Balfour Beatty Joins W&J and M.W. Williams in Groundbreaking on Florida Tech Center

Palm Bay, Fla. – Balfour Beatty Construction, W & J Construction Corporation and M.W. Williams Construction Group broke ground on the $100-million Harris Technology Center in Palm Bay, Fla.

At a groundbreaking ceremony on November 27, Florida Governor Rick Scott and Harris Corporation President and CEO William Brown joined other state and local dignitaries to kick off construction on the facility that will become the centerpiece for some of the company’s most advanced engineering efforts.

The six-story, 464,000-square-foot Harris Technology Center is part of an initiative designed to foster engineering innovation, while retaining existing and attracting new highly skilled engineers to the region. Harris will relocate more than 1,200 employees from existing buildings to the new facility.

At the groundbreaking ceremony, Governor Scott said Florida’s business climate is ripe for corporate expansions, which means more jobs for Florida families. Building of the new facility is expected to create nearly 300
construction jobs in the local community.

Of great interest at the groundbreaking ceremony was a built-to-scale model constructed by Balfour Beatty Construction Superintendent Joe Smith, who hand-crafted it in his home woodshop during the procurement phase. The model, which was used in the company’s presentation, was built in stackable sections to give the Harris selection committee a better understanding of the progress proposed for the construction schedule.

Highlights of the new Harris Technology Center include employee amenities such as a cafeteria and fitness center, advanced innovation labs and collaborative work spaces, and energy efficient designs to promote sustainability.

The initial design and approval phase has already been completed. Construction is scheduled to begin in January 2013 and be completed at the end of 2014.