Construction Management students from Bowling Green State University earn top spots in 2024 New Builders Estimating Competition
BGSU had two teams in the competition: heavy/civil and residential. The students from BGSU competed against students from Ball State University, Kent State University, Purdue, and the University of Cincinnati.
On February 16 and 17, 2024, students from the Construction Management program at Bowling Green State University competed in the 2024 New Builders Estimating Competition at the University of Cincinnati. Bowling Green University has had students participating at the competition since 2014, and this year, its teams did better than ever, with the heavy/civil team earning first place and the residential team earning second place.
According to an article on Bowling Green State University’s website, Assistant Teaching Professor Lisa Schaller explained the reasons why BGSU’s students did so well in the competition, saying, “The strong showing exemplifies the students’ attention to detail, teamwork, working on real-life projects and submitting proposals according to industry standards. This in itself demonstrates that our School of the Built Environment students are working in real-life scenarios, under the guidance of industry professionals and faculty that bring many years of experience to the table for the students and their learning of the industry. Our students are acquiring strong industry relationships and knowledge at an earlier level of their education that classroom studies alone cannot facilitate.”
The School of the Built Environment at Bowling Green State University was just opened in 2023, though the programs within it have existed at the school previously. Construction Management students and Architecture students often have opportunities to learn collaboratively within the School of the Built Environment. The Construction Management program boasts a 100% job placement rate post graduation and is one of only four such programs in the state that is accredited by the Accreditation of Construction Education.
The students extensively prepared for the 2024 New Builders Estimating Competition, with both five-person teams being led by industry mentors. The competition involved developing a plan for a project and using the skills students learned to do project management, safety planning, estimating, and market analysis for the project.
BGSU’s heavy/civil estimating team was Nate Bailey, Ellie Berry, Max Eaton, Kalyn Johnson, and Danny Witcher, led by industry mentors Chris Wagler, Jared Houtz, and Hailey Stowers with Kokosing Construction Company.
Eaton, who served as the team captain, described the experience, saying, “We all came in with different backgrounds in construction. We had to learn how to come together and work out every step the best we could. I learned how to make an RFP bid packet, and I learned that it takes way more than most people think when it comes to construction and the process -- from the time of making a bid until they see us on site breaking ground to start the job.”
The residential estimating team, which took home second place at the competition, was Joe Butcher, Jordan Myers, Jacob Rentas, Samantha Shara, and Alex Tillia. The team was mentored by JP Ankney from Gulfstream Development.
Schaller explained how her students prepared for the competition outside of class, spending roughly 40 hours working together and planning. She finds the competition a valuable experience in itself, and that the industry mentors who work with the students are able to get to know them and their working styles and the relationships sometimes lead to internship opportunities.
Eaton had high praise for Bowling Green State University’s School of the Built Environment. He said, “I chose to study construction management here because I felt at home with the campus and felt that the program fit me best compared to other schools. BGSU has helped significantly in my career development through co-ops and how friendly and approachable everyone in the School of Built Environment is. Bringing in industry professionals really gives us an idea of what's happening in the field, while also helping us build valuable connections for the future.”
For more information about Bowling Green State University, visit the school’s website.