Mark Ludlow

How long have you worked with our company and has it been a positive/professional relationship? 2. Was there a specific project we worked on together?

I  was Resident Engineer for Carollo Engineers, Inc. and the  Modesto Irrigation District, with Auburn as the Contractor, on a very unusual  project from mid 2013 to mid 2015. Auburn was chosen as a sole source contractor to undertake demolition and rebuilding of 6 Membrane Filters, and to correct a number of design and structural construction deficiencies left  behind by the original contractor and design engineer/construction manager. Carollo had been  brought in earlier as the replacement design engineer/CM to correct those deficiencies and provide  MID with a working, durable 36 MGD membrane filter domestic water treatment plant.  Auburn’s original contract of about $6M guaranteed maximum price  (GMP) almost doubled by the time all was said and done.  Much of the change order work was anticipated ahead of time, but was not included in the GMP because the scope of the additional work was not fully defined at the time the original contract was signed.

Did we assist you with solving a problem(s) in a fair and reasonable manner?

Auburn’s  staff brought good ideas to the table that improved the quality and in many cases reduced the cost of the work.  ALL of  our dealings with Auburn were fair and reasonable. When it comes to change order negotiations, this is not the norm. In 2+ years of working together I can’t recall raising my voice or getting angry with anyone from Auburn.  I’m not by nature an angry person, and I  make an effort to get along with contractors, but it was no effort at all with anyone from Auburn.  From Andy Granner to Steve Abrusia (Auburn’s PM)  to the rawest of their trades people, I was treated fairly and with respect. It was easy to reciprocate.

How was the quality of a specific project we worked on together?

The quality of Auburn’s work is second to no one.  As good as I’ve ever seen.  Steve Abrusia was extraordinarily capable as a Project Manager, and a guy I consider a friend.   Their crews were multi-talented and very capable.  Their concrete forming/placing/finishing crew (Frank and the Boys, as Steve called them) did accurate, high quality work, and when the concrete work was all done, they pulled the carpentry tools out of their tool belts and replaced them with pipe fitters tools, and were just as capable doing that work. Auburns electrician was also very capable, and a real asset to the project

What would you say to somebody who is not sure about whether to start working with us?

I’ve been working in the Water/Wastewater construction management field for the better part of 40 years, mostly in Southern California.  I know most of the people doing this type of construction in Southern California.  I didn’t know Auburn at all when I started working with them at MID, but I had gotten great reviews from one of the Carollo vice presidents out of our Sacramento office.

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