Skanska US is the Owners Project Manager for the AHS Building Project. Skanska is among the largest and most respected construction project delivery companies in Massachusetts and the U.S. With approximately 10,000 employees nationally, the firm has offices in Boston and in 30 other locations around the country. Skanska is widely recognized as a firm that is successful in managing large and complex projects.

Although known mainly as a builder, Skanska has a sizeable in-house group dedicated to providing Owner’s Project Management services. Skanska has served as the Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) for MSBA-funded projects in over 20 school districts in Massachusetts, including the Winchester High School renovation/expansion project, Minuteman Vocational Technical High School, Taconic High School, Somerset Berkley Regional High School, Monomoy Regional High School, Winthrop Middle/High School, Auburn Middle School, Vinson-Owen Elementary School in Winchester, and several Accelerated Repair Projects.

Many of the strengths of Skanska’s OPM group derive from being an integral part of a construction company that has strong credibility in the local and national design and construction marketplace. Because of its “builder’s expertise,” Skanska’s OPM group understands through first-hand experience when architectural and engineering drawings are complete and coordinated. The benefit is a significant reduction in change orders during construction. They can point to specific ways to economize on systems and materials without compromising quality. They can optimize phasing and logistics to reduce costs, expedite schedule, and minimize disruption to classes and school activities. They have direct experience resolving issues on construction sites to keep projects on schedule. Perhaps most important, Skanska has an excellent safety record and applies its stringent safety standards to ensure that students, teachers, staff, and visitors are kept out of harm’s way during construction.

Skanska’s OPM group can also draw upon the expertise of Skanska’s in-house cost estimators, who have up-to-the minute pricing from current, large-scale construction projects in greater Boston. The benefit for the Town is that budgets developed during the feasibility study/schematic design phase of the Arlington High School project will remain valid through the completion of construction. Skanska’s OPM group also has ready access to Skanska’s staff resources in scheduling, Building Information Modeling, safety, and permitting/codes. This means that they can obtain answers to complex technical questions quickly and cost-effectively, saving the Town time and money.

Because Skanska is widely respected in the construction industry, high performing construction managers in the region will be attracted to the Arlington High School project because they know that Skanska will manage it with fairness and integrity. This translates directly into higher quality and more competitive pricing.

Finally, Skanska has successfully guided several large and complex K-12 projects through the MSBA’s feasibility study/schematic design process, a key part of which is assisting school districts with productive dialog within the community as to the benefits of the project to students and to the future of the town.

Throughout the process, Skanska will use its experience and expertise in MSBA processes, community processes, construction planning, cost estimating, scheduling, safety, quality assurance, and change management to minimize risk, keep costs under control, maintain the schedule, and ensure that the Town and its students receive the greatest possible value for the dollars invested in this project.

Skanska’s portfolio of OPM assignments in Massachusetts includes the Winchester High School renovation/expansion, Minuteman Vocational Technical High School, Taconic High School, Somerset Berkley Regional High School, Monomoy Regional High School, Winthrop Middle/High School, Auburn Middle School, Vinson-Owen Elementary School in Winchester, and multiple Accelerated Repair Projects throughout the state. Additional educational and non-profit clients for which Skanska has provided OPM and other consulting services include the University of Massachusetts Building Authority, the Massachusetts State College Building Authority, DCAMM, Massport, Williams College, College of the Holy Cross, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Harvard University, Yale University, Cornell University, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Institute for Contemporary Art, Middlesex Community College, The Cambridge School of Weston, Brimmer and May School, KIPP Academy Lynn, MATCH Charter School, and Excel Academy Charter School.

For more information, visit Skanska USA’s Web site.

Read the Owner’s Project Manager Reports.