CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER
AUBURN — Allen Harris, a 1970 graduate of Auburn University’s McWhorter School of Building Science and a more than 50-year veteran of the construction industry, was recently recognized with a 2024 Cornerstone Award from the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Alabama Chapter.
Harris is CEO of Bailey-Harris Construction, headquartered in Auburn.
The ABC Cornerstone Award was established in 1994 to recognize one person each year who has demonstrated a lifetime commitment to better construction. The Alabama Chapter’s award is given annually to someone who has made a noteworthy contribution to the state’s construction industry by positively impacting workforce development, immigration reform and the industry as a whole.
“ABC of Alabama is pleased to award our Association’s highest honor to Allen Harris for 2024,” said Jay Reed, president of the ABC Alabama Chapter. “He exemplifies every component by which this award is measured. He has tirelessly contributed to the Association since 2004 and has been with his company since 1979.
“Notably, he has also engaged in every area of our Association’s strategic plan, from governmental affairs to safety to workforce development. He has served on every committee and even chaired the Association.”
“As a boy of 14 entering the construction world, little thought was focused on awards,” said Harris of the recognition by his peers. “In striving to build an organization, it became very important to build people so that they could build projects. This honor is a huge motivation for doing even more for the industry to which I have been married for many decades.”
“The shock of being a recipient has not worn off,” Harris continued. “Disbelief, unworthiness and what the award stands for just blows my mind. To be in the same fraternity with the many extraordinary past recipients is beyond any words; it is truly an incredibly high honor.”
Bailey-Harris Construction has been a consistent supporter of the McWhorter School of Building Science through opportunities such as sponsorships for competition teams and whiteboards throughout the Gorrie Center. The company was formed in 1979 by Jack Bailey and Harris.
Harris later became the sole owner. Under his leadership, the company has continued to be a part of a number of major projects on the Auburn University campus, most recently including the construction of the Rane Culinary Science Center.
