First place in competition
The Ohio State University’s Ohio Contractors Association Estimating Competition Team finished first in the state at the 2014 OCA Estimating Competition held February 14 and 15 at the Hilton at Easton Town Center.
Kokosing Construction Company, along with the civil engineering department, sponsored a student team to participate in the 14th Annual Ohio Contractors Association Estimating Competition. The teams were challenged to prepare an actual construction project built by an OCA member. All teams use the same bidding documents provided to the companies who bid the actual job. No information pertaining to the project is made available until the start of the competition. Teams submit their estimate as if they were the actual bidding company. Teams are scored on their work, as well as their ability to assemble and submit a quality estimate. A panel made up of OCA representatives evaluates each team’s estimate and provides a score for day one of the competition.
Teams make their oral presentations to the panel of judges on day two. Every team member is required to speak during this presentation. Teams are scored on the quality of their presentation and their ability to communicate their knowledge and understanding of the project. The scores from day one are added to the scores from day two and the winner is determined.
Obada Alsaqqa, Austin Davis, Daniel Eschliman, Troy Nissen, Michael Oeters, and Caleb Smith made up the Ohio State team. Ken Kerns, Construction Manager from EMH&T and Drew Norman, Estimator/Engineer from Kokosing Construction Company served as industry representatives to the team.
“The team did a great job on a very challenging project,” said Ken Kerns. “This is the third time an OSU team has finished in first place since 2007 and twice in the last three years. We would like to express our congratulation to the team members on a job well done.”
The first place team from Ohio State earned $2,000 which was split evenly among the six members.
The Ohio Contractors Association Estimating Competition is a student competition of major Ohio universities. This year’s competing schools included University of Akron, Ohio Northern, Ohio University, University of Toledo, Bowling Green State, Youngstown State, University of Dayton, University of Cincinnati, Cleveland State University, and Ohio State.
