Maryland-based Whiting-Turner Contracting Company Selected as Prime General Contractor for MGM National Harbor Project

June 24, 2014
Local Company brings to project 50 years of building experience in Prince George’s County

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD, June 24, 2014 – MGM National Harbor, LLC, a subsidiary of MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM), today named nationally renowned construction management and general contracting company Whiting-Turner as Prime General Contractor for the company’s planned destination resort in Prince George’s County, MD. Serving in this role, the Whiting-Turner team will direct, supervise and coordinate construction of the approximately $1 billion project and ensure that the work complies with the provisions of the contract, associated plans and specifications.

 

Key in selecting such a critical partner was identifying a qualified company that shares MGM Resorts’ core values, striving to engage local and minority business operators at every opportunity and in every market the company operates. MGM Resorts’ track record is tantamount to its business philosophy. When engaging such a significant partner, the company searches for a firm with the demonstrated capability to meet those objectives. Whiting-Turner’s dedication to encouraging, advancing and utilizing minority-owned, women-owned, and local small businesses in its projects and operations aligns with MGM’s key priorities.

 

“With its proven track record and a sterling reputation for excellence, our choice of The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company really began to solidify when we realized that this is a company led by people who share some of our key company values, like working with minority-owned businesses and a commitment to sustainable building practices,” said Lorenzo Creighton, MGM National Harbor’s President and Chief Operating Officer. "This is a Maryland-based company with an admirable record and reputation in Prince George’s County. Whiting-Turner has stayed true to its roots and we feel will be the perfect partner to bring to life our vision for MGM National Harbor.”

 

Timothy J. Regan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Whiting-Turner added, “We are honored and delighted to have been selected by MGM for this prestigious, landmark project."

 

With the General Contractor now in place, construction can begin within weeks. Site preparation work is already underway. It is anticipated Whiting-Turner will oversee dozens of subcontractor firms and more than 2,000 construction workers over the project’s expected two-year construction schedule. Target date for the resort opening is Summer 2016. The resort recently took steps to engage the local employment markets, already preparing to begin the process of hiring nearly 4,000 new hospitality positions.

 

Whiting-Turner has built a national name with a large U.S. footprint, and development experts at MGM Resorts were also impressed with the company’s vast portfolio in Maryland and the capital region. Founded in 1909 and headquartered in Baltimore with two additional Maryland offices in Greenbelt and Cambridge, Whiting-Turner has a long and accomplished history in the capital region. Its most recent projects in the area include construction of Baltimore’s Horseshoe Casino and M&T Bank (Ravens) Stadium, the Westin National Harbor in Prince George’s County, and Potomac Yards Marriott Renaissance and Residence Inn in Washington, D.C.

 

The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company has been building in Prince George’s County for more than 50 years and has played an integral role in capital region construction since 1909, when it took on Washington, D.C.’s Walter Reed Army Hospital as the company’s first project. Whiting-Turner’s first D.C.-area office was founded in Prince George’s County in 1964. The company remains a prominent force in the region; over the past five years the company has worked on more than 1,000 projects in Maryland and D.C. valued at nearly $8 billion.

 

In addition to its impressive numbers, Whiting-Turner has also been recognized for the commendable way it does business. The company was recognized by the Engineering News Record (ENR) as a Top 10 Green Contractor, another critical element in fulfilling MGM’s commitment to building its destination resort at National Harbor to LEED Gold standards. Whiting-Turner employs more than 200 LEED accredited professionals on staff and has participated in developing 190 LEED certified projects.

 

Recent projects in Maryland have also earned Whiting-Turner the First Place Green Development Award by the Baltimore Business Journal and Best Practices in Minority Business Participation Award by the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland. The company has received awards in safety, including OSHA Partnership status at both the federal and state level on more than 25 projects. It also enjoys a 5A-1 Dun & Bradstreet rating – the only top 25 ENR to achieve this level. When taken together with a bonding capacity of $4 billion, Whiting-Turner’s strength and stability is unquestioned.

 

MGM National Harbor is a destination gaming resort project located in National Harbor, the waterfront development on the shores of the Potomac River in Prince George’s County, near the Woodrow Wilson Bridge just south of Washington, D.C. In December 2013, MGM National Harbor was awarded a license to operate the sixth casino in the State of Maryland. The approximately $1 billion MGM National Harbor resort will include a 300‐room luxury hotel, a casino featuring 3,600 slots and 160 table games, a 3,000‐seat theater, high-end branded retail, 35,000 square feet of meeting space and restaurants from renowned local and national chefs. MGM National Harbor will open as soon as July 2016.

 

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ABOUT MGM RESORTS INTERNATIONAL:

MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) is one of the world's leading global hospitality companies, operating a portfolio of destination resort brands including Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay and The Mirage. The Company also owns 51% of MGM China Holdings Limited, which owns the MGM Macau resort and casino and is in the process of developing a gaming resort in Cotai, and 50% of CityCenter in Las Vegas, which features ARIA resort and casino. For more information about MGM Resorts International, visit the Company's website at www.mgmresorts.com.

 

ABOUT THE WHITING-TURNER CONTRACTING COMPANY:

The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company provides construction management, general contracting and design/build services, and is currently ranked fourth in domestic general building construction by Engineering News Record. Since 1909, the firm has been guided by the principles of integrity, excellence and an unwavering dedication to customer delight. With headquarters in Maryland and 30 regional offices nationwide, the firm’s over 2,300 salaried professionals provide depth of resources to service nationally and to build locally. For more information about The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, visit the Company’s website at http://www.whiting-turner.com/.

 

 

Statements in this release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements involving risks and/or uncertainties, including those described in MGM Resorts International’s public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  MGM Resorts International has based forward-looking statements on management’s current expectations and assumptions and not on historical facts. Examples of these statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the development of MGM National Harbor and the expected timing and costs associated with such development. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in such forward-looking statements include effects of economic conditions and market conditions in the markets in which MGM Resorts International and MGM National Harbor operate and competition with other destination travel locations throughout the United States and the world, the design, timing and costs of expansion projects, risks relating to international operations, permits, licenses, financings, approvals and other contingencies in connection with growth in new or existing jurisdictions and additional risks and uncertainties described in MGM Resorts International’s Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and Form 8-K reports (including all amendments to those reports). In providing forward-looking statements, MGM Resorts International is not undertaking any duty or obligation to update these statements publicly as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

 

For further information: Lynnette Johnson Williams, Edelman; Lynnette.Williams@edelman.com or Gordon Absher, MGM Resorts International; GAbsher@mgmresorts.com