Wyatt to begin work on Hoover forensics institute

Gary C. Wyatt General Contractor LLC of Birmingham, Ala., has been contracted to work on a $4.8 million project to build out the U. S. Secret Service’s National Computer Forensic Institute in Hoover.

The 33,000-sq-ft facility is to be completed this summer.

Announced in March 2007 by U. S. Department of Homeland Security, the state of Alabama and Hoover officials, the institute will serve as a national cyber crimes training facility where state and local police officers, as well as prosecutors and judges, will be offered training and equipment on computer-related criminal activity.

The facility will include classrooms, a computer forensic lab with an advanced research and development area, an evidence vault, storage and server rooms, public education exhibit space and a conference room. Training will be based on the current U. S. Secret Service curriculum and includes basic electronic crimes investigation, network intrusion investigation and computer forensics.

Golden & Associates Construction receives Contractor of the Year Award

Golden & Associates Construction LLC received the Contractor of the Year Award along with four Excellence in Construction awards from the Associated Builders and Contractors’ Alabama Chapter at the annual ABC Excellence in Construction Awards Banquet, held at the Cahaba Grand Conference Center.

The Contractor of the Year award was the final award given at the banquet and was unannounced prior to event. The honor recognizes Golden & Associates for its contribution to ABC and the merit shop process. This was the premier year for the prestigious award.

The Excellence in Construction awards recognized Golden & Associates’ commitment to excellence on their construction projects.

Longest fishing pier to be built in Gulf Shores

State of Alabama officials announced recently that a Memphis-based marine contractor is constructing the longest fishing pier on the Gulf of Mexico.

LCI Inc. won the $16.3 million contract, which includes constructing a pier 1,512 ft long and 20 ft wide, a new parking lot, restaurant, restrooms and a saltwater intake system at Alabama’s Gulf State Park, located in Gulf Shores.

The original pier sustained irreparable damage during Hurricane Ivan in 2004. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina compounded the destruction around the original pier by creating an out flowing channel which would be detrimental to fishing. The new pier will be built approximately 220 ft east of its original location.

The pier, designed by Thompson Engineering of Mobile Ala., will rise 20 ft above the water and should withstand waves of nearly 20 ft. Construction began in late November. Total construction time should take 12 months, depending on the impact of next year’s hurricane season.