Good work brings back customers TRUST IS GOOD. Renovated and historically restored Orange Grove Middle Magnet School
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ver the past decade, Walbridge’s Florida Group has made quite an impression on the communities in and around Tampa Bay. It’s completed 12 projects for Pinellas County Schools, nine for Hillsborough County Public Schools and three for Pasco County Schools – not including more than 50 smaller jobs completed for Pasco as part of a continuing contracts program with the district. It’s no secret clients remember the contractors that do a good job. While a few projects the Florida Group has done for its local school districts over the years have been hard-bid, the majority have been shortlisted construction management jobs. “I think they see an added value in our pre-construction services, especially in our construction management work,” said Tim Sewell, Walbridge Assistant Vice President and Deputy General Manager of the Florida Group. “The way we sequence our projects, our logistics planning and constructability reviews – how we deliver these efforts sets us apart from competitors.”
Orange Grove Middle Magnet School in 2008, the renovation of Brewster Technical High School in 2010 and the High Stakes Labs Project in 2010, which involved converting classrooms into laboratories at 47 schools. “Hillsborough County Schools has come to recognize that Walbridge can handle its hardest, most complex projects,” said Sewell. “We do not shy away from these difficult jobs, and there’s no doubt we deliver on schedule and within budget.” Members of the Florida Group have also participated in local educational opportunities. Walbridge’s Nelson Etienne, Kevin Speiss, Bo Dring, Brian Hoyt and Lisa Houston volunteered at last year’s Great American Teach-In, put on by Hillsborough and Pasco counties school districts. There, they talked with students about careers in construction and shared details on some of the company’s projects in the area. K-12 clients in the Tampa Bay region require a contractor that fulfills commitments from start to finish. Walbridge’s Florida Group has delivered on this standard every step of the way.
Tim Sewell
Most recently, Pinellas County Schools put out 13 construction manager at-risk opportunities and the Florida Group was shortlisted on all but one. This eventually led to Walbridge being awarded two contracts, one of which being the largest of the crop: a $10 million HVAC replacement job at Tarpon Springs Middle School. A number of projects the group has completed for Pinellas County over the years have been renovations and additions. But the Florida Group has also built a number of brand new schools for the district, including Bayside High School, Lealman Elementary School and Dunedin Middle School.
Gymnasium and auditorium at Lealman Elementary School
For Pasco County Schools, Walbridge built Paul R. Smith Middle School, Oakstead Elementary School and Crews Lake Middle School. In Hillsborough County, some of the Florida Group’s more notable projects include the renovation of Ben Hill Middle School in 2011, the historical reconstruction of Upgraded chilled water system installed at Brewster Technical High School Built For Good I 5