APG Wins National Award of Excellence
Loyal Pipeline readers will likely remember our proud announcement in the January 2008 issue - that we had been awarded the $24 million electrical contract for the new St. Joseph's Hospital-North in Lutz, Florida. This high profile project would be our largest contract to date and would require a significant portion of our skilled workforce throughout much of the construction phase. We were ready for the challenge. Our initial excitement turned to focused determination as work began on this technologically advanced, three-story, 360,000 square foot acute-care, greenfield hospital. By its completion in January 2010, APG had received many compliments for our exceptional craftsmanship and careful management of this challenging project. Now we are excited to announce another achievement for our work on this hospital - the IEC National Award of Excellence in Commercial Electrical Construction.
The prestigious Award of Excellence is presented to only a handful of companies each year at the annual IEC National Convention and Electric Expo. This year, APG Division Manager Tim White attended the convention and Awards Gala in Phoenix, Arizona where he accepted the prize on our behalf. The St. Joseph's Hospital-North project was the winner in the category of commercial projects over $5 million. To be considered for the award, APG submitted an entry package that included a multi-page narrative describing the project and its unique features, photographs of the project, letters of endorsement from the owner, the architect and the construction manager, and additional supporting materials. The team effort involved in compiling the entry materials was a feat in itself, but our primary congratulations go to the APG crew for their outstanding work in physically bringing this award winning hospital to life.
St. Joseph's Hospital-North is the first new hospital in Hillsborough County in the last 30 years and is the first all digital hospital in the Tampa Bay region. The integration of technology and patient care has never been greater. The hospital has also applied for LEED certification, which would make it the first new LEED certified hospital in Florida. Since opening earlier this year, the hospital's patient volume has already exceeded expectations and this state-of-the-art facility is proving to be a real asset to the North Tampa community.
One of the more innovative aspects of the St. Joseph's Hospital-North project was the utilization of the Integrated Project Delivery method of construction. BayCare Health Systems and Bovis Lend Lease implemented a team approach and involved the mechanical and electrical subcontractors from the very beginning of the design process. This proved to be a critical element of the project's success. Subcontractors provided design and budgeting assistance during the preconstruction phase and ultimately saw the construction process through from beginning to end.
Letters of endorsement received from the owner, architect and construction manager for award submission were very complimentary. The owner had much to say about the high quality of work that APG performed throughout the entire job, referring to our conduit installation as "artwork, even sculpture." They were pleased too with our commitment to safety and noted how impressed the state inspectors were with the care and effort put into all aspects of our installation. The construction manager said that our "workmanship on site was second to none . . . I have not worked with a better electrical subcontractor. Their knowledge of healthcare construction in the State of Florida is unsurpassed." Passing every AHCA inspection the first time further demonstrated our commitment to exceptional workmanship and to keeping the project on schedule.
APG is truly proud of winning the IEC National Award of Excellence for St. Joseph's Hospital-North. We see this as a significant achievement not only for ourselves, but for everyone involved in the construction of this beautiful new hospital. The ultimate winners, though, are the people of the North Tampa community, who will be using this facility for many years to come.
