Greenville, SC, July 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gordian, provider of data-driven solutions for all phases of the building lifecycle, is excited to announce California’s City of Victorville and Angeles Contractor, Inc. as the recipients of the 2023 Harry H. Mellon Award of Excellence in Job Order Contracting (JOC). This prestigious recognition celebrates their exceptional use of JOC. A panel of experts selected this complex, $28M improvement project for demonstrating exceptional use of best practices including collaboration, transparency and positive community impact.
The City of Victorville, grappling with the second-highest unhoused population in San Bernardino County, was compelled to take swift action when it received a $28 million Homekey Grant from the California Department of Housing and Community Development. The grant's timeframe for expenditure called for an efficient approach to construction procurement, leading to the strategic choice of Job Order Contracting (JOC) via the cooperative purchasing network Sourcewell for accelerated project delivery.
“Awarding the City of Victorville and Angeles Contractor, Inc. with the Award of Excellence in Job Order Contracting is more than an honor; it's a celebration of innovation and dedication to the betterment of our communities,” said Ammon Lesher, Chief Operating Officer of Gordian. “Their outstanding work has not just rebuilt structures, it has also given hope, providing hundreds of unhoused residents with the dignity of shelter and access to vital services. The collaboration between the City, Angeles Contractor, Inc. and Gordian truly exemplified Job Order Contracting excellence.”
JOC is an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) construction delivery method that allows many projects to be completed through a single, competitively awarded contract. JOC was chosen by the City of Victorville for its auditable proposal process, speed and transparency, which were crucial for meeting the grant's deadlines and maintaining public accountability. The Victorville Wellness Center provides the unhoused community with shelter and wraparound support services to break the cycle of homelessness.
The project's success hinged on time savings, with additional benefits including cost savings, outstanding contractor collaboration and contractor availability. JOC’s flexibility allowed construction to begin before the final plans were complete, ensuring that the grant was fully utilized within the required timeframe and avoiding the risk of losing the funding. The Wellness Center stands as a unique endeavor, showcasing how JOC can facilitate rapid commencement and adaptable construction schedules to serve urgent community needs effectively.
In addition to awarding the City of Victorville and Angeles Contractor, Inc. the Award of Excellence, Gordian named the following three projects Award of Merit Winners:
Award of Merit — Pajaro Emergency Debris Clean-Up
Agency: County of Monterey Public Works, Facilities and Parks
Contractor: R. F. Koerber, Inc.
In early 2023, the Pajaro community in Monterey County, California, was hit by severe flooding, leading to the displacement of thousands of residents. The disaster prompted an urgent need for community-wide debris cleanup. The County chose their Gordian JOC Program to rapidly mobilize multiple crews with heavy equipment to address the crisis.
The emergency cleanup project exemplified the efficacy of JOC in disaster recovery scenarios, where swift action and local collaboration are paramount. The synergy between the county and awarded contractor R.F. Koerber, Inc., bolstered by daily strategy sessions and a centralized staging area, was instrumental in overcoming complex logistical challenges, including scope coordination and security concerns.
JOC's flexibility facilitated local contractor engagement, fostering community involvement and economic support while allowing scope adjustments to be made quickly and cost-effectively. The project not only dealt with the physical debris but also significantly contributed to the community's emotional and economic resurgence, marking a triumph for all stakeholders.
Award of Merit — Lerner Research Institute – IBM Quantum
Agency: Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Contractor: M.W. Holmes Construction, Inc
The project's goal was to facilitate the installation of the IBM Quantum System One located inside the Lerner Research Institute, a high-traffic research building at the heart of Cleveland Clinic's main campus, which required infection control, MEP infrastructure work, carpentry finishes and site coordination. This installation is significant as it represents the world's first Quantum computer dedicated to healthcare research, impacting IBM, the Cleveland Clinic’s work in the field of biomedical research and the broader medical community.
JOC was utilized because it allowed for the selection of one contractor without the need for multiple bids, which could compromise sensitive information. JOC maintained confidentiality and efficiency while adhering to high-security requirements and stringent security protocols, including retinal scanners for access to certain areas and the installation of specialty Italian glass.
JOC served as a vehicle for collaboration between Cleveland Clinic and its contractor, M.W. Holmes, streamlining workflows and opening channels of communication. This collaboration resulted in time savings, the achievement of inclusion goals, transparency and auditability. The project will allow Cleveland Clinic to accelerate healthcare discoveries and advancements through technology to revolutionize patient care.
Award of Merit — Atlanta Children's Eternal Flame Memorial
Agency: City of Atlanta, Department of Enterprise and Asset Management
Contractor: JOC Construction, LLC.
The goal of this project was to design and build a memorial to honor and remember the 30 victims slain during the Atlanta Child Murders of 1979 to 1981. The memorial provides a solemn space for family members and the public to remember the young victims and for the City of Atlanta to express its gratitude to those who aided in search, recovery and healing efforts.
A highly visible project that received extensive media coverage, the memorial’s installation was completed using Gordian’s Job Order Contracting. The city’s desire to properly honor the life of those lost resulted in a lengthy project design phase and an uncertain scope of work. JOC enabled quick collaboration with an experienced firm and artist Gordon Huether to define the scope and ensure the project's funding and completion.
This project was unique in its multifaceted nature, serving as artwork, sculpture, plaza, memorial, sitting area and lighting feature. In the end, the final cost of construction was one-third of initial projections, and the procurement cycle was reduced from twelve months to only four. Most importantly, the community now has a beautiful place to commemorate lives that were tragically cut short.
Each of these four awarded projects showcases the versatility of JOC in addressing urgent community needs in a timely manner, from disaster recovery to technological innovation and memorial creation. To learn more about the award program, past recipients and transformative JOC projects, please visit Job Order Contracting Awards.
About the Job Order Contracting Awards
Gordian’s Job Order Contracting Awards is an annual award program recognizing innovative uses of Job Order Contracting (JOC). Submissions are judged on their adherence to JOC best practices, innovation, complexity, special circumstances and overall time and cost savings. The Job Order Contracting Awards recognize projects completed the previous year, and nominations are submitted by agency owners, contractors or Gordian Account Managers. The program’s highest honor, The Harry H. Mellon Award of Excellence in Job Order Contracting, is named for Harry H. Mellon, the creator of JOC and founder of Gordian.
About Gordian
Gordian (www.gordian.com) is the leading provider of Building Intelligence™ Solutions, delivering unrivaled insights, robust technology and comprehensive expertise that fuel customers’ success during every phase of the building lifecycle. Gordian created Job Order Contracting (JOC) and the industry standard RSMeans™ Data. Gordian empowers organizations to optimize capital investments, improve project performance and minimize long-term operating expenses.
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Lauren Fields Gordian 864.637.8235 l.fields@gordian.com
