Spring Edition                                                                                     April, 2016





CONSTRUCTION TODAY WITH D&J
 
  
Dunlop & Johnston, Inc. is happy to announce that the Firestone/Litchfield Community Learning Center project has been featured in this month's issue of Construction Today magazine.  

Designed by GPD Group, the state-of-the-art structure will replace the existing Firestone High School and Litchfield Middle schools.  In addition to student classrooms, the building also consists of new gymnasiums with seating for up to 2,650 spectators, an auditorium, four art rooms, and a dance/theater/and vocal music space. The large cafeteria area will include a dividing wall  to split the space for smaller functions. A very unique feature for the school will be a one-of-a-kind planetarium.

We are proud to serve as the general trades contractor for this project which, as cliche' as it may sound, is currently running on time and within budget. The new 377,000 square-foot school will serve more than 1,500 students this fall and is Akron Public Schools' largest ever school project. 

To view the April issue of Construction Today, and our featured article, click the image above.  
MCEDC CONSTRUCTION PANEL
At last month's Medina County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) meeting, the organization featured a group of construction industry members, including D&J's very own Business Development Director, Grant Raymond.  Grant, along with other leaders from local construction firms, answered questions about current trends in the construction industry.  

All panelists agreed that capital has become more available for construction and renovation projects, which brings a very busy 2016 for contractors.  Trades are still recovering from the recession where unemployment reached levels of 35% in the construction sector.  It has been extremely difficult to replace the many skilled tradespeople that left the industry during the recession when other jobs became available.  As the economy has picked up, finding and maintaining a skilled workforce is still a serious challenge. 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for skilled tradespeople will explode in the next ten years.  In particular, there will be a need for plumbers, HVAC technicians, and electricians. Now more than ever it is important to educate our youth about the promising career opportunities available in the construction sector.  Choosing a career in the trades presents excellent earning potential along with job security.  In addition, this exciting professional path rewards hardworking, committed tradespeople with a very high advancement potential within their field.  

PROJECT UPDATES
We braved the elements this past week for the groundbreaking ceremony that took place for the new Village of Woodmere Service Center.  This project will consist of a 5,500 SF service garage with attached offices totaling 2,300 SF.  The design team includes Calvin Singleton of Calvin M. Singleton & Associates, and Ed Hren from Chagrin Valley Engineering, Ltd. as the Owner's Representative. D&J has been contracted as the Construction Manager at Risk for this project, and is proud to team with Kyle Jones of KBJ Construction for pre-construction services. This project is scheduled for completion in September, 2016.  

Shown below is the Village of Woodmere Mayor Charles E. Smith along with several committee members present at the groundbreaking ceremony.  

D&J continues to forge ahead to complete work at two schools - Strongsville High School and Dempsey Middle School.  The Strongsville High School renovation involves extensive remodeling to a very active school building.  In order to accomplish this, the work is scheduled in nine phases.  At Dempsey Middle School, the scope includes a large addition that will double the capacity of students, as well as renovations in various areas of the building.  

Also for the education sector, our crews have been working diligently on two new schools; the Firestone / Litchfield Community Learning Center in Akron (outlined in article above) and Africentric PK-12 School in Columbus.  Both projects are on track for completion in October, 2016.  

In addition to several Norfolk Southern projects in Bellevue, Ohio, D&J has also been moving ahead with the construction of the Automation Tool & Die headquarters.  We haven't had to travel far for this client, as their 100,000 SF new building will be located right next door to our corporate offices in Valley City. 

We are extremely grateful for the mild weather this winter, which has helped our crews stay on course.  With each sunny day, we are one day closer to summer!  
NEVER EVER STOP LEARNING...
Dunlop & Johnston, Inc. understands that the safety and health of our employees is vital to the growth of our company.  Therefore, we are proud to provide regular training and education to prevent accidents and injury.  Just last month, our office and field staff gathered for annual Substance Abuse training.  We realize that safety is paramount for all of our employees, and we strive to stay current with the ever-changing safety regulations.  In addition to yearly Substance Abuse training, we also conduct annual OSHA 30-hour training for our superintendents and project managers annually, as well as CPR training to all employees every two years.  


The talented team of D&J at our annual Substance Abuse training class
"There's a reason we've been in business for over 100 years."
330.220.2700     /     www.dunlopandjohnston.com