Facchina Construction Company, based in La Plata, Maryland, was recently honored by the State Highway Administration (SHA) at the 4th Annual 2006 Minority and Small Business Symbiosis at Martin's Crosswinds in Greenbelt, Maryland. Facchina was presented with the 1st Annual "Administrators Award of Excellence". The Award of Excellence, presented by the State Highway Administrator, recognizes Facchina as the SHA's outstanding prime contractor that has "consistently exceeded their business goals by supporting and promoting diversity and utilizing the SHA Office of Equal Opportunity certification and diversity programs".
"This award recognizes our efforts to support and mentor small and minority businesses. We recognize the challenges of starting a company and just as Facchina received support as a young company, we will continue that tradition with other small businesses," said Paul V. Facchina, Sr. President of Facchina.
The SHA strives to promote small and underutilized businesses and incorporate diversity. The 2006 Symbiosis provided an opportunity for networking between larger prime contractors and minority and small businesses. This was the first award ever presented by the State Highway Administrator.
According to the Federal Highway Administration, Facchina was also part of a team that "won the 2004 'Making a Difference' awards sponsored by the National Partnership for Highway Quality (NPHQ), a collaboration of Federal and State highway officials and highway industry leaders. The NPHQ awards honor innovations, practices, and teamwork that raise the bar for roadway performance, safety, and environmental stewardship." The Maryland team "earned gold in the category of 'Partnering.' SHA; Facchina Construction Company, Inc.; 16 subcontractors; 14 utility companies; 5 developers; 4 consultant firms; the Montgomery County Department of Public Works and Transportation; and other stakeholders joined forces to shave 9 months off a 3-year construction project. The $25 million contract included constructing a new interchange along I–270, a major commuter route that carries more than 200,000 vehicles daily in the District of Columbia area, and reconfiguring an existing I–270 interchange with MD 187."