Flexible Contracting With F.H. Paschen Speeds Up Municipal Drainage & Utility Repairs in St. John, Indiana

Job Order Contracting model cuts administrative delays to fast-track essential public works upgrades

ST. JOHN, INDIANA - The Town of St. John is using an on-demand cooperative purchasing model with national infrastructure builder F.H. Paschen to accelerate local drainage improvements and water main repairs this year. Through Job Order Contracting under the OMNIA Partners program, St. John municipal leaders can approve ongoing maintenance and repair tasks as needed without starting a separate, lengthy administrative process for each small repair.

By eliminating upfront design fees and other administrative costs, the municipality is able to save money and direct more local taxpayer dollars straight into physical repairs.

Northwest Indiana municipalities already rely on cooperative purchasing for buying things like road salt and fleet fuel. St. John is applying that same procurement model directly to public works construction.

"Working with F.H. Paschen through job order contracting has been an easy process. F.H. Paschen takes the time to meet and help plan every project. They have suggested different ideas for projects that saved the Town money. They give honest opinions on what is or what is not needed for the project,” said Gabe Hernandez, Director of Public Works at St. John, Indiana.

“Through the job order contracting process, St. John has been able to complete multiple projects in a short time. While job order contracting is not always the answer for all projects, it is a very useful option for municipalities to have."

Some of the St. John’s improvements with F.H. Paschen include:

● Replacing more than 1/8th of a mile of stormwater piping, setting drainage inlets, and restoring neighborhood turf in Schillton Hills.

● Installing 860 feet of stormwater pipe and seven drainage structures to relieve flooding in Parrish Woods.

● Mobilizing an emergency crew after hours to repair a ruptured water service line on Patterson Street.

Most installation and repair work is handled directly by F.H. Paschen's Merrillville office with support from local subcontractors and suppliers including VS Engineering, Grimmer Construction, South Lake Stone, Ferguson Waterworks, and P&C Trucking.

Field work is coordinated daily with municipal staff to prevent interruptions to local water or sewer service.

Leveraging its local workforce and equipment resources, F.H. Paschen has demonstrated the ability to mobilize repair crews and heavy equipment within one hour in response to emergency calls.

"This relationship is built on direct communication and following through on commitments," said Jordan Falls, Project Manager at F.H. Paschen. "The town knows what to expect from our crews, and our team knows how to get equipment moving quickly."

Using Job Order Contracting gives municipal leaders a dependable way to preserve staff time while keeping utility systems running smoothly.

“Local leadership in NWI is about delivering reliable results while remaining responsible stewards of taxpayer money,” said James Reitz, Vice President of F.H. Paschen’s Indiana Group. “St. John is demonstrating how local governments can remove administrative delays to keep neighborhood infrastructure projects moving.”

With offices in Merrillville, Lafayette and South Bend, F.H. Paschen’s Indiana Group is committed to building better communities across The Hoosier State.

For more information on how F.H. Paschen can bring Job Order Contracting to your community, contact the team at JOCInfo@fhpaschen.com.

Source: F.H. Paschen.