial management.&rdquo;<br /><br />&nbsp; &ldquo;State tax collections for the first quarter of 2009 showed a drop of 11.7%, the sharpest decline in the 46 years for which quarterly data are available,&rdquo; <a href=\"http://www.mmsend1.com/ls.cfm?r=186186751&amp;sid=7006984&amp;m=779301&amp;u=agca&amp;s=http://www.rockinst.org\">the Rockefeller Institute of Government reported</a>. &ldquo;After adjusting for inflation, legislative changes, and known anomalies, tax revenue declined in 47 states.The local tax slowdown has been less pronounced than the state tax slowdown. In the first quarter of 2009, local tax collections rose by 3.9%, drive by 7.4% growth in property taxes.&rdquo; In an ominous portent for highway construction, which depends heavily in many states on fuel and vehicle tax collections, &ldquo;motor fuel tax revenue continued to decline for the ninth consecutive quarter with a drop of 4.9%.</p>\n<p>Revenue from motor vehicle and operators&rsquo; licenses also fell, for the eighth consecutive quarter, by 1.7%.&rdquo; According to a survey by the Council of State Governments, &ldquo;States plan to use about half of some $8.8 billion in unencumbered stimulus money they will receive to plug budget deficits, underscoring the financial difficulties many are facing,&rdquo; the Journal reported on July 9. &ldquo;Wyoming plans to use almost all of its funds to build or renovate eight juvenile detention facilities&rdquo; but the article listed only nonconstruction uses for Alaska, Utah and North Dakota.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','The value of nonresidential construction starts nationally in June decreased 71% from May.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(640,1,2,'','none','','none','','none','Uplifting Story in Down Times','none','Midwest Aerials, Pappy\'s, Tumminello','none','<p>\n<meta name=\"Title\" />\n<meta name=\"Keywords\" />\n<meta content=\"text/html; charset=utf-8\" />\n<meta content=\"Word.Document\" name=\"ProgId\" />\n<meta content=\"Microsoft Word 10\" name=\"Generator\" />\n<meta content=\"Microsoft Word 10\" name=\"Originator\" />\n<link href=\"file:///Users/tom/Library/Preferences/Microsoft/Clipboard/msoclip1/01/clip_clip_filelist.xml\" rel=\"File-List\" />\n<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> Normal\n  0\n  0\n  1\n  441\n  2516\n  PGD\n  20\n  5\n  3089\n  10.265 </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> 0\n  0\n  0 </xml><![endif]-->\n<style>\n\n</style>\n</p>\n<p>When Dan Tumminello tells you that you need to try the ribs\nat Pappy\'s Smokehouse, you can forget about ordering the pulled pork. Pappy\'s,\nthe quirky little place owned by champion barbecue chef Mike Emerson, is\nlocated on a little cul de sac called Cardinal off of Olive near St. Louis\nUniversity. Pappy\'s has no street signage on Olive and doesn\'t need it. The\nribs are everything that Tumminello touts them to be&nbsp;&mdash; as close to Memphis as\nyou\'ll find in St. Louis</p>\n<p><img alt=\"Midwest Aerials\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"303\" src=\"/images/uploads/midwest-aerials_1.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"266\" />Every day, cops, construction workers, nurses, and\nexecutives are queued 50-deep in the fast moving line to place their order. And\nsomewhere in the line you\'ll often find Tumminello and some of the crew from\nMidwest Aerials, the company that he and co-founder Kevin Morrell started in\nMorrell\'s basement 12 years ago.</p>\n<p>Tumminello had background in the construction industry. They\ntried 48 banks before they finally got their first business loan.</p>\n<p>Today, Midwest Aerials occupies a sprawling nine-acre\ncomplex on Papin near Jefferson and Chouteau in the City of St. Louis with over 33,000 thousand sq. ft. of offices and\nshops. The company\'s fleet totals over 2,600 pieces with an employee\nteam of 100. The company also has facilities in Kansas City and Springfield in Missouri and Bloomington in Illinois.</p>\n<p>A separate facility on the\nPapin site houses MAE Parts &amp; Service, which services customer owned\nequipment in the shop or on the jobsite. The concept, Tumminello, said, was\nthat Midwest did not want its customers competing with the Midwest rental fleet\nfor technician time.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Joe Alonzo, director of sales for Midwest, who joined the\ncompany as a partner along with Dan Martino, director of operations in\nMidwest\'s third year, says that the principles that have allowed Midwest to\ncontinue to grow in this economy are very straightforward. First and foremost,\nthe company is focused on man- and material-lifts. \"Our mechanics aren\'t\nworking on a trencher in the morning and a lift that\'s going to put somebody\'s\ndad 100 feet in the air in the afternoon,\" Alonzo said.</p>\n<p>Midwest has an\nincredibly strong, collaborative, team-focused culture. You can tell that their\nemployees actually like one another. It\'s a money-making business that includes\nfocus on families, riding Harleys, and barbecue - straightforward and no\nfrills. Customers get to participate in that culture, with claybird shoots\ncatered by Pappy\'s and Midwest field people who are doing whatever they can to\nmake things right.</p>\n<p>Alonzo said\nMidwest\'s best ideas come from the field. To be a successful member of their\nteam, he said, you have to be ready to perform 24/7/365. He expects his sales\nforce of 15 to be proactive with both prospects and existing customers. Cell\nphones are on business cards and if a team member isn\'t in the office the\nreceptionist offers the cell number.&nbsp;\nAs a result customers, like the auto plant that needed 28 lifts on the\nFourth of July knew that their rep would pick up the phone, jack in from his\nlaptop and get the equipment on the road.</p>\n<p>In a down market,\nthe spirit at Midwest is positively uplifting. Just remember: Order the ribs at\nPappy\'s.</p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Sabon LT Std&quot;;\"></span> <!--EndFragment--></p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>','none','When Dan Tumminello tells you that you need to try the ribs at Pappy\'s Smokehouse, you can forget about ordering the pulled pork.','none','','none','','none','','none',352,'none','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','/images/uploads/midwest-aerials.jpg','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(643,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Houston Project Placed Big Safety Demands on Kirberg','none','Kirberg, Houston, roofing, Chevron','none','<p>Kirberg Company just completed a roofing assignment in Houston that posed a rather dicey set of safety issues. <br /><br />The Chevron Tower in Houston sustained significant damage during Hurricane Ike. Kirberg Company was hired to rehab the roof on the tower. The dome roof provided a dangerous challenge, as the angle was steep and there was no wall to stop anything at the bottom. <br /><img src=\"file:///Users/tom/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/moz-screenshot-1.png\" /><img src=\"file:///Users/tom/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/moz-screenshot-2.png\" /><br /><img src=\"file:///Users/tom/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/moz-screenshot.png\" /><img alt=\"Chevron Tower\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"138\" src=\"/images/uploads/chevron.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"200\" />A 43-story free fall awaited anything that went off the side. Kirberg was chosen over local contractors because of safety considerations. Kirberg provided the owner with a detailed safety strategy that outlined a risk minimization plan,&nbsp; experience with safety-focused jobs, and an ability to implement a man-on-man monitoring system that ensured zero loss of materials and 100% safety assurance for workers. <br /><br />Safety for the crew meant tie-offs and full-time safety personnel monitoring the workers to be sure that all protocols were followed. Additionally, all tools and any materials being removed or installed had to be carefully handled so they didn\'t go over the edge.</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<h4>Chevron Tower in Houston<br /></h4>\n<p>&nbsp; <br />The project entailed binding a liquid plastic was bound to the lightweight concrete substrate and tying into the remaining roof membrane.&nbsp;</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Kirberg Company just completed a roofing assignment in Houston that posed a rather dicey set of safety issues. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(644,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Pinnacle Completes North County Government Center','none','Pinnacle, Hazelwood, County Government','none','<p>Pinnacle Contracting, Inc. recently completed a major expansion and renovation of office and courtroom facilities for the Saint Louis County North County Government Center in Hazelwood. Located in the Village Square Shopping Center, the facility remained fully operational during construction.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Pinnacle Contracting, Inc. recently completed a major expansion and renovation for the Saint Louis County North County Government Center ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(645,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','MO Consumer Confidence Rising, Gallup Says','none','consumer confidence, Gallup','none','<p>Missouri ranked near the middle of the pack in a recent Gallup poll about whether consumers were more optimistic than in 2008. While the total percentage is still low, 27% of Missourians thought the economy was getting better in the recent poll, versus 12 percent a year ago. Missouri\'s change in the level of confidence aligns almost exactly with national levels.</p>\n<p>In the first half of 2009, 27% of Americans, on average, believed the\neconomy was getting better, more than double the average for 2008\n(13%). Following the District of Columbia at the top of the list, the\nstates that currently are most optimistic about the economy are South\nDakota, New Mexico, and North Dakota. Wyoming and West Virginia\nresidents are the least optimistic.</p>\n<p>All states showed improvements in consumer confidence. Though Americans remain cautious about the future course of the U.S.\neconomy, they are much more optimistic in 2009 than they were in 2008. To see the complete results, including charts,<a href=\"http://www.gallup.com/poll/122036/Consumer-Confidence-Increased-Optimism-States.aspx?CSTS=alert\" title=\"Gallup Poll Results\"> click this link</a>.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Missouri ranked near the middle of the pack in a recent Gallup poll about whether consumers were more optimistic than in 2008.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(646,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Employment Impact of Stimulus Small, AGC Says','none','','none','<p>\n<meta name=\"Title\" />\n<meta name=\"Keywords\" />\n<meta content=\"text/html; charset=utf-8\" />\n<meta content=\"Word.Document\" name=\"ProgId\" />\n<meta content=\"Microsoft Word 10\" name=\"Generator\" />\n<meta content=\"Microsoft Word 10\" name=\"Originator\" />\n<link href=\"file:///Users/tom/Library/Preferences/Microsoft/Clipboard/msoclip1/01/clip_clip_filelist.xml\" rel=\"File-List\" />\n<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:DocumentProperties> <o:Template>Normal</o:Template> <o:Revision>0</o:Revision> <o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:Pages>1</o:Pages> <o:Words>686</o:Words> <o:Characters>3913</o:Characters> <o:Company>PGD</o:Company> <o:Lines>32</o:Lines> <o:Paragraphs>7</o:Paragraphs> <o:CharactersWithSpaces>4805</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:Version>10.265</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:UseMarginsForDrawingGridOrigin /> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]-->\n<style>\n&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;!--\n /* Font Definitions */\n@font-face\n	{font-family:\"Times New Roman\";\n	panose-1:0 2 2 6 3 5 4 5 2 3;\n	mso-font-charset:0;\n	mso-generic-font-family:auto;\n	mso-font-pitch:variable;\n	mso-font-signature:50331648 0 0 0 1 0;}\n /* Style Definitions */\np.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal\n	{mso-style-parent:\"\";\n	margin:0in;\n	margin-bottom:.0001pt;\n	mso-pagination:widow-orphan;\n	font-size:12.0pt;\n	font-family:Times;}\np.MsoPlainText, li.MsoPlainText, div.MsoPlainText\n	{margin:0in;\n	margin-bottom:.0001pt;\n	mso-pagination:widow-orphan;\n	font-size:12.0pt;\n	font-family:Courier;}\n@page Section1\n	{size:8.5in 11.0in;\n	margin:1.0in 17.95pt 1.0in 17.95pt;\n	mso-header-margin:.5in;\n	mso-footer-margin:.5in;\n	mso-paper-source:0;}\ndiv.Section1\n	{page:Section1;}\n--&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;\n</style>\n<!--StartFragment--></p>\n<p>The stimulus plan appears to be having little influence\non construction companies\' ability to expand payrolls to date according to a\nnew industry analysis of the impact of the federal program\'s construction\nspending released today by the Associated General Contractors of America.</p>\n<p>The \"disappointingly\" slow pace of construction\nspending outside of the transportation sector is one of the main reasons for\nthe relatively small impact on new hiring, the group noted.</p>\n<p>\"While the construction portion of the stimulus is\nhaving an impact, it is far from delivering its full promise and\npotential,\" said Stephen E. Sandherr, the chief executive officer of the\ncontractors association. \"With construction unemployment at almost double\nthe national rate, it is disappointing to see so many stimulus programs getting\noff to such a slow start.\"</p>\n<p>Sandherr said that five months into a federal stimulus\nprogram that has approximately $135 billion dedicated for construction\nprojects, there is little difference in hiring and purchasing patterns between\ncompanies doing stimulus-funded work and companies that aren\'t.</p>\n<p>For example, he noted that while 36 percent of\nconstruction companies with stimulus-funded work report plan to hire new\nemployees, an almost identical percentage of firms without stimulus-funded work\nalso plan to make new hires this year or next. He added that while 36 percent\nof construction firms with stimulus funded work plan to purchase new equipment\nand supplies, a higher rate - 43 percent - of construction firms without\nstimulus-funded work report plans to purchase new equipment over the same time\nframe.</p>\n<p>One reason the stimulus is having a limited impact on\nconstruction hiring and purchasing patterns, Sandherr said, is that outside of\nthe transportation arena, little of the stimulus\' authorized construction\ndollars have resulted in actual construction work. He noted that while the Army</p>\n<p>Corps of Engineers is responsible for $4.6 billion in\nstimulus construction funds, the agency has only obligated $715 million and\npaid out $84 million.</p>\n<p>Meanwhile, the General Services Administration has only\nobligated $656 million and paid out $12 million of its $5.9 billion in stimulus\nconstruction funds. And only half of one percent of the $6 billion in stimulus\nfunds available for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency\'s state clean\nwater and drinking water programs has been put to use at this point.</p>\n<p>He said the slow investment rate for construction funds\nwas significant to hiring and purchasing patterns because some of the hardest hit\nsegments of the construction industry are outside of the transportation area.</p>\n<p>Sandherr said the stimulus was doing a much better job at\nthis point in helping construction companies save existing jobs. He noted that\n60 percent of construction firms with stimulus-funded work report have saved or retained jobs because of the stimulus.</p>\n<p>And he noted that construction firms with stimulus-funded\nwork do plan to make larger equipment purchases than their colleagues without\nstimulus-funded work. Among companies planning equipment purchases, forty-two\npercent of firms with stimulus work say they will spend over $500,000, while\nonly 18 percent of firms without stimulus work will invest more than half a\nmillion dollars in new equipment and supplies.</p>\n<p>\"The stimulus is clearly working,\" Sandherr\nsaid. \"It just isn\'t working fast enough for many construction workers in\nmany communities.\"</p>\n<p>Sandherr said there was still time for the Administration\nto make sure the multi-year stimulus program delivers on its promise. He said\nthe association was urging federal agencies to address critical shortages of\ncontracting officials within key federal and state agencies overseeing stimulus\nconstruction dollars.</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>He added that the Administration needs to fully and\nfinally clarify reporting and Buy American requirements included in the\nstimulus, noting many federal and state agencies are having difficulty\ninterpreting the new mandates. And he urged everyone involved with the stimulus\nto set proper expectations for what the stimulus will, and will not, be able to\ndo for the economy.</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>\"Unsustainably high expectations can bring down good\npolicy and great programs,\" Sandherr said.</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>\"The stimulus will keep our industry alive, but it\nwill not turn around a trillion dollar construction industry overnight.\"</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>The stimulus analysis released today was based in part of\na survey almost</p>\n<p>1,000 construction firms nationwide conducted by the\nAssociated General Contractors of America over the past three weeks. The survey\nresults were combined with the association\'s analysis of federal and state\nagency stimulus activities, and a review of employment data from the Bureau of\nLabor Statistics.</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','The stimulus plan appears to be having little influence on construction companies\' ability to expand payrolls.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(650,1,2,'','none','','none','','none',' Networking Through Tough Times','none','networking, ASA','none','<p>There\'s currently a lot of buzz about Web 2.0 and social networking. But St. Louis construction companies are also networking in&nbsp; tough times with proven technology: a cold beer and a good story.</p>\n<p><img alt=\"ASA BBQ\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"303\" src=\"/images/uploads/asa-bbq.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"266\" />It may be that misery loves company, but it\'s far more likely that companies recognize the power of information and connections in recovering from the current slump.&nbsp; Two nights in July saw back-to-back events attended by hundreds of contractors, vendors, designers, owners, and service providers. The American Subcontractors Association (ASA) Midwest Council held its contractor barbecue at Creve Coeur Lake\'s Sailboat Cove, followed up the next evening by the Associated General Contractors\' Build A Brat beer and bratwurst bash at Tilles Park. Many of the same faces could be seen at both events. The mood at both events was upbeat, even as the conversations turned to topics such as confirming that customers had the ability to pay.</p>\n<h4>ASA Midwest Council\'s Contractor Barbecue event<br /></h4>\n<p><br />&ldquo;One of the many benefits of belonging to ASA is networking.&nbsp; Members can network with those in different trades and find out about upcoming projects or problems on jobsites long before it becomes known in their field,\" Reba Gillick, executive director of ASA Midwest Council, said.</p>\n<p><img alt=\"O\'Donnell event\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"225\" src=\"/images/uploads/odonnell.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"250\" />On July 30, O\'Donnell, Bonebrake and Co., PC held a networking happy hour at Pujols 5 in Westport Plaza. There was no program, other than a greeing announcement from Mark O\'Donnell, principal in the firm. O\'Donnell told those in attendance that the sole purpose of the event was to provide them with the opportunity to meet with one another. O\'Donnell said that O\'Donnell, Bonebrake planned to repeat the event on a regular basis. He said that if companies wanted to bring information about their products or services to display alongside the buckets of beer on the cocktail tables they were welcome to do so.<br /></p>\n<h4>O\'Donnell, BoneBrake Networking Event at Pujols 5<br /></h4>\n<p>On August 19, ASA Midwest Council\'s meeting program topic is \"Surfing the ASA Network.\"&nbsp; Without completely spilling the beans, Gillick said that the evening has been structured as a \"speed meeting\" game that is designed to allow those in attendance to gather as much information as possible about other attendees.&nbsp; The meeting will bec held at&nbsp; The Viking Conference Center, 10709 Watson Rd., Sunset Hills.&nbsp; The cost is $40 for ASA members. First time guests are free of charge. Reservations are required and no-shows will be billed. Checks can be sent to the ASA office, P.O. Box 270, Union, MO 63084, or payment can be made at the door or by bill after the event. Reservations can be faxed to the ASA office at 314.214.1665.</p>','none','There\'s currently a lot of buzz about Web 2.0 and social networking. But St. Louis construction companies are also networking in  tough times with proven technology: a cold beer and a good story.','none','','none','','none','','none',353,'none','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','/images/uploads/asa-bbq.jpg','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(647,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Sheet Metal Local 36, SMACNA  Approve Contract','none','SMACNA, Sheet Metal Workers Local 36','none','<p><a href=\"http://wwwsheetmetal36.org\">&nbsp;Sheet Metal Workers&rsquo; Local 36</a>, and the <a href=\"http://www.smacnastlouis.org\">Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association of St. Louis</a> (SMACNA)&nbsp; voted overwhelmingly in favor of a new labor agreement.</p>\n<p>The new contract was approved ahead of schedule and went into effect beginning Aug. 1.<br /><br />&ldquo;Accepting the new agreement shows a great deal of respect between our skilled workers and contractors towards each other,&rdquo; said Local 36 President and Business Manager David C. Zimmermann.&nbsp; &ldquo;Part of what allows our business to run successfully is making sure all parties involved are satisfied with the relationships that exist and accepting this new agreement can only help to enhance our future success.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;The new two-year contract calls for a six-month wage freeze, but is worded very similarly to the current contract with just a few minor changes.&nbsp; The Local and Contractors have added some minor language changes which will help insure that the Sheet Metal Workers and their Contractors, by working together, will attain even greater productivity levels and market share.<br />&nbsp;<br />Sheet Metal Workers&rsquo; Local 36 members design, fabricate, install, manufacture and service residential and commercial HVAC systems, and well as working with architectural sheet metal applications and specialty sheet metal products.&nbsp; They provide a skilled workforce to businesses throughout the region, and are active in numerous charitable organizations.&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />&nbsp;</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Sheet Metal Workersâ€™ Local 36, and the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association of St. Louis (SMACNA)  voted overwhelmingly in favor of a new labor agreement. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(648,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Tough Market Lets MODOT Stretch Dollars','none','MODOT, savings','none','<p>Due to the struggling economy, the Missouri Department of\nTransportation was able to save nearly $33 million in budgeted\nconstruction costs in the greater St. Louis Metropolitan Region in the\nlast fiscal year, which ended June 30.</p>\n<p>In fiscal 2009, the\ndepartment awarded 79 construction projects for a total cost of $108\nmillion. This amount was $33 million under the budgeted amount for the\nyear - nearly 24 percent of construction budget.&nbsp; The cost savings can\nbe attributed to the Missouri Department of Transportation\'s \"radical\ncost control\" philosophy, as well as to increased competition in the\nconstruction industry. These project cost savings will allow the\ndepartment to perform additional highway and bridge work at a time when\nrevenues are on the decline.</p>\n<p>Highlights from the department\'s drive to get the most for the Missouri taxpayer\'s money in St. Louis included:</p>\n<ul>\n<li>Route MM realignment in Jefferson County -$6.5 million under the budgeted amount</li>\n<li>Route 61 resurfacing in Jefferson County - $1.7 million under the budgeted amount</li>\n<li>Bridge rehabilitation along I-55 in St. Louis City - $2.4 million under the budgeted amount</li>\n<li>Signal improvements around the greater St. Louis area - $1.3 million under the budgeted amount</li>\n<li>Route 94 overlay in north St. Charles County - $1.3 million under the budgeted amount.</li>\n</ul>\n<p>Statewide,\nfor the fiscal year that ended June 30, MoDOT awarded 461 projects\ntotaling $1.3 billion 9 percent under budget for a savings of more than\n$135 million.&nbsp; The work included 103 recovery act projects and a\ndesign-build contract that included 554 bridges to be fixed under the\nSafe &amp; Sound Bridge Improvement Program.</p>\n<p>For the last five\nfiscal years, MoDOT has awarded 2,151 projects costing $5.7 billion 5.5\npercent under budget saving taxpayers more than $334 million.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>\"We\nput these cost savings right back into our highways,\" MoDOT Director\nPete Rahn said.&nbsp; \"We do a good job of estimating our projects and we\nwork aggressively with our contractors to cut costs without\ncompromising quality.&nbsp; That translates into more projects and jobs and\nsafer highways.\"</p>\n<p>Keeping down costs is a philosophy that runs\ndeep throughout MoDOT, Rahn said.&nbsp; \"You can practically hear our\nemployees chanting &lsquo;better, faster, cheaper\' as they work,\" he quipped.</p>\n<p>One\nof the department\'s most successful cost control measures is its\nPractical Design initiative which ensures projects are designed to fix\nspecific needs without the frills.&nbsp; Other cost-curbing tools range from\nrebidding projects to allowing contractors to propose innovative ways\nto accomplish the work.&nbsp; That could mean using alternate materials,\ncoming up with improved designs, working off-hours and closing lanes.</p>\n<p>Rahn\nsaid the department\'s commitment to completing projects on time and\nwithin budget is reflected in the fact that 89 percent of Missourians\nsay they trust MoDOT to keep its commitments to the public.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','The Missouri Department of Transportation saved nearly $33 million in construction costs in the St. Louis area in 2008-09 because of tough market conditions.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(649,1,5,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','Mastering the \"One Thing\" 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l26:level1\n	{mso-level-number-format:bullet;\n	mso-level-text:ï‚·;\n	mso-level-tab-stop:.5in;\n	mso-level-number-position:left;\n	text-indent:-.25in;\n	font-family:Symbol;}\nol\n	{margin-bottom:0in;}\nul\n	{margin-bottom:0in;}\n--&amp;gt;\n</style>\n<!--StartFragment--></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\"><strong></strong></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\"><strong>by Doug Sitton</strong></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->&nbsp;<!--[endif]--></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\">Remember the exchange from the movie &ldquo;City Slickers,&rdquo; in\nwhich characters Curly and Mitch muse over the secret to life&hellip;the <em>one thing</em></span><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\">? The secret to an owner&rsquo;s ability\nto get the most out of their construction investment is the same. It all comes\ndown to one thing &ndash; having strong leadership and management from the start of\npreplanning through the completion of construction. </span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->&nbsp;<!--[endif]--></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\">First, a &ldquo;three-legged stool&rdquo; of construction must be\nestablished and should consist of the owner&rsquo;s team, the design team and the\nconstruction team. To maximize success, it is important that each team &ndash; or leg\n&ndash; focus on performing their roles the best they can. Any team playing a double\nrole by taking on tasks of another team creates an imbalance in the stool,\nresulting in conflicts of interest and inadequate control by each team over\ntheir natural responsibilities. The owner is the overall leader and manager,\nmanaging and measuring the dichotomy of continuous integration and separation\nof roles for checks and balances. </span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->&nbsp;<!--[endif]--></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\">Next up is choosing a project delivery method and\nappropriately customizing it. This is a process that has become increasingly\ncomplex. It seems each method is hailed by some construction experts as being\n&ldquo;the best,&rdquo; and by others as being &ldquo;flawed.&rdquo; The truth is no delivery method is\nthe best, and all have flaws. It is the implementation of the delivery that\ncounts, not the type. </span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->&nbsp;<!--[endif]--></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\">Aren&rsquo;t some methods better than others? The short answer is no.\nAll delivery methods have pros and cons, and each can be improved with customization<strong><em>.</em></strong></span><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\"> And, because the owner is the\nproject leader and has the most to gain by customizing the method, the owner\nneeds to lead the customizing effort. <strong><em></em></strong></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->&nbsp;<!--[endif]--></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\">Here are a few brief examples of some of the perceived\nflaws, as pointed out by contractors, and how the owner can overcome these\nchallenges through customization. </span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->&nbsp;<!--[endif]--></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\"><strong>Method:</strong><span> </span><span></span>Design/Bid/Build </span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\"><strong>Critics&rsquo; Thoughts:</strong><span> </span>You\nmight get an unqualified general contractor, and there is no construction <span></span>input\nduring design</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\"><strong>Customization: </strong>Establish\nthe qualification requirements of your general contractor, and&nbsp;<span></span>pre-qualify\nthem prior to bidding. Make sure to involve the pre-qualified&nbsp;<span></span><span></span>contractors\nduring design, as they can provide valuable input relative to&nbsp;<span></span><span></span>engineering. </span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\"><s><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->&nbsp;<!--[endif]--></s></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\"><strong>Method</strong>:<span>&nbsp;</span><span></span>Multiple\nPrime </span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\"><strong>Critics&rsquo; Thoughts:</strong> <span></span>Breaking\nthe project into multiple individual prime contracts increases the owner&rsquo;s\ntime, cost and risk as he or she works to bid, contract and manage 20-<span></span>plus\ncontracts. And, there often isn&rsquo;t a single point for construction responsibility. </span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\"><strong>Customization:</strong> <span></span><span></span>Only\nbreak the project into separate packages when needed to fast-track&nbsp;<span></span>the\nproject to meet a critical deadline. Once the general contractor is chosen,&nbsp;<span></span><span></span>assign\nany unfinished contracts to the single prime general contractor. </span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->&nbsp;<!--[endif]--></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\"><strong>Method:</strong> Design/Build</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\"><strong>Critics&rsquo; Thoughts:&nbsp;</strong><span></span>An\nearly negotiated guaranteed maximum price builds in excess contingency, raising\nthe price.</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\">Customization: <span></span>Negotiate\nthe design builder&rsquo;s costs upfront. Set the overall contract price after&nbsp;<span></span><span></span>the\ncompletion of all competitive bidding. By that point there are far fewer&nbsp;<span></span><span></span>contingencies.<span>&nbsp; </span><span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><span>&nbsp;</span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->&nbsp;<!--[endif]--></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\"><strong>Method:&nbsp;</strong><span> </span>Construction\nManager At-Risk or Design/Build</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\"><strong>Critics&rsquo; Thoughts:</strong>&nbsp;<span></span>Bidding\nof early packages is typically done before all plans and specifications are complete,\nincreasing the potential for change orders.</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\"><strong>Customization:&nbsp;</strong><span></span><span></span>Scrutinize\nthe need for early packages, and only bid early if the value gained&nbsp;<span></span><span></span><span></span>outweighs\nthe additional risk. Share risk equitably among the design, construction\nand owner teams, and increase quality reviews as necessary.</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\">&nbsp;</p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\">Customization should serve to reduce cost and risk, and\nincrease value and speed in ways that benefit not only the owner, but all\nparties equitably. Here are some key elements that ideally would be included in\nany delivery method:</span></p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<ul>\n<li><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol;\"><span style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\"></span></span><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\">Match\neach party&rsquo;s potential reward to their risk.</span></li>\n<li><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol;\"><span style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\"></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\">Integrate\nconstruction expertise into design.</span></li>\n<li><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol;\"></span><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\">Maintain\nthe three-legged stool for checks and balances.</span></li>\n<li><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol;\">&middot;<span style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\"></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\">Bid\nfrom documents that are 100 percent complete or as close to it as possible.</span></li>\n<li><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol;\"></span><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\">Competitively\nbid all construction-related work to qualified contractors.</span></li>\n<li><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol;\"><span style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\"></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\">Place\nall construction responsibility under a single prime contractor.</span></li>\n</ul>\n<p></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->&nbsp;<!--[endif]--></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\">There are other ways construction project owners can master\nthe <em>one thing</em></span><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\">,\nwhile saving money, reducing risk and increasing value. They can negotiate\nclear and effective contracts and make sure to place the right people in the\nright roles. Planning early and always is also important, as is establishing\neffective processes, setting performance metrics and applying cost-effective\ntechnology. </span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->&nbsp;<!--[endif]--></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\">And remember, it all starts with leadership. The <em>one thing</em></span><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\"> will happen only if the owner\ndecides to make it happen and leads the way.</span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->&nbsp;<!--[endif]--></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><em><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;\">Doug Sitton is president of Sitton\nConstruction Group and regularly addresses industry association groups\nregarding ways to simplify the complexity of construction projects, while\nsaving money, reducing risk and increasing value. He has 29 years of\ndiversified experience in the design and construction industry, overseeing</span><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\"> 500+ new construction and\nrenovation projects with a total project cost of over one billion dollars. </span></em><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\"><strong></strong></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->&nbsp;<!--[endif]--></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->&nbsp;<!--[endif]--></span></p>\n<p><!--EndFragment--></p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\"></span></p>\n<p><!--EndFragment--></p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;\"><!--[endif]--></span></p>\n<p><!--EndFragment--></p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','','none','Remember the exchange from the movie â€œCity Slickers,â€ in which characters Curly and Mitch muse over the secret to lifeâ€¦the one thing?','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(651,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Clay Calls I-64 Diversity Program a Model for New Mississippi River Bridge','none','Clay, I-64, diversity','none','<p>(August 10, 2009)Congressman William \"Lacy\" Clay today declared the I-64 construction project in St. Louis a national model for diversity in employment and contracting.<br /><br />&ldquo;This workforce reflects the make-up of the community,&rdquo; he said at a joint press conference with Pete Rahn, director of the Missouri Department of<br />Transportation (MoDOT).<br /><br />&ldquo;When you think about other projects in the area, not much diversity was evident. You can&rsquo;t say that about this project,&rdquo; Clay said. &ldquo;In my 26 years<br />in public office, I cannot remember a more aggressive effort for inclusion, and that includes the construction of the downtown domed football stadium,&rdquo; he added.<br /><br />Clay also said he was &ldquo;very pleased&rdquo; with the amount of subcontracting to minority owned businesses.<br /><br />According to data released by MoDOT, 18.6 percent of contract dollars on the I-64 project have gone to 83 disadvantaged business enterprises, 55 of which are owned by African Americans. And companies working on the I-64 project far exceeded the 14.7 percent goal for minority employment. According to MoDOT, 105 of the 490 workers employed on the project, or 21 percent, are minorities, and 93 of them are African American.<br /><br />MoDOT admitted, however, that companies have had a harder time recruiting women to work on the project. MoDOT set a goal of filling 6.9 percent of the jobs building I-64 with women. The agency reported, however, that 31 of the workers, or 6.6 percent, are women.<br /><br />Compared to previous public projects, &ldquo;this is progress,&rdquo; Clay said. &ldquo;I am confident this sets the stage for [inclusion in] future projects, such as<br />the Mississippi River Bridge,&rdquo; he said.<br /><br />Alfred Long was on hand at the press conference to serve as an example of the success of the workforce inclusion plan. Long, 31, began working on the project in April 2007 as an apprentice laborer after completing a pre-apprenticeship program at the Construction Prep Center in Wellston. Last<br />week he completed his apprenticeship and earned his journeyman&rsquo;s card. Long said this was just the start of his construction career. He said he aims to<br />work his way up the chain through foreman and superintendent to &ldquo;as high as I can go.&rdquo;</p>','','357','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Congressman William \"Lacy\" Clay today declared the I-64 construction project in St. Louis a national model for diversity in employment and contracting.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(652,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Simonton Earns LEED Accreditation','none','Simonton, Subsurface Construction, LEED.','none','<p>Lyle Simonton, PE, director of business development for Subsurface Constructors, recently passed the LEED accreditation exam.</p>\n<p>Subsurface can provide sustainable deep foundation and ground improvement solutions to projects seeking LEED certification, Simonton said.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Lyle Simonton, PE, director of business development for Subsurface Constructors, recently passed the LEED accreditation exam. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(653,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Korte Awarded $20.1 Million Texas Military Project','none','Korte, Tyler, Texas, Armed Forces Reserve','none','<p>The Korte Company will begin construction of an Armed Forces Reserve Center (AFRC) Training Center in Tyler, TX. The project consists of four facilities including: a training center, organizational maintenance shop, unheated storage building and a covered wash rack. Additionally, the company will provide storm drainage, site improvements and an Intrusion Detection System (IDS).<br />&nbsp;<br />When completed in summer of 2011, the facility will serve a population of 800 soldiers and will be used for Army Reserve and Texas Army National Guard training activities.</p>\n<p>Winning the project required value engineering, Todd Korte, President &amp; CEO of The Korte Company said, &ldquo;Our proposal was refined to consider a more compact site, which significantly increased the value of the buildings and building systems through a cost-effective use of the space.&rdquo;</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','The Korte Company will begin construction of an Armed Forces Reserve Center (AFRC) Training Center in Tyler, TX. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(654,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Terracon Announces Staff Additions ','none','Terracon, Drewing, Matchison, Reed','none','<p>Terracon announced&nbsp; the addition of Amy Drewing; Darren Matchison, EIT; and Meghan Reed,&nbsp; EIT to its St. Louis office.</p>\n<p>Drewing joins the&nbsp; environmental department as an environmental scientist with five&nbsp; years of experience performing Phase I and Phase II environmental&nbsp; site assessments, subsurface investigations, asbestos and mold&nbsp; services and regulatory compliance. Her Phase I experience covers a&nbsp; variety of sites including industrial, commercial, institutional,&nbsp; agricultural and telecommunications-related facilities in eleven&nbsp; states. Drewing has a bachelor&rsquo;s degree in environmental&nbsp; science from Southeast Missouri State University.<br /><br />Matchison&nbsp; joins the St. Louis office as a project manager in its geotechnical&nbsp; department. He brings more than three years experience in&nbsp; geotechnical engineering, recently transferring from the Cincinnati office, where he was a staff&nbsp; geotechnical engineer. His experience and services include&nbsp; performing engineering analysis, including slope stability analyses&nbsp; and deep and shallow foundation recommendations.</p>\n<p>Matchison is an&nbsp; engineer in training and has a master\'s and bachelor\'s degree in&nbsp; civil engineering from the University of Louisville,&nbsp; Kentucky.</p>\n<p>Reed&nbsp; brings five years of experience in environmental engineering to her&nbsp; role as a staff environmental engineer in the environmental&nbsp; department. Her areas of expertise include subsurface&nbsp; investigations, well installation, groundwater monitoring and&nbsp; sampling and remediation system operation and maintenance. Reed is&nbsp; an engineer in training and has a bachelor\'s degree in petroleum&nbsp; engineering from the Missouri University of Science and&nbsp; Technology.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Terracon announced  the addition of Amy Drewing; Darren Matchison, EIT; and Meghan Reed,  EIT, to its St. Louis office. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(657,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Asphalt Group Announces Scholarship','none','scholarship, asphalt. ','none','<p>Applications are now being accepted for the Association of Modified Asphalt Producers\' (AMAP\'s) newly-established David R. Jones Scholarship Fund.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>The fund will provide a $1,000 scholarship annually to college juniors and seniors majoring in a field of study related to asphalt technology, such as chemical or civil engineering and chemistry. Special preference will be given to applicants with experience in the overall field of asphalt technology.</p>\n<p>Applications are available via the AMAP website at <a href=\"http://www.modifiedasphalt.org/\">www.modifiedasphalt.org&nbsp;</a> by clicking on the scholarship fund icon on the home page. To be considered for this year\'s award, students must submit their applications by Sept. 30.</p>\n<p>Interested applicants will be required to provide letters of recommendation, school transcripts and a 500-word essay highlighting their interest in asphalt technology. Complete details on application requirements are outlined on the application form.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Additional information on the scholarship is available by contacting <a href=\"mailto:amapscholarship@marianiasphalt.com\">Kevin Hardin, chairman of AMAP\'s Scholarship Committee</a>.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Applications are now being accepted for the Association of Modified Asphalt Producers\' (AMAP\'s) newly-established David R. Jones Scholarship Fund. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(656,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','S.M. Wilson to Build $10 Million Normandy School','none','S.M. Wilson, Normandy, Schools','none','<p>S. M. Wilson has been selected to build a $10 million elementary\nschool for the Normandy School District.</p>\n<p>The two-story, 65,000\nsquare-foot school will include a gymnasium, cafetorium, kitchen, media center, administrative office space, classrooms, science\nlabs, a band platform/stage and a computer room.</p>\n<p>The project is scheduled for completion in July, 2010.&nbsp; The project includes extensive demolition and earthwork. The program has a 25 minority participation requirement.</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>TRi Architects is architect for the project.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','S. M. Wilson has been selected to build a $10 million school for the Normandy School District.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(658,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Burns & McDonnell Adds Two IT Security Specialists','none','IT, security, Stizel, Wright, Burns & McDonnell','none','<p>Burns &amp; McDonnell has added two new professionals to its Compliance &amp; Infrastructure Protection Group,&nbsp; Breck Washam, Associate Vice President and general manager of St. Louis area operations, said.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;Jon Stitzel, an IT security specialist, is an experienced information systems security analyst and administrator with a background in technical network security assessments, and system and network risk assessments.&nbsp; He has more than 20 years of experience in Information Technology, specializing in information and systems security for the past twelve. He served in the United States Air Force for 11 years, where he received extensive technical and on-the-job training in IT security. <br /><br />Christopher Wright&nbsp;is an assistant IT security analyst with expertise in critical infrastructure protection, IT and physical security, and industry standards compliance.&nbsp; He will assist on Burns &amp; McDonnell projects for electric utilities, focusing on compliance and infrastructure protection.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Burns & McDonnell added two IT security specialists to its St. Louis office. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(659,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Work Starts on $10.5 Million Jobs Center','none','jobs, Community College, Kwame','none','<p>Construction is underway on the William J. Harrison Education Center, a new $10.5 million education and jobs training center operated by St. Louis Community College.<br /><br />Kwame Building Group (KWAME) of St. Louis is construction manager and owner&rsquo;s representative for the project. Construction on the two-story building began in June and will be completed in 2010. The architect is KAI, also of St. Louis.<br /><br />The 30,265-square-foot education center will focus on computer technology, allied health, environmental sciences and workforce training and development. The new facility will house classrooms with state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment, an art studio, science and computer labs, a multi-purpose community room, a bookstore, common areas, an outreach center and administrative offices.<br /><br />The new facility at 3140 Cass Avenue replaces the existing William J. Harrison Northside Education Center on Natural Bridge Road.&nbsp; The &ldquo;green&rdquo; project will be built seeking gold certification in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.<br /><br />Environmentally friendly elements will include energy-efficient heating and cooling, use of recyclable materials in construction, and source controls of indoor chemicals and pollutants. <br /><br />The William J. Harrison Education Center originally opened in 1994 to provide education services to a previously under-served population in north St. Louis City. The center has educated more than 6,000 people a year and partners with more than 100 community-based organizations.&nbsp; The new facility will be&nbsp; located near Vashon High School and the Clyde C. Miller Academy in the JeffVanderLou neighborhood.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','Construction is underway on a new $10.5 million jobs center operated by St. Louis Community College.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(722,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','AGC Hosts OSHA Signing Event','none','AGC, OSHA, partnership','none','<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>The Associated General Contractors (AGC) of St. Louis hosted an agreement signing ceremony with the OSHA St. Louis Area Office at the AGC\'s Construction Training School.  Contractors who are participants in this agreement have a cooperative relationship with OSHA where, among other benefits, they are exempt from routine OSHA inspections.</p>\n<p>Years ago, OSHA realized that their resources could be better utilized by not wasting efforts visiting workplaces that are already being closely monitored for safety, and that have a superior safety culture in place.  Only contractors meeting a strict set of safety criteria are allowed to participate in the Partnership agreement, thus freeing up OSHA to inspect more suspect workplaces.</p>\n<h4><img alt=\"OSHA Partnership Signing\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"273\" src=\"/images/uploads/OSHA-PARTNERSHIP-SIGNING_2.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"400\" />Primary parties signatory to the partnership agreement are Scott Wilson, chairman of the board, AGC of St. Louis; and, Bill McDonald, area director, OSHA-St. Louis Area Office (seated).&nbsp; Standing, representing support and agreement by their organization (L to R):&nbsp; Vic Sunshine, AGC of St. Louis; Leonard Toenjes, CAE, AGC of St. Louis; Al Bond, Carpenters&rsquo; District Council of Greater St. Louis &amp; Vicinity; Mike Minicky, CSP, OSHA-St. Louis Area Office; Gerald Feldhaus, Building and Construction Trades Council; Jim LaMantia, PRIDE of St. Louis, Inc.; Gary Elliott, Eastern Missouri Laborers&rsquo; District Council; Dennis Lavallee, St. Louis Council of Construction Consumers, Tom Rehkemper (retired), AGC of St. Louis.<br /></h4>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>\"This is an important and valuable agreement, not only for the benefits of working cooperatively with OSHA, but also for the greater accountability of the participants with the establishment of a company-wide safety culture that sets the standard for the St. Louis Construction industry at large,\" notes Scott Wilson, chairman of the AGC of St. Louis and president of S. M. Wilson &amp; Company.  \"This agreement is about accountability and results - not promises.  To be a participant in the partnership is to be counted among the elite in safety.\"</p>\n<p>Stakeholders signing the agreement were:  Bill, McDonald, area director, OSHA-St. Louis Area Office; Scott Wilson, chairman, AGC of St. Louis; Terry Nelson, executive secretary-treasurer, Carpenters\' District Council of Greater St. Louis and Vicinity; Gary Elliott, business manager, Eastern Missouri Laborers\' District Council; Jerry Feldhaus, executive secretary-treasurer, St. Louis Building and Construction Trades Council; Jim LaMantia, executive director, PRIDE of St. Louis, Inc.; Dennis Lavallee, president, St. Louis Council of Construction Consumers.  Barbara Theriot, area director for the OSHA Kansas City Area Office will sign the agreement at a later date.</p>\n<p>Thirteen members of the AGC of St. Louis are currently part of the St. Louis OSHA - AGC Partnership:  Brinkmann Constructors, BSI Constructors, Inc., Clayco, Kozeny-Wagner, Inc., L. Keeley Construction Company, McCarthy Building Companies,  McGrath &amp; Associates, Inc., Murray Company, Pangea Group, Paric Corporation, Tarlton Corporation, S. M. Wilson &amp; Company, and Vee-Jay Cement Contracting Co., Inc.<br />The Associated General Contractors of St. Louis is the united voice of the area construction industry, representing over 450 area construction firms.  Last year alone, AGC of St. Louis member firms built projects worth more than $3 billion throughout the St. Louis region.  Celebrating its 60th year, the AGC of St. Louis builds valuable partnerships between its members and strategic government and private sector groups.</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','The AGC of St. Louis has forged a partnership agreement with OSHA that will exempt participating contractors from routine OSHA inspections. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(660,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','HOK Makes Inc\'s \"A\" List','none','HOK, 5,000, fastest-growing','none','<p><a href=\"http://www.hok.com\">HOK </a>made<em> Inc. </em>magazine\'s<a href=\"http://www.inc.com/inc5000/2009/index.html\"> list of the 5,000 fastest-growing U.S. companies</a>. It was the only St. Louis construction industry firm to do so.</p>\n<p>Forty-nine St. Louis-area companies made Inc. magazine\'s&nbsp; annual list of the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the nation.</p>\n<p>In order to qualify for the Inc. 5000, companies must be U.S.-based,\nprivately held, for profit and independent &mdash; not subsidiaries or\ndivisions of other companies &mdash; as of Dec. 31, 2008.</p>\n<p>They must also have achieved revenues of at least $200,000 in 2005 and $2 million in 2008.</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','HOK made Inc. magazine\'s list of the 5,000 fastest-growing U.S. companies. ','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(661,1,2,'','none','','none','','none','Old/New Media: The Construction Connection','none','Web 2.0, social media, Facebook, Twitter','none','<p><!--end meta--></p>\n<div class=\"snap_preview\">\n<p>What will be the role of &ldquo;Web 2.0&Prime; and &ldquo;Social Media&rdquo; be in the construction industry, and why should you care?</p>\n<p><a href=\"http://www.finan.com\"><img alt=\"twitter-page\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-69\" height=\"162\" src=\"http://pblshr4.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/twitter-page1.jpg?w=300&amp;h=162\" title=\"twitter-page\" width=\"300\" /></a>In the August 3rd issue of <em>En</em><em>gineering News-Record</em> there was an article on Textura, a construction e-commerce firm with\n38,000 users, including 25% of the ENR Top 400, that&rsquo;s venturing into\nsocial networking.</p>\n<p>The firm, which GCs use to facilitate payments, will now offer a\nFacebook-like component that will allow contractors to distribute their\nresumes, balance sheets, and other supporting documentation online.\nOwners and GCs can decide who they want to &ldquo;friend,&rdquo; to borrow a term\nfrom Facebook, and allow to bid on a project.</p>\n<p>The construction industry is one of the strongest industries in\nterms of communication, connection, and the importance of\nrelationships. It is also an industry that struggles with implementing\nnew technologies, particularly when they relate to communication or\nmarketing.</p>\n<p>A couple of months ago there were two excellent pieces on the transition in media on <em>CBS Sunday Morning</em>.</p>\n<p>One was a &ldquo;Fast Draw&rdquo; piece <a href=\"http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4901018n\">Blogging Through History</a>. The video traced the evolution of participatory journalism from America&rsquo;s first newspaper <em>Publick Occurrence</em><em>s</em> which had a blank last page for people to type comments and pass the\npaper along,&nbsp; through the growth in newspapers to today&rsquo;s blogs.</p>\n<p>The second was a commentary by Nancy Giles on Twitter entitled <a href=\"http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4901026n\">Tweets, Twits, and Twitter, Oh </a><a href=\"http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4901026n\">My!</a> . You should listen to the second piece just to get her punchline at the end.</p>\n<p>Part of the problem with &ldquo;Social Media,&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;Web 2.0,&rdquo; or anything\nthat came before or after it is that the public discussion and the buzz\nfocus on the medium, rather than on the end result.</p>\n<p>Having spent a large part of my career in business media, I am\nfascinated as I read in e-newsletters, blogs, and magazine articles\nabout the ways in which business publishers are struggling to\n&ldquo;monetize&rdquo; social media.</p>\n<p>Somewhere in the midst of the focus on technology there&rsquo;s a total\nlack of understanding of the reason that people use any form of\ncommunication: to connect. They want to connect with an idea, with a\nfriend, with a business, with a solution to a problem, with a good\nlaugh. Anything else but human connection might be technology, or\nnoise, or commerce, but it&rsquo;s not communication.</p>\n<p>When I was beginning my career in the early &rsquo;70s, the phrase &ldquo;The medium is the message,&nbsp; coined by communication theorist <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_McLuhan\" title=\"Marshall McLuhan\">Marshall McLuhan</a> received great attention. McCluhan meant the form that we use to\ncommuicate embeds itself in the message, and directly effects the way\nin which the message is understood. He also noted that the actual words\nor images of a message may be less significant than the impact of those\nvisuals, sounds, or text &ndash; in other words what the overall package <em>communicates.</em></p>\n<p>In <em>Understanding Media</em>, the book that he wrote in 1964 to\nexplain his theories, he pointed out that we could reread any page of a\nbook but that a movie needed to be re-screened to study it. (Who knows\nwhat he would have made of the thousands of clips from vintage movies\nthat now reside on YouTube.) His point was that&nbsp; the medium through\nwhich a person encounters a particular piece of content would have an\neffect on the individual&rsquo;s understanding of it.</p>\n<p><a href=\"/features/article/banding_together_networking_through_tough_times/\">A piece I wrote last week</a> for the <em>St. Louis CNR Weekly Enews</em> pointed out, &ldquo;There&rsquo;s currently a lot of buzz about Web 2.0 and social\nnetworking. But St. Louis construction companies are also networking\nin&nbsp; tough times with proven technology: a cold beer and a good story.&rdquo;\nThe article talked about the high popularity of informal networking\nevents as a way to connect and gather information in tough times.</p>\n<p><a href=\"/departments/article/budrovich_big_on_you_tube/\">Another recent <em>Enews</em> article</a> covered<a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fi-mFgCeKfE\"> a YouTube post</a> by A. J. Ford, vice presi<a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fi-mFgCeKfE\"><img alt=\"Budrovich 550\" height=\"155\" src=\"/images/uploads/budrovich.jpg\" style=\"float: right;\" width=\"200\" /></a>dent\nfor sales and marketing for Budrovich Crane Rental. After I posted the\narticle with a link to A.J.&rsquo;s video, 196 people viewed it a total of\n248 times. The time-lapse <img src=\"http://users/tom/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/moz-screenshot.png\" />video of the setup of a 550-ton crane tells a compelling story.</p>\n<p>As we explore the use of Social Media and Web 2.0 in the\nconstruction industry we need to remember: Whether the &ldquo;medium&rdquo; is a\ncold Bud and a story or a Tweet, the important thing is making the\nconnection.</p>\n</div>','none','What will be the role of â€œWeb 2.0â€³ and â€œSocial Mediaâ€ be in the construction industry, and why should you care?','none','','none','','none','','none',371,'none','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none'),(662,1,4,'','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','','','','','','','','','Instant Open ','none','Muvbox, Canada,, shipping container','none','<p>While vacationing in Canada recently, <em>CNR </em>editor Peter Downs came across an innovative use for old shipping containers: instant restaurant.<br />&nbsp;<br />In only 90 seconds, the reconditioned shipping container in Montreal&rsquo;s Old Port district unfolds its walls and awnings to unveil a seafood restaurant with a 28-seat terrace.&nbsp;<a href=\"http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zSVSIWmSkY \"></a> When done for the day, it folds back up. <a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zSVSIWmSkY\">See this link for a YouTube video.</a></p>\n<p><img height=\"164\" src=\"/images/uploads/lobster-closed_2.jpg\" width=\"240\" /></p>\n<p>The brainchild of Daniel Noiseux, founder of the Pizzaiolle restaurant chain, the fully equipped restaurant-in-a-box gets nearly half its energy from two rooftop solar panels. Noiseux said he hopes to attain 100 percent energy self-sufficiency in five years. The two mechanized walls, which turn into patio floors when they fold out, are covered in flooring made from recycled tires. <br /><img alt=\"Muvbox open\" height=\"164\" src=\"/images/uploads/lobster-open.jpg\" width=\"240\" /></p>\n<p>Noiseux calls it Muvbox.<br />&nbsp;<br />Architects from Aedifica helped Noiseux turn is brainchild into reality. They came up with to solutions for folding the walls and found sources for sustainable building materials. Noiseux said it takes six to eight weeks to turn a discarded shipping container into a fully equipped restaurant with a base price of $150,000 (Canadian).</p>','','','none','','','','','','','','none','','','','none','','none','','none','While vacationing in Canada recently, CNR editor Peter Downs came across an innovative use for old shipping containers: instant restaurant.','none','','none','','none','','none',0,'none','',0,'none','','','','','','','','','','','none','','none','','none','','none');
