Bechtel, Fema Begin Work on First Group Housing Site

"Our scope is to assess, design, develop, and construct the sites including pads and roads, and to provide power, water, and sanitary sewer services," said Andy Phelps, BNI's program manager. "We are working in close coordination with FEMA and state and local officials on all aspects of these sites. They are intended to provide Mississippians an alternative housing option for up to 18 months."  

In the meantime, Bechtel continues to deliver and install hundreds of other temporary housing units, which are now providing shelter to over 25,000 people across the state. Yesterday alone, nearly 1,400 residents were housed and over 500 new units were readied for occupancy.  

Bechtel's work on FEMA's disaster relief efforts is employing over 2,100 people, mostly from Mississippi and other Gulf states. To date, 60 percent of Bechtel's subcontracts have been awarded to firms in Mississippi and 73 percent to firms from the Gulf Coast region. Further, 86 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. It offers instructions on how to register on the database, and provides a sampling of Bechtel's major subcontracts.

Based in Frederick, MD, Bechtel National, Inc. (BNI) 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. BNI is part of San Francisco-based Bechtel Corp., one of the world's premier engineering, construction, and project management companies, with experience on more than 22,000 projects in 140 countries.