Bechtel Houses Displaced Families at Record Rate

Mississippi companies continue in major role to house those in need  

Jackson, MS, Nov. 11, 2005 -- Over 46,000 Mississippi residents displaced by Hurricane Katrina have moved into emergency housing that Bechtel National, Inc. (BNI) has installed and readied for occupancy under contract with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).  

"Our teams have worked around the clock to get emergency housing ready and we are very pleased that so many families are now housed," said Andy Phelps, BNI's program manager. "Federal officials tell us that the housing effort in Mississippi is proceeding at a rate 'faster than at any time in FEMA's history.' Across the state, we now have nearly 18,000 travel trailers and manufactured homes ready for occupancy. We will continue to work day and night until all Mississippians who need temporary housing have a safe, comfortable place to live."  

Bechtel's work on FEMA's disaster relief efforts is employing over 2,600 people, mostly from Mississippi and other Gulf states. To date, 53 percent of Bechtel's subcontracts have been awarded to firms in Mississippi and 75 percent to firms from the Gulf Coast region. Further, 70 percent of Bechtel's subcontracts have been awarded to small businesses, and Bechtel is making every effort to bring on women- and minority-owned firms.  

Contractors and suppliers can register at the Bechtel supplier/contractor site (http://supplier.bechtel.com). It lists some of the equipment the company may need, and offers instructions on how to register on the database.   Based in Frederick, MD, Bechtel National, Inc. is a leading provider of services to the U.S. government, specializing in large, complex projects in such areas as defense, space, energy, security and the environment.