MAY Construction Co. begins expansion at Raytheon facility

MAY Construction Co. was recently named general contractor for Raytheon Aircraft Co.’s expansion of its Little Rock operation. The 112,000-sq.-ft. expansion will make room for the new super-midsize Hawker 4000 business jet.

This development includes the addition of a new 54,000-sq.-ft. hangar bay and the expansion of existing buildings to provide an additional 58,000 sq. ft. of working space. All areas throughout the facility are being redesigned to optimize work flow and effectively double the output capacity by the beginning of 2008. 

Scheduled to be completed by June 2007, the project will increase Raytheon’s product production to meet the rise in demand for the new Hawker jet. The construction is under management of MAY’s Industrial/Distribution Business Unit and began in mid-October.

“When working on a project of this caliber it is critical that we monitor and actively manage every single step of the construction phases,” said Harrison Hankins, Industrial/Distribution Business Unit director.

MAY’s proprietary management system is used to ensure that Raytheon maintains its current operational status during construction and achieves its desired end result.

Crossland Construction wins Building of the Year Award

Crossland Construction Inc., a privately held general contractor based in Columbus, Kan., recently announced that it has received the Building of the Year Award from the Metal Building Contractors and Erectors Association (MBCEA).

The building that won the award is J. B. Hunt Elementary in Springdale, Ark. The 72,000-sq.-ft. facility, which costs nearly $8.1 million to construct, is owned by the Springdale School District and will facilitate Pre-K through 5th grade.

WD & D Architects of Little Rock, Ark., designed the facility.

The award was presented to Crossland Construction President Bennie Crossland at the 38th Annual MBCEA Conference in Las Vegas, Nev. There were seven different categories awarded: Warehouse, Manufacturing, Specialty, Aviation, Religious, Recreational and Educational.

Each category names an Award of Excellence winner and a Merit Award winner. It is the equivalent of first and second place respectively. MBCEA then chooses one overall winner from all categories to receive the Building of the Year Award.

Crossland was given the Award of Excellence in the Education Category and was also chosen to receive the Building of the Year honors.

Merger creates large full-service engineering/architecture consulting firm

Crafton, Tull & Associates Inc. and SPARKS Companies Inc. recently announced their intention to merge into a single engineering and architecture firm. The combined firm, Crafton, Tull, Sparks & Associates Inc., will have 320 employees and offices in Birmingham, Ala.; Little Rock, Ark.; Oklahoma City, Okla.; Rogers, Ark.; Russellville, Ark.; and Tulsa, Okla.

The announcement was made recently by Tom Hopper, president of Crafton, Tull & Associates, and Gary Sparks, president of SPARKS Companies.

In the new structure, Hopper will serve as president and Sparks will become a principal and serve on the board of directors. The merger is scheduled to be complete within 60 days, subject to the completion of the formal merger agreement.

“The merger will make us the largest full-service engineering and architecture consulting firm in Arkansas and positions us for growth across the country,” said Hopper. “We have similar cultures and philosophies, and both of us are client focused, which makes it a natural fit.”

The company will offer structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and civil engineering; landscape architecture; and surveying services to serve clients nationwide. The firm will also provide architectural and interior design services to certain Arkansas markets, as well as nationwide.

SPARKS Education, SPARKS Health, SPARKS Spiritual and SPARKS Sports will continue to operate under those brands as divisions of Crafton, Tull, Sparks & Associates Inc.

University of Arkansas professor receives PCI award

Dr. W. Michael Hale of the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Arkansas has been named the 2006 winner of the George D. Nasser Award.

The award is named for the long-time editor-in-chief of the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute’s PCI Journal, according to PCI President James G. Toscas.

The award, consisting of a $300 check and a plaque, was presented to Hale at the October PCI Convention at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas.