VSU President and Alumnus Gordy Steadman

Gordy Steadman, ’83, presented Valdosta State University President William J. McKinney with the Associated Builders Contractors (ABC) 2012 Excellence in Construction Pyramid Award. The award was given to Elkins Constructors Inc. for overall excellence in construction of VSU’s Psychology Building, which was completed in 2011.

The Psychology Building was considered an exemplary project by the ABC selection committee because of its incorporation within existing historic building on the university’s main campus.

“Elkins Constructors Inc. is committed to the Valdosta area, and we will continue to be committed to VSU for many years to come,” said Steadman, vice president for Elkins Constructors. “The VSU Psychology Building was considered a standout project by the ABC selection committee because the new building matched the historic context of the Spanish-style mission architecture. The building is timeless and looks like it could have been built 100 years ago, yet it includes state-of-the-art technology and sustainable features.”

The 33,000-square-foot facility includes six classrooms, two computer labs, a 160-seat auditorium, clinical space, office space for counseling and psychology faculty, in addition to administrative offices for the Graduate School and Sponsored Programs and Research Administration.

“The project was also awarded the Pyramid because Elkins Constructors built the project on a very busy campus without disruption of campus flow or activities with no safety problems,” said Steadman, who graduated from Valdosta State with a degree in communications. “This was critical considering the construction occurred less than 30 feet away from three dormitories, the Student Union, and two restaurants. At lunchtime, every weekday, 6,000 students would swarm the area of campus, and the team kept the construction segregated from the nearby students and never interrupted the activities of campus.

Elkins Constructors also completed the addition to VSU’s Bailey Science Center earlier in 2012. The company was founded in 1956 and has offices in Jacksonville, Fla., and Savannah and Atlanta, Ga. Elkins Constructors has received 32 ABC awards since 1999.