Construction chiefs build excitement at PWC event.

Professional Women in Construction's most recent networking blockbuster, "Meet the Construction Chiefs," drew a capacity crowd to La Maganette Ristorante in NYC on a snowy February 24.

"We're eager to eventually open our first store in New York City," said Frank Pampalone, director of design and construction for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., one of the honored guests at the event.

Pampalone, undaunted by media reports of the retail giant's dashed plans to build a store in Queens, said, "Hopefully, we'll open somewhere in 2008." In her introduction of Pampalone, Professional Women in Construction (PWC) President Lenore Janis noted that even the press had conceded that "the shoppers want Wal-Mart."

Pampalone also said "We're a growth company; we plan to gain 8% in square footage each year."

He reported that Wal-Mart had completed 332 projects in 2004 (including a store in Westbury, L.I.), and planned 335 to 365 for 2005.

Pampalone noted that since opening its first store in Arkansas in 1962, as of 1/31/04 Wal-Mart had grown to over 3900 stores totaling more than six million square feet domestically and approximately 1600 units in 10 other nations. He then expressed his support of W/MBEs and invited all to seek opportunities with Wal-Mart.

The other honored guests were similarly upbeat in their remarks. Charles F. Murphy, vice president and general manager of Turner Construction Company, said that 2004 was a "real rebound" from the previous year with total construction spending in the New York region rising from $9.5 billion to $11 billion as noted by Dodge Report.

Turner is focusing on commercial, education/ science, and the "white hot" residential market in New York City and environs as well as health-care and public works. He also anticipated sports possibilities with the NY Nets.

Murphy stressed that Turner, founded in New York 103 years ago, is a longtime advocate for women and minority-owned businesses (W/MBEs). The support, he said, "is part of our culture," predating Turner's M/WBE program established in 1973 "which we've been actively advancing ever since."

Mary Fengya, senior project officer, design & construction with the New Jersey Schools Construction Corporation (SCC), reported that her agency is "building state-of-the-art schools for the children of New Jersey." Statewide there are currently over 40 new schools in construction, plus 30 additions and/or major renovations. In 2005, the SCC expects to begin design or construction on over 150 new school projects throughout the state. Fengya explained that she is responsible for Orange and East Orange which have, respectively, $188 million and $276 million planned for design and construction.

Thomas Groark, Assistant Chief Engineer/Construction with the Construction Management Division/Engineering Department at the Port Authority of NY and NJ said that in 2005 there is planned to be "$650 million of work in place," and approximately $600 million of contracts to be awarded.

The figures do not include work at the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan. He also said that there had been somewhat of a shift of work between airports and increased expenditures in Port/Commerce. Groark noted that "the Port Authority supports all diversity programs, and a significant number of contracts are being awarded in the one million dollar (plus or minus) range."

Noreen Doyle, executive vice president with Hudson River Park Trust, a city-state organization responsible for designing, constructing and operating the $400 million park project from Battery Place to 59th Street that will include 37 piers and oversee 400 acres of water, expressed her pleasure in being invited to present the project, adding that "several of the top people at our agency are women."