Written on February 28, 2012 at 6:18 pm
HK Contractors completed work on the Shoup Avenue and A Street Intersection Reconstruction in September 2011. The project included removal of existing trees, curb and gutter and sidewalk. HK Contractors also installed a new water line and water services and completed asphalt paving. Landscape improvements included 13 new trees, decorative light poles and decorative pavers and rock.
Project administrator Jairo Elizondo reports that HK’s crews and subcontractors worked diligently not only to meet project requirements, but to exceed expectations. “Shoup Avenue and A Street has always been a busy intersection. We were allowed a full intersection closure for half the duration of the project.
Communication through all resources was critical considering the project’s effects on business owners, pedestrian and car traffic. Our crews worked late nights and weekends to minimize impact as much as possible.”
HK’s dedication was recognized by The Idaho Falls Downtown Development Corporation who expressed their happiness for a job well done in a letter addressed to HK Contractors. They said, “On behalf of the downtown business and merchants, we would like to express our thanks to you. We truly felt like you listened to our concerns and followed through on all our suggestions to make this improvement as painless as possible for the downtown. Your ability to get everything completed and the roads back open within the time frame first agreed upon was very helpful and appreciated. It is always a worry going into such a major project as this, but we have heard nothing but positive comments during the project and after. We were very impressed at how clean you kept the work site and the workmen appeared to always be on task. We appreciated the opportunity to work with your company.”
Written on December 6, 2011 at 4:37 pm
HK Contractor’s Equipment Manager Steve McBride recently completed the requirements to become a Certified Equipment Manager (CEM). The prestigious certification is the only recognized standard for judging the qualifications of a manager of heavy off-road equipment. McBride began his career working with equipment in high school and now has 40 years of equipment experience. After attending college in auto and diesel technology, he worked for a long haul trucking company, worked in the mining industry and then joined the construction industry.
McBride says, “I’ve always had a passion to understand what makes equipment work and to be a part of its repair and development. I wanted to be a part of an organization which shared the same enthusiasm. As I looked into opportunities for such an organization, I found that the Association of Equipment Management Professionals (AEMP) shares those ideals and provides the opportunity to network with other professionals who share the same interests and similar experiences. The AEMP also provides an opportunity through the CEM designation to gain continuing education and remain up-to-date with the regulations we face each day.”
McBride spent several hours a week for several months studying for the CEM exam. In addition to personal study time, McBride joined other equipment managers for a three day training and study seminar to prepare for the test. “From life cycle analysis to financial management to preventive maintenance and a dozen categories in between, the AEMP offers training and testing to bring you up to speed in all areas of fleet management,” McBride says. “I believe that I am better prepared for my job than I would be without this tool.”
McBride says he expanded his knowledge about managing equipment in a safe, dependable and financially responsible manner. “I have also gained an appreciation of continuing education to keep up with the ever changing equipment and environment it must perform in. I realize the challenges to be environmentally responsible and safety conscience in our communities and on our highways. I understand the responsibility we have of providing a safe work environment and of training our employees so that they can be successful in their chosen profession.”
The CEM certification was developed in 1996 and is geared towards equipment management professionals with at least five years experience managing fleet equipment. According to its website, “The CEM credential signifies advanced experience and knowledge in all areas of fleet management. It is an attainable goal for equipment managers who want to be identified as exceptional. Achieving success on the exam represents skills and talents as a professional equipment manager.”
Written on November 6, 2011 at 4:18 pm
Idaho Falls, IDAHO–The Western Federal Lands Highway Division (WFLHD) recently honored Idaho-based HK Contractors for their work at Madison Junction, Grand Loop Road from Madison to Norris in Yellowstone National Park. The project was named Best Large Construction Project, Best Contract Administration and Best for Peer Review. HK Contractors completed work on the project in October 2010.
HK Contractors is experienced in completing road construction for national parks including Glacier National Park and Grand Teton National Park in addition to Yellowstone National Park. The company started construction at Madison Junction in June 2009.
The scope of the project included milling and removal of a road and bridge constructed in the 1920s, installation of a new road and bridge to divert traffic from the pristine Gibbon River, paving a major complex parking area with three pedestrian viewing areas, restoration of extensive vegetation in sensitive environmental areas, positioning boulders and landscape logs in picnic areas and placement of bio-degradable wattles for erosion control.
Some of the challenges of the project included excavating in cuts as high as 124 feet to allow for accessible parking areas and trails. Work was completed within wetlands, geothermal areas, thermal seeps and thermal cores. The work schedule anticipated 25,000 vehicles per week travelling through the construction zone in the high tourist summer season.
According to Rafael Castañón, WFLHD project engineer, the winning projects are determined based on feedback from the client agency and other project engineers in the division. The Contract Administration award is presented based on contract growth, number of items, contract modifications and contract documentation. The Peer Review is a vote by project engineers within the division. The Large Construction award is also presented based on feedback from other project engineers and the client agency.
“These awards are a testament to teamwork and partnering,” said Garrett Foster, construction manager for HK Contractors. “Working in the national parks is an honor and a challenge at the same time. The honor comes from knowing that we make it easier for visitors to navigate the park’s roads while enjoying the natural beauty and the abundant opportunities to see wildlife. The work we do contributes to the positive impressions and special experiences that visitors take away. The challenge is working safely in the conditions that make it such a spectacular park.”
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