December 1, 2009 – The joint venture of H.J. High Construction Company of Orlando and Batson-Cook Company of Atlanta has recently been awarded the contract to construct the Mitsubishi Power Systems Savannah Machinery Works. The partners, working with architect The Austin Company of Cleveland, Ohio, will design and construct the first phase of the $325 million project in Pooler, Georgia.

“Our experience working with Mitsubishi, combined with Batson-Cook’s familiarity with construction in Georgia provided a natural compatibility for a joint-venture,” says H.J. High Project Director, Robert High. “The Austin Company is the best in the country at industrial design. Adding them to the team was ideal.”

The companies, along with Hussey Gay Bell & DeYoung of Savannah, Georgia and Larson & Darby Group of Rockford, Illinois, will work together on a new plant which will manufacture gas and steam turbines and refurbish rotors and other power generation equipment.  This design/build process will allow for a new 30,000 square foot office facility and two bays of manufacturing facilities to be built totaling approximately 150,000 square feet. 

“Mitsubishi Power Systems recognized our team’s ability to be flexible with design methods, exhibit and practice exceptional communication skills and successfully combine synergistic corporate cultures,” begins Batson-Cook Senior Vice President and General Manager, Randy Hall. “These traits mirrored across Batson-Cook, H.J. High and The Austin Company are the keys to what won us the trust of Mitsubishi and this exciting project.”

H.J. High recently worked with Mitsubishi Power Systems on an expansion to its Orlando Service Center.  In addition, the two teamed on several interiors projects. Batson-Cook’s continuance of work in the Savannah area is essential to the project. The firm has completed projects in Georgia such as the headquarters for the Savannah Economic Development Authority and multiple projects at The Cloister in Sea Island, Georgia.

In addition to the joint venture and architect, the team added several design-build subcontractors to help fast-track the design process. Excel Electrical, Ivey Mechanical, and Gwinnett Fire Sprinkler from Atlanta, SteelFab from Charlotte, N.C., and Florida Handling Systems from Orlando, Fla., each bring their own expertise in the design-build process along with extensive experience in the construction of manufacturing facilities.

Batson-Cook Company, founded in 1915, specializes in providing commercial general contracting, preconstruction, construction management, and design-build services to a wide range of clients. The firm has offices in Atlanta and West Point, Georgia, as well as Tampa and Jacksonville, Florida. Batson-Cook has brought its dedication to quality construction to nearly every major category of building including office, industrial, retail, institutional, health care, hospitality, education, and resort facilities.  Batson-Cook Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kajima USA. 

H.J. High Construction Company, founded in 1936, has been a leader in the Florida construction marketplace for over 70 years. H. J. High offers design/build and construction management services to the industrial, educational, religious, and commercial markets.  The firm owes its longevity to accountability at all levels, the personal involvement on every project of its project executives, the hard work of our talented staff, and a deep rooted knowledge of the construction market.

The Austin Company is an international firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of in-house architectural, engineering, design-build, construction management and consulting services. In addition to services for the built environment, Austin offers value-added strategic planning services including site location, transportation/distribution consulting, facility/process audits and more. The Austin Company is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, with offices in Cleveland, Atlanta and Irvine, CA and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kajima USA. Kajima Corporation is one of the leading engineering and construction contractors in the world with nearly $18.9 billion in total revenues for 2008.