Our Advantage | Key Personnel | Safety | Quality

 

Barnard’s newest business area is in the field of renewables and transmission.

 

Wind
Barnard has created alliances with some of the most respected names in the wind industry. We are comprehensive in our approach and are able to work within an array of contract types, such as BOP or EPC, and everything between. With our entry into the wind field, we bring 35 years of innovation and success in heavy-civil construction. We are accustomed to coming up with or adapting to new ideas. We make it a point to rethink the typical methods for wind project construction in an effort to streamline the construction process and deliver a plant ready for commercial operation faster than a more traditional approach while also minimizing the risk to the owner. Our flexibility and dedication to innovation are well known. We believe these traits serve us well in the renewables field.

 

For more information, contact Thomas Bode at (406) 586-1995 or thomas.bode@barnard-inc.com.

 

Solar
At Barnard, we are excited to continue our development in solar energy construction by working on constructability with both developers and manufacturers alike. We feel that solar will be the next best opportunity to harvest clean energy and are dedicated to bringing developers, manufacturers, and owners together to make this resource more accessible in today’s market.

 

For more information, contact John Morrison at (406) 586-1995 or john.morrison@barnard-inc.com.

 

Transmission
Barnard has developed relationships with established transmission line companies to provide civil and management assistance that will allow these companies to take on larger and more complex projects.  We’re applying what we’ve learned through our success in the pipeline industry to develop and streamline operations in transmission line construction. 

 

For more information, contact Jerry Askin at (406) 586-1995 or jerry.askin@barnard-inc.com.

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The Barnard Difference

• Accurate, thorough cost estimating
• Capable and comprehensive management of safety, schedule, costs, quality, and subcontractors
• An emphasis on our people, their safety, and professional development
• Partnership with owners and agencies toward successful project completion
• Integrity, innovation, and performance

Our Reputation

• Safety: Safety is our Number One priority. First and foremost, we are very serious about making sure our most important asset, our people, can go home every night to their families. Our management teams understand that safety pays since a safe job is a productive job. Our EMR is well below the national average. Each project employs Safety Educators who work with crews to develop safe work plans and provide training. We invite owners and other interested parties to be a part of this effort. The feedback from all parties has proven outstanding in the past.

Year	2010	2009	2008	2007	2006	2005	2004	2003
EMR	0.79	0.79	0.93	0.94	0.77	0.67	0.65	0.80

• Teamwork: We embrace the ideals of true Partnering. As evidence, Barnard has received the national AGC Marvin M. Black Excellence in Partnering Award four times, an unparalleled accomplishment. Our teams look for win-win solutions to all challenges.  We utilize experienced job staff to ensure that solutions are identified earlier rather than later. 
• Schedule: We complete projects ahead of schedule, even under very difficult situations. Barnard has never delivered a project behind schedule in 35 years.  We understand that the sooner your project is up and running, the sooner you can start generating revenue.
• Financial: Barnard is essentially debt-free. We can offer a per-job bonding capacity of approximately $400 million and have the financial ability to bond up to $1 billion in ongoing projects. Our ability to pay early allows us to negotiate preferred pricing and scheduling with subcontractors and vendors. Our philosophy is to take care of those who take care of us, which has resulted in a loyal following of vendors and subcontractors across the nation.
• Public Relations: Our project teams have the ability and desire to quickly become part of a surrounding community. We support each project’s local economy to the greatest extent possible while also providing assistance for local charities and organizations. Our company culture of respect for all individuals is recognized by communities almost immediately and we have made long-lasting friendships nationwide.
• Special Interest Groups and Government Agencies: We have an extensive track record of working well with individual landowners, special interest groups (such as environmental, tribal, and community groups) and a broad range of government agencies (Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, FERC, U.S. Forest Service, Fish & Game, and more).
• Legal: In 35 years, Barnard has never had a conflict or issue go to trial. We seek to resolve all potential issues as early as possible and through a teaming environment.
• Contractual: Our experience includes numerous types of contracts such as design/build, design/assist and value-based. We are capable of performing work as an EPC contractor, BOP contractor, or even as the typical GC.
• Corporate Structure: Barnard Construction is a privately held corporation which ensures the values that made us great will continue to be enforced and supported. Working with Barnard, you always know who is in charge, who has the authority to make the decisions, and who will respond to your needs. Our project teams are empowered and have full authority to make project decisions and you can be assured as many solutions as possible will be developed at that level while keeping off-site management fully informed. The Operations Manager, Joe Nelson, will work with the project team and you to help facilitate solutions if the need arises. You will also have a direct line of communication to Paul Franzen, our company President, as well as to Tim Barnard, our founder and CEO.

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Renewable Energy Group

Joseph P. Nelson
Vice President/Operations Manager, Renewables Group

Joe Nelson has 36 years of experience in the heavy civil industry. He worked his way up the ladder, from driving trucks, to work in the field, to estimating, to managing all of these details and the personnel who currently tackle them. Mr. Nelson joined Barnard more than 25 years ago and has been instrumental in developing the firm we are today. He has extensive training in the technical and management aspects of the industry in addition to the degree in Construction Engineering Technology he earned with honors from Montana State University. His trademarks within the company and the industry are his abilities to innovate, and to build a team, and his contagious enthusiasm. MSU’s College of Engineering recently honored him with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Mr. Nelson has worked on projects throughout the U.S., from sewer rehabilitation in Los Angeles to lake-source cooling at Cornell University in New York. He has overseen large-scale projects, including the $400 million Owens Lake Program for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. From the beginning, Joe has been known a team player and a team-builder. He believes in partnering; in the last 10 years, his teams/projects have earned four Marvin M. Black Excellence in Partnering Awards from the Associated General Contractors of America, an unparalleled feat. In fact, Joe was a pioneer of the Partnering process long before it was adopted by most organizations.

John R. Morrison
Solar Construction Manager

John Morrison’s 22-year career in construction includes expertise in water and wastewater treatment, pipeline construction, earthwork, and other areas of heavy civil construction as well as managing safety, quality, scheduling, and personnel. Mr. Morrison began his career as a land/construction surveyor for 5 years before enrolling and earning a B. S. in Construction Engineering Technology from Montana State University. He joined Barnard in 1998 as a Project Manager.

At Barnard, Mr. Morrison continued work on water resource projects until moving into Business Development in 2004. John is well versed at pairing Barnard’s talent and broad range of human and equipment resources with owners and engineers undertaking complex projects in dam construction and rehabilitation, oil and gas pipelines, tunneling, water and sewer pipelines, renewable energy, environmental endeavors, and special projects. He represents Barnard at conferences, in negotiations, and initial site and client visits, sizing up how best we can approach the work to produce a successful project.

Jerry Askin
Electric Transmission Construction Manager

Jerry Askin has gained a broad range of experience during his 40 years in the construction industry. He brings to Barnard’s Business Development more than 20 years with the Barnard Companies; 16 of them as a Senior Estimator. Mr. Askin joined Barnard Construction in 1990 as a Project Manager, running pipeline projects throughout the Northwest. Since focusing on estimating, he has coordinated the pricing efforts of a team of estimators on a variety of heavy-civil projects ranging from wind farms to pumped storage to large-diameter steel pipelines, dams, pipelines, and other areas of heavy civil construction.

Mr. Askin became interested in construction while attending Montana State University. In Business Development, he assists Vice President Joe Nelson in seeking out and pricing new work in the renewables, and electric transmission markets.

Thomas Bode
Wind Construction Manager

Thomas Bode earned a B.S. in Construction Engineering Technology from the University of Nebraska, Omaha. His work in the wind energy field has included positions as a Site Engineer, Turbine Installation Manager, Road Construction Manager, Site Construction Manager, and Project Manager over a variety of terrain. Mr. Bode will serve as Barnard’s Construction Manager in the field.

Mr. Bode brings to Barnard more than 600 MW of power produced on his past projects. He is certified as a LEED AP+ Professional. He has worked in a number of capacities on wind turbine projects in Washington, Wyoming, Kansas, Texas, and Nebraska. These projects have included:

• Wild Horse Expansion: (22) Vestas; 44 MW
• Central Plains Wind Project: (33) Vestas V90; 99 MW
• Lone Star Wind Farm – Post Oak: (100) Gamesa G87; 200 MW
• Lone Star Wind Farm – Mesquite: (88) Gamesa G83; 176 MW
• Lone Star Wind Farm – Mesquite: (12) Gamesa G87; 24 MW
• Ainsworth Wind Energy Facility: (36) NEG Micon NM82; 59 MW

Brandon Graham, Project Engineer
Renewables and Electric Transmission

Mr. Graham joined the Barnard Companies in 2007 after working for 11 years as a civil design engineer on large design/build projects, with an emphasis on roadway development and construction. He earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Gonzaga University in 1994.

Since joining Barnard, Brandon has worked on a variety projects, including construction of a high-pressure gas pipeline through a remote region in northwestern Colorado as well as on the design of an in-lake interceptor sanitary sewer system to serve an urban area. More recently, his focus has been on estimating work in the areas of wind, renewables, and electric transmission development. This work includes site investigation, costing, AutoCAD takeoff, scheduling, and subcontractor quotes, among other duties.   
 

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Barnard's Safety Program is designed for active participation by the entire project team. Our project managers and superintendents are the leaders. They are responsible for accident prevention and reduction of on-the-job injuries. We believe that success in accident reduction lies in planning ahead. At Barnard, we make every effort to cultivate a positive safety attitude at every level. We use a full-time Safety Educator to assist the project team and our Company Safety Director provides technical support and training as well.

Our outstanding safety record reflects our dedication to building a culture of safety - from the CEO to employees in the field. At every job site, safety awareness is an integral component in any endeavor we undertake. At Barnard, staff members and service partners share a willingness to uphold high safety standards, which helps us provide the safest and healthiest work environment possible. A copy of our comprehensive Safety Program is available for our clients upon request.

Barnard's Safety Objectives include:

• Promoting the safety and well-being of each employee and his/her family
• Eliminating personal injury based on the belief that "injury-free" projects can and should occur
• Encouraging recommendations for improvements to safety throughout the company and the project
• Establishing individual responsibility for the safety program on each project, reaching all levels from the project manager to the workforce

Key Elements of Our Safety Program:

• Involvement of crew
• Belief that a safe job is a productive job
• Use of a full-time Safety Educator to assist the project team
• Company safety and health manual
• Drug and alcohol testing program
• Safety recognition program (Project and Foreman level)
• Safety incentive program (Employee Incentive)
• Supervisor and employee training programs
• New employee orientation
• Accident and injury reporting system with follow-up corrective measures
• Jobsite Hazard Analysis (JHA)
• Site-specific Safety, Health, Injury and Illness Prevention Program

Reinforcement of Safety:

• Frequent safety review of jobs by our Corporate Safety Director
• Weekly tool-box safety meetings
• Daily pre-work safety meetings to cover the work tasks and associated hazards
• Safety awards presented during tool-box safety meetings and published in company newsletter
• Safety training provided applicable to the project scope of work
• Work plans which incorporate safety training and planning
• Safety violation forms to document employee violations
• Insurance company visits and follow-up recommendations
• Company-wide project safety award program

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At Barnard, we are committed to taking pride in our work and producing a quality product that meets or exceeds each owner’s expectations by constructing our work right the first time.  If it can be measured, it can be improved upon; this is how our Quality Program is communicated to our Project Teams. 

Our Approach
Barnard takes a proactive approach in Quality from the corporate level through the field personnel. The Vice Presidents/Operations Managers ensure that from the outset Quality is addressed in the company’s training programs, and that continual monitoring and maintenance of the Quality Program are performed at each project location. 

At each project, we develop a thorough, site-specific Quality Plan that strives to achieve a uniform and high quality level of workmanship throughout the phases of procurement, fabrication, construction, and final facility testing and delivery.  Discussion about Quality Assurance and Quality Control is on the agenda at our daily, weekly and monthly meetings onsite and off.

In working with Quality Control (QC) inspectors, we know that our focus on Partnering and teamwork is essential. Our good relationships at the field activity level have been noted by all types of construction personnel. This practice of open communication lends itself to keeping quality in the forefront of every individual’s work goals.

Keys to Our Program
We have found that the keys to a successful Quality Program include:

• Communication of expectations with the Engineer, Owner, supervisory staff and craft  workers
• Conformance with Contractual requirements
• Documentation of inspections, tests, and certificates
• Maintenance of supervised controls and written instructions governing Quality Control
• Earning trust by doing what we say we are going to do

From our Weber Dam Modifications Project

"The attentiveness to every detail relative to the project design and contract stipulations was very impressive and proved beneficial to the Tribe's success in completing the project… Barnard's commitment and professionalism continued to be evident during the construction phase. The on-site construction staff was exceptional. The team effort which was exerted from the first meeting to the last, and through every changed condition throughout, proved to be the motivating factor for the success of the project.”

Genia Williams, Chairman & Contracting Officer
Walker River Paiute Tribe
December 10, 2007
 

From our Fern Ridge Dam Emergency Repair Project

“On time completion was critical on this project…When it appeared the schedule was slipping and precious time could not be lost from the schedule, BCCI’s upper management was fully engaged in providing added equipment and resources to ensure completion dates were achieved…BCCI provided an extensive Contractor Quality Control testing program to produce a high quality product with proper compactions, to lines and grade and use of properly classified materials.”

USACE Performance Evaluation
J. Reed McDowell, Administrative Contracting Officer
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
February 2, 2006

From our Saluda Dam Remediation Project

“As we all know the project [Saluda] was one of a kind in most of our careers and one that gained worldwide attention and notoriety for the parties involved…All work was completed to a high degree of quality, and could not have been accomplished without your management team’s commitment to this effort and coordination and cooperation with the project’s partnership.”

Carl M. Rizzo, Vice President
Paul C. Rizzo Associates, Inc., Design Engineer
September 26, 2005

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