Celebrating Those who Build Cleveland Companies, tradespeople honored at Building Excellence & Craftsmanship Awards
By Beth Castelucci | Photos by Alaina Battle
Construction Employers Association (CEA), along with industry partners, union contractors and the Cleveland Construction Building and Construction Trades Council members come together each year to celebrate the craftspeople that build Cleveland. The Building Excellence & Craftsmanship Awards is an evening to celebrate and honor the construction companies, contractors, suppliers and professional advisors who have contributed to some of the iconic structures gracing the Cleveland skyline. As Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne shared during his keynote speech, the event is like the “Oscars of the building and construction world.”
The celebratory event took place on Thursday, August 29 at a new location for 2024, Cleveland Browns Stadium, and included a cocktail networking reception and gala awards ceremony, creating the perfect opportunity for construction owners and members to engage, celebrate the accomplishments of their peers and build relationships with each other while providing a special outing for their companies, employees and union workers.
Ronayne opened the ceremony by expressing his appreciation for the trades and those who build the city saying, “For what you guys do, you do deserve the Oscars tonight. This
town’s best days are ahead and it happens because of who built this landscape. It happens because of the
“This town’s best days are ahead and it happens because of who built this landscape. It happens because of the trades.”
have for our city. Our union is strong in this town. I support you.”
More than 600 were in attendance to honor the following:
• 22 individuals recognized as Apprentices of the Year
• Eight individuals & eight crew teams as Craftsmanship Award winners
County Executive
Chris Ronayne Cuyahoga
trades. It happens because of you and the quality of your work and the craftsmanship and pride that we all
• Nine contractors as Building Excellence Award winners
“The Building Excellence Awards have given us an opportunity to highlight the projects and the people, as
CELEBRATING ACHIEVEMENTS [1] Jonathan Rumbaugh (USA Roofing); [2] Jeremy Marks, Mario Andreoli, Chris Mecurio and Matt Stevens (Cleveland Cement Contractors, Inc.) with Bill Nails (Plasterers Local Union 526), [3] Tommy and Sandra Farmer (CarTeCor), [4] Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne, [5] Thomas Fisher (Sheet Metal Workers Local 33) and Dave Wondolowski (Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council); Dave Minarchick (The Albert M. Higley Co.) and Bill Nails (Plasterers Local Union 526).
opposed to the companies, which makes a big difference in the selfesteem and pride of the craftsmen and women that are out there doing the work,” says George Palko, presi-
dent/CEO of The Great Lakes Construction Co.
Chelsea Corl, Bricklayers BAC Local 23, says she’s proud to be recognized as an Apprentice of the Year.
“It means I’ve shown up and done the work, and I’m still here,” she says. “I’ve been a tile setter for three years and I’m now with a major company in Cleveland. I like being a part of those big projects, doing the work in places that are going to be around for years to come. It’s a really good feeling.”
“This event promotes honor and pride by providing awards for some great projects around Northeast Ohio and the craftsmen who built them,” says Tari Rivera, president of Regency Construction Services, Inc. “These men and women work so hard and it’s great to see them recognized for their achievements and the pride their families have for their work.”
All of the winners, projects, and recognition videos are posted at www. clevelandcraftsmanship.com. ■
The 2025 Building Excellence and Craftsmanship Award nomination process will begin in December 2024 and are due by March 15, 2025. Next year’s awards will cover work completed between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2024. To learn more, visit www.clevelandcraftsmanship.com
The awards ceremony was held on August 29, 2024 at Browns
Geauga Mechanical Company’s Ron Barberic was given a Craftsmanship Award for Flexjet Global Operations Center (left). Celebrating the achievement are Geauga Mechanical Co.’s Alex Fakhoury, Ron Barberic, Ted Joseph and Craig Berman (right).
T.H. Martin, Inc. apprentice Tom Fisher won the award for SMART Local #33 Apprentice of the Year. (Pictured: Tom Fisher and Tom Martin of T.H. Martin, Inc.)
LOCAL 33 SHEET METAL
BUILDING EXCELLENCE AWARDS
The Building Excellence Awards includes new construction over $25 million, new construction between $10 and $25 million, new construction under $10 million, renovation construction over $10 million and renovation construction under $10 million – all for projects completed between Jan. 1, 2022 and Dec. 31, 2023.
The 2024 Building Excellence and Craftsmanship Awards winners include:
Cedar Point - Top Thrill 2
The Great Lakes Construction Company
New Construction Under $10 Million
Cedar Point partnered with The Great Lakes Construction Co. for the installation of Top Thrill 2, the world’s tallest and fastest triple-launch strata coaster. Great Lakes was awarded the initial contract for the Phase 1 Foundation Package, which included installation of three four-foot-diameter by 60-foot deep
drilled shafts below Lake Erie’s water elevation, and a five-foot reinforced concrete cap inside a permanent sheet pile cofferdam. Great Lakes installed two additional four-foot diameter by 60-foot deep foundations north of this area. These foundations are the base of the 420-foot-tall spike tower.
The Fairfax Market
Warren Roofing & Insulating Co.
New Construction Under $10 Million
The new Fairfax Market, a neighborhood grocery store serving the east side of Cleveland, needed a new roofing system that would be aesthetically pleasing while ensuring efficiency, waterproofing and protection for the seven-story building.
University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center Phase II
Gilbane Building Company
New Construction Over $25 Million
University Hospitals’ Ahuja Medical Center Phase 2 project added nearly 300,000 square feet to
the existing campus, almost doubling in size, and is expected to add more than 500 jobs to the community. Phase 2 features a new threestory-plus-basement Trauma Level 2 patient bed pavilion, the new three-story-plus-basement UH Drusinsky Sports Medicine Institute and a central energy plant expansion.
The Cleveland Foundation MidTown Headquarters
Panzica Construction Company
New Construction Over $25 Million
The new Cleveland Foundation headquarters in Cleveland’s Midtown District is a three-story mass timber structure featuring red cedar and glass and includes offices, conference rooms, a café, art gallery, a community staircase offering gathering spaces and indoor/outdoor event and meeting spaces for public use. The 54,000-squarefoot building boasts a grand staircase connecting the second and third floors, and allows natural
University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center
Cedar Point - Top Thrill 2
The Fairfax Market
The Cleveland Foundation MidTown HQ
Photo of Ahuja Medical Center by Tom Harris
Photo courtesy of The Great Lakes Construction Co.
Photo by Doug Bardwell
FOREST CITY ERECTORS, INC.
light to flood the building. The mass timber project also integrated with structural steel to accomplish floor cantilevers and overhangs.
Flexjet Global Operations Center
Panzica Construction Company
New Construction Between $10 Million and $25 Million
The futuristic design of the Flexjet Flight Operations Center gives a sense of aviation, with wings that span out of the three-tiered, hexagon structure. This 54,000-square-foot project incorporated the private aviation industry’s most advanced technology, including the largest seamless LED screen in the U.S. as the centerpiece for the state-of-the-art operations room.
Aura at Innovation Square
John G. Johnson Construction Company
New Construction Between $10 Million and $25 Million
The Aura at Innovation Square development site, situated along the Opportunity Corridor of 105th Street in Cleveland, is a short distance from major employment hubs – Cleveland Clinic, IBM, University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University. Phase 1 includes one 79,500-square-foot, 82-unit midrise building. The building includes shared rooftop social spaces with indoor/outdoor living rooms, fire pits, gourmet kitchens, fitness rooms, bike storage and repair, and electric car charging stations.
Flexjet Global Operations Center
Aura at Innovation Square
Photo by
Doug Bardwell
Photo by Real Tour Vision
floor includes live-work spaces and space that can be converted into retail use as market demand for retail increases in the neighborhood.
GCRTA Waterfront Line Bridge Rehabilitation
The Great Lakes Construction Company
Renovation Construction Under $10 Million
The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) Waterfront Line is a public rail transit route that connects Tower City to the Municipal Parking Lot, commonly known to Cleveland Browns fans as the “Muni Lot.” The GCRTA Waterfront Line had been out of service since October 2020 due to the condemned status of a precast segmental bridge, which spanned from The Flats East Bank, over Norfolk Southern Railroad tracks, to the Port of Cleveland property. During this project, Great Lakes and its subcontractors rehabilitated the condemned bridge through concrete repairs, adding longitudinal post-tensioning strands, bearing improvements, complete transit rail replacement, MSE Wall repairs and several other renovations.
The City Club of Cleveland Relocation
Turner Construction Company
Renovation Construction Under $10 Million
The City Club of Cleveland project consisted of an interior renovation to a building that was built in 1924.
A unique aspect of this project was removing four structural columns in the forum space. This required designing, building and installing steel trusses on the roof to support the first floor from above.
Church of the Resurrection Parish Center Addition and Renovation
Regency Construction Services Inc.
Renovation Construction Under $10 Million
The project included an expansion and renovation of the Parish Center at Church of the Resurrection in Solon. A full interior renovation and expansion of the
Church’s Trivison Hall will allow the church to grow its weekly food pantry service, as well as to increase its capacity to host various education, social and community outreach programs within its new kitchen and meeting spaces.
Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan and Aronoff LLP Office Renovation
The Albert M. Higley Company
Renovation Construction Over $10 Million
The $25 million project included renovation of Benesch’s new Key Tower headquarters, totaling
GCRTA Waterfront Line Bridge
The City Club of Cleveland
Church of the Resurrection Parish Center Addition and Renovation
Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan and Aronoff LLP Office Renovation
Photo by Daniel Prucey
165,000 square feet. Spanning eight floors, the project integrated private and open offices, restrooms, a café, conference spaces and staircases.
Tiedeman Key Bank Restacks
Turner Construction Company
Renovation Construction Over $10 Million
The project entailed a multi-phase restack of the KeyBank Tiedeman campus. This campus consists of two buildings, 4900 and 4910. Work included a full demo and remodel of numerous floors within both buildings, totaling 250,000 square feet overall.
Youngstown & Mahoning County Public Library Addition and Renovation
The Albert M. Higley Company
Renovation Construction Over $10 Million
The project included a complete renovation and expansion of the Main Library at the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County. Work involved upgrading both the historic Carnegie Library, dating back to 1910, and its 1996 addition. The endeavor also encompassed the construction of a 6,900-square-foot addition, featuring a spacious event area and a culinary literacy kitchen. In addition to the building enhancements, new adjacent parking areas were created, and a sizable outdoor event space was developed. ■
Tiedeman Key Bank Restacks
Photo courtesy of Turner Construction Company
Photo by Gary Yasaki
CRAFTSMANSHIP AWARDS
Craftsmanship Awards honor individuals representing each of the trades affiliated with the Cleveland Building & Construction Trades Council (CBCTC). Judges evaluate work according to a number of metrics, including uniqueness, precision and attention to detail, difficulty, visual aesthetics, level of technical skill and experience required.
Jeremy Marks, Mario Andreoli, Matt Stevens & Chris Mecurio
Cleveland Cement Contractors THE CITY CLUB APARTMENTS
Jimmy Andorf, Mike Gerlak, Mike Niegowski & George Zilich
Regency Construction Services Inc. PARISH CENTER ADDITION AND RENOVATION
Shawn Cotter & Josh Volek
Warren Roofing & Insulating Co. RESTORATION HARDWARE
Edward Malcolm, Bradford Bachman & Jonathan Rumbaugh USA Roofing
CLEVELAND METROPARKS ZOO | SUSIE’S BEAR HOLLOW
Bradley Stone Industries
Troy Fry & Matthew Fry
Cleveland Building Restoration GILMOUR ACADEMY | TUDOR HOUSE RESTORATION
Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan and Arnoff, LLP Office Restoration
Bob Miller, Savannah Engleman, Dave Minarchick, Alex Bognar, Grant Baber & Chad Broud
The Albert M. Higley Company
BENESCH, FRIEDLANDER, COPLAN AND ARNOFF, LLP OFFICE RESTORATION
Lonnie Balogh
Marous Brothers Construction THE WILSON STADIUM | KIRTLAND LOCAL SCHOOLS
Bruce Drazen
Limited ROCKET MORTGAGE FIELDHOUSE - EVENT LEVEL
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo | Susie’s Bear Hollow
The City Club Apartments
Parish Center Addition and Renovation
Gilmour Academy | Tudor House Restoration
Restoration Hardware
Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse - Event Level
The Wilson Stadium | Kirtland Local Schools
Matt Doherty Baker Concrete Company
SHERWIN WILLIAMS HQ
Dave Swirynsky, Steve Juris, Kris Piteo & Dan Arguellas
Panzica Construction Company
CLEVELAND METROPARKS ZOO | SUSIE’S BEAR HOLLOW
Matthew Cremeans
Hatzel & Buehler Inc.
CENTER STREET SWING BRIDGE
Dave Ferris
Shook Construction
WESTERLY WASTEWATER HIGH-RATE TREATMENT PLANT
Ron Barberic
Geauga Mechanical FLEXJET OPERATIONS CENTER
Marous Brothers Construction
Warren Roofing & Insulating Co. THE FAIRFAX MARKET ■
Jon Sangdahl
WOODHILL STATION WEST
Jon Wedow
Warren Roofing & Insulating Co. PROGRESSIVE FIELD | SKYLIGHT REPLACEMENT
Anthony Lacek & Edward Lattie
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo | Susie’s Bear Hollow
Center Street Swing Bridge
Woodhill Station West
Sherwin Williams HQ
Flexjet Operations Center
Progressive Field | Skylight Replacement
Westerly Wastewater High-Rate Treatment Plant
The Fairfax Market
BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES This year, 22 individuals were recognized with an Apprentice of the Year award, recognizing outstanding performance from each of the affiliated trades within the Cleveland Building & Construction Trades Council.
APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR
Apprentice of the Year Awards honor outstanding apprentices from each of the Cleveland Building & Construction Trades Council affiliated trades, recognizing exemplary performance.
Harlen Bettelyoun Operating Engineers- Local 18
Chelsea Corl Bricklayers BAC Local 23
William Evans Plasterers OCPMIA Local 526
Thomas Fisher Sheet Metal Workers Local 33
Alphonso Fitzpatrick Laborers Local 860
Kierre Gardner Iron Workers Local 17
Salvador Rivera Garcia Floor Layers CMRCC
Brandon Gibbons Electricians IBEW Local 38
Kayln Hicks Boilermakers Local 744
Richard Jeffrey Jr. Cement Masons OPCMIA Local 404
For information on all sponsors and partners, photo galleries and to view a collection of award recognition videos, visit the dedicated Building Excellence & Craftsmanship Awards website at www.clevelandcraftsmanship.com.
Antoinette Jones Laborers Local 310
Nick Jones Pipefitters Local 120
Jared Koenig Millwrights CMRCC
Joshua Likovic Carpenters CMRCC
Austin Lindsay Tapers IUPAT Local 505
Alexander Marconi Painter IUPAT Local 707
Nick Meyers Pipefitters Local 120 Painter/Welder
Zachary Nottingham Heat and Frost Local 3
Jonathan Null Bricklayers BAC Local 23
Scott Schooley
Bricklayers BAC Local 23 Bricklayer
Mark Waite
Roofers and Waterproofers Local 44
Cory J. Wolf Glaziers IUPAT Local 181 ■
– all of whom are among the best in the industry.
CONTRACTING
CAA MEMBERS
Provide education and training to enhance diverse companies.
EDUCATION EMPLOYMENT
Support and seek to increase diverse construction management and trade workforce.
