2011 UEB Holiday Golf Outing a Hit!

On Friday, December 9th, the UEB Scottsdale office held its 2011 UEB Holiday Golf Outing at Talking Stick Golf Club. The culture of UEB encourages employees to have fun and there was plenty of that going on out on the course. Prizes were given out at The Wild Horse Grill after the event. The winners are listed below:

• Craziest Tee Shot on # 1 – Jayson Boyse
• Closest to the Pin #6 – Dan Blossey
• Closest to the Pin # 16 – Dan Blossey
• Farthest to the Pin # 8 - Mike Hurst
• Longest Drive # 7 – Randy Pirtz
• Shortest Drive # 10 – Cedric Robinson
• Highest Individual Score – Darrell Malin
• Lowest Individual Score – Matt Blanchard

Imagine International Academy of North Texas Officially Breaks Ground

IMAGINE INTERNATIONAL CHARTER SCHOOL GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY

MCKINNEY, TEXAS – WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2011

To celebrate the arrival of Imagine International Charter Schools to the city of McKinney, a special groundbreaking ceremony was held onsite on Wednesday, November 16, 2011. The project is expected to be complete during the summer of 2012 and will be ready for classes to begin in fall 2012.

In attendance were Mayor Brian Loughmiller; Representative Ken Paxton; Dennis Bakke, President and CEO of Imagine Schools; Alan Olkes, Executive Vice President of Imagine Schools; Don Gaskins, Principal of Virginia & Jordan, LLC, the owner and developer of the project; Ann Carrell, Imagine School Board President; Nancy Intrator, Imagine School Secretary and Vice President; Michael Domingue, Imagine School Board Member; Jeanne Domingue, Imagine School Community Relations Coordinator; Deborah Tomaszewski, Director at Friends of Imagine International Academy of North Texas; Julia Brady, Central Administration Officer at Imagine School; Dave Gigger, UEB Builders Project Manager; Mike Thorne, UEB Builders Superintendent; Kyley Harvey, UEB Builders Principal; Mark Vander Voot, Principal at HKS; Brian Nelson, Project Manager at HKS, as well as future students and parents, .

 UEB Builders is serving as General Contractor for the project and is working in partnership with HKS Architects and Virginia & Jordan, LLC.

About Imagine International Charter Schools

Founded in 2004, Imagine International Charter Schools is a full-service operator of public charter school campuses that partners with parents and guardians in the education of their children by providing high quality schools that prepare students for lives of leadership, accomplishment and exemplary character. For more information, visit www.imagineschools.com.

About HKS, Inc.

HKS, Inc. is a leading architectural design firm ranked among the top five architectural engineering firms, according to Building Design+Construction magazine, and among the top 11 architectural firms, according to BD World Architecture magazine. Since its founding in 1939, HKS has completed construction projects totaling more than $69 billion in more than 1,069 cities located in 46 states, the District of Columbia and 65 foreign countries. The firm operates from 28 offices worldwide. For more information, visit www.hksinc.com.

About Virginia & Jordan, LLC

Established in February of 2006, Virginia & Jordan, LLC builds quality schools to provide students with superior education suited to their individual needs. As owner and developer of the land in McKinney, Texas where the Imagine Charter School is being built, Don Gaskins, Principal of the company, will take the lead on the project. For more information, email Don Gaskins at donald.vjllc@gmail.com. 

About UEB Builders

With offices in Dallas and Scottsdale, UEB Builders serves a multi-state market specializing in urban and rural projects including education, community and critical access hospitals, hospital expansions, free standing emergency departments, clinics, surgery centers, imaging centers, lab facilities, medical office buildings, senior care and religious facilities. The company is known for cost-effective and hassle-free implementation of sophisticated design in a seamlessly integrated team process, as well as eco-friendly, LEED certified work. For more information, visit www.uebbuilders.com.

GCU Recreation Center receives "Outstanding Design" award in School & University Magazine

Congratulations to GCU and the entire design team! The digital copy of the November Awards - School & University issue is out.

 You can jump to the page the Rec Center is on:

http://digital-edition.asumag.com/?iid=3f1390ad&pg=133

UEB fills Development Management Position in Scottsdale Office

UEB Builders is proud to announce the addition of Paul Alessio to our team. Paul will be in charge of Development Management in the Scottsdale office.
Paul’s 23 years of management experience has always centered around what is most important for the client.  With an unending commitment to develop projects that meet every desire of the client, Paul traditionally establishes himself as a critical part of the team during the early planning stages.  Paul’s knowledge of the development process, coupled with his passion to completely understand the clients facility needs, ensures a project is developed “on-scope and on-budget”.  Paul’s project type experience ranges from medical, education, hospitality, specialty retail, religious and general commercial with project values from $200,000 to $20 million.

Paul’s formal education earning Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Organizational Communication and Management serves clients well during the early development of projects. Prior professional experience includes serving as Managing Partner for a Scottsdale/Phoenix based general contractor, Managing Partner for a start-up investment and consulting firm, and serving in business development for one of the largest health care organizations in the United States.

UEB joins forces with HKS to build new Imagine Charter School

Having completed a number of relevant Institutional projects over the past decade, the UEB team is eager to begin building the new Imagine Charter School, located in McKinney, TX. The 60,000-square foot facility will serve 950 students in grades K-9 with specialty classrooms, administrative space, a library and recreational multi-purpose space.

UEB is working with HKS and plans to kick-off the project with an official groundbreaking that will take place on November 16. City officials and all associated parties will be present. Upon completion by Q3 of 2012, Imagine will open its doors for its first fall classes to begin.

“Building the new Imagine Charter School is something that we are proud to be a part of,” said Kyley Harvey, Principal at UEB. “To be able to provide a space where nearly 1,000 students can learn and excel is incredibly significant and will positively impact the lives of those in the McKinney area.”

Grading Work Begins on Texas Spine and Joint Hospital

This picture was taken the last week in September and shows grading work beginning on the Texas Spine and Joint Hospital. The sandy loam soils are found in the Piney Woods area of Texas in the eastern quarter of the state. It is a mixture of sand and red clay that is suitable for agricultural production. Most of the soil in this part of Texas is highly acidic. This area also has a high amount of red clay that is very hard and difficult to manage unless broken up with machinery.

GCU’s Thunder Alley Now Open for Service

This new facility will feature a variety of amenities to the GCU campus. There are two restaurants, one specializing in Mexican cuisine (Corbrizo’s) and another one specializing in Chinese cuisine (Mein Bowl). There is also a Jazzman’s Cafe & Bakery that features a full array of hot and cold espresso beverages and also a convenience store that will stock essentials along with quick pre-packaged meals. Thunder Alley will provide 200 indoor seats and an extra 150 to 200 outdoor patio seats. A 6 lane bowling alley will be located in the lower level and will be opening in the fall of 2011.


Located between the Student Union and the Student Recreation Center, Thunder Alley is a Sprung Structure with Architekton as the Architect and UEB Builders as the General Contractor.

Jay Boyse embarks on rotation through “Cedric’s World”

Welcome indoors to Jay Boyse, who after several years of dedicated field supervision work, is broadening his skills in the Estimating Department.   His education, field experience, great customer service attitude, and aptitude for numbers make Jay a natural fit to add immediate value in his new role as Estimator.  Jay graduated with a Bachelor of Science from ASU’s Del Webb school of Construction Management in 2003.

Chief Estimator, Cedric Robinson is looking forward to the additional depth Jay will bring (remember this formidable duo joined forces earlier this year as team “You Lose” taking first place in UEB’s inaugural Biggest Loser contest).  Our estimating backlog continues to grow so Jay and Ced are in fine form to keep the UEB machine rolling.

UEB promotes this type of cross-training experience for all employees.   For example, Dave Gigger, Garry Musselman, Charlie Hall have spent time in Estimating in the past.   Any staff who desire to gain first-hand experience in another department are encouraged to speak to their department supervisor and will be accommodated as opportunities arise.

UEB welcomes new employee Jonathan Dempsey

Meet N.I.C., also known as Jonathan Dempsey

UEB adds value to their customers by self-performing various portions of work that fall between the scope of the various subcontractors.  Jonathan demonstrated a wide variety of skills installing blocking, receiving equipment, installing equipment supports, preparing spaces for other trades and generally performing everything that was N.I.C - Not In Contract of the subcontractors.

Because of his ability to help manage the work and tradesmen on the project he was recently hired as Assistant Superintendent.

Jonathan is also going to move into the Safety coordinator role...and will be working out of the Dallas office. Welcome Jonathan!

Substantial Completion achieved on the Kimble County Hospital in Junction, TX

The UEB team on the Kimble County Hospital project achieved “Substantial Completion” of the replacement hospital and clinic on August 9, 2011. The combined 40,000 sq. ft. hospital and 7,000 sq. ft. clinic were completed in a speedy 11 months.  Located in the Texas hill country town of Junction, getting manpower and materials to the jobsite was one of the greatest challenges.  “We completely tapped the resources in and around junction and had subcontractor personnel travelling from as far away as El Paso and Austin” says Superintendent Mike Thorne.  “Making sure we had the project ready for each trade to start and complete their scope when they had their guys in town was a key element of our success”.

The $12 million project will be completed and closed out in just 22 days. A special congratulations to Joe, Mike and the rest of the UEB team!

GCU Thunder Alley Food Service Building Nears Completion...

The summer has again gone extremely fast and August is already here. With August comes thoughts of fall and the start of another school year.  The Grand Canyon University "Thunder Alley" Food Services Building is nearing completion just in time as GCU classed are scheduled to begin soon. The building is a Sprung Structure with Architekton as the Architect and UEB Builders as the General Contractor.
Web Cam

Happy 6th Anniversary to UEB Builders!

UEB Builders turns 6 today and continues its pledge to meet today's construction challenges with enduring craftsmanship, ingrained teamwork, up-to-date training and a determined attention to the goals of our clients.

West Valley Emergency Center Ready for Grand Opening on August 2nd

The West Valley Emergency Center is a 14-bed, full-service emergency center located at 525 S. Watson Road in Buckeye, Arizona. It was designed by The CFP Group, LLC and build by UEB Builders in a speedy 7 months. It will occupy 12,000 sq. ft. with an additional 8,000 sq. ft. dedicated to imaging and laboratory services. The second floor will add an additional 20,000 square feet to be used for physician office space. West Valley Emergency Center will offer 24-hour medical care and is staffed by board certified physicians, specialty nurses and experienced health professionals. Additionally, CT scans, ultrasound and other diagnostic imaging services are available along with an on-site laboratory.

Kimble County Hospital Gets Big Concrete Pour Today

Check out the following pictures of the Kimble County Hospital concrete pour taking place today in Texas. Interesting facts...300 cu. yd. pour with 5 trucks on a turnaround of about 10 minutes. Thanks to Mike Thorne Project Superintendent for providing the snapshots.

UEB Marketing - Thank You to everyone who helped out with the ASU SRC proposals and interviews!

All four ASU Student Recreation Center Proposals have been submitted and all the interviews are over. A big thank you to everyone who helped out with the proposals and interviews! We are very proud of what we submitted and how we performed for Arizona State University. We invite all UEB employee's to take a look at the .pdf submittals on the S Drive under ~Proposals.

Room for 1 more...want to join the party?

UEB Picture of the Month.  The Grand Canyon University Student Activity Center construction site. Thanks to UEB Superintendent Frank Cwick for the photograph and classic caption.

UEB is pleased to announce the commencement of work on the Texas Spine and Joint Hospital in Tyler, Texas

We are excited to announce that work on the Texas Spine and Joint Hospital in Tyler, Texas has begun!  The new project consists of a pain clinic, pain procedure suite, associated prep / recovery spaces, food service expansion, additional OR’s, a ten bed patient unit expansion, and a revised site to accommodate the new buildings and parking.  The expansion takes place on both ends of the hospital simultaneously without interruption to ongoing hospital operations.

Since inception, Texas Spine and Joint Hospital has been consistently ranked among the top facilities for Spine Surgery in the state.  UEB is proud to celebrate the beginning of an important addition to the Tyler, TX community, a new partnership with Texas Spine and Joint Hospital, HKS Architects and consultants.

UEB Builders Hires New Project Manager for Scottsdale Office

UEB Builders is excited to announce the addition of Mr. Darrell Malin to our team. Darrell brings a wide range of construction management experience with him.  His proud achievements include multiple major hospital projects including both the Chandler Regional Hospital and the Yavapai Regional Medical Center.  He notes his most enjoyable projects are building state of the art recreation centers for city governments like the Flagstaff Aquatic Center as they give a lot back to the communities with fun and play.  Darrell's background is rounded off with many commercial and retail projects all around the valley such as the Chandler/Gilbert Crossroads Town Center and The Queen Creek Market Place.

Starting at UEB, Darrell will be managing both the Grand Canyon University Food Service Center Project and the Culberson County Hospital remodel project in Van Horn, Texas. 

Grand Canyon University Food Services Building Webcam is up!

Check out the following link to keep up to date with the Grand Canyon University Food Services Building Webcam. The Grand Canyon University Food Services Building is a Sprung Structure with Architekton as the Architect and UEB Builders as the General Contractor.
http://uebbuilders.com/project-webcams/gcu-food-services

New UEB sign up in Scottsdale Office Lobby...

Our new UEB monument sign is up in the Scottsdale Office lobby. The piece is made out of quarter inch cold-rolled steel that was cut with a water jet.  The sign was designed and built by ASU Polytechnic student Jason Floor.

Thanks, Jason!

UEB Builders tilt concrete time lapse - West Valley Hospital Freestanding Emergency Department

A big thank you to UEB Project Manager Dave Gigger and Superintendent Jay Boyse.  They have been pulling out all the stops in fast-tracking construction of the new Freestanding Emergency Department for Abrazo’s West Valley Hospital, scheduled to open in the 2^nd quarter of 2010.  As the time lapse video shows, the tilt panels were erected in one day, only 5 days after the slabs were cast on grade.  Dave Gigger explains that “due to an ideal mix design and optimal curing conditions, the testing lab confirmed the tilt panels had achieved over 75% of design strength after only the third day."  The developer of the facility is La Salle and the operator is Vanguard’s West Valley Hospital. 

Check out the time lapse: