Industry News

Facilities management provider Aramark has expanded with four major acquisitions in the past year. Clinical technology services business Premier Inc. was acquired by Aramark, increasing opportunities to provide managed services at heath-care institutions, including the management and maintenance of clinical equipment. Aramark also purchased Fine Host Corp., which added over 900 locations to Aramark's client roster, ranging from convention centers to prisons to stadiums.

Insulet Corp. has contracted North Attleborough-based Hodess Building Co. to construct a design/build project converting existing lab space into unclassified medical device manufacturing clean space in Beverly, Mass.

Ahura Corp. has initiated the design/build interior fit-up of 3,500-sf of laboratory and Class 100,000 cleanroom space in Wilmington. The project contractor is Hodess Building Co. of North Attleborough.

Houston-based Tractebel North America will build a $300-million, 800-megawatt power generating system in Ennis, Texas. The plant is the third in north Texas for Tractebel and the second of its kind in Ennis. Tractebel is the energy division of French-based global energy services conglomerate Suez Group. 

George Washington University is using $5-million in federal funds to create READI, the Response to Emergencies and Disasters Institute on its satellite campus in Loudoun County. The institute will train between 10,000 and 20,000 first responders annually, teaching firefighters, emergency management personnel, health care providers and law enforcement officers to respond in the event of a terrorist attack. Occupying up to half of the 100,000-sf former Psinet building, the center is expected to be operational in summer of 2003.