Working the contract

W orking t he cont ract zyxwvutsrqpo I Arrangements were made to dig the ren June of 1993, Allin Companies, quired material late in the season to aca $2 million landscape company company went into action to based in Erie, Pa., was awarded the commodate the projected opening date. Some plants were dug "at customer risk" $75,000 landscape construction fulfill a supermarket contract bid for the Wegmans Food market, due to the time of year. Plant material was through a rough winter. zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA scheduled to arrive in early November. also in Erie. zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA A look at how an Erie, Pa. The specs Irrigation subbed Allin Companies subbed out the irrigaF A I L S zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA The bid specs for the project stated that tion portion of the project to Rain Makers, the landscaping had to be completed by a local company that has worked with the opening date of March 1, with no exAllin before. By November 1, most of the ceptions. Bids were due by October 18, irrigation mainlines and lateral were in. 1996. Rotor and sprinkler head pipes were Allin received the project on October stubbed out and taped off. 25. Owner John Allin realized that bad Allin hauled 250 cubic yards of topsoil weather was probably approaching. After a from the site back to Allin Companies, review of the blueprints, it was recommended that 44 poplar trees be substituted where it was stored inside one of the warehouses. Using a bulldozer, the soil was with maple and ash. The site was exposed stacked under the roof to keep it dry so to heavy northwest winds and there was some concern that thefragilepoplars could that it could be used later in the winter to topdress bed areas. possibly break off and damage customers' Landscape installation work began on vehicles. site November 4. Five days later, a tremenWorking closely with Lake County dous snowfall hit. By November 11, the Nursery in Madison, Ohio, the plants and The Wegmans project "was a classic examtrees were ordered and scheduled for deliv- Erie lake shore had 48 inches of snow and 55 plus at the Wegmans site. Installation ple of everyone working together to get the ery. Lake County supplied 90 percent of work was stopped till November 18, with job done," says John Allin. zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA the plant material needed for the project. by J E N N I F E R tion work. However the mums were scheduled for March 1 delivery. Crews took the mums to a vacant company office, placed them on plastic and set the room temperature at 65° F. The flowers were watered each day, and a window was left open at night to simulate normal fall conditions in the Erie area. The weather worsened as March 16 neared. On the 14th, Allin Companies hydroseeded previously seeded areas so everything would be green. The mums were to be planted at 4 o'clock in the morning on the 16th to be in before the 7 Allin employees found themselves planting viburnum and juniper one day, and shoveling a.m. grand opening. off the planter islands the next as they worked to meet the store's grand opening date. zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONM On the 15th, the temperature hit 15° F, and a hard snow began to fall. At 8 p.m. on March 15th, Allin and Wegman officials a foot of snow still on the ground. Snow re- opening. A grower was called, and several decided not to plant the mums till Easter. hundred mums were "forced" so they moval work then began at the 95,000 would be in full bloom for the opening. Instead of planting mums at 4 a.m., the square foot site. Allin crews salted the lot, touched up bark Allin Companies told Wegmans that the In early December, Allin Companies mulch and removed plow stakes. Every mums would last only a few days, but the was also awarded the turfgrass installation grass area not covered by snow was hyclient insisted on color for the opening. portion of the contract. Taken away from droseeded again. All planting was complete Tim e f or t h e grassing the site development contractor, the hyand on time. By mid-January, most available areas droseeding would need to be complete by By mid-May, only two trees and six were planted. A significant space near the the March 1997 opening. The stored topbuilding was not ready for planting because plants had died from the weather. soil back at the warehouse was definitely President John Allin says the Wegmans of the building construction. going to be put to good use. project was an exciting challenge, but he Installation work progressed between It was now time to begin the grass the snowstorms throughout the winter. Allin areas. Crews began the long process of rak- would prefer not to do many more winter projects. employees found themselves planting ing the island areas to remove the large viburnum and juniper one day, and shovel- pieces of frozen soil. At the same time, "Because we could not predict the ing off the planter islands the next. crews were back at the warehouse breaking snowfalls we had to work around," says Prot ect ion f or plant ers down the stored pile of top soil. As the isAllin. "It was nerve racking and a logistical lands became ready the dry pulverized unnightmare." Working closely with the site civil engifrozen top soil was hauled to the site and Allin Companies employees were glad neer from Urban Engineers of Erie and used to topdress the islands. to be working, but conditions were cerWegmans, obstacles were met and overtainly not what most landscape contractors come. Aside from the snow piled on the As areas became ready for seeding, a are used to. planting islands, the main planters against Bowie 900 gallon hydroseeder was used to the building needed support and had to be seed with a bluegrass and ryegrass mixture. Allin credits the work of his site foreprepped so that freezing temperatures The hydroseeder then had to be winter- man, Jerry Kunco, and the teamwork would not damage the planters. among the Wegmans personnel for the ized for the cold nights and prepped again success of the project. for morning. Planting areas had to be built in as soon "It was a classic example of everyone Weat h er delay as possible. Trees had to be planted and working together to get the job done," says The winter conditions provided hardstaked before the ground froze. Ed Kris Allin. The company has been asked to bid ships for the landscape contractors, and also from Lake County Nursery visited the site on future Wegmans construction sites in for some of the building contractors. The regularly throughout the winter to help New York. • grand opening date was pushed back to Allin in properly protecting the plants and March 16. trees from the wind and snow. Towards the end of the year, Wegmans This was both good and bad news. The requested flowers on-site for the grand later date gave two more weeks for installa-