Augusta, Maine, April 25, 2014 – Spring weather is finally here and construction activity is picking up across the state. So it is fitting that the Associated General Contractors of Maine held their 2014 Build Maine Awards at the Augusta Civic Center last Wednesday April 16th, awarding the prestigious Build Maine Award to six Maine companies for projects they completed in the last year.

Judges representing the design, engineering, and construction community review projects by category, scoring each of them on criteria that includes contribution to the community, innovation in construction techniques, meeting the challenge of a difficult job, environmental sensitivity, responsiveness to client needs, and, of course, safety. Judging these awards is no easy task as the competition continues to grow tougher every year.

“Celebrating the work Mainers do each year is part of our tradition. It is a great way to kick off our busy season and to take the time to acknowledging the dedication, hard work, and skill required to work in the construction industry,” stated AGC Maine CEO Matthew Marks.

The projects this year were diverse in scope and BMAs were awarded to large and small contractors from around Maine. Here is the list of 2014 Build Maine Award-winning projects:

  • Sargent Corporation of Stillwater won in the Municipal Category for the City of Portland’s Baxter Boulevard North Storage Conduit Combined Sewer Overflow Project. Sargent’s team of 100 employees worked over 43,000 hours without a loss time injury, building a system that can store two million gallons of combined sewer and stormwater for treatment. [Watch Project Video Online]
  • E.S. Boulos Company worked as a member of the integrated project delivery team on the new Maine General Medical Center’s Alfond Center for Health in North Augusta last year. The firm provided electrical construction for the 654,000 square foot facility that also earned the first LEED Gold Certification in Maine for a medical facility. During construction 135 electricians worked on the project where Building Information Technology and LEAN Construction methods were applied.
  • Bancroft Contracting employees battled winter weather and very tough deadlines in constructing twin hydroelectric generating facilities on the Stillwater River. The project was designed to replace prior facilities that were removed from the Penobscot River to provide Atlantic Salmon and other fish passage to over a thousand miles of upriver tributary spawning grounds. The team finished early despite permitting delays and gained national attention in March when they received a coveted Build America Award, showing Maine contractors are some of the best in the business!
  • Cianbro won in the Building Category for the second year, this time for the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. 93% of the subcontractors were Maine companies and the team of 1,235 workers completed 400,500 safe hours and zero lost time injuries with a four-month schedule advancement and completely under budget. [Watch the Project Video Online]
  • ETTI, Inc. of Lisbon Falls won for the Maine Natural Gas Project in Kennebec Valley. 256,000 hours were logged over 32 weeks installing the 21 miles of pipeline along with two regulator stations. The team included 200 contractors who finished the project one month early and without an OSHA reportable accident of injury. ETTI, Inc. also received national attention last year for their selection as the 2013 Contractor of the Year by Equipment World. [Watch the Project Video Online]
  • The Penobscot Company’s renovation of the mid-19th century Union Hall in Rockport won the award in the Renovation Category. The firm faced significant structural and acoustical challenges in their creation of new spaces within the existing building, all while preserving the history. Today the building’s use includes a concert hall, restaurant, multi-purpose hall, and a luxury apartment. [Watch the Project Video Online]

Complete project profiles are located on AGC Maine’s website and many are accompanied by a project spotlight video. “The challenges facing contractors in Maine almost always includes weather. This year’s award-winners, once again, proved that projects can be completed on time, under budget, and with tremendous quality, despite numerous obstacles and challenges. Hat’s off to the hard-working Mainers who can say, ‘I built this’,” said Marks.

Chartered in 1951, the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Maine is the state’s largest construction industry trade association. The Association maintains an office in Augusta and has more than 185 members statewide. Member companies include general contractors, sub-contractors, and service and supply providers. For more information visit www.agcmaine.org.