Bedford NH PROCON won three Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC NH/VT)  Excellence in Construction awards. The 83-year-old design-build firm won for three Massachusetts based projects. PROCON also received the organization’s first Workplace Development Award.

The annual ABC NH/VT event is one of the premier competitions in the building and construction industry, showcasing and recognizing outstanding construction projects throughout the region. A cross-section panel of industry judges selects the winners in several categories, based on remarkable achievements in leadership, safety and innovation. This year, PROCON’s winning projects all majored in the extreme; a very tight site, an immensely condensed schedule, and heavily contaminated soils.

Building on a Postage-Stamp Site 
Brightview Senior Living picked up the “Design/Build Award of Excellence.” It was no easy feat to construct the 167,000 s/f Brightview Senior Living community on a “postage stamp” site in downtown Wakefield, Mass. The tight site challenged the team to find numerous creative solutions to achieve their goals. PROCON vice president of operations Dan Messier spoke for the winning team saying, “It was logistically amazing, and our superintendent not only coordinated a massive infrastructure effort, but also completed the project a month early - in time for the holiday season.”

A College Makes History 
Crowe Hall made Merrimack College history as the first new academic building in 30 years. The initial 12-month timeframe was condensed into nine months. The project team implemented some aggressive preplanning strategies and installation procedures to accelerate the process. After thanking Merrimack College and the subcontractors on the job, PROCON co-president Lance Bennett said, “What normally takes six to eight weeks, we got done in less than five. Our entire team did a great job.” The project won the Merit Award in the “Institutional/Public over $10M” category.

The Contaminated Soils Challenge 
Homewood Suites by Hilton won the “Commercial Over $10M”Award of Excellence. At one time, the
hotel’s site was considered one of the worst contaminated soils in the nation, and had been vacant for 14-years. In an extensive remediation process, over 4,500 tons of soil was excavated in nine months and transported to places as remote as Michigan. The resulting upscale hotel won the 2017 EBC Brownfields Award, and has reinvigorated the area, demonstrating the impact of urban Brownfields redevelopment. 

Fostering Workforce
In 2018, ABC NH/VT added a Workplace Development category, and PROCON was awarded the first honor. PROCON consistently strives to provide venues and opportunities for industry development both internally and in the local community. In-house workforce programs include Lunch and Learns, PROTalks, internships, mentoring and the ClickSafey online training program. The company has also spearheaded initiatives to ensure a next-generation A/E/C workforce by launching the ACE Mentor NH program. ACE pairs mentors with students to learn and develop skills in the A/E/C industry. In addition, the company worked with Parkside Middle School to develop a program that introduces students to the skills needed and career opportunities in construction trades. PROCON’s director of talent acquisition and ACE board member Annette Carroll, accepted the award for workplace development. Carroll thanked ABC and encouraged the attendees to work together to train the future workforce by becoming an ACE mentor or sponsor.