News

Released March 2, 2011 - Paducah Sun Article by Adam Shull

A&K Awarded Contract for largest renovation of Kentucky Oaks Mall in Paducah, KY

A&K Construction of Paducah received the contract for the largest renovation in the 28-year history of Kentucky Oaks Mall.

Work can begin within a week on the $6 million to $10 million project that will install nine skylights and expand food court seating, among other renovations, according to Joe Bell, spokesman for the Cafaro Co., the mall's owner.

New mall entrances, porcelain tiles for new flooring, spruced-up restrooms and more energy-efficient lighting are also on tap, Bell said.

'"We're thrilled that A&K (Construction) came in with the great bid that they did, because we love to be able to employ a local contractor," Bell said.

Work will occur during night hours when the mall is closed, Bell said. The project is scheduled to end in November, he added.

"Mall merchants will be able to be open for business during their normal hours, every day," he added.

A&K Construction handled the most recent renovation work at the mall in 2002 when workers eliminated a depression in the floor.

'"It is always good to have a local company that knows the history of a project to move it to the next level," said Ken Hunt, A&K president, in a statement.

Released December 27, 2010

Ken Hunt Elected President of Western Kentucky AGC

The Paducah Sun reports that Ken Hunt, president of A&K Construction of Paducah, was recently elected the new president of the Associated General Contractors of Western Kentucky, a chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America. The AGC is a trade association composed of 440 construction-related companies throughout western Kentucky.

Released December 10, 2010 - Paducah Sun Article by Adam Shull

A & K gets the OK

A&K Construction will lead construction of the McCracken County High School.
The McCracken school board unanimously approved the Paducah companys bid at Thursday nights meeting. With a cost of $55,673,200, A&K Constructions total bid was just under the next lowest of Shiel Sexton Co. at $55,793,000.
Work can begin within the next 30 days and after the schools bonds go on sale.
Its a great night for McCracken County, said Nancy Waldrop, superintendent of McCracken County Schools.
Were so happy its a local contractor that has received this bid.
Also pleasing to board members is that A&Ks projections include the five alternates that they werent sure could fit into the budget. The alternates are an additional wing or education house; an indoor sports facility; state-of-the-art lighting for the practice facility; and upgraded heating, ventilation and air condition controls.
The school district will sell about $53 million in bonds, coupled with $4.1 million in bonds from the Schools Facilities Construction Commission, to help pay for the construction. Waldrop said the school system has $10 million in cash contributions to pay toward construction as well.
The school board plans to save about $6 million over the 20-year life of the bonds it will sell thanks to Build America Bonds, which was created by last years American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Representatives from Hilliard Lyons explained how these bonds will save the school system more money than if they were sold as tax-exempt bonds because the new bonds carry special tax credits and federal subsidies. The subsidies offset the higher interest rates the school board would otherwise pay, according to Mark Rawlings, a Hilliard Lyons finance associate in Louisville.
The roughly $57 million from bond sales will be available to the school district by Dec. 30, Rawlings said.
Now we send information to the Kentucky Department of Education and begin (construction) by the first of the year, said Holly King, director of the Paducah office of architects Sherman Carter Barnhart.
The results this time around were much better, King said.
The board rejected eight previous bids ranging from $60,830,000 to $65,475,000 in October for being too high. To lower the bids, the board reduced the size of the parking lot and cut the amphitheater, sports practice facility and a maintenance building. King said the schools square footage and education features did not change.
It was a visible weight off of most everyone involved to have an approved bid, including a constantly grinning Waldrop and joking King. Next time you see me Ill be in a hard-hat, not a suit, King said.

Contact Adam Shull, a Paducah Sun staff writer, at 270-575-8653.

Released November 21, 2010

P&L Rail Awards Contract to A&K Construction

According to P&L president Tom Garrett, construction began last week on the new $4.2 million headquarters for Paducah & Louisville Railway in downtown Paducah.

Garrett said P&L awarded local contractor A&K Construction the building contract and workers broke ground immediately.

Garrett also said construction should take a year for the environment-friendly building that will house 48 employees who now occupy P&L’s crowded, century-old building on Kentucky Avenue.

Released August 16, 2010 - Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer Article by Steve Vied

A&K Doing A-OK in Owensboro

A&K Construction is a Paducah company, but lately Owensboro-Daviess County has become one of its favorite places to work.

“Owensboro in recent years seems to have more activity,” said Ken Hunt, A&K’s owner. We’ve always had good cooperation. It is one of the best places outside of Paducah where we work.”

Just a few weeks ago, A&K completed the $23 million Owensboro High School gym and fine arts addition. “A&K did a great job,” said Larry Vick, Owensboro schools superintendent. “They were very respectful and easy to work with. They were conscious of safety with kids walking near the construction zone. They shut down at the beginning of school and to let out each day. We were very pleased with A&K.”

The company has three more big projects worth close to $30 million starting soon [in Owensboro]:

• Daviess County Public Schools has hired A&K to build the $9.6 million West Louisville Elementary School.

• A&K will design and build the first phase of a 47,900-square-foot call center for U.S. Bank Home Mortgage, based on a design-build bid the company submitted to the city of Owensboro.

• A&K has the contract to build the $14 million, 57,644-square-foot Kentucky National Guard Readiness Center at Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport. Dirt work will begin within a week to 10 days on the center, Hunt said.

Asked how his company is able to land so many Owensboro area projects, Hunt declined to give away any secrets. But he said having a network of craftsmen who live in western Kentucky saves on overhead.

“We’re just an aggressive company,” he said. “We’re working hard to develop a regionwide workforce. Our superintendent on the OHS project lives in Madisonville. We’re like a local company. People we direct hire live in the area.”

A&K strives to use local subcontractors, Hunt said. Several local contractors, including Henry’s Plumbing, Heating and A.C.; R.L Wilson Masonry; and General Glass Co received subcontracts as part of the West Louisville construction project. Hafer Associates of Owensboro designed the Readiness Center.

Hagerman Plumbing & Heating, Henry’s Plumbing, Wilkerson Plastering and Acoustics, Norman King Electric, Bruce’s Tri-State Roofing, deAm-RON Building Systems and Yager Materials are local companies A&K uses, Hunt said. “If the capability is there and it’s competitive, we strive to use local subcontractors,” he said. “Owensboro has an abundance of good contractors.”

Released July 1, 2010

A&K named Certified Steel Erector

On July 1, 2010 A&K Construction was awarded the designation of Certified Steel Erector by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC). This is a highly coveted certification and is awarded only to companies who employ the most stringent safety techniques when erecting steel. This certification is one of a small number awarded in the state of Kentucky.

AISC sets the quality standard and is the most recognized national quality certification program for the structural steel industry. The program requires companies go through rigorous evaluations and submit to annual reviews. Qualified companies must have the personnel, knowledge, organization, equipment, experience, capability, procedures and committment to produce the required quality of work to become a certified steel erector. This award signifies that A&K Construction is such a company.

Released May 12, 2010

A&K Construction will lead Remington Arms Expansion

In May 2010 the Mayfield Messenger reported Governor Steve Beshear announced that Remington Arms of Hickory, KY would be expanding its current facility. The new expansion would nearly double its current 44,000 square foot plant to grow to an impressive 82,000 square foot facility. It was also reported by Matt Schorr of the Messenger that Paducah contracting firm A&K Construction was the successful bidder and that A&K received the contract award. A&K project manager Ricky Tabers indicated the firm’s excitement about the award and said that construction would begin within a few weeks.

Released September 23rd, 2009

A & K Receives Design/Build Award

A & K notified of a design/build award by the Design/Build Institute of America's for building over $15 million. The new Armed Forces Readiness Center of Paducah has been highlighted by the Ohio Valley Region DBIA as a winner in the area of innovation and design.

Released August 23rd, 2009

A & K Awarded Contract

Commonwealth of Kentucky and Department of Military Affairs awards A & K Design/Build contract for the new $14 million Owensboro Readiness Center.

Released September 16, 2009 - Murray Ledger & Times Articles by Jessica Grogan (MSU Public Relations) and Hawkins Teague

Chemistry Building at MSU Dedicated

According to a story published in the Murray Ledger & Times, a dedication ceremony for the newly completed Jesse D. Jones Hall chemistry building took place at 3 p.m. on Wednesday Sept 16, 2009. The building features a science library and computer lab named for Jones’ late grandmother Hattie Mayme Ross. A 1964 MSU alumnus, Jones and his wife, Deborah, of Baton Rouge, La., have pledged $500,000 to establish a scholarship endowment in the college of science, engineering and technology (CSET) in addition to almost $57,000 for the science library. These gifs will be matched through the Commonwealth University Excellence Trust Fund Endowment Matching Funds Program “Bucks for Brains.” These gifts compliment the previously made gifts and pledges to CSET.

A Marshall County, Ky., native and retired Albemarle Corp. executive, Jones was the major contributor of the Jesse L. Jones Family Clock Tower in the MSU science complex, named for his late father. Since 2005, Jones has established more than $3.6 million dedicated to scholarships, faculty awards and the clock tower construction to the Murray State CSET.

MSU President, Dr. Randy Dunn, and MSU Board of Regents Vice Chairman Bill Adams spoke briefly and thanked A&K Construction of Paducah, Ky. for having patience with the project when it hit a snag and ran out of funding. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Helen Mountjoy, secretary of Kentucky’s Cabinet for Education and Workforce Development, said Gov. Steve Beshear had a prior obligation but sent his greetings. She said MSU’s achievements had gotten a lot of good press for the state and had a long tradition of training students in the sciences. She said facilities like Jones Hall were important because the United States used to be ranked third in the world in the number of science degrees granted while it is now 17th. Kentucky ranks 47th in the nation in the number of degrees granted, 45th in the number of patents held and 42nd in the number of high-tech businesses. She said advancements would not be possible without the contributions of people like the Jones family and commissioned him as an honorary Kentucky Colonel.

State Sen. Ken Winters (R-Murray) said it was important for legislators of both parties to work together to continue strengthening the state’s education infrastructure because the future depends on more students being involved in math and science. He said Kentucky did not have nearly enough engineers to be comfortable and that he would not rest until the final phase of the science complex is completed with the physics building. He said he was happy that he could be there on the day that the university took this important step and remembered his days as a student walking up the steps of the Blackburn Science Building.

“It was not too bad in the ‘50s, but it is not in touch with what we need today,” he said.

State Rep. Melvin Henley (D-Murray) said he had watched MSU grow from the time he was in first grade in 1941 living on the edge of Calloway County. He said he became a physics, chemistry and math major after taking advantage of the G.I. Bill.

“I’m a good example of what a university can do for someone who didn’t come up with much,” he said.

Henley thanked other state representatives who were present, including former Speaker Jody Richards (D-Bowling Green), Fred Nesler (D-Mayfield), Majority Floor Leader Rocky Adkins (D-Sandy Hook) and Majority Whip John Will Stacy (D-West Liberty). He asked Adkins and Stacy to speak after saying that far western Kentuckians and far eastern Kentuckians had to stick together to get things done for their districts.

Adkins said the challenges of Morehead State University in his district were similar to Murray State’s and that he brought a “message from the mountains” that they would stick with them on completing the science complex project. Stacy said things don’t get done in this country without people like the Joneses and said that although Winters was from another party, you couldn’t meet a nicer person and that Frankfort would be a better place if there were more like him.

Dr. Steve Cobb, dean of the College of Science, Engineering and Technology, welcomed everyone at the beginning of the dedication and said he was glad that students who had benefited from the Jones Scholarships could be there to meet the man who made it possible. He introduced recipients of the Jesse D. and Deborah C. Scholarship for the Advancement of Math and Sciences, Brianna Cassidy, Carl Benson and Daniel Willet.

Grad student Brittany Carpenter, recipient of the Hattie Mayme Ross Renewable Graduate Scholarship – named after Jones’s beloved maternal grandmother – was also recognized.