James Construction Group was contracted to complete Texas’ Milam County State Highway 36 expansion.

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After three years of construction, Milam County State Highway 36 is nearing completion of its much-needed expansion from a two-lane roadway into a less-congested, divided four-lane highway. Baton Rouge, La.-based James Construction Group was contracted to complete the $27 million expansion, which includes both demolition and bridgework, says Ken Janke, the company’s Texas operations manager.

The five-mile-long project consists of twin 3,200-foot bridges and an additional railroad bridge. “We’ve stayed on track with the project, for the most part,” Janke says. “There were a few delays with the local utilities, but we worked hard to stay on schedule. This is a very large bridge project, but we staffed it with enough people to complete it efficiently.”

In addition, the company purchased new forming equipment to expedite the construction of the bridges. “This allowed us to build the bridges much quicker,” Janke says. “The new system helped us stay ahead of schedule, and we utilized crew members from our surrounding Texas jobs to keep it on target.”

Janke also notes that the project required 155,000 square yards of portland cement concrete paving, which was completed by utilizing one of the company’s own portable concrete batch plants. James Construction Group also made it a point to procure only local materials, such as gravel and sand, from within 10 miles of the project. Janke explains that this practice not only increases time- and cost-efficiency, but also supports the area’s economy.

Providing Opportunities
James Construction Group’s Texas office performs nearly 90 percent of all its work for the Texas DOT, Janke says. The remaining 10 percent is completed for a variety of private owners.

Its project portfolio as a whole make James Construction Group “a very balanced company,” Janke asserts. “We can perform all kinds of work. In addition to heavy civil construction, concrete paving, and all facets of earthwork, we have an Industrial Division that does mechanical and civil plant construction for industrial facilities. The company also has an infrastructure and maintenance division that handles site work, landfill construction, and mining support services for a wide variety of clients. This makes us unique to other companies in our area that might specialize in only one type of construction.”

James Construction Group’s skilled employees are trained to complete a variety of project types. In fact, the company provides extensive training opportunities for its workers. “We will provide training for our employees if they show interest in learning certain construction-related skills,” Janke says. “We will either offer formal training or work with our people on the job to develop and improve operator quality.”

The company recruits heavily to find the right people for the job. Although James Construction Group provides training for entry-level workers, it has been impacted by the industrywide skilled labor shortage. “It’s been difficult for us to find enough qualified personnel lately,” Janke says. “Labor is currently in high demand in Texas, since the state is bursting at the seams with new work.”

As an incentive to attract workers to James Construction Group, the company offers an attractive compensation package that includes competitive salary ranges, a structured bonus plan, health insurance, and a 401(k) retirement plan. “We really provide a great working environment with good benefits and state-of-the-art construction equipment,” Janke says. “This is a great place to work.”

Another motivating factor, Janke adds, is James Construction Group’s practice of promoting from within the company. “If a person is dedicated and willing to work hard, we will promote him through the ranks,” he says. “A person could start out as an operator and work his way up to be a supervisor.”

The company strives to provide the opportunities and training necessary to help employees increase their skill sets. “We will train anyone who wants to learn a skill or learn the business,” Janke says.

Janke is proud to add that James Construction Group owns the majority of its equipment fleet, as well. “We rent some pieces, but own most of the equipment we use,” he says. “[Our] investment in such resources truly says something about us. James Construction Group is in this business for the long run.”