May 17, 2013, Pasadena, CA – Shaping the skylines in California
and Hawaii for half a century is an accomplishment worth celebrating,
especially for a company that values volunteerism.
“Throughout
the 2013 calendar year, we’re ‘Celebrating 50 years and Beyond’—where
we’ve been and where we’re going,” said Pankow CEO and President Kim
Lum. “Pankow was built on a tradition of giving back to the communities
in which we work and live. This year, we’re building a series of legacy
projects near our Pankow office locations in California and Hawaii.”
The
projects include a renovation and seismic upgrade for the San Francisco
Child Abuse Prevention Center; the installation of a shade structure,
benches and new trees in Pasadena’s Central Park; and the procurement
and installation of a community exercise station in Ala Moana Beach
Park, Honolulu. A project to construct an open air structure with tables
at the Rotary Peace Pavilion in the city center of Corcoran,
California, was completed in November 2012.
Major Milestones
Industry Leadership Contributing to a Better Way to Build
Pankow
achievements have helped define the construction industry, its
practices and professional organizations. Charles Pankow was one of the
founding members of the Design Build Institute of America (DBIA) and
Pankow Builders has infused it with continual leadership for the past 20
years. Pankow has offered 40 years of support and leadership in the
American Concrete Institute, which have led to numerous advances in the
structural concrete design and construction field. Pankow staff are
national leaders within the Lean Construction Institute, an
international effort to maximize value and minimize waste throughout the
construction process.
The Charles Pankow Foundation
(www.pankowfoundation.org), under the stewardship of Richard M. Kunnath,
Pankow Executive Chairman of the Board, was established in 2002, two
years before the death of Charles Pankow. It is the nation's only
privately funded nonprofit dedicated to building innovation. By
sponsoring $8 million in applied research since 2006, the foundation has
advanced the building information modeling (BIM) industry and supports
the research, development and dissemination of new ideas and products
that help the U.S. building construction industry to be more efficient
and more cost competitive.
Landmark Structures
On
May 17, 1963, design/build innovator Charles Pankow launched his new
company in a garage, with the determination to excel in concrete
construction, while he developed and refined the design/build method.
Fifty years later, Pankow Builders has constructed hundreds of
structures across the country and is nationally recognized for its
ability to introduce and advance better ways to build.
Pankow
has built a number of notable structures over the last 50 years, and
continues to shape city skylines. In Los Angeles, Pankow provided
construction services for the 12-acre Grand Park (2012), an expansion
and renovation of the historic Civil Mall and pedestrian connection from
the renowned Music Center to the Los Angeles City Hall. Pankow also
constructed the Gateway Center Transit Station—East Portal (1995), a
monumental archway through which travelers enter the city’s transit hub
for buses, subways, Amtrak, light rail and commuter rail. The special
events and sports arena at the University of Hawaii at Manoa (1994),
later renamed the Stan Sheriff Center, was the state’s first
design/build contract and paved the way for further design/build public
projects in Hawaii.
Currently, Pankow is at work on the
construction of two public buildings that are slated for LEED-Gold
certification. The San Francisco Public Safety Building (completion
estimate 2014) will house the San Francisco Police Department Command
Center, district police station and neighborhood fire station. Seismic
upgrades and improvements are being made to the San Francisco War
Memorial Veterans Building (completion estimate 2015), the home of both
arts and veterans organizations and the Herbst Theatre.
Future Direction
Pankow
is referring to its anniversary year as “Celebrating 50 years and
Beyond,” because the company is well positioned for continued growth and
innovation.
“Pankow will remain nimble and ready to embrace
change over the next 50 years,” said Lum. “We are committed to investing
in technology, tools and education to remain at the forefront of
building innovation. We’re also dedicated to helping our employees grow
and to investing in their health and wellness.”
