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Construction Dive’s Friday Punch List is a series dedicated to sharing the top building headlines that contractors may have missed during the week.
In construction news this week, the state of Maryland announced four contracts for the reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge for a total of over $4 billion and Granite earned $32 million Alaska Highway Projectfor which it plans to use self-supply capabilities.
Read on for other news this week that builders should know.
Skanska names new head of US West
Skanska USA building called a new regional executive officer for the Western Region of the US, which includes Washington, Oregon and California, announced the firm on Monday.
Lew Guerrette will take over, having served as executive vice president and general manager of Washington state operations for the Sweden-based builder and developer’s US arm.
Guerrette has 33 years of industry experience, including three decades at Skanska. He has overseen projects for clients such as Microsoft, Boeing and the University of Washington. He succeeds former regional manager Jim Link, who has held the position since 2018 and is retiring after more than 40 years in construction.
Additionally, Don Kowalchuk will succeed Guerrette as executive vice president and general manager in Washington. Kowalchuk has spent his entire 35-year construction career with Skanska, previously serving as senior vice president of operations.
—Zachary Phillips
ABC names new vice president of safety, workforce
Joel Thames is the new vice president of Associated Builders and Contractors health, safety, environment and workforce developmentthe association announced this Tuesday.
Thames brings 20 years of construction experience to the role, having held numerous leadership positions for the association both nationally and locally. These roles include Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Trimmer Construction Education Fund, Chairman of the New Orleans Bayou Chapter Board, and Chairman of the Chapter Education and Training Committees.
Prior to joining ABC, Thames was the corporate director of human resources, workforce development, risk management and safety for Performance Contractors in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. There, he designed and led programs for thousands of construction professionals.
In the new role, Thames will provide subject matter expertise and operational leadership in the critical areas of workforce development and security. He will lead education, training and professional development programs and serve as a technical resource for ABC’s 67 chapters and 24,000 members.
—Zachary Phillips
Tutor Perini subsidiary wins $61.6 million Coast Guard contract
Perini Management Services, a subsidiary of the Los Angeles-based megacontractor, won a $61.6 million contract to design and build a child development center at U.S. Coast Guard Base Kodiak in Alaska, according to a news release Monday.
The scope of the project includes a 34,000 square foot facility with capacity for 232 children. Other works include site development, utility facilities, outdoor play areas, parking facilities and site support improvements. Framingham, Mass.-based Perini Management will also be responsible for the demolition of the existing housing structures, environmental compliance and obtaining required permits and approvals.
The Tutor Perini family of companies has experience with other military daycares. In 2024, a joint venture with the company’s Black Construction subsidiary won a $74.4 million contract to build a child development center at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam.
At the Kodiak base, the contractor said work will begin this month, with completion expected in January 2029.
—Joe Bousquin
Alquist 3D to set up a Detroit manufacturing plant
A construction company focused on 3D printing will build a key operations facility in the Motor City.
Alquist 3D, the Greeley, Colo.-based firm that was a key player in more than a dozen 3D printed retail structures for Walmart and other retailers across the country, will create a new manufacturing and R&D facility in Detroitaccording to an announcement Tuesday by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
The new facility, called the Robotics and Engineering Center of Excellence, will be located in Detroit’s tech corridor at Newlaba recent development in the city center.
Alquist will invest at least $31.25 million in the facility, according to the announcement. In addition, the Michigan Strategic Fund, a government entity that aims to create jobs and business development in the state, approved a $1.6 million grant through the Michigan Business Development Program. The program helps finance businesses that bring new jobs and investment to Michigan.
Alquist ultimately chose Detroit because of Michigan’s education and training infrastructure, its manufacturing ecosystem and its access to an experienced industrial workforce, according to the release.
—Matthew Thibault
