D.A.B. Constructors, which turned over $250 million in state and local highway projects to bonding companies in July, announced on Sept. 7 that it had filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. This means the business will be liquidated.
D.A.B. was the contractor on the $31.8 million U.S. 19 widening project in Homosassa, which was more than a year behind schedule as of the business’ closing in late July, Floridapolitics.com reported on Sept. 8. The company had similar scheduling issues with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) on other state projects.
FDOT defaulted the company for missing deadlines and contract milestones on a $33 million interchange project at Interstate 75 and State Road 56 in Pasco County.
D.A.B. blamed the default issue with FDOT as the reason for its failure.
“D.A.B. was the only remaining woman-owned prime contractor in the state,” Bachschmidt said. “Our small size and local workforce of upward of 400 dedicated employees allowed D.A.B. to fill a niche in the public sector construction space by delivering projects at substantially lower costs to the taxpayers over the years than competing firms while meeting the exacting quality standards of FDOT and local governmental owners. D.A.B. could not, however, continue to self-finance FDOT projects, nor await the outcome of formal ‘claim’ court actions that could be years out.”
