BABBIT NEUMAN 9/14/07 2:36 PM Page 206
BABBIT NEUMAN CONSTRUCTION CO. INC.
invites and compensates them to keep
them in place for a long time.
“People are asked to come to work here,
and they are getting compensated better
than ever before,” Babbit says. “They are
rewarded for their personal successes and
contributions to the company.”
BNCC says it places a high value on
cross-training so its 60 employees can
help one another. And, unlike many gen-
eral contractors, BNCC believes its office
personnel work for the field, and not the
other way around. Babbit says with this
in mind, the company gives its field
superintendents all the administrative
support they need to make projects a
success. “Most construction companies
think the field works for the office,” Babbit
says. “But the production happens in the
field, so that is where we pay attention. In
order to be completely competitive in the
marketplace, we have superintendents
who know how to manage the labor
force and manage the home office.”
Educational Construction
Fernhill Elementary School in Tacoma,
Wash., is a project that allows BNCC to
206 ■ CONSTRUCTION TODAY ■ OCTOBER 2007
work in two sectors where it has the most
experience: education and historical ren-
ovation. The $14 million contract called
for the demolition of two buildings from
the 1950s as well as the retrofitting of a
structure built in 1904. The new struc-
tures occupy 31,000 square feet, and the
retrofitted building is 27,000 square feet.
Phased Scheduling is Key
BNCC had to use a phased schedule
because owner Tacoma Public Schools
wanted to start construction when school
was out for summer because of the large
amount of asbestos abatement required.
Through demolition, however, Babbit says
the construction team determined a num-
ber of the materials could be salvaged for
reuse, including original fir floors, the
main entryways and re-milled wood. This
helped BNCC imitate the look of the retr-
ofit project in the ground-up structures.
“Whenever we go in and renovate an
old historical building of this nature, we
use shoring techniques to the existing
building to retrofit the components,”
Babbit says. “With select demolition, it
can be very unstable, so we’re careful
about how we structurally support a build-
ing to be saved. We need to pull off struc-
tural upgrades so the building wouldn’t
fall down. The structural engineers are
involved up front because there is always
so much to learn.”
Safety Matters
BNCC says it reviews each project for its
unique safety requirements and potential
exposures, then consults and works with
Labor and Industries (L&I) and
APPROACH Management to develop a
site specific safety program at the start of
each program.
“The job site is then periodically
inspected for safety and exposure on a
period basis by three separate third party
groups, including Labor and Industries
Consultation Division, APPROACH
Management and our insurance carrier,”
BNCC says. “Our overall safety program
continues to develop with the changing
federal, state and local municipality
statutes during each fiscal year.
“BNCC Inc. continues to work with
L&I to maintain up-to-date and accurate
safety procedures.” ■