AGCMO honors excellence in construction at the 2024 Keystone Awards Gala

The Associated General Contractors of Missouri (AGCMO) recognized exceptional achievements in the construction industry during its 2024 Keystone Construction Awards Gala, held on November 7 at the River City Casino Hotel. The event celebrated contractors for excellence across 12 specialty disciplines, with notable accolades, including the designation of Specialty Contractor of the Year.

Stephen Leamon, superintendent at Pace Construction Company, was honored with the Show Me Excellence in Craftsmanship Award for his outstanding work in asphalt paving. Leamon was commended for his leadership in scheduling, budgeting, and reducing downtime and for his dedication to crew training.

The gala also featured the presentation of 11 First Place Keystone Awards, honoring contractors for significant contributions to various projects, including manufacturing, research, hospitality, sports, and historic renovations. Among the winners, Ben Hur Construction was recognized for its work on Procter & Gamble’s manufacturing facility, while KAI, alongside McCarthy Building Companies, earned an award for the Jeffrey T. Fort Neuroscience Research Building Link Bridge at Washington University. Other top recipients included PARIC Corporation for the Kings Hill Redevelopment, Millstone Weber, LLC for the I-270 North Design-Build project, and Russell for the 21c Museum Hotel St. Louis renovation.

The Brightline Florida Higher-Speed Rail project received a National Class Keystone Award for its impressive work outside Missouri. The collaboration between Herzog Contracting Corp., StacyWitbeck Inc., and RailWorks Corp. is the largest U.S. passenger rail project in over a century, spanning 165 miles and allowing train speeds of up to 125 mph.

The Keystone Awards assess projects based on how contractors overcome challenges and meet high standards in safety, budget management, and schedule adherence rather than focusing solely on aesthetics or scale. A panel of judges, including experts from architecture and engineering firms as well as academic institutions, evaluated the nominees.

Additionally, AGCMO recognized 12 Specialty Contractors of the Year (SCOTY) for their exceptional performance in timeliness, budget compliance, and overall contribution. Boyer Fire Protection, with the most votes, was named Specialty Contractor of the Year, with other honorees including ROSCH Company, Elastizell of St. Louis, and Guarantee Electrical Company.

SEE A LIST OF ALL THE KEYSTONE AWARD WINNERS HERE.

---

Header image: A photo of the award-winning Jeffrey T. Fort Neuroscience Research Building Link Bridge at Washington University School of Medicine. Image courtesy of KAI Build

AGCMO announces Keystone Awards, SCOTY winners

The Associated General Contractors of Missouri (AGCMO) has named Spirtas Wrecking Corporation as its Specialty Contractor of the Year in the Environmental Remediation and Demolition services category.

Spirtas received first place in this discipline by the general contractor members of AGCMO, who were asked to consider their overall experience with Spirtas, including timeliness in regard to completion of projects and ability to stay within budget.

“The need for environmentally responsible remediation and demolition has never been greater, and this industry recognition underscores our commitment to leading the way in this sector,” said Matt Sheehan, president and CEO of Spirtas.

Over the past year, Spirtas has completed 75 environmental remediation and demolition projects in support of Forsyth Pointe, Covenant House Wellness Center, St Mary’s Hospital Convent and the Muskingham River Power Plant in Ohio.

The annual awards program highlights the creativity and talents of dozens of contractors in Missouri’s construction industry. Along with Spirtas, the following contractors received Specialty Contractor of the Year (SCOTY) Awards. (Keystone Awards follow SCOTY Awards):

• ROSCH (ancillary services);

• Vee-Jay Cement Contracting Co. Inc. (concrete / paving);

• Budrovich Excavating & Contracting (earthwork and utilities);

• Guarantee Electrical Co. (electrical);

• TJ Wies Contracting Inc. (interior and exterior finishes, openings and fixtures);

• Charles E. Jarrell Contracting Co. Inc. (HVAC / piping);

• Grant Masonry Contracting Co. Inc. (masonry);

• Boyer Fire Protection (plumbing and fire protection);

• BAM Contracting LLC (structural and finish carpentry);

• ACME Erectors Inc. (structural and finish metals);

• Geissler Roofing Co. Inc. (thermal and moisture protection).

The following contractors received AGMO’s 2020 Construction Keystone Awards.

• Murphy Co. for the Enterprise Center Quad D AHU Replacement;

• PARIC for the Union Station Wheel and Train Park;

• Tarlton Corp. for The Muny Stage and Production Improvements;

• McCarthy Building Companies for the East End Transformation of the Washington University in St. Louis Danforth Campus;

• Massman Construction Co. for the Grand River Bridge Emergency Replacement in Brunswick, Missouri;

• Acme Erectors Inc. for The Vertical Garden in the Steward Family Plaza;

• TJ Wies Contracting Inc. for the State Historical Society in Columbia;

• Murphy Co. for Centene Community Ice Center;

• Murphy Co. for Centene Urban Campus Clayton High Rise;

• icon Mechanical Construction & Engineering LLC for the Pfizer BioPlace New Research & Development Facility;

• ACME Constructors Inc. for Agra Form’s 4-Phased Plant Expansion

• Guarantee Electrical Co. was awarded Keystone Project of the Year in the special coronavirus pandemic response category for construction of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer’s COVID-19 Alternate Care Facility.

The Associated General Contractors of Missouri is the united voice of the construction industry, representing over 500 commercial, industrial, heavy and highway contractors, industry partners and related firms in 110 counties in Missouri. Last month, AGCMO was named large Chapter of the Year by AGC of America. AGCMO operates offices in St. Louis, Jefferson City and Springfield.