Everyday Glory: Job Order Contracting (JOC) for MRO Construction

Job Order Contracting (JOC) is an efficient and flexible construction procurement method that enables organizations to complete many projects with one competitively awarded contract. Responsible for more than 46,000 projects and $4 billion in construction volume every year, Gordian’s Job Order Contracting solutions are the go-to delivery method for various types of work. While we’ve seen project owners use JOC with ever-increasing sophistication in recent years, historically the JOC sweet spot is MRO construction – maintenance, repairs and operations work.

Why Use Job Order Contracting for MRO Construction?

Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) construction procurement solutions like Job Order Contracting are ideal for MRO construction work because of their unique, single-solicitation approach to project delivery. JOC enables owners to use one contract for many projects without the time and effort of sending each one out to bid. That’s an efficient use of resources for MRO construction, which is often considered “lower value” work.

Let’s explore some examples of MRO projects successfully completed with Gordian’s JOC solutions.

Outdoor Rec Facility Restored and Revitalized

An 863-acre barrier island in Biscayne Bay outside of downtown Miami, Virgina Key is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts. Every year, locals and tourists are drawn to the sun-soaked oasis for mountain biking, paddleboarding, hiking and lazy days on the beach. Over the years, a Virginia Key seawall deteriorated and began caving in, leaving visitors and plant life susceptible to the dangers of powerful waves. However, the improvements had to wait until funding was available.

Relief finally arrived in the form of a grant from the Florida Inland Navigation District (FIND), a state agency that helps manage and maintain waterways along the Florida Atlantic coast. To complete the necessary repairs at Virginia Key without encroaching on a local kayak rental business, the City of Miami turned to Gordian’s Job Order Contracting. Officials worked with area contractor Harbour Construction, Inc. to maintain the safety of the area during construction and enable the kayak rental to operate as usual.

The city maximized its grant funding to restore the seawall using native riprap lime rock and live vegetation, build a new ADA compliant floating doc and crushed shelled walkway, and add new native trees. In all, the project re-secured Virginia Key’s rightful place among the country’s top outdoor recreation destinations.

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Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrades HVAC

Built in 1970, the solids handling building at the Town of Windham (CT) Water Pollution Control Facility (WPCF) needed several major upgrades by the time the calendar flipped to 2022. The facility’s HVAC system never ran efficiently and a new system was needed to ensure plant employees were breathing healthy air. This was not the only employee health concern present in WPCF, as it was built with asbestos that needed removal.

Further, the building’s original construction included installing a massive incinerator for solids processing. WPCF, however, never collected enough solids to warrant running the incinerator, rendering the large piece of equipment obsolete from the get-go. Finally, the leaky roof and separating brick façade begged for repair.

There was one big issue: Wastewater treatment plants can’t shut down for construction. Plant leaders sought a way to upgrade the facility quickly without compromising an operation that treats over 2.3 million gallons of raw sewage on an average day. They found what they were looking for in Gordian’s Job Order Contracting.

The Town of Windham accessed a Cooperative JOC contract via the Capitol Region Council of Governments (CROG), a purchasing cooperative. Doing so allowed the town to get to work as quickly as possible, as all contract details – including pricing and awarded contractors – have been defined by CRCOG and Gordian. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the project’s start by three months.

When work picked up, the town worked with its awarded contractor, Millenium Builders, and Gordian to follow protocols around masking, testing and social distancing. Despite the unusual circumstances, the project team forged ahead. They removed the obsolete incinerator, effectively doubling the plant’s size, and installed a new HVAC system, boilers, a two-truck garage and new employee restrooms in its place. Next came asbestos removal and the installation of a new, peaked roof. These upgrades were completed without disrupting the day-to-day work of the wastewater treatment plant. Technicians and other specialists operating this crucial facility safely continued their remarkable work maintaining community health without missing a beat.

WPCF Superintendent Kirk Washington had this to say about the project’s success. “I attribute this project staying on time to the fact that Gordian and Millennium Builders worked together very well. They had the correct equipment and very knowledgeable people. Through Gordian, we had a construction manager on site. That gave me the confidence that the project would stay on budget and on time.”

Hawaii Department of Education (HIDOE) Revamps School Cafeteria

Hawaii’s S.W. King Intermediate School had a laundry list of issues to tackle in the cafeteria, which serves as the main gathering space for students during their days on the campus. In all, school leaders needed to replace leaky roofing systems that had been installed on top of each other, replace the old roof drainage system, add safety anchors and a new top coat to the roof, replace the rusted roof hatch and repair the exterior windows. They also wanted the work to be completed over their short spring break.

HIDOE found that only one construction project delivery method could deliver so much work in so little time: Gordian’s Job Order Contracting. Local company Leeward Roofing & General Contracting dashed to bring the roof up to code, mobilizing within four days of receiving a purchase order. They removed two existing roof systems, modified the scupper and drainage system, raised roof equipment and reconstructed the roof slope, among other repairs. Work was finished over spring break and the cafeteria roof is now safe and watertight.

Gordian’s JOC solutions have a long, storied history of completing MRO construction because they allow project owners to complete many projects with one contract, saving them precious time and resources.