Local construction work up for statewide awards

A southwest Missouri general contractor and a local project from another company with a Springfield office are in the running for statewide awards from the Associated General Contractors of Missouri.

The winners of AGCMO's Construction Keystone Awards are slated to be announced Nov. 4 at a ceremony in St. Louis, according to a news release.

Branco Enterprises Inc., which has offices in Springfield and Neosho, is one of three finalists in its category of general contractors of transportation and infrastructure projects that are under $15 million. Branco is a finalist for stormwater improvements for the city of Joplin.

Goodwin Brothers Construction and L. Keeley Construction are the other finalists in the category for projects in Granite City, Illinois, and Dellwood, Missouri, respectively, according to the release.

Columbia-based Emery Sapp & Sons Inc., which operates a Springfield office, has two projects that are finalists for transportation and infrastructure projects over $15 million. One of the projects is Interstate 44 design-build work in Jasper, Lawrence and Newton counties.

Emery Sapp & Sons also is being considered for a transportation project in Kansas City, according to the release. Alberici Constructors Inc. is the other finalist for a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project in LaSalle County, Illinois.

“Our contractors and their workforces deserve special recognition for the work they performed last year, often under difficult circumstances,” said Len Toenjes, AGCMO president, in the release. “Despite COVID-19, which presented particular challenges on our work sites, they managed to introduce innovation, beat schedules and work through many supply chain issues."

Missouri has more than 13,300 construction firms that produce an economic impact of $12.2 billion, AGCMO officials said.