What Is Turnkey Engineering?

Turnkey engineering encompasses a comprehensive package of project management services.

As described by Norton Engineering, the term "turnkey" is used by building and design professionals to refer to a complete construction or engineering project management package. Engineering and construction firms of any type or size may offer turnkey packages, which may include administrative, inspection, investigation, supervisory, financial and operational services.

Function and Purpose

Norton Engineering LLC is a Dayton, Ohio-based engineering consulting firm headed by John Norton, a civil engineer. Mr. Norton describes the benefits of contracting a firm to provide turnkey engineering services, from design and overseeing the bidding process to site management and project closeout, stating, "Turnkey projects are perfect for businesses that need to focus on their daily operations and can't afford to get deeply involved with on-site construction projects."

Turnkey Engineering Firms

Turnkey engineering firms may be highly specialized organizations, such as Turn-Key Industrial Engineering Services out of Charlottesville, Virginia. This industrial, electrical and mechanical engineering firm designs, renovates and builds laundry facilities for clients including Walt Disney World. Additional services include process improvement and plant operation.

Small construction contracting firms, such as Atlanta-based Turnkey Engineering, Construction and Roofing, also offer turnkey engineering services. Headed by a general contractor and a roofing contractor, the Atlanta-based firm has completed a diverse array of construction projects over the years--from entertainment venues to shopping malls--by assembling a team of subcontractors with the expertise to handle specialized projects.

Sample Contract for Turnkey Engineering Services

In October of 2005, Panda Hereford Ethanol, LP signed a "Turnkey Engineering, Procurement and Construction Agreement" with an engineering and contracting services firm called Lurgi PSI, Inc. for the design, construction and initial operation of an ethanol production facility. The contract provides that Lurgi will "start up and carry out Tests on the Ethanol Plant...perform and provide the FBG Work...all on a turnkey basis." ("FBG" stands for "fluidized bed gasifier." According to Energy Products of Idaho the FBG is the central industrial technology of the ethanol plant, which converts organic waste to combustible gas.)

Sample Turnkey Engineering Projects

The Miami County, Ohio Solid Waste Transfer Station has been a Norton Engineering client since 2003. The firm was involved, with varying degrees of County staff participation, in seven turnkey construction projects on the site. Norton also provides capital budgeting services for the transfer station.

One Norton project was a site security upgrade, which the firm accomplished by consulting with staff to evaluate security issues, determining the type of equipment and systems needed, writing specifications, drafting bid documents and hiring a local contractor to install the new video surveillance system.

The firm also engineered a new pumping station to prevent flooding in the truck loading tunnel. The project entailed reviewing the plans for the old pumping station to discover the cause of the drainage problem, designing and drawing plans for a new site-specific pumping station, writing specifications, drafting bid documents and procuring the needed equipment.

References

• Norton Engineering LLC: Turnkey Engineering; 2011
• Turn-Key Industrial Engineering Services, Inc.: About Us; 2011
• Turnkey Engineering Construction Roofing: General Construction
• RealDealDocs from America's Top Law Firms; Turnkey Engineering, Procurement and Construction Agreement...; 2005
• Energy Products of Idaho; "Fluidized Bed Gasifiers"; March 2011