Ajax Building Company Earns Five Awards from the Associated Builders and Contractors North Florida Chapter
Every year Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. (ABC) holds an Excellence in Construction (EIC) competition in which they honor exceptional projects based on vision, innovation, execution, safety, quality control and degree of difficulty. Ajax received four (4) awards for recent projects and a Platinum level STEP Award for Safety by the Associated Builders and Contractors North Florida Chapter.
ABC’s Eagle Award is given to the highest-scoring project in each category after being nominated for top honors by the judges. Their Award of Merit is presented to projects that may not qualify for top honors, but that the judges still endorse for commendation. The STEP award is based on ABC National’s Safety Training and Evaluation Progress program, also an award Ajax has earned for the last two years. This program evaluates and rates companies on 20 components, some of which include management’s commitment to safety, employee participation, use of personal protective equipment, and record keeping.
Eagle Award: Sarasota County William H. Jervey, Jr., Venice Public Library, Venice
The Venice Public Library, a USGBC LEED Silver Certified project, was designed as a hybrid model, exemplifying a blend of the latest practices in service delivery with more traditional services that remain relevant to community needs. It was a replacement of the previous library and included the construction of parking, drives, utility infrastructure improvements, landscaping, site lighting, drainage, and storm water management facilities. The library offers lending, reference and youth services, public access computers, wireless internet access, information and educational programs, while serving as a community gathering space. The new library employed strategies to reduce energy costs and provided opportunities for installation of automation equipment for increased efficiency. A drive-through book and media drop-off area(s), self-check technology, automated materials check-in and sorting technologies, and other technologies to improve the customer experience were considered in the design. Meeting rooms were equipped with the most current computer, projection and video conferencing technology.
Eagle Award: University of North Florida Skinner-Jones Hall, Jacksonville
This project, also USGBC LEED Silver Certified, consisted of two phases encompassing 107,000 total gross square footage. Phase I consisted of the renovation of Skinner-Jones Hall North in conjunction with the construction of a new 59,000 SF four story building. Prior to starting this phase, the majority of utility services that currently ran between these buildings needed to be relocated. The College of Computing, Engineering and Construction, as well as a small component ofthe Brooks College of Health occupied most of space created during the first phase. Phase II involved the renovation of Skinner-Jones Hall South, which now accommodates the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, a component of the Math Department, the Department of Social Work, the Writing Center and several general-purpose classrooms. In total, 48,000 SF of space was renovated during this project.
Award of Merit: The Advocacy Group at Cardenas Partners, Tallahassee
The Advocacy Group project was a renovation of the first floor of an existing two story 11,000 SF office building. The renovation included all new mechanical equipment for the entire building, new façade, new canopy, demo and build out of the first floor per the new floor plan, new floor coverings, handicap upgrades, new ceilings and paint throughout the first floor and a new kitchen.
Award of Merit: Okaloosa County Courthouse, Crestview
Originally built in 1953, the former Okaloosa County Courthouse was no longer able to keep up with the growth and demands of the community. Ajax led the Design-Build team to replace that original courthouse with a new 68,000 SF facility. The new courthouse provides an efficient design to the citizens of Okaloosa County while enhancing County services to the public. The space features courtrooms, judges’ chambers, and court support space. In addition, the County houses several of its administrative services in the new facility including the Board of County Commissioners Chamber.
About Our Company: Ajax Building Company, founded in 1958, is an employee owned and third generation family operated construction firm. During the past 61 years, Ajax has steadily grown to become one of the Southeast’s premier contractors. Our signature is embedded in projects throughout the Southeast. As a part of the STO Building Group, we bring project experience throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Our solutions to construction challenges are innovative and often exceed our owners’ expectations, regardless of the complexity or size of the project. Ajax prides itself on delivering projects on time, in budget and with the highest level of safety, customer service and quality.
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