ABC recognizes South Central contractors with National Safety Excellence Awards

Associated Builders and Contractors recently recognized the South Central region’s safest construction firms in 2007 during the 18th annual Excellence in Construction and National Safety Excellence awards celebration at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.

The 2007 National Safety Excellence Award winners were selected from ABC member firms achieving Platinum status in ABC’s Safety Training and Evaluation Process (STEP) program. Selection criteria for the national safety winners included each member’s self-evaluation scores, lost workday case rates, total recordable rates and interviews conducted by members of ABC’s National Environment, Health and Safety Committee.

Following were the winners, by category:

• General Contractor Category: Caddell Construction Co., Montgomery, Ala.; Performance Contractors Inc., Baton Rouge, La.; and W.G. Yates & Sons Construction, Biloxi, Miss.

• Specialty Contractor Category: IES Industrial Inc., Baton Rouge; Triad Electric & Controls Inc., Baton Rouge; and Vector Electric & Controls Inc., Gonzales, La.

Construction begins on Jefferson Parish’s self-sustaining emergency ops center

Jefferson Parish government is heightening its level of hurricane preparedness with the addition of the Jefferson Parish Emergency Telecommunications & Emergency Operations Center (911 EOC) in Gretna, La.

MAPP Construction of Baton Rouge, La., was awarded this $32 million project in early July.

The self-sustaining 911 EOC is designed to withstand extreme conditions and to remain fully functional should another disaster such as Hurricane Katrina occur.

Construction began in early August and will be completed in early 2010. The four-story, 69,000-sq-ft concrete frame building will include its own energy, water and fuel source to allow it to continue its operations despite threatening outside conditions.

It also has its own septic system, as well as a dormitory to house workers during large-scale emergency operations.

Arrighi Simoneaux becomes Arrighi Construction LLC

Arrighi Simoneaux, a Baton Rouge-based commercial construction company, recently announced it will be operating as Arrighi Construction LLC.

Arrighi Construction will continue to provide the same construction services for public and private commercial projects as well as renovations and construction of health care facilities, commercial buildings, tenant build-outs and sports facilities.

Arrighi Construction is a subsidiary of Group Industries LLC.

SAKAI appoints Doggett Machinery Services in Louisiana & Texas

SAKAI recently announced the appointment of Doggett Machinery Services as an authorized dealer in Louisiana and Texas.

SAKAI offers a full line of high-quality, high-productivity vibratory soil compactors, vibratory asphalt rollers designed for Superpave and other perpetual pavements, and combination vibratory/pneumatic rollers and balanced three wheelers.

Application, parts and service support is available through Doggett’s Louisiana locations in Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Broussard, Covington, Monroe, Shreveport and St. Rose, as well as Texas branches in Longview, Lufkin and Tyler.