[caption id="attachment_40161" align="alignleft" width="1000"] Lifetime Achievement Award winner Mike Davis' son, Michael, spouse, Lori, mother, Yvonne and daughter, Micaela Davis[/caption]

By Ken Mammarella
Special to Delaware Business Times

Mike Davis, the late chief estimator for Diamond Materials, LLC, is the first posthumous winner of the Delaware Contractors Association Lifetime Achievement Award. The association announced the winner Wednesday night at its 49th annual meeting inside the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington.

He was honored for his service on the trade group's board of directors and executive committee. Dawn Hollett, office manger of the Wilmington company, said Davis, who died in a spearfishing accident on Labor Day, loved sports and was "an Eagles fan like no other."

Peter Erony, president of Mumford & Miller Concrete, Inc. in Middletown, was honored with the Richard P. DiSabatino Sr. Award for his service to the association. He served 18 years on the board and multiple years as chair of its Delaware Department of Transportation liaison committee. Erony said he was surprised to win.

"I'm just doing as much as any guy or girl," he said. The award was presented by DiSabatino's grandson Adam.

Brian Dawkins, a Philadelphia Eagles player for 13 years, emphasized hope in his keynote. He called hope the "most powerful word for yourself and others." He praised a teacher for giving him hope when he was overcoming a youthful stutter.

The ceremony honored the recipients of 20 Construction Excellence awards.

Here are the winners:

Campus Infrastructure Under $5 Million: Eastern States Construction Service, Inc., University of Delaware Wolf Hall and Harter Hall steam and condensate improvements.

Campus Residence Over $40 Million: The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., University of Delaware South Academy Residence Hall

Campus Residence Under $5 Million: Gbuild Construction Managers, University of Delaware Willard Hall and McDowell Hall renovations.

EDiS Co., Route 9 Library & Innovation Center.

Civic Special Project: JJID, Inc., New Castle Industrial Tract Trail Phase III.

Excellence in Craftsmanship "“ Electrical: Preferred Electric Inc., Nemours/A.I. duPont Hospital for Children neonatal intensive care unit 2A expansion.

Excellence in Craftsmanship "“ Mechanical: Modern Controls, Chesapeake Utilities new office and warehouse building automation system.

General Building $5-$10 Million: Gbuild Construction Managers, Turn5 corporate headquarters renovation.

General Building Over $10 Million: The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., Incyte corporate headquarters and parking garage.

General Building Under $5 Million: The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., Christiana Care Health System, Wilmington Hospital South Tower Helistop.

Health Care "“ Clinical: HSC Builders & Construction Managers, Nemours/A.I. duPont Hospital for Children neonatal intensive care unit expansion.

Health Care Special Project: Skanska USA Building Inc., Christiana Care Health System, Women and Children's parking garage.

Highway Construction Over $35 Million: Mumford & Miller Concrete, Inc., POW/MIA Memorial Parkway (also known as the West Dover Connector).

Highway Construction Under $5 Million: George & Lynch, Inc., Atlantic Avenue, Phase I Improvement Plan.

Highway Rehabilitation Under $5 Million: Diamond Materials, LLC, Airport Road rehabilitation project.

Industrial Construction Over $20 Million: Bancroft Construction Co., Amtrak Wilmington Shops.

Infrastructure Construction Over $5 Million: Diamond Materials, LLC, Cranbury Logistics Center Building No. 1.

Infrastructure Construction Under $5 Million: Corrado Construction Co., Rehoboth Beach City Hall.

Manufacturing Over $70 Million: Wohlsen Construction Co., Project Eagle pharmaceutical manufacturing facility.

Residential Construction: Dewson Construction Co., Bethany Beach vacation home.