PC Construction accepts National CMAA award for BETA Technologies facility

BETA Technologies’ Manufacturing and Assembly Facility in South Burlington. Courtesy Photo.

Vermont Business Magazine PC Construction of South Burlington recently accepted a National Project Achievement Award from the Construction Management Association of America. The CMAA award recognized PC’s work on the BETA Technologies’ Manufacturing and Assembly Facility, which supports the manufacture and assembly of the electric aerospace company’s battery-powered aircraft and electric charging infrastructure. 

This facility, which was completed last year, included the construction of a new, 188,500-square-foot high-bay building located directly adjacent to the Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport runways. The fully operating facility includes aircraft manufacture and assembly space, office and employee spaces and support areas. Work included substantial site preparation, blasting and excavation, a parking lot and utility road, and a 2.7-acre geothermal field, which is one of the largest in New England. 

The CMAA National Project Achievement Awards recognize those construction projects that are pinnacles of excellence and innovation. In 2024, CMAA recognized 17 projects for their outstanding achievements in construction management, with the BETA project winning the top honor in the commercial, sports, entertainment or hospitality greater than $50 million category. 

This large and complex project required PC to proactively support and address several key challenges for BETA – including incompatible zoning regulation impacts, supply chain disruption, and the proximity to an operating airport. In addition, evolving manufacturing requirements caused significant building scope and design changes midway through construction. Despite these challenges, the project was completed on a drastically accelerated timeline. PC poured the first placement of concrete in June 2022 and BETA started installing equipment on the manufacturing floor less than 12 months later. Recently, BETA rolled its first production-intent electric aircraft off the final assembly line at this facility — marking another major milestone, just another year later. 

According to Alex Gagnon, a representative from BETA: “PC had the mental flexibility to align with BETA as a startup, not just as a company doing a construction project. Specifically, PC embraced scheduling the way we define it: not just getting something done by the deadline, but getting it done ASAP. The result, a net-zero building where we will build net-zero aircraft, is something we can all be proud of.”

Said PC President / CEO Matt Cooke, “I am so proud to have been a part of this important project for the State of Vermont, and for the incredible team who poured their heart and soul into the design and construction efforts. This was a truly collaborative project from the start, and the resulting success is testament to that team effort.”  

About PC Construction

PC Construction offers general contracting, construction management and design-build services to private and public clients across the country. The company manages projects along the east coast from its headquarters in Vermont and a network of locations in Florida, Georgia, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina and the Mid-Atlantic. From specialized buildings to complex water and wastewater treatment plants, PC is ranked annually as one of the top contractors in the country. A construction industry leader for over 65 years, PC Construction is guided to success by its team of dedicated employee-owners.

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