Durr Receives Top National Honors
HARAHAN, LA (June 29, 2009) –
On Wednesday, June 24, the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) recognized the nation’s top 2008 construction projects during its Excellence in Construction and National Safety Excellence awards celebrations at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington, DC.
“ABC is proud to honor these innovative merit shop construction projects and industry-leading firms with our Excellence in Construction award,” said Kirk Pickerel, ABC President and CEO. “These award winners are outstanding examples of the exceptional craftsmanship and professionalism that embody merit shop construction.”
The Excellence in Construction awards program is the industry’s leading competition, developed to honor innovative and high-quality merit shop construction projects and safety programs. The award honors all construction team members, including the contractor, owner, architect and engineer. The winning projects, selected from entries submitted from across the nation, were judged on complexity, attractiveness, unique challenges overcome, completion time, workmanship, innovation, safety and cost. Only 44 projects are recognized each year.
One of the most unique projects honored with an Excellence in Construction Award was Durr Heavy Construction’s WWL New Guy Wire Foundations in the swamps of Barataria. During Hurricane Katrina, the existing foundations were lifted out of the ground causing the radio towers to be unstable. Durr was charged with building a road through the swamps that cranes and cement trucks could use to build the new 84-ton foundations. All while maintaining the integrity of the ecological system in the area.
“The WWL projects presented numerous challenges and opportunities for us to exceed expectations,” Freddy Yoder, COO and President of Durr Heavy Construction. “None of this could have been achieved without the hard work and dedication of our outstanding employees.”
A panel of industry experts served as the competition’s judges. This year’s panel included representatives from the Design-Build Institute of America, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Surety & Fidelity Association of America, Engineering News-Record and representatives from higher education, among others.
In addition to the EIC award, Durr also received a National Safety Merit award from its success in the area of safety. This award evaluates the key elements of a contractor’s safety program and recognized those that meet and exceed safety standards.
“We at Durr take a lot of pride in the fact that safety isn’t just a word we toss around but something we believe is a core foundation in which to work by,” said Yoder.”