The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) announced winners of its 2025 Project Excellence Awards on November 3, recognizing construction projects that demonstrate exceptional quality, safety and sustainability standards across multiple sectors.
Four companies received top honors for projects completed between January and December 2024: Dunn Construction Company (Civil/Heavy Highway), Barton Malow Company (Commercial), Nabholz Corporation (Institutional) and RS&H, Inc. (Residential).
Dunn Construction's US Highway 31 rehabilitation project in Alabama showcased sustainable practices by recycling 10,163 tons of milled asphalt into Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement while completing the work within a compressed 75-day schedule. The project improved sections between Clanton and Thorsby, enhancing safety and efficiency for Birmingham-area commuters.
The largest project recognized was Barton Malow's $2.63 billion BlueOval SK Battery Park GE2 facility in Glendale, Kentucky. The 3.9 million-square-foot lithium-ion battery manufacturing plant, built in partnership with Gray Construction, will produce batteries for Ford and Lincoln electric vehicles. Despite the massive scale, the team maintained just 3% variance between actual costs and monthly projections while employing 3,500 workers at peak construction.
Nabholz Corporation earned the Institutional award for an 8,336-square-foot addition to Encompass Health's Jonesboro facility, delivering 16 patient rooms and support spaces ahead of schedule and under budget. The project achieved zero OSHA recordables across 21,000 labor hours through rigorous safety protocols including 22 audits and daily walkthroughs.
RS&H's Willoughby Corner residential development addressed housing affordability challenges through energy-efficient design and community integration, combining single-family homes and multi-family units.
"Each project showcases a strong commitment to innovation, safety and sustainability, and demonstrates the multitude of ways that a construction project can benefit and uplift the community in which it happens," said Kelly Aust, NAWIC's 2024-2025 president and project manager at Skanska.
An independent panel of industry professionals evaluated all submissions for the awards, which highlight construction's role in meeting community needs while advancing industry standards.
