Michigan Contractor and Builder articles from January 2005

Michigan Contractor and Builder archives from January 2005

Statewide Construction Will Be Flat.(Editorial)
January 1, 2005... By Aram Kalousdian, Editor 2005 construction spending is expected to remain at 2004 levels Construction spending in Michigan is expected to remain at 2004 levels in 2005. Construction spending on the national level is expected to show...

Michigan Construction Will Be Weak.
January 1, 2005... By James J. Cole Jr., 2005 Chairman Associated General Contractors, Greater Detroit Chapter, Inc. Construction in Michigan will lag behind the national picture in 2005 A Look Back -- 2004 About one year ago, the news coming from...

Experts Forecast Markets.(Editorial)
January 1, 2005... By Aram Kalousdian, Editor Auto industry remains a critical part of Michigan's economy Jerry R. Pearson, managing director of Private Client Group & Investment Management at Fifth Third Bank, told attendees of The Engineering Society...

MDOT Unveils Five Year Plan.(Michigan Department of Transportation)
January 1, 2005... Staff The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) unveiled its Five Year Road and Bridge Program for 2005-2009 recently to the State Transportation Commission. The commission authorized the department to hold "listening sessions" with...

Capital Consultants Relocates.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Staff Capital Consultants, Inc. of Grand Rapids, Lansing and Gaylord has relocated its West Michigan office to a space in downtown Grand Rapids. Capital Consultants, Inc. serves government agencies, industries, institutions,...

TMP Associates Honored.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Staff TMP Associates, Inc., a full-service architectural and engineering firm based in Bloomfield Hills, has been awarded a certificate of merit from the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO) 2004 Exhibition of...

Three Achieve LEED Accreditation.(Schley Architects Inc)(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Staff Schley Architects, Inc. has announced that Terry Schley, A.I.A., Kristopher Nelson, A.I.A., and Lee Dingemans, associate A.I.A., have achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) accredited professional status. The...

MCIM Appoints Kynard.(Michigan Construction Industry Mutual., Dawn R. Kynard )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Staff Michigan Construction Industry Mutual (MCIM), a mutual insurance company specializing in workers' compensation, has named Dawn R. Kynard as claims manager. In her new position, Kynard is responsible for the management of MCIM's...

Dannemiller Awarded Certificate.(Gary Dannemiller was awarded a Presidential Certificate of Merit.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Staff Gary Dannemiller, C.P.G., senior project consultant in the Lansing office of Soil and Materials Engineers, Inc. (SME), was awarded a Presidential Certificate of Merit by the president of the American Institute of Professional...

URS Appoints Currey.(URS Corp., D. Timothy Currey)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Staff URS Corporation has appointed D. Timothy Currey, R.A., N.C.A.R.B., to the position of project director-special projects, for the Michigan office. Based in Grand Rapids, Currey's responsibilities include facility programming, planning...

BEI Appoints Smithbauer.(BEI Associates Inc., Patrick J. Smithbauer)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Staff BEI Associates, Inc., a Detroit-based architectural and engineering firm, appointed Patrick J. Smithbauer, P.E., L.E.E.D., vice president. Smithbauer joins BEI from Ghafari Associates, where he held a similar position. He brings...

Conexpo-Con/Agg.
January 1, 2005... Staff March 15-19, 2005 Co Las Vegas, Nevada Co www.conexpoconagg.com Come see these exhibitors at the show! BOMAG's New BW190AD-4 HF Tandem Roller Staff With 79-inch-wide drums, BOMAG's new BW190AD-4 HF tandem vibratory...

Merger Announced.(Elisabeth Knibbe Architects and Quinn Evans Architects mrger)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2005... Staff Elisabeth Knibbe Architects has merged with QUINN EVANS ARCHITECTS (QEA). Elisabeth Knibbe, A.I.A., joins QEA's Ann Arbor office as a principal.

Registration, Accreditation Earned.(Soil and Materials Engineers Inc., Sarah Bossenbroek)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2005... Staff Soil and Materials Engineers, Inc. (SME) announced that Sarah Bossenbroek, P.E., staff engineer in its Lansing office, has become a registered professional engineer in Michigan. She has over four years of geotechnical engineering...

Harmon Hires Two.(Brief Article)
January 8, 2005... Staff Specialty glazing contractor Harmon, Inc. hired Brandon Molitor as a project coordinator and Diane Molloy as a service sales representative for its Detroit location. Joining Harmon from Huron Valley Glass in Ypsilanti, Molitor...

Four Earn LEED Accreditation.(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2005... Staff DiClemente Siegel Design Inc. (DSD) has announced that four staff members are now Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) accredited professionals. Company President and Chief Executive Officer Louis A. Trama, P.E.;...

Kingscott Associates Honored.(Knapp Forest Elementary School)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2005... Staff The American Association of School Administrators, American Institute of Architects and the Council for Educational Facilities Planners International combined architectural jury recently bestowed its highest award to Forest Hills...

Projects Receive Awards.(Brief Article)
January 8, 2005... Staff A jury of distinguished architects from Baltimore, Md., honored several projects in the American Institute of Architects Detroit Chapter Design Awards Competition. All of the projects are in Southeastern Michigan. Three jury members...

Van Tine Guthrie Studio of Architecture, Northville.(Brief Article)
January 8, 2005... Staff Detroit Public Schools Central Maintenance Hub, Detroit The maintenance building is a fine example of the adaptive reuse of an abandoned industrial facility that helps to upgrade the surrounding neighborhood. The jury noted that...

Neumann/Smith and Associates, Southfield.(The New Detroit Science Center)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2005... Staff The New Detroit Science Center, Detroit The New Science Center takes a city icon, designed by William Kessler in 1977 for a cash-strapped institution, to the next level. Even though 42,000 square feet were added, the architect...

SmithGroup, Detroit.(Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2005... Staff Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies, Ann Arbor The facility was designed in 1938 by William Kapp, of Smith Hinchman and Grylls, the Detroit firm that has evolved into the SmithGroup. This building contains some of the...

HarleyEllis, Southfield.(Ford Rouge Factory Tour Visitor Center)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2005... Staff Ford Rouge Factory Tour Visitor Center, Dearborn Conforming to the Ford Motor Company's "green building" philosophy, the new visitor center is the gateway for touring the assembly line. Incorporating sustainable design...

Wade-Trim Recognized.(Brief Article)
January 8, 2005... Staff Wade-Trim was recently honored as one of the best companies to work for by The Michigan Business and Professional Association (MBPA). MBPA named Wade-Trim as one of Metropolitan Detroit's "101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work...

Changes Announced.(Detroit Door & Hardware Company)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2005... Staff Detroit Door & Hardware Company of Madison Heights has announced that Bob Walker has been appointed service manager. His responsibilities will include day-to-day management of the Overhead Door and Automatic Door Service departments,...

Dearborn CSO Project Under Way.(combined sewer overflow)
January 8, 2005... By Aram Kalousdian, Editor Major sewer project is expected to be completed in 2010 The first phase of a three-phase construction project to control combined sewer overflows in Dearborn is under way. The project is expected to cost over...

Kent County's Millennium Park.
January 8, 2005... By Dirk C. Bloemendaal 1,500 acres of industrial land will be returned to green space Millennium Park is a unique and ambitious project, which will return approximately 1,500 acres of industrial land to publicly owned, urban green...

Constructors Attend Professional Development Day.
January 8, 2005... By Anahid Lisa Derbabian Certain characteristics are important for effective leadership Michigan State University's Head Women's Basketball Coach Joanne McCallie opened the second annual Michigan Construction Industry Professional...

Sewer Project Requires Deep Cut.(Oselka Construction Company.)
January 15, 2005... By Dirk C. Bloemendaal Gravity sewer is replaced in downtown South Haven A 30-foot-deep cut for much of a recently completed sanitary sewer rehabilitation project in South Haven proved to be a challenge. Oselka Construction...

Tight Bonding Market May Continue.(surety bonds)
January 15, 2005... By Aram Kalousdian, Editor Surety bonding companies are exercising greater underwriting discipline The surety bond market has hardened and has been hard for the past several years. It is more difficult for contractors to get a bond...

Truck Maintenance Is Critical.(to control repair costs)
January 15, 2005... By Aram Kalousdian, Editor Preventive maintenance can prevent expensive repairs in the future Spending a little money to maintain a truck costs much less than waiting for something to crack or break, or fail on the road. That was a...

Sachse Relocates To Birmingham.(Broder & Sachse Real Estate Services, Inc., Sachse Construction & Development Corp.)
January 15, 2005... Staff Broder & Sachse Real Estate Services, Inc., a commercial, residential and industrial property management and development company, and sister company Sachse Construction & Development Corp., a premium commercial construction and...

SIO Offers CD On Bonding.(Surety Information Office)(Brief Article)
January 15, 2005... Staff The Surety Information Office (SIO) has a new CD-ROM for contractors and subcontractors. "Surety Bonds: A Guide for Contractors" is packed with answers to questions contractors and subcontractors may have about the bonding process...

Coleman Engineering Promotes Stengard.(Garth C. Stengard )(Brief Article)
January 15, 2005... Staff Coleman Engineering Company (CEC) has announced that Garth C. Stengard, P.E., was promoted to Civil Engineering Department Ironwood office manager. Stengard has been with CEC for 1-1/2 years of his 12-year career as a professional...

County Highway Engineer Resigns.(Road Commission of Macomb County)(Edwin Tatem resigned)(Brief Article)
January 15, 2005... Staff The Road Commission of Macomb County recently announced the resignation of Edwin Tatem, county highway engineer. Tatem served as county highway engineer of the road commission for the past three years, having come from his previous...

Skanska USA Building Makes Appointments.(Brief Article)
January 15, 2005... Staff Skanska USA Building Inc. has announced the following personnel appointments: Ted Budzilek as mechanical, electrical and plumbing coordinator; Vern Wellington as scheduling engineer; and Judy Reed as administrative assistant. ...

Editor's Report.(Association of State Dam Safety Officials backs bill for repairing unsafe public dams)
January 15, 2005... By Aram Kalousdian Dam Repair Act Receives Support The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO), members of the Dam Safety Coalition, are backing the Dam Rehabilitation and...

AUC, MRBA Become MITA.(Associated Underground Contractors, Michigan's Heavy Construction Association, and Michigan Road Builders Association merged to form Michigan Infrastructure & Transportation Association)
January 22, 2005... Staff The membership of Associated Underground Contractors - Michigan's Heavy Construction Association (AUC) and the Michigan Road Builders Association (MRBA) has overwhelmingly approved the merger of their respective organizations to form...

Website Launched For Northwestern Connector.
January 22, 2005... Staff A wealth of information about the "Northwestern Connector" project is now available on a new website. The project will involve a number of significant road improvements in coming years in the area where Northwestern Highway ends at...

Hietikko Joins Wade-Trim.(Wade-Trim Group appointed Jennifer Hietikko as civil engineer)(Brief Article)
January 22, 2005... Staff Jennifer Hietikko has joined Wade-Trim's Gaylord office as a civil engineer where she will be working on various private development projects. Hietikko earned her bachelor of science degree in civil engineering at Michigan...

Two Join CTI.(CTI and Associates Inc appoints Te-Yang Soong and Matthew Williams )
January 22, 2005... Staff CTI and Associates, Inc., of Brighton, has announced that Te-Yang Soong Ph.D., P.E., has joined CTI as manager of Engineering Design Services at its Brighton office headquarters. Soong has more than 17 years of experience in...

Mullen Joins The Dailey Company.(Gerry Mullen )(Brief Article)
January 22, 2005... Staff Gerry Mullen has joined The Dailey Company, of Lake Orion, as superintendent. Mullen is responsible for on-site coordination of the various trades and the actual construction of the project. He is responsible for implementing the...

Sandra Bliesener Receives Accreditation.(Brief Article)
January 22, 2005... Staff O'Boyle, Cowell, Blalock & Associates, Inc. (OCBA), of Kalamazoo, has announced that Sandra J. Bliesener, A.S.L.A., has been accredited as a Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) professional. The LEED standard has...

Bridge Project Includes Jet Grouting.
January 22, 2005... By Aram Kalousdian, Editor Dixboro Road bridge in Ann Arbor Township should be completed in December A new four-lane bridge on Dixboro Road in Ann Arbor Township is being constructed over the Huron River and the Norfolk Southern...

M-45 Widened.
January 22, 2005... By Dirk C. Bloemendaal Road expanded to five lanes A 3-mile section of M-45 in Walker and nearby Grand Rapids was recently widened. The project, which was started April 2004, was a $6-million contract to widen the existing road from...

Know Your Markets.(construction industry)
January 22, 2005... By Leslie M. Kusek Construction industry firms must understand their business and markets Construction firms, engineers, architects, and the myriad of other professional service providers that serve the built environment -- we're...

MITA Staff Announced.(appointments at Michigan Infrastructure & Transportation Association)
January 29, 2005... Staff The board of the newly formed Michigan Infrastructure & Transportation Association (MITA) announced the staff for the organization. MITA was officially formed when the membership of the Associated Underground Contractors --...

ARTBA Seeks Nominations.
January 29, 2005... Staff Do you know any young potential transportation construction industry leaders? The American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) wants to hear from you! The association's Transportation Development Foundation is...

Davenport Masonry Hires Fletcher.(appointment of John Fletcher at Davenport Masonry, Inc. )(Brief Article)
January 29, 2005... Staff Davenport Masonry, Inc. of Holt has hired John Fletcher as their new restoration project manager. Fletcher has been in the industry for 28 years. A detailed project manager, Fletcher's strengths are in matching mortars, identifying...

Desjardins Earns Registration.(resignation of Matthew Desjardins )(Brief Article)
January 29, 2005... Staff Soil and Materials Engineers, Inc. (SME) announced that Matthew Desjardins, P.E., senior engineer in its Plymouth office, has become a registered professional engineer in Michigan. He has eight years of experience and is...

Subbarayan Joins CTI.(appointment of Morgan Subbarayan )(Brief Article)
January 29, 2005... Staff CTI and Associates, Inc. (CTI) of Brighton has announced that Morgan Subbarayan, P.E., has joined CTI as principal engineer and manager of the Solid Waste division at its Brighton office headquarters. Subbarayan has more than 18...

Byce Hires General Manager.(appointment of Robert Gengelbach at Byce & Associates, Inc. )(Brief Article)
January 29, 2005... Staff The consulting engineering firm Byce & Associates, Inc. has announced that Robert Gengelbach, P.E. has joined the firm as general manager of the Grand Rapids office. A 1987 graduate of State University of New York at Buffalo, he...

Southwest Michigan Sewer Project Completed.
January 29, 2005... By Dirk C. Bloemendaal There were high water tables on the project The Painter, Juno, Christiana (PJC) Lakes Wastewater Collection System was recently completed. The $2.6-million project upgraded the wastewater collection system...

Addressing Road Texture.(Roger Larson talks about the pavement preservation)
January 29, 2005... By Aram Kalousdian, Editor Pavement preservation should include improving pavement friction, safety and noise Roger Larson, senior engineer for Applied Pavement Technology, told attendees of the recent Midwestern Pavement Preservation...

Commissioning Is Key.(a documented confirmation)
January 29, 2005... By Nisah J. Tahara, CIT Commissioning ensures that all building systems perform as they should In the quest to build faster, safer and more efficiently, a sensible way to map things out is to engage in commissioning. Commissioning is...