ELYRIA – As far as construction jobs go in Lorain County, there are few that are bigger than the new Elyria High School.

Local contractors are eager to be part of the project – and upset when they`re left out, as was the case when school officials chose a brick not supplied by a local company.

But at 7 a.m. Friday – weather permitting, of course – workers from Elyria`s own Elyria Concrete Co. will be on the site, pouring concrete for the massive project.

The family-owned company, which is run by brothers Chad and Dave Walls and father John Walls, is one of the many subcontractors on the project, working under the Marous Brothers Construction Co.

Elyria Concrete`s job throughout the duration of the project will be to supply all of the concrete for the floors and exterior sidewalks, curbs and Dumpster pads, Dave Walls said.

“This is about a $250,000 job for us,” he said. “It feels good to be a part of it. It`s the biggest job besides that new baseball field and recreation center that is going up in Avon that is happening in Lorain County.”

Walls said he won the bid to get the job and does not agree with the criticism of other local suppliers and vendors that the school board has left local companies out in the cold.

“Yes, it`s a very competitive bid process and we had to fight pretty hard for this job, but the fact that we were so close to the job meant we could be a little more competitive,” Walls said. “I don`t think they are cutting any corners just because we are local. They went with the best price, and I would think that`s what the taxpayers would want.”

While the $71 million project is partially financed by tax dollars raised by a levy earmarked for the school, state and federal laws require school officials to award contracts through competitive bidding that puts no restrictions on who is allowed to submit bids.

“The selection process requires that the lowest, most responsible bidder be picked,” said Rich Nielson, the school district`s director for business services. “Because this is a public project, we are forced to take the lowest bidder — under state law.”

For the most part, local firms didn`t bid on the jobs because of the costs involved. Exceptions included landscaping work, on which Elyria companies bid. The contract ultimately went to an Olmsted Falls company, Neilson said.

Of the $45 million-plus awarded in major contracts in March for masonry, plumbing, roofing and electrical work, as well as heating and air conditioning systems, none went to local firms.

At that time, Nielson indicated there would be plenty of work for local laborers. At the same time, Scott Wagner, project manager for Regency Construction, the firm serving as general contractor for the project, indicated minority workers would make up part of the total work force.

And now, with that work under way, local laborers are starting to reap some benefits of the construction project.

Citing figures he prepared for Elyria school board members, Wagner said local workers made up 27.16 percent of the work force from January through March. The number of minorities and females hired to work on the project was slightly higher at 28.39 percent.

“We can`t dictate who (contractors) hire and where they get their supplies from, but everyone has been good to work with when it comes to incorporating the local work force and using local companies,” Wagner said.

Work going to two Lorain County unions right now is for masonry work, which will use members of Laborers Local 758, and brickwork, which will use workers from the Lorain County chapter of Bricklayers Local 5.

More area unions and workers will join the project as it moves forward, Wagner said.

“Each contractor will look at local subs (subcontractors) for people. We`re putting an emphasis on local hiring,” he said.

Contact Lisa Roberson at 329-7121 or lroberson@chroniclet.com.

Contact Steve Fogarty at 329-7146 or sforgarty@chroniclet.com.

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