Hopewell Redevelopment Housing Receives National Award for Use of Gordian Group's ezIQC System

MAULDIN, S.C., Aug. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- When one housing authority had too many projects and too little time to complete them, it turned to ezIQC® from The Gordian Group, Inc. for a solution that turned out to be award winning and just what the Hopewell (Virg.) Redevelopment and Housing Authority (HRHA) needed.

HRHA received the 2011 Award of Merit for administrative innovation from the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) at an industry conference in Louisville, Kent, July 28, 2011.

The award marks the third recognition in two years for government-owned or -operated housing communities using ezIQC to complete repairs and renovations. The Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis received two awards, the Mid-Atlantic Regional Award and the 2010 Award of Merit from the national office of NAHRO.

"We are very pleased The Gordian Group's ezIQC system could help Hopewell Redevelopment and Housing Authority accomplish its goal to provide improved public housing for residents," said Robert Coffey, President and CEO. "It's gratifying to know the Authority's work was recognized with this national award."

Public agencies rarely have enough time and money available to maintain, repair and renovate public housing communities. In late 2009, though, HRHA received funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) but had no staff and little time to procure the work before the deadline to use the ARRA funds.

According to HRHA's Executive Director Steven Benham, the agency risked losing the federal funds if the lengthy list of projects were not procured before the mid-March 2010 deadline. He chose ezIQC to get the jobs done. It was available through the National Joint Powers Alliance® buying cooperative program and customized for use by agencies in Virginia.

In the time it would normally take to procure just one project, HRHA procured multiple jobs and completed them using ezIQC. Two major projects focused on addressing deferred maintenance and repairs in a seven-story building occupied by elderly residents and multiple upgrades in several family communities.

The first project entailed interior painting, ceiling tile replacement, hardware replacement on all fire doors to meet requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and new interior signage. The second project, which took place at several locations, included exterior lighting upgrades, installation of a security camera system linked to the Hopewell police department, repairs to exterior building elements and structural masonry repairs.

Repairs and improvements to the buildings positively affected 90% of the 850 residents served by HRHA, according to Benham. The projects were completed in minimal time and within budget.

As part of the standard ezIQC process, the general contractor and sub-contractors worked directly with HRHA to develop the specifications for the job "using all their expertise available," Benham said. "We received a much improved end product because of this collaboration."

"The ability to work directly with the ezIQC project manager and the contractors from the beginning of the project substantially reduced the time from initial design to beginning of construction for both of these projects," Benham said. "Changes required in the renovation of the interior of the high rise were priced directly from the ezIQC price book which reduced time and eliminated any negotiation for these items."

ezIQC is The Gordian Group's cooperative purchasing version of Job Order Contracting. Job Order Contracting is a competitively bid procurement process government agencies use to accomplish a large number of small- to medium-sized repair and alteration projects based on a set of locally priced construction tasks and competitively awarded contracts. The ezIQC team works closely with each agency leader to create a detailed scope of work for each project, review the contractor's price proposal and walk the agency through the entire procurement process. The agency reviews the proposal package to determine if it is within budget and schedule. There is no obligation to use a contractor until a price proposal is approved and purchase order issued to the contractor.

About The Gordian Group

The Gordian Group (www.TheGordianGroup.com) created ezIQC (www.ezIQC.com) and other construction sourcing systems, including Job Order Contracting, and remains the only full-service Job Order Contracting firm in the nation. It provides all products and services necessary for rapid deployment and long term cost savings.

SOURCE The Gordian Group