[December 01, 2015]

Construction Estimating Software Developer Awards $25K in Scholarships to Construction Interns

Construction estimating software developer HCSS (www.hcss.com) has awarded $25,000 in scholarships in their first-annual Construction Intern Awards. They awarded a total of six scholarships to interns in construction-related fields. The grand prize winner and recipient of a $10,000 scholarship was Chase Ekstam, who is a current intern with APAC-Missouri and is a student at Missouri State University majoring in Construction Management.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151201006544/en/

Chase Ekstam, a student at Missouri State University was the grand prize winner and awarded a $10,000 scholarship. (Photo: Business Wire)

"During my involvements with APAC as an intern, I'm reminded daily of how a good, solid work ethic and a want to learn something new every day can fulfill many positive aspects in my life," said Chase. "I have been able to acquire a skillset that is invaluable fr myself in my future career and have had the opportunity to work side-by-side with some of the most reputable men and women in the industry."

"Everybody that Chase has interacted with inside and outside of our company has high praise for Chase's ability to grasp the safety and quality culture of our company, the ideas and theories behind what needs to happen to make the work flow, and the ability to work together as a team to get the tasks and projects done," said Doug Fronick, Estimating Manager and Ekstam's supervisor at APAC-Missouri.

Five other finalists were also each awarded a $3,000 scholarship.

• Matthew Atkinson, Texas A&M University, Manhattan Construction
• James MacAdam, Ohio State University, Beaver Excavating Company
• Luis Fernandez, Virginia Tech University, Traylor Bros., Inc.
• Michael Trabold, Northeastern University, Merritt Construction Services
• Cierra Ford (News - Alert), Worchester Polytechnic Institute, PC Construction

Eligible internships included any construction internships of at least two months in length that occurred during the 2014-2015 school year or Summer 2015.

"I felt like this would be a competitive contest that would highlight some impressive construction interns," said HCSS President Steve McGough. "But I was still surprised at the quality and quantity of the entries. The interns gained valuable, real world experience working on complex projects for many of the top companies in construction. With these young professionals entering our workforce, I am confident our industry has a bright future."

To enter, students needed to submit a brief summary of their work, which was then voted on by an expert panel that included Pete Ruane, CEO of the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA); Steve Sandherr, CEO of The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC); Carl Heinlein, Safety Consultant with ACIG; Rick Schwer, VP/Publisher of SGC (News - Alert) Group; Stuart Binstock, CEO of the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA); Michael Holland, President of the American Council for Construction Education (ACCE); Lori Brown, President of the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC (News - Alert)); Bill Hillman, CEO of the National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA); and Marcia Gruver Doyle, Editorial Director, Randall-Reilly.

ABOUT HCSS

Founded in 1986, HCSS is a leading provider of software solutions for the heavy/highway/utility construction industry. More than 40,000 professionals rely on HCSS software every day, including the bestsellers HeavyBid® and HeavyJob®, to improve their proficiency at estimating, job management, resource management, safety and equipment maintenance. HCSS also offers mobile applications and cloud computing services to allow companies flexibility in the latest in information technologies.

In addition to high quality software, HCSS is best known for providing world-class customer service with professional implementation planning, training and instant 24/7 phone support.

HCSS is located at 13151 West Airport Blvd., Sugar Land, Texas, 77478. For more information about HCSS and its complete line of estimating, field management and resource management products, visit www.hcss.com, call 800-683-3196 or e-mail [email protected].

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151201006544/en/

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