Business Review USA&Canada April 2016

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APRIL 2016

THE ONE & ONLY PALMILLA

The newest face of luxury in Los Cabos The ethics of

STARBUCKS

TOP 10 Billing Services in the

CLOUD

EDITOR’S COMMENT

Sasha Orman | Editor Sasha.Orman@wdmgroup.com

“ To

give REAL SERVICE you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is SINCERITY AND INTEGRITY.” - Douglas Adams

B U I L D I N G A P O S I T I V E A N D successful business takes more

than multiplying dollars and cents—it’s also about creating a sense of community that your clients, shareholders, and consumers can be excited to be involved in. That means giving serious thought to the ethics you follow every step of the way.

In this month’s Business Review USA & Canada, we look at the path that Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is currently on to maintain the integrity of his business at its current state, and the top cloud services your own business can use to give your clients the best service possible.

Consider your own path and where you’re headed next.

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CONTENTS

FEATURES

SPECIAL REPORT - One&Only Palmilla rises again

6

TOP 10 Cloud Billing Service Companies

22

LEADERSHIP 4 April 2016

14

The global citizenship of Starbucks

COMPANY PROFILES

30

Bizzack Construction

50

Archer Western 505 Tower Project

40 Lithko

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S P ET C EC IA HN L ORL E OG PYO R T

ONE&ONLY PALMILLA

RISES AGAIN

In the wake of disaster, the iconic Los Cabos resort has come back stronger than ever W R I T T E N B Y: S A S H A O R M A N

A

SPECIAL REPORT ON THE SOUTHERN coast of the Baja California peninsula, the Los Cabos Corridor runs along a stretch of highway connecting Cabo San Lucas to San José del Cabo. This corridor is lined with warm sandy beaches and luxurious private resorts that attract VIPs and celebrities from around the world.

Among the most exclusive and iconic of these is the One&Only Palmilla, a picturesque beachfront resort overlooking the Sea of Cortez.

First built as a 15-room retreat for Hollywood glitterati in the 1950s, the resort has seen multiple rebirths over the decades. It revealed its latest reincarnation in April of 2015—opening its doors to guests for the first time since Hurricane Odile passed through Baja California Sur in September 2014, leaving destruction in its wake.

The One&Only Palmilla turned the closure into an opportunity to reinvent itself, building on its classic coastal style with brand new world-class features and amenities.

“We are so thrilled to be welcoming back guests to One&Only Palmilla, a legendary resort in Mexico,” said Mark DeCocinis, President and Chief Operating Officer, One&Only Resorts, 8

April 2016

Deck and Lounge Area

as the resort prepared for its relaunch.

“We are bringing the resort back, better than ever before with a number of new enhancements. With our incredible team, we will continue the generosity of spirit that One&Only Palmilla has been known for.”

“Past guests of the resort will find

what they have come to love about it, but will also discover some new experiences,” added managing director Peter Bowling upon the resort’s official relaunch. “Most importantly, One&Only Palmilla will continue to deliver the incredible warm and genuine service that guests love.”

NEW FLAVORS AND FAN FAVORITES Among the resort’s new offerings is SEARED by Jean-Georges Vongerichten, a new steakhouse from the Michelin-starred chef who previously made waves at One&Only Palmilla with Asian-Latin fusion 9

SPECIAL REPORT

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April 2016

Ocean Front Pool Casita Junior Suite

O N E & O N LY P A L M I L L A L O S C A B O S

Agua Bar

hotspot Market. Vongerichten’s latest fine dining outing focuses on freshly caught seafood and the finest aged Wagyu A5 steaks and Kobe Tomahawk chops, which guests can view on display in a glass-walled curing room.

Guests will also be able to return to the reopened SUVICHE to enjoy sushi and sashimi prepared by master sushi chef Yoshiaki Akaike, or to AGUA

by LARBI to experience Chef Larbi Dahrouch’s all-new menu featuring authentic Mexican cuisine inspired by seasonal produce and the freshest

catches of the day. Followed by cocktails at the One&Only Lounge and musical entertainment at Agua Bar, there are plenty of new experiences and revamped favorites.

REST AND RELAXATION Guests come to the Los Cabos corridor to escape and decompress from the demands of the outside world. One&Only Palmilla takes this responsibility very seriously, and with its reopening the resort launched a substantial expansion of its already comprehensive luxury spa and 11

SPECIAL REPORT

OBO Beauty Salon

wellness program.

“We are introducing a number of new offerings which have been in the works for some time now, including our new OBO beauty salon and men’s grooming studio, Barber & Blade,” said Bowling with the announcement of the new additions. “Guests will discover a completely new spa plus fitness center that will allow guests to focus on wellness, as well as indulgence. Wellbeing has always been an important element of the 12

April 2016

One&Only Palmilla offering and I am looking forward for having our guests discover all of our new offerings and new facilities.”

Along with a fully renovated spa and fitness center, the resort created two all-new experiences for guests. The OBO Salon by Jonathan & George, created in collaboration with celebrity stylists Jonathan Antin and Amanda George, offers both formal and casual hair and beauty options to help clients achieve a look that is “unplugged

Spa Couple Treatment Room

without being undone.” To give men a chance to unwind in style, the resort launched Barber&Blade offering indulgent services from luxury wet shaves and beard sculpting to facials and scalp massage.

A SUCCESS ONE YEAR IN This month marks one year since One&Only Palmilla’s grand reopening, and over that past year guests and critics have responded to the resort’s new additions with resounding

positivity. The new and improved One&Only Palmilla has garnered several key awards since opening its doors, including World’s Best in Mexico (Travel+Leisure) and Best for Romance (jetsetter.com), plus a place on Conde Nast Traveler’s 2015 Gold List and a gold badge award from U.S. News and World Report’s Best Hotels of 2015. With such accolades, it’s clear that the One&Only is only getting better with every reinvention.

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LEADERSHIP

THE GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP OF

STARBUCK Written by: Sasha Orman

KS

LEADERSHIP

“WHAT IS THE role and responsibility of all of us, as citizens?”

This is the question that Starbucks CEO and chairman Howard Schultz put forth to his employees and partners in late March, at the company’s 2016 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. It’s a question that expands on one he put forth at the 2014 meeting, in which he asked employees to consider the role and responsibility of a for-profit company on the global stage.

As a brand, Starbucks is no stranger to good citizenship. This year The Ethisphere Institute named Starbucks among its annual list of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the tenth year in a row—one of only 14 to receive the recognition every year since the program started publishing its list.

Now with this evolution of his question, Schultz is advocating that it’s not only about the overarching mission statement of the brand itself, but also the daily actions of each and every person—from baristas to the executive team—which determines where a business stands in the world of citizenship and ethics.

16 April 2016

Howard Schultz in the Starbucks 201

THE PATH FORWARD It is one thing to ask employees to simply consider these issues in their daily lives, but during the same shareholders meeting Schultz and COO Kevin Johnson discussed several concrete plans to enhance the company’s efforts to create meaningful social impact and build

BUSINESS REVIEW USA & CANADA

“What is the ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY of all of us as CITIZENS? We must do everything we can to reclaim and reimagine THE AMERICAN DREAM and fill the reservoir back up—not with cynicism, but with OPTIMISM. Not with despair, but with POSSIBILITY. Not with division, but with UNITY. Not with exclusion, but with INCLUSION. Not with fear, but with COMPASSION. Not with indifference, but with LOVE. It’s not about the choice we make every four years. This is about the CHOICES WE MAKE EVERY DAY.”

16 Annual Meeting of Shareholders

a “purpose-driven” workforce.

According to Schultz, this is a necessity for Starbucks to truly call itself an ethical business.

“There are very few consumer brands in the world – products or experiences – that have created both an undeniable customer attachment to the brand while also seeing

universal acceptance. And, we take none of that for granted. We have to earn it every day,” said Schultz. “In addition to earning our customers’ trust and respect, we also cannot be a bystander at a time in our nation’s history when government gridlock, economic disparity and partisan polarization continue to 17

LEADERSHIP

stunt our progress. In our view, the private sector must contribute more as an economic and social force in partnership with all other sectors.”

CHANGE THROUGH EMPLOYEE ACTION One cornerstone of this year’s plan for a more conscious and purpose-driven Starbucks brand is its newly unveiled Starbucks FoodShare program, a strategic partnership with Feeding America to donate sandwiches,

18 April 2016

Community Service

salads, and other ready-to-eat meals—products that would otherwise be thrown out at the end of the day—to food banks across the United States.

“Like many of our social impact initiatives, the innovation and inspiration comes from our partners who are volunteering in and contributing to their communities,” said John Kelly, senior vice president, Starbucks Global Responsibility, Community and Public Policy. “They saw the need for us to do more, and

BUSINESS REVIEW USA & CANADA

find a way to use our scale to bring more nourishing and ready-to-eat meals to those in need.”

Starbucks has high ambitions for the program, predicting that it will be able to provide five million meals within its first year. But the end goal is to reach a point where Starbucks is able to recapture and make 100 percent of all eligible food from its stores available for donation.

LOOKING TO A FUTURE OF FAIRER TRADE Another key part of the plan for Starbucks is an initiative to increase sustainability in the coffee supply chain. As the company illustrated at its shareholder meeting, its Sustainable Coffee Challenge initiative is already seeing results. The One Tree for Every Bag campaign, produced in conjunction with Conservation International, is currently on track to place 20 million rust-resistant seedlings in the hands of coffee farmers this year alone. Drilling down from the efforts of the brand to its effects on the people working behind the brand, Starbucks is anticipating far reaching results for its campaign in the

Roasting Starbucks Coffee

long run.

“In addition to the millions of pounds of green coffee this program will help farmers grow - helping to create economic stability for their communities and families - the development of seedling nurseries and a delivery infrastructure with supplier ECOM for the initiative will generate more than 1,600 jobs in the process,” the company announced.

“An initial 11 million rust resistant coffee seedlings will begin to be distributed in Guatemala, Mexico and El Salvador in May ahead of planting season in each of these countries.

All of this work will be supported

by Starbucks open sourced ethical sourcing program, C.A.F.E Practices, 19

LEADERSHIP

which offers agronomy information and tools in addition to financing for farmers worldwide in collaboration with Conservation International.”

AN OPTIMISTIC FUTURE The omnipresence of politics in this election year is impossible to miss, and it should come as little surprise that Howard Schultz has taken notice and made it a further peoplemobilizing mission for Starbucks as well. In an effort “to strengthen democracy and elevate citizenship in America,” the company also launched its TurboVote project to support Democracy Works and engage more voters to participate—the brand and its partners, from Airbnb to Univision, hope to see 80 percent engagement of eligible voters by 2020.

In his keynote speech concluding the shareholders meeting, Schultz spoke to this mobilization, the power of people and his views on the future and what it could be. In his speech he addressed the concept of the American Dream—not as a rags-toriches solo climb, with every man for himself, but as a collective reservoir of values and integrity in which rising 20 April 2016

F E AT U R E A R T I C L E S H O R T E N E D H E A D L I N E

Starbucks Military Store - Camp Pendleton

levels lift all ships toward success.

“Sadly, our reservoir is running dry, depleted by cynicism, despair, division, exclusion, fear and indifference,” he said. But as Schultz continued, that dream can be rebuilt “not with cynicism, but with optimism.

Not with despair, but with possibility.

Not with division, but with unity. Not with exclusion, but with inclusion. Not with fear, but with compassion. Not with indifference, but with love.”

“It’s not about the choice we make every four years,” Schultz added.

“This is about the choices we make every day.”

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TOP 10

WITH CLOUD SERVICES BECOMING MORE WIDESPREAD AND COMPLEX, COST MANAGEMENT AND SCALABILITY HAVE BECOME INCREASINGLY VITAL

TOP 10 CLOUD BILLING

SERVICE COMPANIES Due to the increased presence of so many different vendors, the market for global cloud billing services has seen a swell of intense competition.

With cloud services becoming more widespread and complex, client billing and services integration need improved facilitation. Pricing structures need to evolve and be tailored to individual clients.

The global cloud billing services market is populated by a wide range of vendors, and competition at the top is fierce. Selecting

the right service could provide significant benefits of time saving, cost reduction, superior client service and more.

Although several new software providers continue to enter the market, easy integration with OSS reliability and software is anticipated to be the main deciding factor for survival amongst the herd of providers.

Below are the top 10 companies that are believed to help fuel market growth via cloud billing services between 2014-2019.

Written by: Eric Harding 23

TOP 10

10

RECURLY

Amidst the industry’s transition to subscription-based models, there is a growing need for sophisticated recurring payment management platform. Recurly makes certain there is easy setup, quick integrations and service meets your business’ needs.

FOR MORE INFORMATION >>

9 9

CGI GROUP

A Canadian-gone-global IT consultant, systems integration, outsourcing and solutions company, CGI delivers end-toend outsourcing services that allow clients to achieve quick wins and long-term results. Also with CGI-built solutions, clients benefit from its time-tested domain specific and repeatable IP solutions to drive business goals.

FOR MORE INFORMATION >>

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April 2016

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8

AMDOCS

Equipped with tools used to define, measure and continually improve CRM-based business processes, Amdocs has incorporated retail management functionalities in all new versions since the 2010 launch of Clarify version 8. This feature serves as an online store for telecom operators in emerging markets including China, India and the Middle East.

FOR MORE INFORMATION >>

7

CHARGIFY

A recurring billing system set up for Web 2.0 and SaaS companies, Chargify allows companies to concentrate on developing innovative web applications rather than being concerned about billing.

Behind investment from the likes of Mark Cuban, Chargify quickly grants access to flexible plan solutions, subscription add-ons, effortless tax management and coupons.

FOR MORE INFORMATION >>

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TOP 10

6

NEC

Based on SAP Convergent Charging, NEC Billing Cloud Service allows users to quickly deploy flexible billing and revenue sharing mechanisms at a lower cost. Its competitive advantage comes through its efficient billing management, which is proven by the 200 companies across the globe that use it.

5

CERILLION

FOR MORE INFORMATION >>

Cerillion was created because of one simple realization: Service providers must be as agile as quickly as possible in order to thrive in a liberalized environment.

Flexibility alone is not enough.

Therefore, Cerillion Skyline brings together flexible product creation, thoughtful customer engagement, and a supercharged transaction processing engine all in one online application.

FOR MORE INFORMATION >> 26

April 2016

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4

ARIA SYSTEMS

Aria provides the only cloud-based platform both large and scalable enough to assist enterprises in fulfilling new market opportunities and meeting customer demands.

Rapidly deploying monetization models and quickly delivers new plans and packages results in better product offerings, more packaging options, improved customer service and satisfaction all with fewer missed opportunities.

FOR MORE INFORMATION >>

3

ORACLE

Oracle’s Billing and Revenue Management Cloud Services is a combination of billing solutions and the Oracle cloud, providing advanced security and flexibility. The cloud billing services offer discounting, debt and account management, financial management and rating.

With over 420,000 customers and deployments in more than 145 countries, Oracle provides a comprehensive and fully integrated stack of cloud applications, platform services and engineered systems.

FOR MORE INFORMATION >> 27

TOP 10

2

IBM

IBM SmartCloud Cost Management allows greater visibility into the usage and cost of infrastructure and other non-IT resources. This software assists in tracking and assessing shared computing resource usage accurately, and managing the cost of cloud and IT services better.

Some of the benefits and features include advanced analytics, provides user visibility into the cost implications of services, provides insight into virtualized and physical IT assets, and supports both cloud showback and chargeback processes.

FOR MORE INFORMATION >>

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April 2016

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1

AMAZON WEB SERVICES

Amazon Web Services (AWS) provides key infrastructure services to businesses in the form of cloud computing. The ultimate benefit of this collaboration is the ability to leverage a new business model and turn capital infrastructure expenses into variable costs. Because of this scalability, businesses won’t need to plan and procure servers and other IT resources so far in advance.

Amazon DevPay is an easy-touse online billing and account management service that makes it easy for companies to sell applications that are either built

in or run on top of AWS, and make running applications in the cloud and on demand easier for developers.

With annual revenue of approximately US$10 billion and nearly 2500 certified partners, AWS intends to accelerate cloud success through their rich platform services such as analytics, mobile services, enterprise applications and IoT. In addition, it will improve operational efficiency and developer productivity through management and developer tools.

FOR MORE INFORMATION >>

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Paving the way to a

MORE CONNECT BUCHANAN COU

Bizzack Construction VP Stewart Gaither discusses C coal synergy that is powering this new development Written by: Sasha Orman Produced by: Tom Venturo

TED UNTY

Corridor Q and the

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BIZZACK CONSTRUCTION

Bizzack Construction’s clearing operations on a ridge looking into Kentucky

F

ew pieces of infrastructure are more important to the health and vitality of a region than its roadways. Connecting rural areas, remote destinations and urban centers, direct and well-maintained roads promote commerce and literally bridge gaps between communities.

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April 2016

In Virginia, the Corridor Q/U.S. Route 460 Connector Phase II project is bridging a 6.2 mile gap in Buchanan County—creating a new stretch of four-lane limited access highway between Phase I of the project near the Kentucky Border and the start of the future U.S. Route 121 (Coalfields Expressway).

CONSTRUCTION

It is a difficult, mountainous stretch of land to navigate, requiring just the right contractor with the right skill sets to do the job well. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) partnered with general contractor Bizzack Construction on a design-build contract to take this stretch of road to rough-grade and

make the vision of Route 460’s new Appalachian pathway a reality.

BUILDING NEW CONNECTIONS The Corridor Q project brings some significant benefits to Buchanan County. “It’s part of an overall project to bring better access to 33

CONSTRUCTION

the community,” says Stewart Gaither, Vice President of Bizzack Construction.

As U.S. Route 460 is completed, it will create a stronger connection between Buchanan and the rest of Virginia, but also far beyond.

“US-460 runs through several states, so this will help connect this area with better roads to provide economic development and job opportunities while we’re doing the work,” says Gaither. “Then afterward it will provide the ability for these people to travel to other places for jobs, or to bring jobs to the community.”

SUPPLIER PROFILE

OPPORTUNITIES TH ROUG H COA L SY N E R GY Coal synergy plays a significant role in making this project viable and affordable for the state of Virginia. Coal synergy reduces road building costs substantially by using coal companies’ largerscale earth moving equipment to prepare the road bed to rough grade, allowing the companies to recover marketable coal reserves during road bed preparation, states VDOT. While Bizzack is not in Buchanan to mine for coal, it does make use of the valuable coal that it

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BIZZACK CONSTRUCTION

does encounter throughout its road building endeavor.

“A lot of people think we are out there mining coal, and we are not— that’s not what we do, we build roads for a living,” notes Gaither.

“But we optimized the design so that if we encounter coal within the footprint of the project, then by mandate we are required to harvest those natural resources . We use that revenue to offset the cost of the project so we can give VDOT and the citizens of Virginia a better value.”

The concept of coal synergy

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April 2016

is also one way that the Corridor Q project is bringing both infrastructure and jobs to the region immediately. “The project wouldn’t be done if it wasn’t for coal synergy—that’s what’s helping fund the project,” says Gaither. “If it wasn’t for coal synergy, we wouldn’t be doing the work and the people we’re employing down there to do the work wouldn’t have that job.”

W O R K I N G C L O S E LY FOR HIGHER SAFET Y S TA N D A R D S To achieve the goals of this project, Bizzack Construction has been working very closely with the Virginia Department of Transportation from the start, with submittals to VDOT at every step of the design stage for review and approval before moving forward.

During the build stage, VDOT and Bizzack rely on a multi-layered approach to quality control to ensure that the construction process stays up to standard.

“We have three layers of quality control on the project—quality control, quality assurance, and

CONSTRUCTION

“The project wouldn’t be done if it wasn’t for coal synergy—that’s what’s helping fund the project” – Stewart Gaither, Vice President of Bizzack Construction

w w w. h u n t a u s t i n j v. c o m

Bizzack Construction equipment at the top of a side-hill cut

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BIZZACK CONSTRUCTION

Practical People, Practical Solutions

Cut Section #8

Embankment #12

3BCS is privileged to partner with Bizzack on the Route 460 Phase II project.

We wish Bizzack continued success and look forward to working together on future ventures!

Borrow Area #2A

T: 276-880-0121 E: cbreeding@3bcs.com

www.3bcs.com

independent assurance which is directly hired by VDOT,” says Gaither. “We have a quality control plan put in place for both design and construction, which specifically spells out the different requirements for QC, QA and IA.” Safety is also of the utmost concern throughout the building process, encouraged by weekly safety training meetings for employees along with preparatory meetings to address specific issues 38

April 2016

Bizzack workers install a rock cor

for each phase of the project.

Bizzack also requires each of its subcontractors and consultants on the project participate in preparatory meetings and follow prescribed regulations for the safety of all involved.

THE RIGHT BUSINESS F O R A N I M P O R TA N T REGIONAL JOB What makes Bizzack Construction the right fit for the job is a

CONSTRUCTION

Company Information NAME

Bizzack Construction LLC INDUSTRY

Civil Construction HEADQUARTERS

Kentucky, USA FOUNDED

1958

re drain in bottom of an embankment

combination of its regional experience and the agility of its structure.

“We’re big enough that we can handle large projects like this, but we are not a large bureaucratic company—we’re a small family owned company,” says Gaither. “We’re very close to the people in the areas where we work, and we hire people from those areas that we work in. We have employees and management from West Virginia, Kentucky, and Virginia.”

With this, Bizzack Construction is paving the way for a more connected future in the region.

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LAYING THE

GROUNDWORK FOR SUCCESS

Lithko Contracting Inc. builds the framework for Tulsa’s new River Spirit Casino expansion Written by: Sasha Orman Produced by: Tom Venturo 41

LITHKO - RIVER SPIRIT CASINO PROJECT

I

n 2014, construction teams broke ground on an ambitious $365 million expansion of Tulsa, Oklahoma’s River Spirit Casino resort. With 29 stories and close to 500 rooms, the 415,000-square-foot expansion is a project requiring the know-how and dedication of both general and specialized contractors to ensure that components of the project are strong and solid every step of the way.

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April 2016

As the foundation and the backbone of any building—and for maximum progress on a structure as large as the River Spirit Casino— finding the right mix of concrete for speed and strength is imperative.

To tackle the structural concrete portion of the project, the Muscogee Creek Nation and joint venture contractors Manhattan Redstone turned to the concrete construction specialists at Lithko Contracting Inc.

CONSTRUCTION

KEEPING THE PROJECT S A F E LY O N S C H E D U L E With the new and improved River Spirit Casino set to open in 2017, all contractors on the job must keep to a tight schedule to avoid falling behind. This is especially important for contractors like Lithko, responsible for placing the foundations, columns, decks and floors on schedule to specific tolerances that every other detail

will be built on.

“Key items on this project really were schedule-driven,” says James Duke, Operations Manager for Lithko’s work on the River Spirit Casino project. Lithko worked out a seven-day cycle with Manhattan Redstone and its concrete mix supplier and subcontractors, working nights three times a week to make the most of crane and site logistics. w w w. l i t h k o . c o m

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LITHKO - SPIRIT RIVER PROJECT

$365 million expansion of Tulsa, Oklahoma’s River Spirit Casino

415,000-square-foot expansion - 29 stories, close to 500 rooms 44

April 2016

But despite this tight turnaround timeframe, safety never takes a back seat for Lithko Contracting.

The company approaches this issue through several safeguards, starting with preliminary Phase Hazard Plans drawn up by Project Leads and then involving Field Leads on weekly “Operational Activity Trainings” (OAT) and using

CONSTRUCTION

the Daily Preparation Process (DPP) to identify and assess the unique hazards and challenges facing coworkers each day.

“We don’t try to push it down from the top, but try to get the buy-in and input from each and every one of the guys doing work on the best way to do it safely,” says Duke. “Do we put the ladder on the inside or the

outside? Do we stage materials left or right? They get to have a voice in that and some ownership in their own plan for the day, and it gets more eyes and more ideas around each thing we’re doing. So you tend to get tunnel vision if you’ve done the same thing over again. With eight or ten more guys working on a problem, you get a better result.” w w w. l i t h k o . c o m

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LITHKO - RIVER SPIRIT CASINO PROJECT

The Lithko crew places level 25 at the River Spirit project

THE RIGHT MIX FOR THE JOB Finding the perfect concrete mix is also vital to staying on schedule, as every other operation hinges on floors and load-bearing walls that have gained enough strength to keep moving forward.

“We poured the structural deck typically at 2:00 a.m., and by 3:00 p.m. that afternoon we poured 46

April 2016

columns and sheer walls—then by noon the next day we tensioned the post-tension slabs,” says Duke.

“We had to have 3750 PSI on the concrete within 24-30 hours in order to make schedule. We also had to not just make the strength in the timeframe, but finish it.”

Countless tests and trial batches performed by local Tulsa-based supplier and partner Eagle Ready

CONSTRUCTION

The River Spirit project

LITHKO - RIVER SPIRIT CASINO PROJECT

Providing quality concrete to the Commercial, Infrastructure and Residential contractors throughout the Tulsa metropolitan area.

“Quality Concrete Doesn’t Cost, It Pays”.

Contact Mark Jones

T: 918-607-1245 | E: mark@eagleredimix.com Dispatch: 918-234-3200

Mix, resulted in the perfect concrete formulation to meet the challenges of the River Spirit Casino resort.

“They worked with BASF to really hone in on the mix and the additives we used,” says Duke, noting that by working together they were able to dial in a perfect mix of concrete and additives to suit the needs of Lithko and Manhattan Redstone.

“A lot of times you get the strength, but it turns into something you can’t finish,” Duke explains.

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April 2016

Secured with the proper safety ha

“They worked with us, and really got something that I think they’ll market for a long time. We used Engius intelliRock II maturity meters to determine the strength in the concrete, where we didn’t have to wait on cylinder breaks from the testing lab. We were making 3,750 PSI within 24-30 hours, dependent on what the temperatures were, and ultimate strength was within the 7,000 PSI range.”

CONSTRUCTION

Company Information NAME

Lithko Contracting INDUSTRY

Construction HEADQUARTERS

Plain City, Ohio - USA FOUNDED

1992 EMPLOYEES

arness, a Lithko employee installs a wall gang form

1500

L AY I N G T H E G R O U N D W O R K FOR SUCCESS With its last significant pour achieved on schedule, Lithko’s active part in the River Spirit Casino project is now starting to wind down.

When all is said and done, the contractor will have contributed nearly 20,500 cubic yards of concrete to the structure as well as 700,000 ft of post tension cable and 1,800 tons of rebar.

When the project is complete, visitors will be able to enjoy new entertainment and luxuries atop Lithko’s strong and steady surface.

w w w. l i t h k o . c o m

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Taking Nashville

TO NEW HEIGHT

Archer Western Project Manager Brian Evans discusses goals and challenges of the Nashville’s ambitious 505 Written by: Sasha Orman Produced by: Tom Venturo

TS

ls

51

ARCHER WESTERN - 505 TOWER PROJECT

T

ony Giarratana is known for his ambition, striving to make every new building taller and better than the last. The Nashville real estate developer’s latest project is poised to redefine his city’s skyline: the 505 Tower.

From the designs of architectural firm Solomon Cordwell Buenz, the 52

April 2016

gleaming 524-ft tower will stand as the tallest building in Nashville by habitable floors—matched only by the spires of the city’s iconic AT&T Tower, known locally as the “Batman Building.” To take on the challenge of realizing this grand project, Giarratana has turned to contracting firm Archer Western.

CONSTRUCTION

R EIMAG INING NASHVILLE DOWNTOWN LIVING The 505 Tower is not all about its height—it’s also about expanding the possibilities for luxurious living in downtown Nashville. Once completed, the LEED Silver tower will contain two amenity floors

with sq. ft. of restaurant and retail space. Beyond this, the entire top floor of the adjacent parking garage is projected as an “amenity deck,” sporting such features as a fullsized pool, tennis and bocce ball courts, cabanas, and even a dog run and dog park.

The tower’s 16 top-most floors w w w. w a l s h g ro u p . c o m

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ARCHER WESTERN - 505 TOWER PROJECT

boast one very special extra benefit, as part of Giarratana’s plan. “Right now when you’re on the 29th floor, you’re at the current highest occupied living space in Nashville,” explains Brian Evans, the Archer Western project manager for the development. Residents 54

April 2016

of the condos built into floors 30 through 45, therefore, will be able to enjoy fully unobstructed views of downtown Nashville.

“I would say that this is taking downtown urban living to the next level,” says Evans. “Nothing like this exists in Nashville right now,

CONSTRUCTION

and Giarratana’s team have had unbelievable vision for that. Once he started creating residential living in downtown, everything he’s done has been bigger and better. This far and away exceeds anything in the downtown market.”

MEETING CHALLENGES O F PR OX I M IT Y A N D SAFET Y One of the most significant challenges facing Archer Western in the construction of the 505 Tower is the very thing that makes it desirable—its location in the heart of downtown, and therefore its close proximity to surrounding buildings and projects. The building shares a construction site with the city of Nashville, occupying a third of the space for the tower, while the remaining two-thirds is allotted for the construction of a parking garage.

“The parking garage started before we did,” notes Evans.

The Archer Western team has employed several strategies to mitigate this challenge, including the construction of sidewalk canopies

to store materials and tools overhead and maximize available space.

“The other big piece is that in the center of the site we put a self-climbing core system into our elevator shaft,” says Evans.

“It literally will jack itself up, and w w w. w a l s h g ro u p . c o m

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ARCHER WESTERN - 505 TOWER PROJECT

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it’s got a platform on top of it that again allows us to store material, build rebar and physically work. In essence, we’ve created our own small laydown and storage areas.”

Safety is also a key challenge, especially when dealing with the skyscraper heights of a tower like the 505. Archer Western’s solution to maintaining a high level of safety at all times, especially on elevated decks where leading edge and lathe operations are underway, is 56

April 2016

the creation of Controlled Access Zones no less than six feet from the edge of any deck.

“We have our own separate training and certifications,” Evans says. “Our tradespeople or subcontractors who go into the Controlled Access Zones are fully trained to do so.” By taking these measures, Archer Western can ensure that construction continues smoothly as the workers make their ascent.

CONSTRUCTION

Company Information NAME

Archer Western, 505 Tower Project INDUSTRY

Construction HEADQUARTERS

Nashville, Tennessee USA ABOUT

OPPORTUNITIES AHEAD “I was shown a rendering of the building and that was all it took,” says Evans of his commitment to the 505 Tower. “We at Archer Western are honored to have the opportunity to build this for Tony and his team.”

The 505 Tower is currently on track for completion by the end of 2017, and the Archer Western team looks forward to seeing the project through from start to finish. The firm also hopes that this will be the beginning of a strong relationship with Nashville’s construction and development industry.

Real estate developer Tony Giarratana selected Archer Western as the general contractor to complete his 505 Tower project, an ambitious 45-story skyscraper in the heart of downtown Nashville BUDGET

$169 million

w w w. w a l s h g ro u p . c o m

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