Steel Erectors Association of America Highlights Projects of Excellence

by David Flaherty | 10 June 2025 11:19 am

The Steel Erectors Association of America (SEAA) announces the winners of its 2025 Projects of the Year, which consist of both specialty steel installation and structural steel construction.
“These projects are excellent examples of how steel erectors bring various services to construction projects. Two winners served as the fabricator and erector on the job and worked closely with the engineer of record to find workable solutions to the original design plans. Another is a crane services provider, with unique access to rigging, cranes, and lift planning in addition to steel and concrete panel erection services,” says Pete Gum, SEAA executive director. “And for the first time, one of the winners is a specialty services provider—an industrial contractor that performs structural installations of material handling systems.”

Here are the 2025 winners:
Miscellaneous Metals Class II (Over $500,000): ORBIT Industrial Service & Maintenance, LLC[1]

In Casa Grande, Ariz., ORBIT Industrial Service & Maintenance installed three automated process cranes in a 278.709 m² (3 million sf) expansion of Lucid Motors’ manufacturing plant. Schuff Steel built the runways and structure, while ORBIT Industrial managed logistics and mobilizations for the installation of the powerbar, runway, and cranes.

Structural Class I (up to $500,000): Hodges Erectors, Inc.[2]

The Kaseya Center Arena, home to the NBA’s Miami Heat, recently underwent a $50 million renovation. This included upgrades to audio, lighting, and seating. The new sound system produces 50 percent more output, and the new lighting system offers a full-color LED experience.
Hodges Erectors was responsible for demolishing existing steel structures and installing a new framework to accommodate four corner scoreboards, a center scoreboard, and a catwalk. The arena was not closed for construction, and work revolved around concert and game schedules. On multiple occasions, Hodges Erectors’ crew had to completely demobilize, removing the crane, equipment, tools, and materials off-site and then remobilizing.

Structural Class II ($500,000 to $1 Million): All Things Metal, LLC[3]

All Things Metal, LLC was the fabricator and erector of a tenant improvement project for an office building in Phoenix. The rehabilitated building now includes unique amenities for office workers—a basement speakeasy, fitness center, training center, and open concept mezzanine.
All the structural steel was interior to the building, in an extremely confined space. As with any conversion of an existing structure, there were discrepancies between the plans and the realities of the original construction. One of the biggest challenges was that the seismic connection at the building’s expansion joint could not be built as originally designed, requiring an alternate solution.
Additionally, the building remained occupied during construction, requiring collaboration to reduce noise during daytime hours.

Structural Class III ($1 Million to $2.5 Million): GMF Steel Group[4]

GMF Steel Group and GMF Industries served as the erector and fabricator for the expansion of the Tampa Convention Center in Florida. The 55,742 m² (600,000 sf) addition involved integration of new steel structures into the existing foundation, while preserving the original roof’s precast façade.
Fenced on three sides, with the fourth side facing the water, the erector overcame the landlocked location by erecting steel from a crane barge. With no place for materials or staging, additional barges served as secondary docks, carrying steel from a remote location in a precise sequence for erection.
The convention center continued to host events during construction, limiting the timeline window to 55 days. This required creative solutions to increase efficiency and reduce the timeline to meet the project’s goals.

Structural Class IV (Over $2.5 Million): Alliance Riggers & Constructors, Ltd.[5]

Alliance Riggers & Constructors, Ltd., built a new performing arts center with seating for 1,100 people on a high school campus in Carlsbad, N.M. The company coordinated the simultaneous erection of structural steel and tilt-wall erection. They were also responsible for the erection of multiple staircases and elevated seating structures.
The 7,339 m^{2 (}79,000 sf) site was surrounded on three sides by existing campus buildings, providing only a single access point for construction. Crane selection and lift planning were critical to the job because of limited site access, panel weights, and lifting radii. The company attributed the project’s success to correctly utilizing the proper equipment, which included a traditional lattice boom crawler, a telecrawler, an all-terrain crane, and a rotating telescopic handler.

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