Apr 26, 2022

Skanska USA

Photo by Betsaid Garcia/Skanska [enlarge]

Students got a quick lesson on electrical panels at last week’s Sound Transit jobsite tour led by Skanska.

A team from Skanska USA led local students on a tour last week of the Sound Transit L-300 light rail jobsite in Lynnwood. The students toured the garage being built at the Lynnwood City Center station jobsite, and got up onto the station and rail line itself. This was Skanska's third “Youth in Construction” event, which is part of a program it runs with the Office of African American Male Achievement at Seattle Public Schools. A key element to the program is the “Passport Project,” which aims to showcase the breadth of careers available within the industry, such as tradespeople, engineers, BIM technicians, financial managers and marketers.

Transblue

Transblue, a Seattle-area general contractor, appointed Brett Estok as vice president of business development. Estok is leading Transblue's expansion strategy to enhance its national presence, opening new doors for its business and franchise owners. Estok is prioritizing national projects, including electrical vehicle charging, snow removal services, and property upgrades such as asphalt and roofing projects. He has nearly 10 years of sales and business management experience, most recently in the facility maintenance space. Transblue is a construction management and maintenance firm specializing in residential, commercial, government and multifamily properties.

AGC of Washington Education Foundation

The Associated General Contractors of America last month presented the AGC of Washington Education Foundation with the $7,000 grand prize of the AGC Innovation Awards. The awards program recognizes members of the construction industry that craft innovative solutions to pressing industry challenges. The Education Foundation was cited for its Core Plus Construction program, which introduces students and educators to construction careers as a way to overcome labor shortages in the industry. The program allows high school students to explore construction careers through construction trades classes that provide credit equivalencies for third year math, science, and English language arts and industry certification.

Harbor Freight Tools

California-based Harbor Freight Tools is offering $1.25 million this year in its Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence contest. Harbor Freight plans to honor 20 outstanding public high school skilled trades teachers this year. Five grand prize winners will each get $100,000 and 15 others will get $50,000 each. Teachers can submit applications until May 20 to hftforschoolsprize.org. Finalists will be announced on June 27 and winners in October.

Apr 19, 2022

Sequoyah

Ghassemi

Cayton

Nichols

Redmond-based electrical and technologies contractor Sequoyah promoted two key leaders into its executive team: Chris Nichols is now president and Ron Cayton is chief operations officer. Nichols has held many positions at Sequoyah, including project manager, special projects division manager and vice president of preconstruction. Cayton has extensive experience running the operations of two nationwide electrical and technologies companies.

“We see this change as a part of our commitment to continuous improvement,” said CEO and former president Mahmood Ghassemi in a news release. “As the company grows, our organizational structure, leadership and supporting teams evolve to allow for our team to continue to be successful. Sequoyah's next generation is made up of many energetic, engaged, and talented professionals. Our approach to training and development will provide great opportunities for this generation of individuals to take the next step in leading our team into the future.”

Skyline Enterprises

Bay Area-based Skyline Enterprises appointed Jessica Carps as CEO. Carps previously was COO and before that CFO. During her seven years at the company, she helped it grow from $175 million to over $700 million in revenue. She also brokered the acquisition in 2020 of Seattle-based Unimark Construction Group and its sister company Servicemark. Unimark is a commercial interiors general contractor, as is Skyline. Carps succeeds David Hayes, who served as CEO and board chair since 2005. Hayes retains the role of board chair and chief revenue officer.

AGC of America

Several Pacific Northwest firms won AGC-Willis Towers Watson Construction Safety Excellence Awards. The awards were presented to 47 companies at the recent Associated General Contractors National Convention in Texas. Local first place category winners were: BNBuilders of Seattle/San Diego, Building Division (over 550,000 hours); Taylor Northwest of Bend, Oregon, Heavy Division (under 400,000 hours); and Whitaker Ellis Builders of Tigard, Oregon, Specialty Division (under 500,000 hours). Second place winners were: Coffman Excavation of Oregon City, Oregon, Utility Infrastructure Division; and JH Kelly of Vancouver, Specialty Division (1.5 million-4 million hours). Third place honors went to: Walsh Construction Co. of Portland, Construction Management Division (under 250,000 hours); Slayden Constructors of Stayton, Oregon, Utility Infrastructure Division; and Western Partitions of Wilsonville, Oregon, Specialty Division (1.5 million-4 million hours). Choate Construction Co. of Charlotte, North Carolina, was named the nation's safest construction company.

Transblue

Redmond-based Transblue won a contract to become Albertson's official parking lot sweeper. The deal involves around-the-clock service at all Albertson's stores. Transblue says that consolidation of Albertson's sweeping services is expected to reduce the grocer's overall costs over the next five to 10 years. Transblue is a construction management and maintenance firm specializing in residential, commercial, government and multifamily properties.