Delivering Value by Delivering on Our Values
Welch Federal Prison
Concrete Subcontractor
General Contractor on Project: Clark Construction
Stepping Up to the Plate
Clark Construction, a general contractor headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, awarded Swope Construction the subcontract for concrete work on the Welch Federal Prison project. The prison is an extremely important project both for Swope and for McDowell County. It is estimated that the prison will create 300 new jobs and $35 million dollars will be circulated through the economic system of the surrounding counties. While this won’t solve all of McDowell County’s economic problems, it may provide the much needed boost to get the community back on it’s economic feet.
The Welch Prison project is a milestone for Swope Construction. It is the third largest contract we have taken on to date. It has more than double the amount of concrete we have poured on any job, in excess of 20,000 CY. Even though it is not the largest contract we have ever done, it has the potential of being one of the most profitable since it will be completed in less than one year. We have now completed half of the foundations and 8% of the floors and the project is showing great promise to redefine our company. Under the exceptional supervision of Larry Pruett and a 40 man crew of hard workers, the Swope team in Welch is proving that we are well-equipped to meet the standards of Clark, a major national construction company and the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
This quarter, our crew has earned accolades from both Clark and the FBOP. The specifications of the project require an F-35 measurement for the flatness of the concrete floors we finish. The higher the number, the better - our crew is able to consistently get an F-45. In fact, the finish is so skillfully done; Clark’s representative was shocked to find out that the men do not use laser-guided equipment.
This project is also a testament to our safety program. We would not even have been eligible to bid this project without a first-class safety program in place. Clark has told us that our safety performance meets the highest standards of any contractor they have used. Keep up the good work.