Kajima USA to Purchase Batson-Cook Co.

Kajima USA announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Batson-Cook Co. of West Point, Ga. The transaction is expected to close in January, 2008.

Batson-Cook will continue to operate from its headquarters in West Point under its current name and the leadership of its current management group. In addition to its West Point offices, Batson-Cook has operations in Atlanta, Tampa and Jacksonville, Fla.

Kajima USA is the ultimate holding company of the U.S. operations of Tokyo-based Kajima Corp., which maintains a workforce of more than 14,000 employees with annual sales of approximately $16 billion. Its U.S. operations are headquartered in Rochelle Park, N.J.

Cooper River Bridge Garners Another Award

The Cooper River Bridge project in Charleston, S.C., has earned another set of honors, this time from the National Partnership for Highway Quality. The bridge was named the 2007 state winner for NPHQ’s National Achievement Award.

 NPHQ, a partnership of government and industry groups such as the Federal Highway Administration, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and the Associated General Contractors of America, recognizes commitment to highway quality and customer satisfaction.

Its National Achievement Award recognizes overall project quality; the partnership between state transportation departments and private contractors; technical and materials innovations; the effectiveness and creativity of public involvement; the teams’ effectiveness in meeting or exceeding deadlines, costs and deliverables; responsiveness to environmental needs and opportunities; and adherence to other principles of quality management.

A joint venture of Tidewater Skanska, Norfolk, Va., and Flatiron Constructors of Longmont, Colo., was the project’s contractor team. The South Carolina Department of Transportation was the owner. HDR and partner T.Y. Lin International provided construction engineering and inspection services for the project. Parsons Brinckerhoff designed the bridge.

The project involved replacing two aging bridges with a signature bridge connecting the city of Charleston and the town of Mt. Pleasant, S.C.. The new bridge, named the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, is an eight-lane, cable-stayed bridge spanning 1,546 ft.

Miller Legg Acquires Weidener Surveying and Mapping

Miller Legg, a consulting firm based in Pembroke Pines, Fla., has acquired Weidener Surveying and Mapping of Miami. Weidener’s main office will become Miller Legg’s Miami-Dade Office.  This consolidation adds 25 people to bring Miller Legg’s staff count to approximately 190.

Mainland Senior High Picked as Masonry Project of Year

Masonry Construction Magazine recently recognized the Mainland Senior High School project in Daytona Beach, Fla., as the “Best in Show” for its Institutional category of awards. The project also garnered a Readers’ Choice award.

The project was designed by RS&H of Jacksonville. Skanska USA Building of Orlando was the contractor.

The new three-story school featured brick cavity walls, tile roofs and a courtyard surrounded by four major buildings creating a quad space. It has capacity for 2,400 student stations.

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