Walton Construction Company, LLC

Building blocks┬áWalton Construction is handling one piece of New OrleansÔÇÖ reconstruction puzzle. April Terreri discovers what new construction will mean for Southern University at New Orleans and the community at large. The city of New Orleans continues to pull itself together as it tries to regain the joie de vivre spirit that defined the city for generations. Hurricane KatrinaÔÇÖs blow to the area is still evident, but the damage to the communityÔÇÖs psyche is on the mend. One current project in New Orleans East offers a glimmer of hope to bolster that signature New Orleans spirit.  The major construction project, to build 19 new faculty and student three-story residential buildings for Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO), is a major step for the community and the university, having for years been the only four-year university in Louisiana never to have had campus residences.Even before the hurricane hit the city, university officials had been appealing to Congress for funding for the residences, which would help the university have a longer reach into the country and beyond for talented students and faculty. Today, the $38 million project is about 60 percent complete, with a projected completion date of August 2010, just in time for the new school year.The 15-acre site where construction is continuing had been empty prior to Hurricane Katrina. Then the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) began using the area to house displaced residents in trailers in the aftermath of the storm. So once the construction project got the go-ahead, Walton Construction Company was delayed in getting started until October 2008, when the site was totally cleared.Phase I of the project is scheduled for completion this fall and includes 10 apartment buildings (395 beds), a service building and an Activity Center building. Phase II, scheduled for completion March 2010, consists of four apartment buildings (138 beds); and Phase III includes the final five apartment buildings (165 beds) and is scheduled for completion August 2010. Two new parking lots will offer space for 619 cars.The project offers a significant amount of community pride and hope for the future, notes Glenda Allen, senior project manager. ÔÇ£The university operates under an open-enrollment admissions policy that will change in fall 2010 after the residences are built. Then the university will begin to entice students and faculty from out of the area so the university can continue to grow.ÔÇØ Additionally, this housing facility will fill the void for the universityÔÇÖs athletic program students.With more students and faculty in the area, ancillary businesses are likely to open to serve the newcomers. Allen remarks that since coming to the area, she has noticed several new businesses opening up, but she admits progress in this regard is still quite slow.Most of the subcontractors on the project are local, and one in particular has assumed a major portion of the work. ÔÇ£La Maison Builders out of Lake Charles in southwest Louisiana is doing the foundations, framing, brickwork, interior woodwork and installation of all the doors and toilet accessories,ÔÇØ reports Allen. She adds that the construction offers a definite sign of progress and hope to the areaÔÇÖs residents.Allen closely monitors the projectÔÇÖs schedule to keep it on track for completion. ÔÇ£I use a Primavera scheduling program, which I update weekly,ÔÇØ she says. ÔÇ£I remain in constant communication with all our vendors and subcontractors to eliminate any supply chain issues.ÔÇØ She maintains transparent scheduling so everyone involved always knows the status of the project. She also has weekly meetings with subcontractors to review and handle any scheduling problems that might arise.Allen has worked in the construction industry for about 20 years. How does she feel about working in what once was a male-dominated industry? ÔÇ£I was still green in the industry when in 1993 I was hired on at another company as a project manager. I was put on the companyÔÇÖs first casino project and client. This was a ÔÇÿmake or breakÔÇÖ situation for me, and I was determined to succeed. You really have to have a deep passion for this work because if you donÔÇÖt, you wonÔÇÖt make it. I have had that passion from the very beginning because I love the process.ÔÇØShe admits that since coming onboard with Walton last year, she has felt like an equal to her male counterparts for the first time in her career, because the company acknowledges her experience and commitment to the industry. ÔÇ£There is a trend that has been evolving over the past several years where more women are excelling in the construction industry,ÔÇØ she says.Walton Construction Company began operating in 1985 and today has offices in Kansas City and Springfield, Missouri; St. Louis (home of the corporate office); Dallas, and New Orleans. About 80 percent of the companyÔÇÖs work is focused on military projects, and the company just received a $180 million project to remodel 13 different barracks and four central energy plants at Fort Polk in Louisiana. The New Orleans Division is the largest in terms of number of employees and volume of work.For the last two years, the Walton New Orleans Division has been voted among the top 10 companies to work for in the city. ÔÇ£As a company that has been here in the area for only five years, this is quite a significant accomplishment for us,ÔÇØ Allen says.The company has a $250 million revenue goal, with a current solid backlog of new projects to sustain that goal. ÔÇ£Walton Construction is very bullish about the regional economy, and we will continue to pursue more work in this region. WeÔÇÖre here to stay,ÔÇØ says Bill Petty, president of the New Orleans Division. The DivisionÔÇÖs statement notes that the company is a leading member of the New Orleans business community and that the company has been a strong force in the recovery of the area as well as in the ongoing development of the region. Walton believes in the rich history, culture and future of New Orleans, which makes helping families and local businesses to rebuild a very personal venture. ÔÇô Editorial research by Jason Moore┬á