Dow Kokam, a leading large-format battery system producer, announced it has selected Clayco Inc. of St. Louis as the design-build contractor to oversee construction of its battery manufacturing facility in Midland, Michigan. div id="articleExtrasA" div id="articleExtrasB" div id="articleExtras" Clayco will be responsible for the design and construction of the facility, which will produce lithium ion battery cells and packs for hybrid and electric vehicles. “Dow Kokam’s speed to market is critical to meeting the automotive industry’s needs for a competitive energy source for the transportation industry,” says David Pankratz, Dow Kokam’s vice president of operations. Construction of the new 800,000-sq-ft,

Alberici Constructors Inc. of St. Louis was named the construction manager to build a $55 million soybean seed production facility in New Madrid, Mo., for DuPont business Pioneer Hi-Bred. div id="articleExtrasA" div id="articleExtrasB" div id="articleExtras" Pioneer held a groundbreaking ceremony May 17 for the new facility, to be located on 129 acres of land in New Madrid County. The new plant is expected to begin operations in fall 2011 and to employ about 50 people when fully operational. The project includes a warehouse facility and production space as well as an administration building.

To continue meeting its clients’ current needs while increasing service capacity, engineering firm Alfred Benesch & Company of Chicago recently announced that the company will merge with Lincoln, Neb.-based HWS Consulting Group. div id="articleExtrasA" div id="articleExtrasB" div id="articleExtras" Uniting the firms’ respective practice areas will broaden the services the combined company has to offer existing and future clients. Both firms are known for their expertise in civil and traffic engineering, transportation planning, and rail and roadway design. Benesch is recognized for its structural, municipal, water /wastewater systems, and value engineering services. These offerings are complemented by HWS’ experience in environmental

The North American Copper in Architecture Awards program recently showcased the top U.S. and Canadian projects. div id="articleExtrasA" div id="articleExtrasB" div id="articleExtras" In the Midwest Region, the 2010 award recipient was: • Restoration/Renovation: Milwaukee City Hall, Milwaukee, Wis. Architect: Engberg Anderson Architects, Milwaukee. Sheet Metal Contractor: Heather & Little Ltd., Markham, Ontario. The projects were judged by a panel of architecture and copper industry experts, and the judging was based upon overall building design, integration of copper systems, craft of copper installation and excellence in innovation or historic restoration. The awards program continues to attract entrants from across North America,

The Burnham Pavilion in Chicago has earned national recognition in the 2010 Innovative Design in Engineering and Architecture with Structural Steel awards program (IDEAS2). div id="articleExtrasA" div id="articleExtrasB" div id="articleExtras" Members of the project team were presented with awards from the American Institute of Steel Construction during a public ceremony in Millennium Park. Conducted annually by AISC, the IDEAS2 awards recognize outstanding achievements in engineering and architecture on structural steel projects around the country. Project team members include owner Burnham Plan Centennial Committee, Chicago; architect UNStudio, Amsterdam; associate architect Garofalo Architects Inc., Chicago; structural engineer Rockey Structures LLC, Oak Park,

Case Construction Equipment continued its support of Illinois military families and veterans with its sponsorship of the fifth annual “Rockin’ for the Troops” concert on July 17 at Cantigny Park in Winfield, Ill. Featuring entertainment from actor Gary Sinise’s Lt. Dan Band, the “Rockin’ for the Troops” outdoor concert annually draws 10,000 people to Cantigny Park’s military museum in west suburban Chicago. div id="articleExtrasA" div id="articleExtrasB" div id="articleExtras" Featuring entertainment from actor Gary Sinise’s Lt. Dan Band, the “Rockin’ for the Troops” outdoor concert annually draws 10,000 people to Cantigny Park’s military museum in west suburban Chicago. Operation Support Our

The Chicago Committee on High Rise Buildings elected a new slate of officers at its May meeting. div id="articleExtrasA" div id="articleExtrasB" div id="articleExtras" Peter Weismantle, director of supertall building technology at Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, was elected chairman. Scott Marker, senior vice president of Epstein, was elected vice chairman. Fred Moritz Associate, vice president of Shiner + Associates Inc., is the committee’s new treasurer; Ralph Calistro, senior vice president of C.S. Associates Inc., is the new secretary; and Kim Clawson, associate principal at Goettsch Partners, has been appointed program director. The CCHRB is a not-for-profit organization founded to

The Chicago office of HOK was recently honored with two awards for environmental leadership. HOK’s Chicago office recently received the 2010 “Environmotion” Award, an honor given by the Illinois Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council. div id="articleExtrasA" div id="articleExtrasB" div id="articleExtras" The first award was for the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, which was selected as a 2010 “Top 10 Green Project” by the American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment (COTE). The second award was the 2010 “Environmotion” Award, an honor given by the Illinois chapter of the U.S. Green

Following nine hours of negotiations on July 19, Chicago contractors and unions reached a tentative three-year agreement on wages and health care benefits that would end a three-week strike. div id="articleExtrasA" div id="articleExtrasB" div id="articleExtras" The International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 and Laborers’ District Council of Chicago & Vicinity reached an agreement with owners’ representative Mid American Regional Bargaining Association that includes a 3.25 percent annual increase in wages and health care benefits for three years. The unions originally petitioned for annual increases of 5.3 percent for three years. In a press release, Local 150 said the pact

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle signed an agreement July 29 providing $46.5 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds for work to continue on the state's high-speed rail program. The funding is the latest installment from the $822 million that President Obama announced for Wisconsin high-speed rail from the Recovery Act in January. Wisconsin previously received a $5.7 million Recovery Act grant that brings their high-speed rail total to $52.2 million. Nationally, an unprecedented $8 billion down payment for the creation of a national network of interconnected high-speed rail corridors was included in the