Boston – The Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) honored JM Coull, Inc. of Maynard, Mass., with a Pyramid
Award in its national Excellence in Construction competition. Robert Hennessy, chief executive officer of
JM Coull accepted the award on February 22 at the organization’s annual conference in Orlando, Fla.
The prestigious competition is open exclusively to the recipients of awards in the ABC’s regional
Excellence in Construction program. Entries are reviewed by a distinguished panel of judges,
representing a cross section of construction industry experts, including owners, architects, engineers
and other industry leaders. JM Coull was the only Massachusetts firm to be recognized in the
competition.
Capturing the judges’ attention was JM Coull’s construction of an extreme ultraviolet cleanroom
for ASML Lithography, Inc., of Wilton, Conn. ASML produces equipment used by the major global
semiconductor manufacturers. The project attracted notice by accommodating over 25 major design
changes during the construction phase while meeting the owner’s need to occupy the space much
sooner than anticipated.
The scope of the project included building an ISO 6 manufacturing cleanroom beneath an occupied, 3-
story building. The clear height required by the equipment to be housed in the space demanded the
excavation of a pit within the building’s existing footprint. The design changes that eventually redefined
the project were largely driven by the fast-paced evolution of technology in the dynamic semiconductor
industry. Even as the specifications for the building modifications were being developed, changes were
being made overseas to the equipment that would eventually be housed in the new space.
The first change enlarged the small, 3-foot-deep pit until it was a huge 70-by-30-by-12 feet. As the
project proceeded, changes continued to affect the design, forcing the construction team to adjust on
the fly. Eventually, JM Coull would be asked to complete and certify half of the cleanroom so the owner
could begin using it before the scheduled completion date. Meanwhile, the excavation of the pit and
construction of the rest of the space continued in the adjacent area. At the end of the project, both
halves of the cleanroom were seamlessly integrated while maintaining the ISO 6 standards.
The panel of judges for the ABC competition indicated that the logistical challenges overcome by the
project team placed the project among the “best of the best” for meeting extraordinary demands while
maintaining the highest standards for quality and safety. The national awards program solicits entries
from ABC members who placed first within their chapter programs and evaluates them on the basis of
quality, complexity, and effective utilization of resources.
This year’s panel of judges included Craig Shaffer of SafetyWorks, Inc., Dillsburg, Pa.; Ralph Riley of S&B
Engineers & Constructors, Ltd., Houston, Texas; Mike Moak of Keller, Inc., Kaukauna, Wis.; Paul Lamarre
of Hall Contracting of Kentucky, Inc., Louisville, Ky.; Rich Baldwin of PCL Construction Enterprises,
Denver, Colo.; Bill Holder of Starcon International, Inc., LaPorte, Texas; Kirk Mobley of Mobley Industrial
services, Inc., Deer Park, Texas; and Michael Caughey of Starcon International, Inc., LaPorte, Texas.