Imagine working outside in Fairbanks, Alaska, in the winter. It’s not uncommon for the thermostat to linger at 20 below while ice fog encases everything in a seasonal tomb of frost. That very prospect awaits the workers at Silver Mountain Construction’s project at Fort Wainwright Army base. And that’s one of the reasons they’re motivated to be safe and efficient.
The CIRI subsidiary is building the base’s new battalion headquarters on the sprawling Army post just east of Fairbanks. Construction on the two story, 16,000-square-foot building began in July. Already the steel beams are in place and sparks are flying as welders and metalworkers fuse, cut and grind away on the skeletal structure.
“It’s not unusual for us to be working in places like Fairbanks. We’re prepared for the cold. It’s just another challenge we have to overcome,” said David Sallee, superintendent for the Silver Mountain project. “Our experience in Alaska has given us the capability to work just about anywhere and continually deliver an excellent product safely.”
Silver Mountain is hopeful the building can be enclosed by the first of the year, and the unseasonably mild onset of winter is helping their progress. Once the walls are up, the frigid conditions are not such a factor, and the mechanical and electrical contractors can do their work in relative comfort.
The battalion headquarters at Fort Wainwright is the first major project for Silver Mountain Construction since it was created and certified by the U.S. Small Business Administration as an 8(a) company. The 8(a) designation allows Silver Mountain to access certain contracting advantages with the federal government.
Silver Mountain is a subsidiary of CIRI Services Corporation, along with its sister company, Weldin Construction, and ANC Research and Development.
“Weldin Construction has an excellent reputation and a solid track record of successful projects on Alaska’s military bases. The addition of Silver Mountain Construction allows CIRI Services to harness that experience and reputation and make it available to agencies looking to award 8(a) contracts,” said Dick Weldin, president of CIRI Services Corporation, the founder of Weldin Construction and a CIRI shareholder himself.
The battalion headquarters building is slated for completion in February of 2016. To learn more about Silver Mountain Construction, visit www.silvermountainconstruction.com.
