Building Industry Magazine - March 2013 - (Page 56)

NewsBeat Sakamoto Honored as Union Builder of the Year The Hawaii Regional Council of Carpenters honored Gerard Sakamoto, president of S&M Sakamoto, Inc., with the 2013 Outstanding Union Builder of the Year Award at a reception hosted by Pacific Resource Partnership in January. The award is given annually to a contractor who has made exceptional contributions to the construction industry and the community, taken a cooperative approach to labor-management relations and demonstrated strong support of union construction. “Gerard has been involved in the construction of many of the most familiar commercial, institutional, retail and government facilities in the Islands. You won’t find a stronger, more pro-union contractor than this industry leader, who values the training and quality of his field workers,” said Ron Taketa, financial secretary and business representative for the Regional Council of Carpenters. “We are incredibly honored to be in the company of the past winners,” Sakamoto said. Previous winners of the award include Vincent Gerard Sakamoto, center, was chosen Outstanding Union Builder of the Year by the Hawaii Regional Council of Carpenters. With Sakamoto are Ron Taketa, left, of the Regional Council of Carpenters and John White, Pacific Resource Partnership executive director. Nihipali Sr. of V&C Drywall Contractors, Inc.; Glen Kaneshige of Nordic PCL Construction, Inc.; and Lance Wilhelm of Kiewit Building and Kiewit Pacific Co. S&M Sakamoto was founded in 1940. Core Tech’s Housing Project Kicks Off The ground-breaking was held in late January for the 72-unit Summer Green Residences in Guam. The Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Authority (GHURA) broke ground on Jan. 29 to mark the start of construction on the Summer Green Residences, a $28 million project in Tamuning. Core Tech International Corp. is handling the project under the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program. The four-building complex on Marine Corps Drive will consist of 72 housing units for low-income residents. The project, formerly known as Tower 70, is expected to be completed by December 2014, says Michael Duenas, executive director of GHURA. “We requested GHURA to change this project name from Tower 70 to Summer Green Residences since there will be no tower,” says Juno Eun, CEO of Core Tech. “Instead, we will have a beautiful building with three wings and four stories that are safer and convenient for the tenants, and we added two more units for a total of 72 units.” Eun says the project will add to the government’s target to build 3,000 affordable homes in five years. “This is a joyous occasion, especially for the many of us here who have been personally involved in conceptualizing and planning to build 3,000 affordable homes for Guam,” Eun says. 56 | BUILDING INDUSTRY | MARCH 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Building Industry Magazine - March 2013

‘HUNGRY’ SITEWORK CONTRACTORS
GENERATIONS OF DEVELOPERS
GUAM GOES GREEN
News Beat
Sause Bros. eyes Columbia launch
Maui teams up with prefab home builder
Sakamoto honored as Union Builder of the Year
Core Tech begins housing project
Diocese opts for solar system
NAVFAC picks leadership trainees
BIA show attracts record turnout
Fairall chosen 2012 CGP Professional
Kauai contractors name officers
CRW completes Honolulu Tower Roof
Spotlight On Success: Foodland Kapolei
Contracts Awarded / Low Bids
Concept To Completion: Maui Business Park
Q&A with rail chief Dan Grabauskas
Best Practices
HWEA In Photos
Tribute to Herb Muraoka
Newsmakers
New Products
Editor’s Corner

Building Industry Magazine - March 2013