BYRNE WINS 2002 NATIONAL AWARD FOR CONSTRUCTION EXCELLENCE

Fort Worth, Texas - Thos. S. Byrne, Ltd., Fort Worth based general contractor and Construction Manager for the Ellis County Courthouse Restoration Project in Waxahachie, Texas, has won the 2002 National Excellence in Construction Award for Restoration - $2-$99 Million. The annual competition, sponsored by the National Associated Builders & Contractors, is judged by an independent panel of building industry professionals selected from throughout the United States. Byrne won the local ABC North Texas competition in two categories in September 2002 and went on to compete at the national level in November 2002. The prestigious Excellence in Construction (EIC) Award is highly regarded throughout the industry, awarded only to projects that have met extremely high standards.

Considered one of the most significant historic courthouses in the nation, the Ellis County Courthouse has been voted the number one Courthouse in Texas by the Texas Society of Architects "as the most highly decorated and most notable example of Romanesque Revival architecture in existence". The 105 year old Ellis County Courthouse was designed by Architect J. Riley Gordon in 1895. Designated as a Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation project, the Ellis County Courthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The restoration of this national landmark was a collaborative effort involving city, county, state and national preservation authorities and organizations, as well as the Owner, the Architect and the Construction Management Team. A $3.5 million grant was awarded to Ellis County from the Texas Historical Commission for the restoration work, which was the third largest grant ever awarded. Ellis County was also the highest scored THC grant application in the state.

The Byrne project team included Damon Norman, Principal in Charge; T. O. Scherer, Project Manager; Jimmy Flippo, Project Superintendent, Leland Tieh, Project Engineer; and Chris Williams, Project Engineer. The architects were Larry Irsik, Principal Architect, and David Singer, Construction Administrator, with ArchiTexas, and restoration specialists included Talent Restoration, Phoenix One Restoration, Hull Historical Restoration, and Architectural Specialties, Inc.(Review, Inc.).

Thos. S. Byrne, Ltd., the largest commercial general contracting firm in Tarrant County for eight decades, has won a total of 7 Excellence in Construction Awards since 1993. "This award attests to our commitment to continue the legacy Thomas Sneed Byrne began when he founded the company in 1923", said Byrne CEO John Avila,Jr., - "this national recognition is a fitting tribute to our eightieth anniversary."