Atlanta, GA — It wasn’t Mission Impossible for one team at Associated Schools of Construction’s (ASC) Region 2 Design-Build Competition this week. Ultimately, the 6-member team from Georgia Institute of Technology solved the tricky puzzle posed by sponsor A M King.
This was the third time that A M King provided the project for the Design-Build portion of the five-part Integrated Project (IP) Delivery competition. Teams from four schools — Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Florida, Auburn University and Kennesaw State — took on the pseudo role of Design-Builder in constructing a new facility for Mission Produce, Inc., the world leader in sourcing, producing and distributing fresh Hass avocados. Student teams were informed that the facility should serve as the company’s U.S. regional headquarters and main point of produce distribution from Central and South America to the U.S. and Canada.
The battle began with each team receiving a congratulatory letter from A M King announcing their prequalification to bid on a greenfield avocado ripening and cold storage distribution facility in Laredo, TX. The project scope contained development of a 33-acre site in the Pinnacle Industrial Park within the City of Laredo, just one mile from the Mexico border; 48 loading dock positions (with expansion capacity for 64); 119 additional spaces for trailer parking/storage; and 100 employee parking spaces. Participants were thrown several curveballs related to design of the 262,000-sf processing and distribution portion of the facility.
The greatest challenges included accommodating nearly 13,000 pallet positions across a wide range of temperature zones; furnishing 12 ripening rooms and a forced air cooler within the production area; and coordinating clear heights and interior column with racking layout and the sprinkler system. Approximately 12,000 sf needed to be allocated for Class A corporate office space, employee welfare areas, and a maintenance shop for corporate operations.
Each team took this information and then developed plans to comply with the specified requirements. They communicated their plans of action to the judges through written submissions and in-person presentations.
“A M King was honored to sponsor the 2022 ASC Region 2 Fall Design-Build Competition,” says A M King Project Manager Daniel Kinard. “The student teams all came prepared to discuss their Design-Build proposals for our Mission Produce Facility in Laredo. This included design, cost estimate, schedule, and a few curveballs thrown at them. Each team did a fantastic job of applying the skills and knowledge they have acquired in their collegiate careers to a real case study project in a professional setting. I am excited to see what the future holds for the students as they enter our industry.”
Georgia Tech, the First-Place winner, included Yellow Jackets Isabelle Williams, Naomi Censullo, Tripp Williams, Jacob Waddell, Richard Still and Jared Abrahamian. Their coach is Alex Moutaftchieva from the university’s School of Building Construction. The team scored high marks for a stellar presentation, an on-target proposal, and social media savvy.
University of Florida, Second-Place winner, demonstrated great participation and team member branding, functional design, and a realistic budget. Their Coach is Dr. Russell C. Walters, from the university’s M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management, a component of the College of Design, Construction and Planning.
The winners were announced at the awards ceremony on Tuesday, November 15.
The Associated Schools of Construction, ASC, Region 2 consists of 28 accredited construction schools that stretch from Virginia Tech to Mississippi State. This year’s ASC Region 2 Student Competition consisted of six problem categories: Design-Build, Commercial, Heavy Civil, Open Concrete, Bid Simulation and Shadow Competition. This year the conference hosted 28 teams from 13 universities throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. More than 200 students, 24 faculty, and 46 industry sponsors participated in the pre-competition career fair and the competition presentation day that ended with an award ceremony recognizing the top schools for each problem category.
“The faculty and students involved in the A M King-sponsored Design Build Competition appreciated the ongoing support, challenge, and mentorship provided by A M King during the entire experience,” said Jim Sullivan, PhD, Region 2 Director and Director of Undergraduate Programs at the M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management at the University of Florida. “From an ASC leadership perspective, I’ve appreciated A M King’s ability to manage and deliver such a dynamic and demanding experience for our students.”
A M King team members who participated in the competition were JD Boone, Business Unit Leader; Daniel Kinard, Project Manager; Catherine Knight, Design Leader and Sarah Smith, Marketing Manager.
“A M King is committed to supporting and partnering with select universities in furthering design and construction education,” says Dan Crist, A M King Vice President. “We look forward to continuing our relationship with the ASC sponsors, facility and students.”
