×

Contractors, suppliers get details on Athenex, procurement process

OBSERVER photo by Jimmy McCarthy The Athenex informational session Wednesday at JCC’s North County Campus brought a full crowd. Presentations were made by M+W US, Inc., Athenex and Pike Company Inc.

Construction companies, sub-contractors, suppliers and minority businesses were among the many who attended an informational session Wednesday to learn about the procurement process and the building of Athenex’s 320,000-square-foot facility.

Athenex officials were in attendance to provide a brief overview of the project while members from M+W US, Inc., and The Pike Company Inc., discussed how they’ll be procuring through a competitive bidding process. Steven Heyborne, senior project manager for M+W US, Inc., said the bid process includes civil, structural, architectural, mechanical, electrical and process work.

M+W US, Inc., and Melvin Matthew are working on the procurement of the project as well as lead engineering services. The company, based out of Germany, is a global leader in design, engineering and construction of high-tech facilities and major complex projects.

“Our main bread and butter is in four business sections, including life sciences, which is what Athenex comes under,” Matthew said. “We’ve built semiconductor fabs, photovoltaic facilities and data centers. Customers range from state to private pharmacy companies to energy companies.”

As far as the project goes, Matthew said the company uses a web-based, pre-qualification process where companies can go and register as a supplier. Information is reviewed by M+W US procurement and accounting teams.

The Pike Company Inc. will be conducting all the buyout for the civil, structural and architectural portions of the project. Justin Francis, project director for Pike Company, said the focus is mostly on design builder, program manager, advanced manufacturing and distribution.

Francis said the plan is go out on the street with the initial site package for bidding in the first part of January 2018.

“We’ll also be bidding foundations and structural steel toward the end of January,” he said. “(People) will see all three packages out in the street.”

Those who are interested in bidding for the work must fill out a subcontractor questionnaire on the company’s website, Francis said.

Rich Nassar, vice president of operations for Athenex, said activity on the Lakeshore Drive East site could begin in March 2018. Building, however, isn’t expected until the middle of next year. Two homes and a chicken coup on the property are currently being demoed.

“I’d start next month if I could, but I think the weather won’t be cooperative,” Nassar said. “We’ll hopefully have the building completed by the end of 2018.”

Other speakers at Wednesday’s gathering included Gary Swain, Operating Engineers Local No. 17, and Geraldine Ford, manager for Empire State Development’s Office of Contractor and Supplier Diversity. Swain discussed union labor’s support for responsible bidding and feasibility studies before entering into a project labor agreement. Ford discussed the state’s Minority and Women Business Enterprise. The project is committed to give 30 percent of the building to MWBE groups.

The informational meeting at Jamestown Community College’s North County Campus was put on by the Southern Tier Builders Association, the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency and the Cattaraugus County Department of Economic Development, Planning and Tourism.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

COMMENTS

[vivafbcomment]

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today