Greenville, S.C.-based O’Neal was awarded a construction contract to expand FitesaFiberweb’s plant in Simpsonville, S.C. O’Neal started design for the project in September. Related Links: North Carolina Wins $545 Million in Federal Rail Grants North Carolina: 1% December Drop Adds Up to 28% ’09 Decline South Carolina: 18% December Drop = 36% ’09 Decline Carolinas AGC Presents Top Honors to Construction Leaders South Carolina Leaders Hope for I-73 Stimulus Dollars URS to Operate North Carolina’s Triangle Expressway Toll Facility The company will build two manufacturing lines that will produce items for the hygiene products industry. FitesaFiberweb Simpsonville is a joint

McGraw-Hill Construction, publisher of Southeast Construction, reported that the value of new Florida contracts signed in December for future construction fell by 8% overall, compared to the same period of a year ago. The total of all new contracts was slightly more than $1.7 billion. Related Links: FPL Halts Work on Nuclear, Modernization Projects $400-Million I-4/Selmon Connector Moves Ahead With Stimulus Funds Legoland Florida to Rise at Former Cypress Gardens Construction Starts on Everglades Restoration Project Tamiami Trail Skanska USA Selected as CM for FIU Stempel Complex Stiles to Develop, Build Nova Southeastern Educational Center Contractor to Replace Jet Fuel

Despite a healthy uptick in the residential market, the overall value of Georgia contracts signed in December for future construction fell by 11% for the month, according to McGraw-Hill Construction, publisher of Southeast Construction. Related Links: Batson-Cook, H.J. High Joint Venture for Mitsubishi Power Systems Project McCarthy Wins Project at Clayton State University BRPH/Lifecycle Team Awarded Project at Fort Stewart, Ga. The residential sector improved by 18% in December, compared to the same period of a year ago, for a monthly total of approximately $229.3 million. The other two construction categories went negative, however. Nonresidential starts fell 9% in December

Atlanta-based Hardin Construction Co. announced it has reached an agreement to acquire selected assets of Tampa-based Mathews Construction. According to the companies, Mathews Construction will continue operating under the Mathews name, as a division of Hardin. Related Links: Obama’s Budget for USACE Civil Works Totals $4.9 Billion Danis Building Construction Co. Acquires R.N. Rouse & Co. of N.C. Coral Gables, Fla.-based MasTec to Acquire Precision Pipeline “We are extremely excited to bring Mathews into the Hardin fold, as we view the merger as favorable to both firms’ growth,” said Hardin Chairman Brantley Barrow. “The merger offers Mathews the greater resources

WILLIAMS DUEKER Aguirre Roden announced Taylor Dueker, AIA, has been named vice president for its Austin office. In his role, Dueker will be responsible for professional design services, business development and project management. He holds a bachelor’s of science degree in art and design from MIT and master’s of architecture from MIT. KBR, Houston, announced the appointment of Mark S. Williams as group president overseeing KBR’s Government & Defense, Infrastructure & Minerals, and Power & Industrial Business Units. Williams has more than 25 years experience in the government and defense sector. Williams joinsed KBR from Jacobs Engineering, where he most

The body of PBSJ Corp. transportation engineer Lee Strickland has been recovered from the remains of Haiti’s Hotel Montana, which collapsed during the January 12, 2010 earthquake. “It is a strike at the heart,” says Kathe Jackson, PBSJ vice president of corporate communications. “We’re a pretty close-knit company, and Lee touched many of our lives.”  Strickland, a group manager for the company’s engineering unit, traveled to Haiti to attend a two-day workshop on behalf of the company. STRICKLAND International search and rescue teams have worked at the site of the collapsed hotel since soon after the quake. Teams from the

Odebrecht Construction of Coral Gables, Fla., has completed repairs at Haiti�s Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, enabling commercial carriers to resume service to and from Haiti�s capital beginning Feb. 19. Slide Show Photo courtesy Odebrecht Construction Odebrecht Construction of Coral Gables, Fla., oversaw repairs to the Port-au-Prince airport. Representatives of Dallas-based American Airlines and Odebrecht toured the devastated city four days after the Jan. 12 earthquake. According to Odebrecht, the contractor immediately assembled a team to repair and rebuild the airport’s commercial terminal. The contractor is currently performing more than $1 billion in construction at Miami International Airport’s North

In its latest step on the acquisition trail, Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., Pasadena, Calif., said on Feb. 15 it had purchased Norcross, Ga.-based Jordan, Jones & Goulding Inc., a 500-person engineering firm specializing in water and wastewater markets. The purchase price was not disclosed, but JJG ranks 151st on ENR’s list of the Top 500 design firms, with nearly $82 million in 2008 revenue. About two-thirds is in environmental infrastructure-related work, with the remainder in the transportation and general building sectors. The firm has 17 offices across the southern U.S., says Jacobs. Don Allen, JJG’s CEO, becomes vice president in

High-speed rail advocates celebrated the Jan. 28 award of grants from the $8-billion pot that is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, but officials must now figure out how to leverage the seed money into successful long-term programs. California and Florida, the anticipated big winners at $2.25 billion and $1.25 billion, respectively, will now ponder design-build and public-private partnerships along with other sources of funding. The U.S. Dept. of Transportation was flooded with applications, receiving $57 billion in proposals. That includes $50 billion in rail-corridor proposals submitted by 24 states and $7 billion from 34 states for specific

On Jan. 28, officials with the Obama administration unveiled grants totaling $545 million for the state of North Carolina to use to fund rail improvements. A grant totaling $520 million will fund nearly 30 interrelated projects aimed at increasing top train speeds and doubling the number of round trips on the Raleigh-Charlotte corridor. These funds will provide for the purchase and rehabilitation of locomotives and cars, track upgrades and station security improvements. A separate $25-million grant will fund "congestion mitigation" between Raleigh and Richmond, Va. Lisa P. Jackson, administrator with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, made the announcement Jan. 28