Springfield College honored Erland Construction, Inc. during its October board of trustees meeting in recognition of the company's fulfillment of multiple building and renovation projects at the College.
"We are extremely pleased with the exceptional working relationship we have had with Erland over the years resulting in several state-of-the-art facilities," said Springfield College president Richard Flynn. "Of special note was Erland's cooperative spirit and responsiveness when the College was struck by the tornado that ravaged western Massachusetts on June 1, 2011. Erland's staff was on campus within 24 hours, and within the week they had begun work to repair and restore damaged facilities. Renovations to three of our residence halls - International, Reed, and Massasoit - were extensive, yet all were ready for occupancy for the fall semester. They were unbelievably helpful. To this day, people are amazed at what was accomplished in such a short time, and the final results were outstanding."
Representing Erland Const. were president Steve McDonald; senior vice president Tom Blesso; general superintendent Dan James; project manager Brendan Boyle; project superintendent Keith Melanson; and project superintendent Jack Hanley.
The partnership between Springfield College and Erland Const. began in 2008 and has encompassed four different projects. In addition to the tornado repairs in 2011, Erland has managed construction of the new Wellness and Recreation Complex; the new Richard B. Flynn Campus Union; and the gut/rehab of the Judd Gymnasia, which now houses the Stizter YMCA Center.
"Erland Construction has been a strong partner of the College and they have done a great job on all of their projects on campus," said Springfield College vice president of administration and finance John Mailhot. "They have been very dependable and they are willing to go the extra mile to make sure all projects meet expectations. We truly appreciate their efforts and assistance in providing Springfield College with some of the best designed facilities in the country."
Shown (from left) are: John Mailhot, Springfield VP of administration & finance; Michael Wallace, Springfield trustee and chairman of buildings and grounds committee; Brendan Boyle, Erland project manager; Jack Hanley, Erland superintendent; Dan James, Erland general superintendent; Steven McDonald, Erland president; Keith Melanson, Erland superintendent; Thomas Blesso, Erland Sr. vice president; Dr. Richard Flynn, Springfield president; and Doug Coupe, Springfield College chairman of the board of trustees