[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 100 (Thursday, July 27, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1395]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING GOULD CONSTRUCTION

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SCOTT McINNIS

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 27, 2000

  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to recognize 
an exceptional group, Gould Construction, as well as its President Mark 
Gould, whom the Associated General Contractors of America honored with 
the Design-Build Award for 2000. The Associated General Contractors 
selected Gould Construction because of their dedication to Colorado and 
to its community.
  Gould Construction succeeded in winning the Design-Build competition, 
which is new this year, of the 33,000 strong Associated General 
Contractors organization, because they demonstrated an ability to work 
under extreme circumstances. The selection criteria included difficulty 
of the job, project management, innovation, state-of-the-art 
advancement, sensitivity to the environment, client service, and 
contribution to the community. Gould Construction excelled in all these 
criteria when they worked for the city of Glenwood Springs to construct 
the Grizzly Creek raw water diversion. The Grizzly Creek water 
diversion dam was experiencing problems after close to a century of 
operation and after several natural disasters inhibited its 
functionality. Gould Construction worked in a challenging environment 
to restore the dam operation. The employees of Gould Construction 
worked nine weeks, suspended high above the narrow Roaring Fork Valley 
in the White River National Forest, to complete a plan that originally 
was scheduled for thirteen weeks.
  Gould Construction worked endlessly under these treacherous 
conditions to complete this immense project; workers, food and 
construction material all had to be air lifted in to the site. The 
conditions were such that workers had to live in camps for the duration 
of each workweek. The nature of the project led to other challenges as 
well, Gould had to deal with environmental permits and had to operate 
to preserve the historical parts of the old dam; all in conjunction 
with creating a groundbreaking design that would deal with avalanches 
and rockfalls from the steep valley walls. Mark Gould, President of 
Gould Construction, said this about receiving the award ``I'm thrilled 
for our employees, this award recognizes that we're doing important and 
innovative work nationally, not just in the Roaring Fork Valley. I 
think it will help us attract employees who come to the area seeking a 
challenge.''
  Mr. Speaker, it is obvious why Gould Construction was chosen as the 
Design-Build Award winner for 2000. Congress should extend a well-
deserved recognition for the award and our thanks for their service and 
dedication to Colorado and to its outdoors.