WOW receives Developer of the Year honor

A trio of signal honors were announced at the Salute to Construction Banquet Nov. 8 at the Clarion Hotel: the Spring-field Contractors Association's Developer of the Year; and the American Institute of Architects' Superintendent of the Year and Craftsman of the Year.

Developer of the Year

Wonders of Wildlife, the American National Fish and Wildlife Museum, was honored as Developer of the Year.

SCA President Bill Adams, who announced the honor, stated in his remarks that it "is presented to an individual or organization that has distinguished themselves by investing the resources to make a difference in our community."

Wonders of Wildlife, "started eight years ago as a dream and has culminated in a $52 million, 92,000-square-foot museum," Adams said.

The economic impact for the construction industry and community is significant. "Twenty-five contractors have provided $34 million in construction services; 65 percent are Missouri firms, 45 percent are Springfield firms and 33 percent are members of SCA," Adams said.

"Needless to say," he added, "our community has benefited and will continue to benefit from this project."

Superintendent of the Year

Don Gladden, of Walton Construction Company, re-ceived Superintendent of the Year honors from AIA Spring-field for his work on the 80,000-square-foot, $7.5 million Jordan Valley Ice Park.

The AIA award recognizes exemplary performance by a project superintendent on a project designed by an AIA-member firm.

According to nominator Ken Stufflebeam, of Gaskin Hill Norcross, the project was the best-managed and best-run project he has witnessed in his 18 years as an architect.

The complex project encompassed coordinating many different trades and meeting the challenges of bad weather conditions, complicated site utilities and a tight timeline for completion.

"Don showed an excellent capacity to keep subcontractors on task, to communicate with all parties and to maintain good morale (and) good working relationships with all parties," Stufflebeam stated.

Craftsman of the Year

The Bratton Corporation and Terry Lane were recognized as Craftsman of the Year by AIA Springfield for their work on the Southwest Missouri State University Meyer Library addition. The Bratton Corporation is a Kansas City-based firm specializing in steel construction.

According to nominator Ken Boatright, "One of the main focal points of the new addition will be the staircase located near the south entrance of the library," which combines glass, concrete and steel in a unique design.

"Terry Lane and crew did an excellent job on the steel work," Boatright stated.