• Rosendin Electric participation as specialty contractor improves safety performance and helps complete upgrade ahead of schedule
TEMPE, AZ, Oct. 26, 2010 -- Rosendin Electric (www.rosendin.com), the nation's largest private electrical contractor and a 100-percent employee-owned company, has been recognized by the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) for its contribution to completion of the Nogales International Waste Water Treatment Plant in Rio Rico, Arizona.
At the 2010 Design-Build Conference & Expo held in Las Vegas last week, the DBIA awarded the 2010 Water/Wastewater Over $25 Million Design-Build Merit Award to PCL Construction as the contracting firm, Stantec Engineering as the engineering firm, and Rosendin Electric as the specialty contractor for the project. Rosendin Electric assisted with the overall design and construction of the electrical portion of this $61 million project which converted the facility from an aerated lagoon to an activated sludge plant with a 15 million-gallon-per-day (MGD) capacity.
Located in Santa Cruz County, the Nogales International WWTP serves more than 200,000 residents on both sides of the U.S./Mexico border. In December 2005, the city of Nogales, Arizona, received a $60 million grant to upgrade the facility to meet EPA standards to discharge water into the Santa Cruz River. The previous lagoon facility was not capable of eliminating toxic ammonia or meeting state permit limits for suspended solids. The upgraded facility also received the National Project Achievement Award from the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) in November 2009, and a 2010 Project of the Year award from the American Public Works Association (APWA) in August.
Some of the challenges facing the design-build team included upgrading the existing facility without disrupting service and dealing with differing Mexican and U.S. environmental regulations. The project was constructed using a "fast-track" approach and was completed in June 2009, four months ahead of schedule.
The Rosendin Electric team also worked 800 days and approximately 37,000 man hours without a single accident or incident. Mike Kelley, Environmental Health and Safety Manager for Rosendin Electric, credits the outstanding safety record to planning and training. Working with Rosendin Electric and PCL Construction supervisors, the team was able to plan work weeks in advance so workers could be trained to work safely to accomplish each task. "On this project, we lived our safety motto: 'plan our work and work our plan'," Kelley said. Rosendin Electric also implemented an apprentice mentoring program, pairing journeymen with more experienced engineers, and supervisors encouraged team members to check with the safety office if they had any questions. Safety performance was rewarded with regular safety awards and a monthly barbecue.
"We would like to show our appreciation for your great performance, commitment, and construction safety your company showed while being part of the Design-Build Project Team for the Nogales International Waste Water Treatment Plant Expansion," noted Jesus Angulo, Project Manager for PCL Construction. "Since the early stages of the project, Rosendin Electric was a fundamental piece for the success of the project, contributing on all aspects of electrical and instrumentation design, construction, installation, and operations."
"We were privileged to be a strategic partner in this project from the initial bid, and we have worked closely with the design-build team to construct a lasting, user-friendly system while controlling costs," said Tom Hladky, Senior Project Manager for Rosendin Electric. "We have not only been rewarded for our efforts by the successful completion of this project and accolades from the DBIA, but also in the knowledge that our efforts have helped save the Santa Cruz River ecosystem."
About Rosendin Electric
Rosendin Electric Inc., headquartered in San Jose, California, is a 100% employee-owned electrical engineering, power and communications provider and is the largest privately held electrical contractor in the United States. With branch offices in San Francisco, CA; Los Angeles, CA; Sacramento, CA; Tempe, AZ; Hillsboro, OR; Las Vegas, NV; and Arlington, VA, over 2,000 employees have built upon a 90-year reputation for quality installations nationally. Rosendin Electric recently completed acquisition of Texas-based, KST Electric. For additional information visit www.rosendin.com.
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