Toronto, Ontario – July 11, 2007: Aecon Group Inc. (“Aecon”) (TSX:ARE) today announced that its Seattle-based US Buildings division has been recognized by the Washington State Chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) with a number of awards of excellence. The awards highlight two recently completed projects: The Silver Reef Hotel & Spa and the Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort and also recognized Aecon's outstanding safety record.
Aecon received the award for Private Ownership in a Project Greater than $5 million for the Silver Reef Hotel & Spa project located in Ferndale, Washington. The Silver Reef Hotel & Spa is a 50,000 square foot, six-floor facility, with 105 luxury rooms.
Aecon's work on the Silver Reef project was further recognized when two of its senior managers received individual awards. Joe Hoskovich received Washington's Project Manager of the Year award, and Louie Jmaiff received Washington's Superintendent of the Year award for their work on the project.
The Clearwater Casino Resort placed first in the Design-Build Award category for the creativity the team used in constructing the luxury facility. Work included the reconstruction of an 8,000 square foot space under the casino into an eco-friendly laundry facility. The Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort is an 85-room hotel, casino and spa located on the Kitsap Peninsula in Suquamish, Washington.
Importantly, Dan Friess, head of safety for Aecon Buildings Seattle, accepted the award for Outstanding General Contractor for Safety Under 75,000 Man Hours. Aecon was awarded this honour for the excellent safety recorded maintained throughout the year on all Aecon Buildings projects. This is the fourth straight year that Aecon has won in this category.
“Both the Silver Reef Hotel project and the Clearwater Casino project were multi-million dollar projects and both were completed on-time and under-budget,” said George Kramer, President, Aecon Buildings, Seattle. “Accomplishments like these illustrate our commitment to our employees and to our customers.”
“I'm incredibly proud of the Buildings team in Seattle for their outstanding work on The Silver Reef Hotel and the Clearwater Casino projects,” said Robert McDonald, President, Aecon Buildings Group. “The recognition Aecon received at the AGC awards dinner demonstrates the expert service Aecon Buildings continues to provide throughout North America.”
In addition, the Associated General Contactors of America ‘Retro Group' recognized Aecon with six awards including Top Performer for Safety Management. The Retrospective Rating program provides refunds on industrial insurance premiums to employers who are committed to safety. The Retro Group awards are presented to companies who illustrate a commitment to safety and risk management.
Aecon Group Inc. is Canada's largest publicly traded construction and infrastructure development company. Aecon and its subsidiaries provide services to private and public sector clients throughout Canada and internationally. The Company's shares are listed for trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol ARE.