Tyndall AirForce Base Topping Out
GMF is constructing the largest project in the Pentagon’s history at the Tyndall Air Force Base, and we have just topped off the first hangar!
This hangar in Zone 1 will house six F-35 Fighter Jets, and the entire base will host over 75 jets that keep our country safe. Building a military base is an honor, and we are thankful for our partners at Hensel Phelps and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (WMBB) — The skyline over the Tyndall Air Force Base’s runway is starting to look like its old self.
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE OFFICIALS CELEBRATE MILESTONE REBUILD OF ITS NEW BASE | MYPANHANDLE.COM
Workers topped off the flight line’s first new hangar Wednesday as hundreds looked on.
Crews raised the last beam completing the first hangar of the rebuild.
Thousands of men and women signed the beam to commemorate their women and the project’s competition.
Most of the base, including all the hangars, were destroyed during Hurricane Michael.
“Tyndall Air Force Base, again, was in a very dark time post-Hurricane Michael,” Hensel Phelps Construction Company Project Manager Derek Kelly said. “This community was devastated by the hurricane and it kind of gave the Air Force a clean slate to go build this base of the future.”
Construction on the new hangar began in the summer of 2022.
“We’ve gone through various phases of the demo to remove the existing Air Force facilities that are at were initially here, damaged by Hurricane Michael,” Kelly said.
Building this hanger was no small task.
“It’s countless man-hours go into this from the pre-planning stages all the way through construction,” Hensel Phelps Construction Company Project Superintendent Stephen Devine said.
It’s part of the flight line’s zone one, a $600 million project comprised of 11 facilities, including three new hangers.
“Our operators and our maintainers will be working out of the building,” 325th Fighter Wing Commander, Colonel George Watkins said. “And so that means they’ll be tearing jets apart putting them back together, working on them, replacing components and all that kind of stuff on the aircraft in the hangar.”
In addition to acting as flight line support, the facility will also be used to train pilots.
“After we fly out in the airspace, we come back and we have to debrief,” Colonel Watkins said. “And that’s where the real learning happens. And so we’ll have secure areas inside the building for getting prepared for our missions, doing the classified discussions on our tactics, and then debriefing the pilots on how well they did on that mission and trying to get better each time.”
Despite Wednesday’s celebration, this hangar is a long way from being finished.
There is still more than a year’s worth of work to do before the facility is completed.
Officials said they hope to have the hangar ready by June 2025.
Tampa Bay Rays Opening Day
GMF celebrated the Tampa Bay Rays Opening Day with the Flag Unfurling! As their Proud Steel Partner, our team is honored to have been selected to represent the Rays, Tampa Bay, and our country.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Even with plans for a new stadium in the works, fans will see some upgrades at Tropicana Field when they enter the doors on Opening Day.
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In the off season, the turf was replaced by a striped field. The stripes are meant to resemble a mowed grass field, similar to the Rays’ spring training facility and many other major league ballparks around the country.
Instead of the traditional rubber pellets, the turf is lined with a half-inch thick pad that’s backfilled with sand and topped with ground up coconut husk. The warning track is slightly different, and topped with ground walnut shells to create a different sound and feel for the players.
“In years past, you can only rely on your peripheral vision to see where the red is,” Director of Field Operations Dan Moeller explained. “But now they can feel the difference.”
The Rays donated more than 75,000 square feet of the old turf to the city of St Pete and Hillsborough County to be used for soccer fields and batting cages.
Earlier this year, the Rays discovered that the cupula structure on the top of the field’s dome had to be repaired and replaced. GMF Steel Group took on the project and decided after examining the dome that the best way to replace the cupula was using a helicopter and working from the outside.
“You could, in theory if something went wrong, you could damage the stadium and there could be a big problem before Opening Day,” President Andy Norman explained. “We also had to make sure it wasn’t going to fall apart and then fall through the roof or near any of the workers nearby.”
On a morning in early March, the group completed the project, and the dome is ready for Opening Day.
GMF Steel Group Hosts Second Annual Career Fair for Students across Central Florida
GMF Steel Group hosted an annual career fair for the second time through the Steel Erectors Association of America (SEAA) on February 9th, 2024. Attendees included over 300 high school, technical, and college students across Central Florida and 30 returning and new exhibitors who are registered SEAA members. Students participated in hands-on stations and received insight into trade career opportunities and alternative routes to the traditional career path.
“SEAA’s career fair is an important opportunity to bring new exposure to the steel construction industry, and to educate students on different career options following school. We, at GMF Steel Group, are excited and grateful to have had a special role in this,” says Andy Norman, President of GMF Steel Group.
One of these opportunities is GMF’s Structural Steel Ironworker Apprenticeship Program, which allows participants to learn a skilled trade while also developing their careers, at no cost to them. Its accredited curriculum is built around GMF’s industry-leading standards and has led to qualified candidates in various positions. The apprenticeship program is nationally recognized by the Structural Steel and Construction Industry and the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER).
GMF Recognized as an ABC Accredited Quality Contractor
GMF Steel Group is proud to announce that we have been recognized as an Accredited Quality Contractor by ABC of Central Florida, ABC Florida Gulf Coast Chapter, and ABC Carolinas Chapter.
This prestigious certification nationally recognizes and honors construction firms that have documented their commitment in five areas of corporate responsibility: quality, safety, talent management, craft and management education, and community relations. It is rewarding to witness our team’s commitment to providing our clients with the highest quality and standards of excellence in all operations.
GMF Hosts the Tampa Bay Rays
GMF Steel Group had the pleasure of hosting Tampa Bay Rays, Walter P Moore, and Populous. They toured our manufacturing facility, learned the inner workings of each department within GMF, and experienced our new, state-of-the-art beam processing system firsthand! As the Rays’ Proud Steel Partner, we look forward to these events and future opportunities to work alongside each other.
Safety Awards – 2023
At the end of each year, we take time to recognize our team members’ safety commitment through our annual Safety Awards!
We are proud to have a team that is dedicated to the safety and quality of all work performed in our field, plant, and office so we can continue to reach new standards of excellence.
We’re thankful to our team for making safety a top priority this year and every year!
Women in Construction
Women in Construction week celebrates and recognizes the great initiatives and hard work of all the women in the Construction Industry. GMF Steel Group is very appreciative of our female team members who have taken the steps to be an active member in construction and encourage other women to do the same.
Kelly Ceci, our Production/BIM Engineer, states, “I love the construction industry because of the idea of learning something new. There is always room for improvement, and I know I can find more innovative methods to implement in my daily tasks.” Kelly works to ensure the Fabrication Plant is on schedule and completes the programming for the machines—including optimization for an excellent product.
“It is a unique thing to be able to see a physical display of your hard work. I get a sense of pride every time I look at a skyline and get to tell my children, ‘GMF built that,’” Lisa Strickland, GMF’s Corporate Controller says. Lisa has been with GMF for six years and now oversees the Accounting Department and our financials. She believes the construction industry is great because she plays a role in building her community!
Luciana Castro encourages any women who have an interest in the construction industry to join. She finds it inspiring how many females now have careers in construction and think they bring in a completely different perspective. Luciana is an Estimating Engineer who has been with GMF since June 2022. She says, “The thing I love the most about working in construction is the product is very complex, yet everyone has a role to accomplish the end goal. You see the progress and how your work had an impact.”
“I like being in this industry because it is so fast paced, and I know how to keep up. I can drive a forklift as well as anyone else in the Plant,” shares Megan Patton, our Plant Engineer III. In the shop, Megan performs quality control inspections and runs the machines. She is also learning programming.
Skylin Goodman, GMF’s Marketing Coordinator, explains, “This industry is everlasting. Now, women want to be just as successful as men. Working in construction gives them the opportunity to never hit a glass ceiling and reach heights like no other industry.” Skylin has roles in Marketing, Talent Acquisition, Guest Relations, and Bid Coordination.
“I feel that women should be encouraged to pursue their passions. It is exciting to be a part of setting an example of females in the industry,” Maria Gonzalez, our Virtual Construction Engineer states. “When I see our women Apprentices on active job sites, I am reminded we have a place in construction, as well.” Each day, Maria has a steel tracking process that lists what pieces of steel have been inspected or erected. She also builds the model of each play book for new projects!
Rachel Hall has been with GMF for five years and now supervises younger accountants as our Accounting Manager. “I love the time that has been invested in me so I can learn a new industry and start from the bottom to work my way up as high as I would like to go,” she says.
GMF Steel Group is very appreciative of our female team members who have taken the steps to be an active member in construction and encourage other women to do the same.
SEAA Career Fair 2023 Hosted by GMF Steel Group
GMF Steel Group had the opportunity to host the 2023 Steel Erectors Association of America (SEAA) Career Fair at our corporate headquarters. This event began with a classroom introduction to students on what SEAA is and how they can make a career in the trades, a tour of GMF’s fabrication plant, and an open common area filled with 14 exhibitors- including the GMF team.
The SEAA career fair is designed to be a hands-on experience that informs local students about career opportunities in the construction industry, including GMF’s NCCER Accredited Ironworker Apprenticeship Program. GMF Steel Group launched its Structural Steel Ironworker Apprenticeship Program on June 17, 2022. The program’s curriculum is accredited by the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) and nationally recognized by the Structural Steel Construction Industry. The coursework was developed with GMF’s industry-leading standards and innovation at its core.
With over 175 student attendees from local high schools and post-secondary schools, GMF was elated with the opportunity to host this event and can’t wait for the next class of trained professionals.
AISC IDEAS2 Merit Award
GMF Steel Group had the pleasure of accepting an AISC IDEAS2 Merit Award for the L. Gale Lemerand Student Center at Daytona State College. This 75,000 sq. ft. steel-framed building has many stunning features including hiding the support for the cantilever in the stair tower enclosure and a bronze-clad gateway acting as two outreached arms that welcome and embrace visitors.
Structural steel was chosen for this project because it successfully relays the project goal of openness and was the more efficient and economical option. Using steel allowed the team to create a 90-ft tall portal to separate each wing, while also having the ability to resist hurricane-force winds. GMF Steel Group was elated to provide our structural and miscellaneous steel services for this project and appreciates the opportunity to display the many benefits of structural steel.
GMF Steel Group Launched First Apprenticeship Program of its Kind in Central Florida
GMF Steel Group launched its Structural Steel Ironworker Apprenticeship Program on June 16, 2022. To inaugurate the Apprenticeship Program, a ribbon-cutting ceremony took place at GMF’s Corporate Office. Attendees included apprentices along with Polk County Commissioners, representatives for state and federal legislatures, as well as Bill Mutz, the City of Lakeland Mayor.
The program’s curriculum is accredited by the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) and nationally recognized by the Structural Steel and Construction Industry. The coursework was developed with GMF’s industry-leading standards and innovation at its core. Participation in the training is free, and all apprentices will be employed by GMF Steel Group and qualify for employee benefits.
In GMF’s pursuit for A-Level Talent, their process led to extremely qualified candidates representing multiple cultural backgrounds.
“GMF isn’t just offering these apprentices a job. We are offering a career path, by teaching a skilled trade and providing the opportunity to work toward many different roles within the company. This resonates with us because at GMF, we build skylines and careers,” says Andy Norman, President of GMF Steel Group and Chair of the GMF Steel Group Apprenticeship Committee.
This program is the first of its kind in Central Florida and GMF is excited to see the careers these ambitious and motivated apprentices embark on throughout the program.
