TI, UT Break Ground

Gov. Rick Perry and dignitaries from UTD, state and local government look on as Texas Instruments chairman, Tom Engibous, announces the groundbreaking on TI's new wafer-manufacturing plant in Richardson.

Texas Instruments Inc. and The University of Texas at Dallas recently held simultaneous groundbreakings for two facilities expected to provide a boon to Texas' high-tech economy for decades to come.

Gov. Rick Perry joined leaders of UT and TI for the groundbreaking of UT-Dallas' new $85 million research facility and TI's new $3 billion wafer-fabrication plant.

"The world-class science and engineering facility at UT Dallas will not only help bring the world's best minds to Texas, it will help to develop the best aspiring young minds in Texas," Perry said. "And the new TI plant will keep our state at the forefront of an industry that is critical to our future prosperity-semiconductor manufacturing."

In June 2003 Gov. Perry announced that the state's commitment of $50 million from the Texas Enterprise Fund to enhance engineering and computer science programs at the University of Texas at Dallas. The investment played a key role in Texas Instruments' decision to build a new $3 billion, one-million sq. ft. wafer fabrication research and manufacturing plant in Richardson. The new plant will employ 1,000 highly skilled and well-paid workers, many of whom will be UT-Dallas graduates.

The principal architect for the new four-story, 192,000-sq.-ft. UT-Dallas building is PageSutherlandPage of Dallas and the construction manager is Centex Corp. of Dallas.

"The students who graduate from UT Dallas' invigorated science and engineering program will receive a high-quality education, and be prepared to assume leadership roles in our high-tech marketplace," Perry said. "And not only will Texas Instruments benefit from a better educated workforce right in their backyard, but so will any other high-tech company looking to expand and grow in Texas.

"This project is proof positive that partnerships between state, business and academic leaders are one of the best ways to create jobs, opportunity and prosperity for Texans," Perry said.

Toyota Awards Structural Steel Packages for Texas Plant

Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America recently announced the structural steel packages for the construction of Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Texas in San Antonio.

The steel project is divided into three packages: The press shop, weld shop and plant office package was awarded to Safety Steel Service Inc. of Victoria, part of the CMC Steel Group, which is a subsidiary of Commercial Metals Company of Dallas.

The other two packages for assembly and paint and plastics were awarded to a joint venture formed by Midwest Steel Inc. and W&W Steel. W&W Steel has corporate offices in Lubbock and Oklahoma City. They plan to use their Texas operations for some of the fabrication work. Midwest Steel is based in Detroit, Mich.

"We are confident that these companies will be a great match for Toyota, meeting our quality and safety standards and helping us to remain on time and within budget," said Jeff Caldwell of Toyota's plant engineering division.

The companies will be responsible for the structural steel and roof deck for the new plant. The project includes: procurement of raw structural steel, detailing, fabrication, paint, delivery and installation of the steel. Toyota reviewed bids from a number of companies before awarding these contracts.

Procurement, detailing and fabrication work has already begun for each of the packages.

In February 2003, Toyota announced that it had chosen a 2000-acre site in San Antonio to build approximately 150,000 Tundra full size trucks annually, beginning in late 2006. Site preparation began in March.

The new plant will represent an $800 million investment by Toyota and is expected to bring approximately 2,000 new jobs to Texas. Additionally, several automotive suppliers will set up operations on the site of the new plant. Those suppliers are expected to have an investment of more than $100 million and employ about 1,000 people. During the construction period, about 2,000 people are expected to be working on the site at peak times.

Shaw Group Awarded New Corps Contracts

Baton Rouge, La.-based The Shaw Group Inc. recently announced that its subsidiary, Shaw Beneco Inc., has been awarded an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity job order contract by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District for the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant in McAlester, Okla. and the Red River Army Depot in Texarkana.

The five-year, $29.5 million, contract will consist of various construction projects including renovations, alterations, and repairs of existing facilities and infrastructure at both sites. At the time of the contract award, an initial task order to re-roof nine buildings in the administration area was also issued. Near-term projects anticipated at McAlester include providing protective covering for 74 earthen bunkers, construction of a new dining hall and parking shelters and renovation of a 1940s ammunition production facility.

OSHA Aligns with Gilbane

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Gilbane Building Co. have joined forces to further the safety and health of workers throughout the construction industry.

OSHA and Gilbane signed an alliance that will provide industry workers and employers with information, guidance and access to training resources designed to help protect workers' safety and health, particularly in the area of fall protection.

"Every year, falls account for the greatest number of workplace loss of life in the construction industry," said OSHA administrator John Henshaw. "We believe combining our efforts with those of the Gilbane Building Co. will prove successful in helping employers and workers to address fall protection, which will reduce fall hazards throughout the industry."

The alliance gives OSHA and Gilbane the opportunity to develop safety and health curricula on fall prevention and to provide expertise in communicating that information to workers and employers throughout the construction industry.

Gilbane will conduct two 30-hour construction safety courses to its employees during each year of the alliance and will offer those courses to others in the construction industry and to OSHA staff. OSHA and Gilbane will work together to provide expertise in developing information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards and in communicating information to industry workers and employers.

Grande Truck Center to Represent Terex Advance Mixer in Texas

Terex Advance Mixer Inc. and Grande Truck Center announced an alliance to market the Terex Advance Mixer concrete truck line in Texas.

Mike King, Grande's director of commercial vehicle sales, will manage Terex Advance mixer sales in South Texas, while Equipment Southwest president Mike Foley in Dallas channels sales through Grande for the North Texas territory.