When work begins Monday on the All-America (or Y-)Bridge project, the company in charge won't be from Akron.
Or Summit County.
Or even Ohio.
In fact, Posen Construction Inc. hails from the Buckeye State's archrival: Michigan.
Akron initially awarded the main contract to the second-lowest bidder, J.D. Williamson Co. of Tallmadge, whose $6.17 million bid was less than 1 percent above Posen's.
The federal government, however, told Akron the city wouldn't get the stimulus funds that are paying for the bulk of the project unless the contract went to the lowest bidder.
So, Akron re-awarded the contract to Posen.
''It's too bad,'' said Jim Weber, Akron's construction division manager, who described the two bids as ''a virtual tie.''
''I would have liked to see the local guy get it.''
Posen Construction, a union company based in Shelby Township near Detroit, has done work in Ohio — primarily in the Toledo area — but has never set foot in Summit County.
Chad Markel, Posen's construction manager for the project, said the company is pleased to have the work.
''When you first looked at it, you thought it was just another project,'' said Markel, who lives in Fremont, Ohio. ''When you get involved and talk to people, you realize what a high-profile project this is. It's exciting to be part of it.''
Improvements to the 27-year-old Y-Bridge will include the addition of a controversial fence to thwart people from jumping to their deaths.
Posen has hired subcontractors and suppliers from Ohio — and a few from Summit County — and Markel said the company will look to local union halls to help staff the project.
Still, some wonder whether Akron's economy will get the same bang for its stimulus bucks as it would have had a local contractor won the contract.
In addition, Posen, carries some of the baggage associated with other large contractors, including complaints on previous projects of finishing late, improperly disposing of asbestos or violating safety regulations.
''Are we concerned? Yes, we are,'' Weber said. ''We are with every contractor.''
Awarding the contract
At the bid opening for the Y-Bridge project, representatives from nine companies crowded into Akron's engineering conference room.
They chatted nervously, pens and notebooks ready, waiting for the bid packages to be ripped open and read aloud.
The bids all were lower than the city engineer's estimate of $8.7 million by at least 4 percent, but ranged widely — with $2.2 million separating the highest and lowest.
The two lowest were Posen at $6,152,499 and J.D. Williamson at $6,172,320 — a difference of just under $20,000. Each was nearly 30 percent below the engineer's estimate.
A representative of another company gave Markel, Posen's project manager, her card and said, ''Congratulations. For right now.''
After evaluating the bids, Akron decided to award the contract to J.D. Williamson, a company that previously worked for the city.
Public Service Director Rick Merolla sent a letter to the Ohio Department of Transportation, which disburses stimulus funds for road and bridge projects in the state, that said J.D. Williamson scored perfect on ODOT evaluations on two previous projects, while Posen was downgraded in its evaluations on two Ohio jobs.
ODOT's Patrick Bauer replied that federal projects must be awarded to the ''lowest responsive bidder'' and ''there is no basis for declaring the second bidder as 'lowest and best.' ''
''If the project is awarded to the second bidder, we cannot participate in any of the costs,'' Bauer wrote.
Joel Williamson, president of J.D. Williamson, a company he started with his wife 40 years ago, admits he was disappointed that Posen got the contract. His company, like many others, has taken a hit in the sluggish economy, and he was anticipating bringing back laid-off employees for the job.
Williamson, however, doesn't blame Akron. He's a proponent of competitive bidding, and thinks no preferential treatment should be given to local companies.
''It's my feeling that Posen should be able to bid a job wherever they want to bid it,'' he said. ''On the flip side, I can go to Michigan. I can go do work wherever I want to, too.''
Of the 36 stimulus projects awarded in ODOT's District 4 — Summit, Stark, Portage, Mahoning, Ashtabula and Trumbull counties — only the Y-Bridge project and one other went to out-of-state companies.
Picking subcontractors
After the bid opening for the Y-Bridge project, Markel promised that Posen would try to keep some of the work in Ohio and the Akron area.
''We do have subcontractors we will be using,'' he said. ''There will be local labor.''
Posen, which used a competitive bid process, has given seven of the nine subcontracts it has awarded to Ohio companies, including three in Summit County and one in Akron.
The largest local contract went to Thompson Electric in Munroe Falls, which bid $609,398 for its work, which will include new lights.
Thompson also will install LED bulbs in new and existing lights. The bulbs are pricier but more energy efficient than sodium vapor bulbs.
City officials have been trying different LED bulbs in the bridge's current light poles to see which they like best.
Thompson will have about 60 employees working on the project, and some might be brought back from layoff, said Brad Ritenour, Thompson's superintendent.
''Any work comes at a good time,'' he said.
Posen also hired Pro Tree & Landscape Co. of Cuyahoga Falls to remove trees and stumps and R.B. Stout Inc. of Akron to plant shrubs. Both are small contracts.
Two of the larger contracts went to out-of-state companies.
Hydro-Technologies Inc. of Jeffersonville, Ind., will do the hydrodemolition of the concrete on the bridge's surface for $313,673, while Future Fence Co. in Warren, Mich., will handle the new bridge piers and the much-discussed fence for about $1.2 million.
Rick Russell, Future Fence's vice president of operations, said he initially was upset when Ohio companies were getting stimulus jobs in Michigan, but he has changed his views.
''I realize the intention of the stimulus wasn't necessarily to localize spending but to stimulate the economy as a whole,'' he said. ''When you see how the funding is put out, it has an equalizing effect. . . . We're all getting work.''
Future Fence hired GBC Design Inc. of Akron to survey the bridge and calculate its dimensions.
''When we got the call to do a quote for it, we jumped right on it,'' said Louis Giffels, who oversaw GBC's work.
Giffels said it's exciting to be involved in a project this high-profile and visible.
''It will be interesting to drive across it afterward,'' he said.
Suppliers, other services
Posen has tapped two Ohio companies to supply materials.
State Highway Supply Inc. of Dublin will provide new grates and steel support beams; Mack Industries Inc., a Brunswick company with an Akron office, will supply concrete.
Marty Sublett of Mack Industries said all 30 of the company's drivers probably will be on the bridge site at one time or another. The company has 10 to 12 people laid off.
''This will ensure we get back into the swing of things when spring comes,'' he said.
Sublett said Mack has done work with Posen in Michigan and described it as ''a very good firm.''
Sublett hasn't been too impressed with the amount of work created by the stimulus bill but is hoping it will pick up.
''The funds were slow getting released,'' he said. ''They need to get moving along. The shovel-ready projects don't seem to have been shovel ready.''
The city has hired several local companies to help with the project, including three architectural firms for design services.
Akron's largest contract went to G. Stephens Inc. of Akron, which will make $504,748 to be the city's construction manager.
Travis Capper, the city engineer on the project, said the company will ensure ''what we design and bid is what we're getting.''
Rick Evans, G. Stephens' project manager, said the company will handle documentation and schedule enforcement, coordinate meetings and oversee quality control and material testing. He said the minority-owned company, located near the bridge, is happy to be involved.
''It's rare to get work right next to your office,'' he said.
Jobs tally is fluid
Akron's estimate — provided to ODOT — of the number of jobs the project will create or retain is 206.
City leaders, however, said accurately calculating the total is difficult because of the number of companies involved. Payroll information will be submitted to the state monthly once work starts.
The project originally was approved for $7.5 million in stimulus funds. With bids coming in low, however, the city will receive stimulus money only for Posen's contract and an extra 10 percent, which totals about $6.8 million.
Akron will have to pay for any changes or extra expenses over that amount. Weber said he isn't anticipating many surprises.
City leaders think the project will save money because without refurbishments, Akron probably was facing the cost of a complete deck replacement in about five years. This would have kept the bridge closed longer and cost at least $20 million — with the city possibly required to foot the whole bill.
''We were fortunate we were able to get this money,'' City Engineer Ralph Coletta said.
Posen will have 365 days to complete the project, starting Monday — a stimulus-funds requirement. The company is hoping to finish the northbound portion of the bridge, headed toward St. Thomas Hospital, by July 4 and the southbound portion by Nov. 15. Traffic will be detoured during the closing of each span.
Mark Gilsbach, Posen's vice president, said the deadline is reachable ''barring no unforeseen conditions.''
Gilsbach, who will be visiting the Y-Bridge site a few times a week, said previous complaints against Posen shouldn't be a cause for alarm for Akron. He said claims that Posen finished late or failed to properly dispose of asbestos on Florida projects involved ''half-truths.'' He said one of federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) violations on a Toledo project was ''uncalled for,'' while another involved ''stupid'' employees who were fired.
Weber said the city — with the help of G. Stephens — will be closely watching the work of Posen and its subcontractors, including testing ''every bit of concrete'' that goes on the bridge.
''Everything will be verified and tested before we pay them,'' he said.
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Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705 or swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com.
