Nor-Son Receives Two State Awards of Excellence from Associated Builders and Contractors

Wednesday, February 25, 2009:
Nor-Son, Inc. received two Eagle Awards of Excellence from the Minnesota Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). Nor-Son’s representatives accepted the awards at ABC’s 2008 Excellence in Construction Banquet at The Metropolitan Ballroom on Friday, February 6. In recognition of outstanding achievement and quality workmanship, awards were received in the following categories. In COMMERCIAL – $1-5 MILLION, for the Bay Lake Church Camp, Deerwood, Minnesota and in RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION SINGLE FAMILY, for the Anderson French Chateau in Northern Minnesota.

ABC’s awards program is designed to recognize publicly the quality and innovation of merit shop construction and to honor all the members of the construction team, including the contractor, the owner and the design team responsible for the project. The winning projects were selected from entries submitted from across the state and were judged on complexity, attractiveness, unique challenges, completion time, workmanship, innovation, safety and budget.

As the Design/Builder for Bay Lake Church Camp, Nor-Son transformed the camping facilities into a rustic camping experience with updated amenities and modern conveniences that reflect the camps valued tradition to connect with nature. This 72-acre island was donated to a Lutheran church in St. Paul in the early 1900’s. In 1926 the first 145 campers arrived from Minneapolis for the Fourth of July weekend. Ever since this time, the 72-acre island has been called Church Island. With all its natural beauty and character, the island is an important component of Bay Lake. Only a small portion of the island is currently developed with facilities used for the camp. Tall stands of oak, birch, pine, cedar and maple blanket the land down to the undisturbed 8,000 feet of shoreline. Nor-Son’s ability to meet the challenges of working on an island location during summer and winter months while preserving the aquatic environment was an example of construction excellence. Materials and crew were transported by barge when open water was feasible or over ice during the winter. Scheduling and safety were critical for the success of this project.

Following a philosophy of creating warm, welcoming and well-built environments, Nor-Son built an impressive estate called The Anderson Chateau. Standing as a tribute for future generations, the home showcases incomparable craftsmanship with minimal impact to the environment. The Nor-Son team anticipated client ideas and made their vision reality.

Antique hand hewn oak and poplar is used throughout the home as decorative accents, structural trusses and archways, blending beautifully with the harvested Wisconsin stone. The circular stair tower was hand framed to cast the four-inch poured concrete floors and topped with black walnut. A custom designed and forged iron rail decorates the flight to the second floor. Above, the tower ceiling was hand constructed on the ground with reclaimed oak and lifted into place with a crane.

In conquering the many unique challenges of a small site, limited design, old-world materials and precise craftsmanship, Nor-Son, Inc. has created a building that stands a testament of time.

About Nor-Son, Inc.:
Founded in 1978, Nor-Son, Inc. is a nationally recognized leader in the design and construction industry. The construction services firm specializes in creating warm, welcoming and well built environments for the home, hospitality, healthcare and commercial sectors. The company provides Consulting, Pre-Construction, Design, Construction and Maintenance services. A 17-time national award winner of the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), Nor-Son has offices in Baxter, Minnesota, and Fargo, North Dakota. www.nor-son.com

Editors Note:
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) is a national association representing 23,000 merit shop construction and construction-related firms in 79 chapters across the United States. For more news and information, visit ABC’s website, www.abc.org.