The Keystone Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) recognized local member contractor firms at the 32nd annual ABC Excellence in Construction (EIC) Awards Gala held Nov. 3 at Spooky Nook Sports, Manheim. This event highlights the top regional projects built by ABC Keystone contractor members throughout the past year.

The highest award of the evening went to the Project of the Year (POY) recipient. The criteria to receive the POY Eagle award were its subjective wow factor in the following areas: community impact, client satisfaction, design features and positive notoriety or high-profile of the project.

The 2021 POY was awarded to Poole Anderson Construction LLC for its nearly 33,000-square-foot Franklin & Marshall Winter Visual Arts Center project in Lancaster, submitted in the Institutional $10 to $25 Million category. Poole Anderson Construction was the construction manager for the project. The unique design included a suspended structure with cantilevered trusses, channel and structural glass systems and a recycled glass aggregate envelope.

This year, the Project of the Year Award finalists included the following: Benchmark Construction Co. Inc., Brownstown, for the Upper Moreland Community Center Renovation in Hatboro, Category - Commercial $2 - $10 Million; Keystruct Construction, A Viocity Company, for the Veterans Affairs York Clinic Renovations in York, Category - Medical Renovation $1 - $5 Million; Paramount Contracting Inc., 101 North Queen Condos in Lancaster, Category - Interior Finishes Under $150,000; Poole Anderson Construction Winter Visual Arts Center, Lancaster, Category - Institutional $10 - $25 Million; and Wohlsen Construction Company, Long Crest, Lancaster, Category - Miscellaneous/Special Projects.

The EIC Safety Awards Competition is open exclusively to Safety Management Process (STEP) participants who have achieved Gold level or higher. ABC's STEP program is a safety benchmarking and improvement tool that improves safety performance among construction industry participants regardless of company size or type of work. STEP membership is also a scoring factor for Chapter and National EIC awards. Visit http://www.abc.org/STEP to learn more.

The Excellence in Construction Safety Awards recognize companies that exhibit a continued commitment to jobsite safety and whose safety performance and programs are judged to be exemplary.

This year's Overall Safety Awards and recipients include the following: 2021 Excellence in Construction Safety Award - General Contractor, Benchmark Construction Co. Inc., Brownstown, and 2021 Excellence in Construction Safety Award - Specialty Contractor, H.L. Wiker Inc., Lancaster.

The 2021 Excellence in Construction program featured 70 entries, judged by a panel of construction design professionals using specific criteria regarding the quality of construction and workmanship.

The Excellence Award, the top honor, was given to the highest scoring project in each category, providing it earned at least 90 points. The Merit Award, second place, was given to all other projects within each category that scored 80 or more points.

The Excellence winners at the Keystone Chapter level are now eligible to enter at the national level and compete against the best in the industry from all 69 ABC chapters, nationwide.