PRODUCERS February 2014

West-Sacramento-based Clark Pacific, one of the West Coast’s leading architectural and structural precast concrete producers, received the Associated General Contractors of America Construction Safety and Excellence Award. AGC grants the awards each year to recognize construction companies committed to safety, risk control, and occupational health management. Judges consider a broad range of criteria, including evidence of commitment to safe practices in management, active employee participation, work site hazard identification, safety program innovation, and more.

Clark Pacific was awarded third place in the specialty division designated for firms with over one million worker hours. Entrants from all over California were evaluated by the AGC in this category. Other winning firms in the division included Cupertino Electric and Rosendin Electric.

“Creating a safe work environment at our manufacturing plants and field operations has always been a priority at Clark Pacific, and that makes this recognition from AGC very important to us,” says President of Business Development Don Clark. “Nothing is more critical than the safety of our employees, and the reliability of our products on every structure we work on.”

Wisconsin-based Spancrete Group has established production of namesake precast hollowcore floor plank and wall panels, plus stairs and solid slabs in existing Newnan, Ga., and Sebring, Fla., facilities. Both locations are well positioned to deliver what company officials note is the Spancrete experience—providing exceptional service, quality and innovation.

Staff at the Newnan and Sebring plants “offer a wealth of product knowledge and experience, which puts the company in an excellent position for sustainable growth,” notes Spancrete CEO John Nagy. “[We] will continue our mission of providing superior quality, service and versatility to customers and partners.”

The expansion will see the addition of 25 employees between both sites, and allows the company to continue its mission of Building Innovation through industry-wide advances and new manufacturing approaches for precast concrete systems that can be used in a variety of residential, commercial and educational settings. Conservation projects at 35 Lafarge North America sites across the U.S. have been certified or recertified by the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC); 28 fall under WHC’s Wildlife at Work program, which oversees voluntary efforts that go beyond regulatory requirements to restore and conserve wildlife habitats on corporate owned land, the remaining seven projects operate under Corporate Lands for Learning certification, which goes a step further by opening up corporate lands to the local community for educational use.

WHC works with businesses to translate corporate sustainability goals and objectives into measurable real-world action that address a habitat’s most pressing needs. By building collaboration among corporations, other conservation organizations, government agencies and local residents, WHC conservation programs strive to build healthy ecosystems and connected communities. Since 2008, Lafarge has worked with WHC to restore and preserve habitats where they operate through projects that promote the diversity of native plants and animals.

“Working with WHC ensures that we direct our efforts in ways that provide the most benefit to the respective habitats at our many U.S. locations,” says Lafarge U.S. Vice President of Environment, Public Affairs and Land Craig Campbell. “Sustainability is woven into everything we do at Lafarge, and that means doing what we can to preserve the environment, support our local communities, and protect the biodiversity of the land we own. It’s the right thing to do, and it’s a critical component of the work we do contributing to the building of better cities and communities.”

Heldenfels Enterprises Inc. of San Marcos, Texas, has been selected as subcontractor for structural precast concrete for the expansion of Kyle Field at Texas A&M University in College Station. HEI was awarded the subcontract by Manhattan/Vaughn, a joint venture between Manhattan Construction Company and Vaughn Construction. The Populous-designed stadium will be completed without impacting Texas A&M’s future football schedules.

The project will be constructed in two phases between the 2014–2015 seasons, the first including new south end zone stands, as well as replacing the lower east side deck; the second involving entire replacement of the stadium’s west side. Along with striking architectural changes, the stadium’s capacity is being expanded from 82,600 to 100,000-plus seats. When completed, Kyle Field is currently projected to be the largest stadium in both Texas and the Southeastern Conference, and third largest in the U.S. Heldenfels estimates it will produce approximately 2,600 pieces of precast consisting of 14,600 yd. of concrete. It has demonstrated its capabilities successfully completing similar projects, including Baylor Stadium, AT&T Stadium, Reliant Stadium, and the North End Zone at Kyle Field. Belgard Hardscapes is providing homeowners and landscape professionals with new tools for designing and installing hardscape projects with the launch of Belgard.com and its new online idea organizer called the Style File.

The website is an easy-to-use hub for information about Belgard pavers, retaining walls, modular water and fire features an finishing touches. It also features the Style File to help users save, organize and share
images of their favorite outdoor space ideas and paver styles. Design recommendations accompany each image to identify pavers that complement each other and provide suggested patterns. Plus, icons identify whether the selected paver is best suited to patios, walkways, driveways or pool decks. When a homeowner is ready to create their space, it’s as easy as a click to send their Style File to their local contractor and get an estimate.

“Our Timeless campaign [showed] how outdoor spaces allow you to enjoy special moments with friends and family,” says Belgard Hardscapes Senior Vice President of Marketing Ken O’Neill. “Our new website takes this lifestyle one step further, making it easier for homeowners to organize their ideas and turn that dream into a reality by connecting them to the products and installers they need to get the job done.”

Featuring different views for homeowners and professionals, the geo-targeted website invites visitors to enter their zip code for a customized experience of the styles and colors of Belgard pavers and retaining walls available in their region. The Homeowner view of the website offers many tools that will assist homeowners and contractors alike, such as advice on choosing the right pavers for a home’s style.

The Professional section of the website outlines the benefits of becoming a Belgard Authorized Contractor and the exclusive programs that come with being authorized, such as the 3-D rendering Belgard Design Studio and the new Belgard Virtual Agency. The Belgard Virtual Agency allows Belgard Authorized Contractors to access more than 200 customizable advertising and marketing templates they can use to market their company and services to potential customers.