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SWS Receives Safety Awards for 9th Consecutive Year
The Associated Builders and Contractors of Georgia, Inc (ABC) presented its 2011 safety awards on May 23, 2011. Southern Wall Systems was recognized with a national Platinum Step Award of Safety Excellence at this year’s annual awards luncheon.
Receiving this year’s awards were President and CEO Benny R. Sims and Executive Vice President Shane Blackburn. To find out more about ABC and its safety programs visit abcga.org. Southern Wall Expands into Nashville
We are very excited to announce the expansion of Southern Wall Systems with the opening of our new Nashville Office. With several projects already completed in Nashville, this new office location is a natural extension of our capabilities as we look forward to servicing the Nashville area and beyond. SWS has a proven track record in both Atlanta and Nashville on both large and small projects, and we bring a level of confidence based on 27 years of experience and unmatched bonding and insurance abilities. Successful projects we’ve already completed in Nashville include The Viridian, a 31 story condo that we resurfaced with an elastomeric coating, The Adelicia, a new 30 story mixed-use high rise where we applied a stucco exterior veneer and The Icon, a 21 story mixed-use condo.
Nashville is a thriving city with a heartbeat and soul that is very unique, and we look forward to years of offering unparalleled work and being a part of this amazing community. SWS Hosts The Dow Chemical Company THERMAX™ Wall System Demonstration
As the world’s attention becomes more focused on global warming, architects and other building professionals are challenged to meet increasingly stringent energy-efficiency standards. How will you meet those requirements while maintaining the integrity of your creative vision? Dow offers a simple solution: The THERMAX™ Wall System. This groundbreaking and cost-effective approach to steel stud wall design combines three simple parts into a system that delivers exceptional results. This system is currently the only one that meets the Section 07-4265 Thermal and Air Barrier specification. Bob Houck and Bryan Mallon of Dow Chemical Company led the group of architects, contractors, waterproofing consultants, suppliers and installers. Items discussed in the presentation included:
Southern Wall Systems built the mock up framed wall and installed the THERMAX™ Wall System to demonstrate the ease of installation and show the different components of the system to the group. The event provided important information and was a great opportunity to see a demonstration of the new wall system.
SWS Presented 2010 Platinum STEP Award & Georgia Safety Award of Excellence
The Associated Builders and Contractors of Georgia, Inc. (ABC) presented its 2010 Safety Awards to 52 honorees in the field of construction at its annual luncheon held May 17. The association’s National STEP and Georgia Chapter Safety Awards are given yearly to Georgia contractors who have achieved the lowest rate of on-the-job accidents in the state, and have demonstrated the highest commitment to safety. ABC’s Safety Training and Evaluation (STEP) Awards recognize members who achieve effective safety practices at their firms, and are based on 20 key elements of contractor safety programs such as management commitment, safety responsibilities of personnel, and budget. The STEP process, developed and written by contractors for contractors, is a tool designed to objectively evaluate safety programs, policies, procedures and training. This year the Georgia Chapter received a record number of STEP applications – 52. In 2009, ABC of Georgia Chapter tied for 2nd in the nation for Platinum STEP awards earned, with 26 (second only to Central Florida, which had 27). “Studies have shown that STEP participants consistently out-perform the National BLS averages for fatalities, injuries and lost time,” said 2010 ABC Safety Forum Chairman John Ambrosia, Trainer with H B Training & Consulting, who announced the award recipients. ABC heightened requirements for achieving various STEP award levels in 2010. To achieve Gold, a company must have an incidence rate equal to or less than 1½ times the NAICS average. To achieve Platinum, among many other criteria, the incidence rate must have been at least 25% below the NAICS average, there could have been no company-wide fatalities resulting in an OSHA citation for three consecutive years, and no willful or repeat OSHA citations for three consecutive years. The intent of these changes was to improve the program and preserve its integrity. Winners of the Georgia Safety Awards of Excellence are determined by calculating a company’s total incident rate and the amount of time lost due to job-related injuries. To achieve this award, companies must have had no employee fatalities, and their total recordable and lost time rates must both be lower than the national average. The event was sponsored by Bardi Mechanical, Benning Construction Company, Juneau Construction Company, LLC, McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., Wells Fargo Insurance Services, and Wimberly, Lawson, Steckel, Schneider & Stine, P.C. Southern Wall Systems Integral Installer on LEED® Platinum Southface Eco Office
Southern Wall Systems was a key part of the completion of an important project when they installed StoPowerwall™ Stucco Systems on a project in downtown Atlanta. Sto Corp., the leader in cladding, coating and restoration systems, manufactured the cladding. Southern Wall Systems was selected as the installer of the cladding of choice for the Southface Energy Institute’s Eco Office. The project has a LEED® Platinum-level rating for New Construction from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). “The Southface Eco Office is the result of a unique collaboration among Southface, the owner; Lord, Aeck & Sargent, the architect; Eco Office Contractors: A Green Building Consortium (of five builders); and others who have donated their services and dollars, as well as off-the shelf green building products and technologies, like Sto’s, that will be used in the Eco Office,” said Dennis Creech, executive director of Southface, a non-profit organization that promotes sustainable homes, workplaces and communities. The three-story structure, approximately 10,000 square feet, serves as a model of environmentally responsible commercial construction and demonstrates that green commercial building creates a healthy and productive workplace with reduced operating costs. The Eco Office showcases innovative ideas for saving energy and water, reducing waste, re-using and recycling materials, and maintaining a healthy indoor environment. The building will be home to a two-story classroom, two private offices and workstations for the staff. “We were originally torn on what to use as our cladding,” said Creech. “When a representative from Sto contacted us and showed us the product we immediately liked it. It’s an environmentally friendly and commonly used product that fit perfectly into our plans.” The Eco Office uses StoPowerwall™ Stucco Systems (over Insulated Concrete Forms) and Sto Powerflex Silco. StoPowerwall™ Stucco Systems combine the best of engineered fiber-reinforced cement stucco with technologically advanced elastomeric finishes to create a stucco-type system that provides a superior cladding over traditional, field-mixed sand, lime, and cement. The StoPowerwall™ Stucco System creates a more durable, impact resistant, colorfast exterior wall cladding. This lightweight cladding offers greater flexibility, with faster installation than traditional stucco. The selected finish, Sto Powerflex Silco, is a silicone enhanced textured elastomeric coating for premium weather-resistance and appearance. It is available in many colors or custom tints, is weather-resistant, flexible, resists mold, mildew and algae as it bridges hairline cracks, and is water-based. “We are thrilled to be a part of the Southface Eco Office,” said Lisa Petsko, Product Manager from Sto Corp. “Durability is a factor in green building and stucco is a durable, economically effective product that will stand up in any type of climate.” Sto Corp. is also a member of the U.S. Green Building Council. Trademark Note: LEED® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Green Building Council About Sto Corp. Tom Wilson Brings Waterproofing Expertise to SWS
We are proud to welcome Tom Wilson, a local legend in the construction business, to the team at SWS. Tom brings over 20 years of commercial construction experience to the company, with extensive capabilities related to waterproofing. Tom began his career as an apprentice, and worked his way up through the industry to become Superintendent for an Atlanta-based waterproofing provider. He has supervised some of the largest waterproofing contracts in the country, completing them safely, on time, and profitably.
“I consider myself a teacher and a doer,” said Tom. ”I have a unique opportunity to help a very successful team of people create something even more special and to provide our customers with a service that is unique in our industry; a one source solution for the installation of the skin or facade of the building. This benefits the company, our contractors and their owners and may change the way people think about hiring sub contractors for the skin of new buildings. That is exciting to me.” Tom’s expertise will bring additional depth to the capabilities at SWS and initiate new full-service methods for installations. This is a great benefit to all current and future clients of SWS, and we look forward to delivering more successful projects with the assistance of Tom Wilson. |
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