Miller-Valentine Group Recognized at 2007 Excellence in Construction Awards

Contact:
Lesley Jones Edward Howard - 937-228-1141 or
Michael Greitzer Miller-Valentine Group - 937-293-0900

Miller-Valentine Group Recognized at 2007 Excellence in Construction Awards

MVG transformed 1950’s building into Cox Ohio’s new technology enriched multi-media center

Dayton, OH – December 21, 2007 – Miller-Valentine Group’s work on Cox Ohio Publishing’s new Media Center has earned the company the construction project of the year award from the Ohio Valley Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors’ (OVABC) 2007 Excellence in Construction Awards. Miller-Valentine also received an Award of Excellence in the renovation category for the project.

“ABC is proud to honor Miller-Valentine and Cox Ohio for their innovative, industry-leading work on the new Media Center,” said Kathy Somers, president of ABC’s Ohio Valley chapter. “The project is an outstanding example of the exceptional craftsmanship and professionalism that embody merit shop construction.”

Miller-Valentine began the planning process for the $11 million renovation of the 50-year-old NCR building in August 2006 and completed the project in May 2007. The goal was to create a leading edge media center that will provide an open work environment for its nearly 700 employees.

“This was a unique project from the standpoint that in today’s development climate, it’s so easy to simply bulldoze a building and start from scratch. But we didn’t do that here,” said Michael Greitzer, Partner and President of the Dayton Market, Miller-Valentine Group. “The new media center is a wonderful example of adaptive re-use. We took a vintage building and transformed it into a space that is relevant to the community and ready to do business in the new information age of the 21st century.”

The result is four floors of open newsrooms, with all of the necessary technology: 30-40 monitors, flat-screen TVs that continuously relay company information, WiFi network connections, computers, LCD plasma screens and all the electronic capabilities needed to create a modern, progressive media center.

Greitzer said that technology was the key to accomplishing Cox Ohio’s goal of making the new Media Center a total information source.

“Accessibility to news at all levels is important, so it was necessary to create a technology environment that made it possible to share that information throughout the Center. Fiber optics, WiFi and wiring of the entire building make it possible for the new Media Center to connect to the company’s Print Technology Center, located several miles away,” said Greitzer.

Four stories of the 223,000-square-foot building were completely gutted. Hard-wall offices in the original interior were removed allowing “open landscape” construction. The configuration of the new work space for the company’s employees include conference rooms, store rooms, “huddle” spaces for discussions and interviews, training rooms, new hard-wall offices, snack bars and other amenities. New 42” high cubicles (rather than the standard 72” high cubicles) contribute to the openness of the space on each floor. To further enhance the open environment, half walls made of glass - many with the application of photos from the Dayton Daily News archives - separate department spaces. Workstations with modular furniture make it easy for departments to interact with each other.

“Miller-Valentine was outstanding to work with,” said Mike Joseph, Senior Vice President of Cox Ohio Publishing. “They came in, asked the right questions and delivered. We required a lightfilled, open landscape that will facilitate collaboration, information sharing and employee interaction. We also wanted to create a distinctive identity for the building that would reflect the Cox Ohio Publishing brand. The end result exceeded our expectations.” About Miller-Valentine Group Miller-Valentine Group offers total real estate solutions in the areas of Design/Build Construction, Development, Management, and Financing for both commercial and residential markets and also provides Renovation, Brokerage, and Leasing services for commercial markets. All of Miller-Valentine Group’s divisions have combined to provide customers with more than 50 million square feet of commercial space and over 8,000 residential housing units. Miller-Valentine Group, founded in 1963, operates offices in Dayton and Cincinnati, Ohio, and Columbia, South Carolina. Miller-Valentine Group offers a wide range of commercial products, including office, retail, lodging, healthcare, manufacturing and distribution facilities and an equally wide range of residential products, including multi-family, single family, active adult, and military housing throughout the Midwest and MidAtlantic regions.

Miller-Valentine Group has been awarded the prestigious national “Developer of the Year Award” by the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP); Miller-Valentine Construction has been awarded OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program “STAR” designation – the first general contractor to receive this designation on a statewide level.