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The University of North Texas Receives Harry H. Mellon Award of Excellence in Job Order Contracting

August 24, 2017

Greenville, S.C. – Gordian, the leading provider of facility and construction cost data, software and expertise, announced today The University of North Texas (UNT) received the 2016 Harry H. Mellon Award of Excellence in Job Order Contracting for a building renovation to accommodate the Child Development Lab. The honor for innovative use of Job Order Contracting included recognition of both the university and local contractor, LMC Corporation, and the special circumstances surrounding the $1.8 million project.

A ceremony commemorating UNT and LMC Corporation will take place at The UNT Child Development Laboratory today at 9 a.m. CDT.

Once the decision was made to renovate an existing building on campus to house the Child Development Lab, the demolition phase began. It was soon uncovered the building was actually several small buildings combined by the previous owners to look like one cohesive building. As the project continued, structure damage from a previous unknown fire was also discovered.

With a continually growing scope of work compounded by a tight schedule, UNT employed Job Order Contracting to streamline the construction process. Utilizing Job Order Contracting ensured the project adhered to the tight deadline, even with the expanding scope of work. Through value engineering, cost overruns were minimized, and the Child Development Lab was successfully completed in time for the beginning of the new year.

In addition to awarding UNT with the Award of Excellence, judges, comprised primarily of former award winners, named the following five Award of Merit Winners for demonstration of Job Order Contracting best practices:

Arizona Department of Administration Carnegie Library Roof Replacement
Agency: Arizona Department of Administration (ADOA) – General Services Division (GSD), Phoenix, Arizona
Contractor: SD Crane Builders, Inc.
The Carnegie Library’s roof is one of the last of its kind in Arizona. The building was originally built in 1908 and is a mainstay in downtown Phoenix. When the roof required replacement, the state needed to ensure the renovation was managed properly to maintain the historical integrity of both the building and the roof. And, as with any government entity, managing taxpayer funds judiciously was imperative. The first bids for the project came in near $1.3 million, which was way above ADOA’s budget. ADOA then came to Gordian to inquire about Job Order Contracting to assist with these challenges. Working in conjunction with local contractor SD Crane, Gordian was able to cut the bid price almost in half. Ultimately, ADOA was not only able to save taxpayers more than $600,000 using Job Order Contracting, but they also kept the integrity of a historical landmark intact.

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Supply Warehouse Repair
Agency: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Cape Canaveral, Florida
Contractor: LEE Construction Group, Inc.
When it became time to repair the Supply Warehouse, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station was in the last month of the federal fiscal year. By utilizing Job Order Contracting, the Air Force was able to procure this project within the fiscal year and without the financial burden and time delays associated with a lengthy design phase. Procuring the project during the hectic end of fiscal year allowed the government to utilize existing funding versus awaiting a new budget year and funds they may not have otherwise received.

San Diego County Animal Shelter Landscaping Updates
Agency: County of San Diego, San Diego, California
Contractor: ABC Construction Company
In response to the State of California’s Governor declaring a drought emergency and water restrictions, the County of San Diego realized the North County Animal Shelter was wasting water on landscaping and needed to make immediate adjustments. Job Order Contracting expedited the project and allowed for additional flexibility to expand the project scope even after work began. The collaborative partnership with ABC Construction and several other organizations helped the county realize an average of 28 percent potable water savings during the height of the drought emergency. Using Job Order Contracting shortened the timeline for the project, contributing to the results and ensuring adherence within the state’s defined timeline.

Jackson Health Medical Office Renovation
Agency: Jackson Health System, Miami, Florida
Contractor: LEE Construction Group, Inc.
When creating new medical offices in the Jackson Health Highland Pavilion, special caution was required to ensure patients were not compromised while maintaining necessary health protocols and guidelines for a medical facility. Additionally, a majority of the work had to be completed after hours and on weekends to ensure the project was done on time while minimizing impact to staff, patients, visitors and the surrounding areas in the facility. Through Job Order Contracting, Jackson Health System was able to use an existing trusted contractor who delivered the project on time and under budget.

Los Angeles Unified School District Modular Classroom Installation
Agency: Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) – Job Order Contracts Unit, Los Angeles, California
Contractors: Fredrick Towers Inc. and Thomasville Construction Inc.
Installation of a new modular building comprised of a classroom and restroom was the first project of its kind within LAUSD, as the building is constructed of recycled shipping containers modified to meet the needs of a school facility. Due to the aggressive phasing schedule required to meet the District’s need, Job Order Contracting was selected to provide the contractor resources and flexibility needed to complete the full project on time. The completion of the project within the required time frame was only possible due to employing Job Order Contracting, which both shortened the timeline to construction and ensured pricing.

About the Awards
The Harry H. Mellon Award of Excellence in Job Order Contracting is an annual award recognizing innovative uses of Job Order Contracting. Judging was conducted by a panel of Job Order Contracting experts and past award winners from all facets of the industry. Projects submitted were judged on their adherence to Job Order Contracting principles, innovation, complexity, special circumstances and overall time and cost savings.
In order to be eligible, projects had to be completed during 2016. Nominations were submitted by agency owners or contractors. The award program is named for Harry H. Mellon, the creator of Job Order Contracting and co-founder of Gordian.

Job Order Contracting is a competitively bid procurement process used by building and infrastructure owners to save money by fast-tracking repair and alteration projects based on locally priced construction tasks and competitively awarded contracts.