DaytonDailyNews.com

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE — A joint venture that includes Dayton contractor Butt Construction Co. has been awarded the largest contract that the government expects to issue to build facilities for military research programs relocating to the base by September 2011.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Wednesday, April 16, announced the award of the contract to Butt Construction and its partner, Archer Western Contractors Ltd., a part of the Chicago-based Walsh Group. The base contract plus options is valued at $194.5 million, the Corps of Engineers said.

It is the largest military contract ever awarded by the Corps' district office in Louisville, Ky., agency spokesman Todd Hornback said. The Corps oversees military construction in Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan.

"Today's award is a major milestone in our preparations to consolidate the new human performance missions at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base," said Col. Colleen Ryan, commander of the 88th Air Base Wing which operates the base. "This contract award for the new 711th Human Performance Wing will be a major factor in establishing Wright-Patterson as the 'center for excellence' for aerospace medicine research, education and training."

The Butt Construction/Archer Western joint venture will serve as prime contractor to build the Human Performance Wing complex, a massive project that Corps of Engineers officials said will include eight contracts. The workers are to construct two buildings, encompassing approximately 700,000 square feet, by the spring of 2011.

"We're very excited, and thrilled," said Bill Butt, president of Butt Construction. "It's the largest project we've ever been involved with."

Work could begin within a few weeks on the project, which is to be completed in just under three years, Butt said. The project could employ 15 to 20 subcontractors and 300 to 500 people a day when it gets into full swing, Butt said.

"That is huge," Chris Kershner, the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce's vice president for public policy and economic development. "That is exciting, to see that kind of investment in our community."

"It sends a message to the rest of the country about what we, in this region, already know — that we have some tremendous local talent and local capability that can compete on a national level," said Jim Leftwich, chief operating officer of the Dayton Development Coalition, a regional economic development organization.

The Corps of Engineers said that federal contracting rules prevent the agency from publicly identifying the competitors for the contract, or releasing their bids. But construction industry officials have identified the competitors as Monarch Construction Co., of Cincinnati, and Walbridge Aldinger Co., of Detroit.

The Corps is the contracting and supervisory agency for the $332 million construction program, the base's largest such program since World War II. The new facilities are to accommodate the programs that will be relocated to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base under the nation's 2005 base realignment and closure decisions.

The complex is to house aerospace medicine and human effectiveness programs that will move to the base and be incorporated with related programs there under the Air Force's 711th Human Performance Wing, formed in March.

The contract is a lucrative result of the Dayton region's successful lobbying of the government in 2005 to bring aerospace medicine, human effectiveness and sensors research programs to Wright-Patterson to form "centers of excellence" there in exchange for closing other U.S. bases.

The BRAC relocations will result in a net gain of about 1,100 military and civilian jobs for the base, which regional leaders regard as a long-term catalyst for the Dayton area's economy. Officials expect the incoming programs to attract additional defense contractors and at least 3,000 jobs to the Dayton area.

Butt Construction Co. has already begun work, under a separate $13.8 million contract, on an infrastructure project to build roads and install utilities in support of what will be the Human Performance Wing complex. That work is to be completed in January 2009.

Dozens of subcontractors will perform supporting work for the construction. By law, 20 percent of the total contract amount must be allotted to small businesses to allow them a share of the government's business.

The Human Performance Wing will combine the Air Force Research Laboratory's Human Effectiveness Directorate with units being relocated from San Antonio, Texas, including the Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, Air Force Institute for Operational Health and the 311th Performance Enhancement Directorate.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2242 or jnolan@DaytonDailyNews.com.

Archer Western Contractors Ltd.

• Background: Part of the Walsh Group of Chicago, Archer Western is a 109-year-old, family-owned business.
• Established: 1983.
• Work in progress and under contract: $2.8 billion.

Butt Construction Co.

• Headquarters: 3858 Germany Lane, Dayton.
• Completed regional projects: At Wright-Patterson Air Force Base: Consolidated Structures Research Laboratory, $18.3 million; Materials Laboratory, $15.6 million; air traffic control tower, $4.9 million; fitness center renovation, $4.2 million; Child Development Center complex, $8.7 million.
• Civilian projects: Montgomery County Courts Building renovation, Dayton, $2.06 million; Montgomery County Center for Adolescent Services, New Lebanon, $3.2 million.

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