1128

12

BUSINESS NEWS WESTWOOD RANKS NO. 8 OF TOP 100 U.S. LAND SURVEYING FIRMS Westwood (Minneapolis, MN) ranked No. 8 of the top 100 land survey- ing companies in the United States by Point of Beginning Magazine . Westwood is a national multi-disciplined surveying and engineering firm supporting land development, wind and solar energy, power delivery, and oil and gas development. A significant portion of Westwood’s revenue comes from geospatial solutions, which in- clude surveying, aerial mapping, LiDAR, and GIS services to support its design, engineer- ing, and construction services. CEO, President, and professional land survey- or, Paul Greenhagen said, “Having ranked on the POB list is a great honor and achievement for us. It represents our employees’ commit- ment to delivering high quality surveying ser- vices and products. The hard work and per- severance of our entire team to achieve our vision is paying off. Our people are our great- est asset and I am proud to have the expertise that our unique markets require.” Westwood is licensed to provide surveying and engineer- ing services in nearly every state across the country. The 2015 POB Top 100 award is one of 11

for success,” said Konchar. “Historically, many owners have selected project delivery meth- ods alone based on what they’re most familiar with, but what this research highlights is that owners themselves drive project success by selecting project delivery strategies which in- crease team integration and cohesion.” A key learning from the research is that project delivery decisions should not be made inde- pendently from one another. As the authors reported, the organizational structure, pro- curement processes and contractual terms should be designed in concert as a strategy. In particular, the research indicates that strat- egies that align project teams, through both integrated processes and attention to team cohesion, are now critical factors for achieving project success in terms of cost, quality and schedule performance. The research also demonstrates that project- specific goals and constraints will determine the optimal delivery strategy. The results of this research show that owners should seek to maximize integrated practices and group co- hesion in all project delivery strategies. For more information or to download the re- port, visit projectdelivery.weebly.com/.

awards Westwood received this year in the categories of fast-revenue growth, top work- places, and marketing excellence. POB Magazine is a leading publication for the surveying, mapping, and geospatial industries. The magazine ranks relevant private-sector firms on high-revenue growth in the catego- ries of surveying, mapping, and GIS services. As the scope and technology of the geospatial field continues to expand, the new-this-year POB Top 100 list will provide valuable back- ground information to the industry on its top practitioners. BALFOUR BEATTY CONSTRUCTION CHIEF OF INNO- VATION PRESENTS AT DESIGN-BUILD CONFERENCE Balfour Beatty Construction ’s (Dallas, TX) Chief of Innovation Mark Konchar joined fel- low research partners to present findings from “Maximizing Success on Integrated Projects: An Owner’s Guide” at the Design-Build Con- ference & Expo in Denver. The conference is the Design-Build Institute of America’s annual gathering of industry professionals. “Joining my peers to present this updated re- search is rewarding because it’s important for our industry to continuously evaluate process- es and provide owners with the insights and data necessary to effectively set up projects

been the scene of intense land speculation as corporate in- terests and small businesses have snapped up neglected properties. And in Fayetteville, a 300-unit apartment com- plex and a brewery are planned near the Mud Creek section of the trail. Noting that the Greenway is the spine, Rushing says that spurs will continue to be built, further tying the communi- ty into the main trunk line. Rushing says that as an empha- sis continues to be placed on health and wellness, greenway trails will continue to be a growing trend. A native of Northwest Arkansas, Rushing appreciates how far the region and its trail system has come. “When I moved back to Northwest Arkansas 16 years ago, there were no hard surface greenway trails in Benton Coun- ty,” he said. “Today, almost everyone in Northwest Arkan- sas now recognizes the Razorback Greenway by name and most know where it is in relation to their home or work. It is surreal to see this area expand the trail systems the way we have and provide nature-preserving amenities that ev- eryone can enjoy.” “Though much of the construction was through green fields and scenic areas, the Greenway is in large part defined by its pathway through urban centers. And it’s the diversity of the project that presented designers with obstacles.”

GREENWAY, from page 11

environmental concerns emerged, the trail was simply built around the problem area. Affixed with mile markers, signage, caution lights, railing, box culverts, bridges, and retaining walls, the trail is not just built for recreation, but as an alternative mode of trans- portation. The entire trail was built in pieces but was tied together by the final 16-mile stretch through Springdale, a feat of construction that required 1 million square feet of concrete. Though much of the construction was through green fields and scenic areas, the Greenway is in large part defined by its pathway through urban centers. And it’s the diversity of the project that presented designers with obstacles. “The engineering and design of a 16-mile section of trail crossing Northwest Arkansas cities’ streams, busy streets, and steep topography was no easy feat,” Rushing says. “In addition to dealing with the geographical challenges, ap- provals and permits were also required by property owners and state and federal officials. “However, our biggest engineering/design challenge was in downtown Springdale at Huntsville Avenue – where the busy street crossed with a stream channel. Our design so- lution was to use an existing box culvert to navigate under Huntsville Avenue as well as an elevated steel boardwalk to span over the creek.” The Greenway has also sparked a land rush, as developers and business owners want to be close to a network that is used weekly by thousands. Emma Avenue in Springdale has

© Copyright 2015. Zweig Group. All rights reserved.

THE ZWEIG LETTER NOVEMBER 16, 2015, ISSUE 1128

Made with FlippingBook Annual report