FEATURE ARTICLES in this edition include:

Design Build: The Owner’s Role in Successful Outcomes
The Design (Pre-shovel) Phase
by Jim Mynott, McCarthy Vice President, Design Management

To get the best results on a design-build project, the owner’s role is as important as that of the design-builder. Read more to discover six areas where an owner’s early involvement is critical to realize ultimate success.

Achieving Effective Operation of Your Systems
by Chad Dorgan, McCarthy Vice President, Quality and Sustainability

The focus during final project turnover is often on operations and maintenance documentation and training of an owner’s personnel. Read more to learn about the key activities owners, designers and contractors need to take to ensure a smooth, effective transition.

See the WINTER 2013 EDITION

Readers can also view region-specific content by selecting from the drop down menu titled View Other Editions. These include Central, Nevada/Utah, Southern California, Northern Pacific, Southwest, Southeast and Texas.

SDS is a regional project that will deliver water to Colorado Springs, Fountain, Security and Pueblo West. The nearly $1 billion project has been a significant economic stimulus to the local economy, creating jobs for local contractors and suppliers. The 30 Colorado companies building the water treatment plant bring the total number of companies working on SDS in the state to more than 200.

“SDS is a win-win; we are providing jobs today for the water we need for tomorrow,” said Colorado Springs Utilities CEO Jerry Forte.

Of the more than $317 million that has been spent on SDS planning and construction through 2012, nearly $264 million has stayed in Colorado, including $158 million in El Paso County and nearly $60 million in Pueblo County.

The water treatment plant prime contractor team consists of McCarthy, MWH and Carollo Engineers. Of the $125 million to construct the plant, about $47 million will benefit businesses in Colorado.

• Approximately $28 million of that will go to El Paso County companies awarded work.
• Approximately $20 million of that will go to Denver-metro area companies awarded work.

The new facility will be Colorado Springs Utilities’ seventh water treatment plant. The 82,000-square-foot plant is an advanced water treatment facility that will use ozone/biological filtration to treat water piped from Pueblo Reservoir. The 100-acre facility will also house a 10-million-gallon raw water storage tank, a 7-million-gallon treated water storage tank and a finished water pump station. The plant’s capacity can be expanded to treat up to 130 million gallons of water per day based on future customer demand.

Through engineering and redesign, the team was able to reduce the plant’s estimated construction cost by about 30 percent compared to the original estimate.  

“We are tightly managing SDS contracting and construction to ensure the best value for our customers,” said Forte. “SDS is currently estimating to come in $68 million under budget at project completion in 2016.”

Colorado Springs Utilities is managing SDS planning and construction for the four project partners that include the communities of Fountain, Security and Pueblo West. For more information about the Southern Delivery System, visit www.SDSWater.org.

About McCarthy
McCarthy is the nation’s 8th largest domestic general contractor (Engineering News-Record, May 2012) and has a diverse roster of heavy/civil projects across the country. The Water Services team offers general contracting, construction management, program management and design/build services for wastewater and water treatment projects in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas. The team also covers construction projects in the mining, solar, nuclear and fossil fuels industries. The McCarthy Southwest Division is based in Tempe, Ariz. McCarthy also has offices in Newport Beach, San Diego, Sacramento and San Francisco, Calif.; Las Vegas; Albuquerque; Dallas and Houston, Texas; St. Louis; Collinsville, Ill. and Atlanta.  McCarthy is 100 percent employee-owned.  More information about the company is available at www.mccarthy.com.

FEATURE ARTICLES in this edition include:

When Prices Rise, Will You Be Ready?
Prepare now for the coming escalation
by Mike Bolen, McCarthy Chairman and CEO

Rising construction prices may be on the horizon. How can owners budget today for the construction components they’ll need to buy a year or two from now? Read on to find out.

Funding Finesse
by Paul Erb, LEED AP BD+C, McCarthy Project Director

Projects today are often funded from a combination of sources secured at different times. Learn how the University of California, Berkeley managed this uncertainty on the new Li Ka Shing Center for Biomedical & Health Sciences.

See the Fall 2012 Edition

Readers can also view region-specific content by selecting from the drop down menu titled View Other Editions. These include Central, Nevada/Utah, Southern California, Northern Pacific, Southwest, Southeast and Texas.

Presented during the Training 2013 Conference & Expo in Orlando, the award recognizes the top training organizations based on excellence in employer-sponsored training and development programs across all industries. McCarthy was again honored with placement on the prestigious list, moving up from 10^th to 6^th place in this year’s ranking. This result positioned the firm as the highest ranked construction company on the list for the second year in a row, supporting a national effort to provide high quality development opportunities for those pursuing careers in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

“To deliver exceptional construction results for our clients, we know we must develop the best true builders in the industry,” commented McCarthy Chairman and CEO Mike Bolen. “And, as an employee-owned company, these builders also need to understand the intricacies of our business to bring real value to our clients and partners. It is truly an honor to be included among America’s best on the Training 125.”

Founded as a family-owned business almost 150 years ago, McCarthy is one of the largest 100% employee-owned companies in America today. The firm has long fostered a culture dedicated to continuous improvement, and “Learning” represents one of McCarthy’s six company Core Values. While a formal McCarthy Training Program had been in place for decades, McCarthy launched an entirely revamped training program in 2008 under McCarthy Build U^®. Unusual in the construction industry and among best-in-class training programs outside of the construction industry, McCarthy Build U is a personalized approach to employee development. Through a comprehensive array of in-person, online and self-directed training opportunities, employees are empowered to take control of their personal and professional development. Ensuring the safety of all individuals who work on or near all McCarthy project sites is the firm’s number one priority. This vigilant approach to safety is supported by McCarthy’s comprehensive Safety Training Program. Further, employees have access to an extensive on-the-job training program, as well as more than 325 instructor-led classroom sessions, 135 instructor-led virtual classroom sessions and 250 online, self-paced modules focused on building, business and management skills.

“Our focus on developing the best builders and industry professionals in the business starts from Day One,” explained McCarthy President and Chief Operating Officer Derek Glanvill. “With a training investment three times the construction industry average, we are serious about this effort. This approach enables us to attract and retain the best talent, execute work that others say is ‘impossible,’ and ultimately develop future company and industry leaders.”

 About the Training 125
Now in its 13^th year, the Training Top 125 ranking is based on a variety of benchmarking statistics such as total training budget; percentage of payroll; number of training hours per employee program; goals, evaluation, measurement, and workplace surveys; hours of training per employee annually; and detailed formal programs. The ranking is determined by assessing a range of qualitative and quantitative factors, including financial investment in employee development, the scope of development programs, and how closely such development efforts are linked to business goals and objectives. More information about the 2013 Training Top 125 Award winners may be obtained online at www.trainingmag.com.

About McCarthy
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest commercial builders. Committed to the construction of high performance green buildings, progressive job site technology, and safer, faster and more cost-effective execution, the company provides general contracting, construction management, and design-build services for healthcare, educational, commercial, parking structures, science and technology facilities; office buildings; tenant interiors; mixed-use; bridges; and highways. Repeatedly honored as a Best Place to Work, McCarthy is a 100 percent employee-owned private company, or “S corporation employee stock ownership plan” (S ESOP). More information about the company is available online at www.mccarthy.com.

FEATURE ARTICLES in this edition include:

Building Before the Bell Rings
How to do a major school renovation on the fast track
by Justin Kelton, McCarthy Vice President, Education Services

Whatever project type, be it a school, hospital, laboratory, entertainment venue or civil project, time is often of the essence. What does it take to beat the schedule?

 The Three Frontiers of BIM
by John Grady, McCarthy BIM Manager

A paradigm shift is underway enabling owners to benefit from information-rich models during construction and throughout the building lifecycle. Find out how to get your team started.

 See the Summer 2012 Edition now.

Readers can also view region-specific content by selecting from the drop down menu titled View Other Editions. These include Central, Nevada/Utah, Southern California, Northern Pacific, Southwest, Southeast, Texas and MC Industrial.

FEATURE ARTICLES in this edition include:

Weathering the Storm
How Mercy and McCarthy are collaborating to rebuild healthcare in Joplin
by Stephen Meuschke, McCarthy Project Manager

What Mercy is accomplishing following last year’s EF5 tornado in Joplin, Mo., has never been done before. And, the inspirational story of Mercy Hospital Joplin is really just getting started.

Don’t Forget to Look Down – A Case for Floor Flatness
by Chris Pechacek, McCarthy Virtual Design and Construction Director

Imperfections in floor flatness can have significant impacts on operational efficiencies. To deliver superior floor flatness levels requires a detailed plan like that being implemented for Kaiser Permanente.

Aligning Sustainability Construction Goals with an Owner’s Mission
by Nate Ray, McCarthy Senior Project Manager

When Soka University of America challenged McCarthy to build a new performing arts center in line with the university’s Buddhist mission, the team knew this was more than simply achieving LEED status.

See the Spring 2012 Edition

Readers can also view region-specific content by selecting from the drop down menu titled View Other Editions. These include Central, Nevada/Utah, Southern California, Northern Pacific, Southwest, Southeast, Texas and MC Industrial.

FEATURE ARTICLES in this edition include:

Thinking like Owners
How Integrated Project Delivery Helps Achieve the Best Final Outcome
by Doug Mangers, McCarthy Project Director

Integrated Project Delivery breaks down traditional silos, exposing and connecting each team member to the entire building process. Read on to learn more.

Maximum Mobility Maximizes Productivity
The State of Mobile Technology is Taking Construction to a New Level
by Michael Oster, McCarthy Vice President, Information Technology

Technology innovations are hitting jobsites at a fast and furious pace. Here are some exciting technology trends to watch.

BIM in Action: LAX Central Utility Plant
by Ryan Clark, McCarthy Virtual Design & Construction Manager

Building a new 75,000-square-foot, steel-framed replacement central utility plant at the world’s seventh busiest airport is no easy feat. Find out how it’s being done.

Impossible Project?
Planning Makes Perfect at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
by Ben Johanneman, McCarthy Project Director

Faced with extremely tight site space, catastrophic weather conditions, and ongoing active hospital operations, the team implemented nine specific actions to make this project a success. See how these may apply to your next project.

See the Winter 2012 Edition.

Readers can also view region-specific content by selecting from the drop down menu titled View Other Editions. These include Central, Nevada, Southern California, Northern Pacific, Southwest, Southeast, Texas and MC Industrial.

Led by McCarthy’s Tempe-based Water Services team, the comprehensive water project includes a master plan to specifically serve the Twin Arrows Resort and Casino and planned future amenities, including a potential golf course. McCarthy’s design partner is Scottsdale-based WaterWorks Engineers.

McCarthy is installing 17,500 linear feet of water and wastewater pipes, a pump station with a storage tank for the casino’s potable water supply, a wastewater treatment plant, two wells and facilities to house the control room and electrical and pumping equipment necessary for the project.

“McCarthy has a long history of working with tribal communities in the Southwest on projects like the Twin Arrows Casino,” said Frank Scopetti, vice president of McCarthy’s Water Services team. “Our design-build team for this project is working closely with the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority to ensure their water needs are met now and in the future.”

The Twin Arrows Casino is poised to be a major gaming facility with a 90-room, 4-star hotel and conference center, located near the Twin Arrows exit off of Interstate 40 between Flagstaff and Winslow, Ariz.

“Gaming facilities have become a fairly high priority for the Navajo Nation,” said Reevis Bagay, Navajo Tribal Utility Authority representative. “The Twin Arrows Casino will have great economic impact within the Navajo Nation and surrounding community. We’re pleased to be working with such a trusted name in the commercial building industry who understands the multi-utility needs of the Nation.”

McCarthy and WaterWorks Engineers were selected as the design-build team for the project.  The water/wastewater facilities for the casino will be completed in early 2013 with an April 2013 estimated completion of the casino.

About McCarthy Building Companies
McCarthy is one of America’s oldest and largest commercial builders with a diverse roster of heavy/civil projects across the country. The McCarthy Southwest Division is based in Tempe, Ariz. McCarthy also has offices in Newport Beach, San Diego, Sacramento and San Francisco, Calif.; Las Vegas; Albuquerque; Dallas and Houston, Texas; St. Louis, Collinsville, Ill. and Atlanta. McCarthy is 100 percent employee-owned. More information about the company is available at www.mccarthy.com.

“Our new adventure began in an extremely difficult time for our nation, right after the events of September 11, 2001,” explained McCarthy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Michael Bolen. “Despite the nation’s economic highs and lows over the past decade, employee ownership has literally transformed our company. We have experienced significant success on a wide variety of fronts, enabling us to deliver even higher quality projects on-time and on-budget. Moreover, with the addition of the ESOP, our employee owners now have an additional retirement benefit — an outstanding advantage from which all Americans could gain.”

A few notable McCarthy highlights during the past ten years include:

• Successfully streamlined processes and implemented industry-leading techniques to become one of the safest builders in America, improving safety results by more than 82 percent;
• Created MC Industrial, Inc., an independent McCarthy company, dedicated to meeting the highly specialized construction needs of the industrial marketplace;
• Developed and rolled out a multitude of technology innovations to enhance efficiencies in the field, ranking McCarthy among the top users of Building Information Modeling in the industry (Building Design & Construction Magazine, July 2011);
• Launched the innovative McCarthy Quality Without Question program, focusing on proactive planning for quality and tracking of quality incidents to improve company-wide performance;
• Tackled sustainability from the builder’s perspective, developing a unique in-house Green Training Curriculum and ranking us the 6 leading green builder (Building Design & Construction Magazine, July 2011);
• Developed and implemented the best-in-class McCarthy Build U^® employee-owner training and development program, ranking McCarthy #10 on the prestigious Training Magazine 125 list (February 2012);
• Implemented the award-winning McCarthy Build for Life wellness program, increasing the health and well-being of McCarthy’s employee-owners and families.

“As a self-performing builder, McCarthy has always been known for tackling the most complex construction challenges,” explained McCarthy President & Chief Operating Officer Derek Glanvill. “While many other contractors are selling out to owners overseas and moving away from performing their own work, our focus on hands-on building is even stronger than ever. We believe a true builder has a genuine command of the practice of building, better understanding how to balance schedule, cost, quality and safety so we can deliver the best final outcome. The past ten years have helped us show clients and partners the power of this approach.”

About S Corporation ESOPs
An Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) is a qualified defined contribution retirement plan that provides company workers with retirement savings through their investments in their employer’s stock, at no cost to the employee. ESOPs are regulated by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”) just like pension funds, 401(k) plans and other qualified retirement plans. In a 2010 Georgetown University/McDonough School of Business study, two leading tax economists reviewed the performance of a cross-section of S corporation ESOP companies during the recent recession. The study found that these companies performed better than other companies in creating jobs, economic activity and retirement security. For more information, visit www.esca.us.

About McCarthy
McCarthy Holdings, Inc., includes the consolidated results of its wholly owned subsidiaries McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. and MC Industrial, Inc. McCarthy was founded in 1864 as a lumber business focusing on constructing farmhouses and barns around Ann Arbor, Mich. Three of the founder’s children went into the family business, and in 1907, incorporated the firm in Missouri. Over the next 50 years, the company completed projects at the World’s Fair in San Francisco, in Alaska and in the Panama Canal Zone.

In 1976, Michael McCarthy became president of the company, and soon after McCarthy began its ascent to national prominence in healthcare construction management, as well as becoming the nation’s largest design-build parking structure builder. In 1984, Michael McCarthy assumed the position of chairman of the board and led McCarthy’s expansion into semiconductor, biopharmaceutical, educational, R&D and general manufacturing markets, with the company becoming a major player in each. 

In anticipation of the transition to 100 percent employee ownership, the McCarthy Employee Stock Ownership Plan was created in 1996. The company continued to expand, becoming a national leader in K-12 education, higher education, water services, industrial and federal construction. Today, McCarthy is one of the nation’s oldest and largest commercial builders (Engineering News-Record, May 2011). Repeatedly honored as a Best Place to Work, McCarthy has approximately 1,400 salaried employees with offices in St. Louis, Atlanta; Collinsville, Ill.; Portage, Ind.; Phoenix; Las Vegas; Dallas and Houston; Albuquerque; and San Diego, Newport Beach, San Francisco and Sacramento, Calif. More information about the company is available online at www.mccarthy.com.

Throughout the construction process, all elements of the plant will remain operational and capable of producing A+ reclaimed water. The project will include expansion of the existing facilities by adding an expanded headworks facility, new aeration basins, new clarifiers, expansion of the filtration and flocculation facilities, as well as a new finished water reservoir.

In late 2009, McCarthy completed construction of the Phase II Chandler Airport Water Reclamation Facility Expansion project for the City of Chandler. This project expanded the facility’s liquid processing from 10 MGD to 15 MGD and included new equipment and reservoirs for the water reclamation distribution system and new processes in treating the 15 MGD of equivalent solids. The project received “Project of the Year” awards from the American Public Works Association and the Arizona Water Association.

“The city of Chandler has one of the most robust reclaimed water systems in the state,” said Frank Scopetti, vice president and business unit leader of McCarthy’s Water Services team. “We are looking forward to our role as Construction Manager at Risk on this project and to collaborating with city staff and Wilson Engineers, the project engineer, during the design stages to maximize cost savings suggestions and best value recommendations for the city.”

The anticipated construction schedule of phase III of the project is June 2012 to June 2014.

“McCarthy’s positive track record with earlier phases of this expansion project means they will have no learning curve,” said Kim Neill, Utility Operations Manager for the city of Chandler. “Their team of water project specialists offers expertise regarding constructability issues, MOPO planning and work sequencing, which will enable us to do more in-depth planning around the existing site constraints.”

About McCarthy
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is one of the nation’s leading builders and has a diverse roster of heavy/civil projects across the country. The Water Services team offers general contracting, construction management, program management and design-build services for wastewater and water treatment projects in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas. The team also covers construction projects in the mining, solar, nuclear and fossil fuels industries. The McCarthy Southwest Division is based in Tempe, Ariz. McCarthy also has offices in Newport Beach, San Diego, Sacramento and San Francisco, Calif.; Las Vegas; Albuquerque; Dallas and Houston, Texas; St. Louis and Atlanta. McCarthy is 100 percent employee-owned.  More information about the company is available at www.mccarthy.com.