Turner has 46 offices nationwide and is owned by German construction giant HOCHTIEF AG. Turner, as a whole, has 5,500 employees and more than $10 billion in annual billings.

For 2010, Awford projects his office will achieve $250 million in annual billings, boosted by the lucrative airport deal, up from $191 million in 2009.

Reputation Speaks Volumes

Existing clients describe Awford as a person of integrity and a problem-solver. Awford's expertise, willingness to go the extra mile, and high integrity ultimately paved the way for other contracts.

Boone Hellmann, associate vice chancellor for facilities design and construction and campus architect at UC San Diego, said a high score on a personnel evaluation landed Awford's team a four-year, $105 million contract to build a 14-story student housing building at UCSD.

In 2004, when rising construction costs coupled with inflation quickly outpaced the $105 million budget, Hellmann recalled the two men had to work hand-in-hand to make the budget workable.

"Jamie and I had to form a cohesive bond and trust," Hellmann said.

To make the budget fit and meet their deadline, they decided to cut the occupancy rate from the originally planned 1,200 students to 1,000 and opted for a less costly exterior wall system. The strategy worked. The North Campus housing project was finished last September.

Debbie Murray, coordinator of program planning at Grossmont Union High School District, said Awford's successful bid to salvage a project led the district to award Turner consecutive contracts exceeding $40 million.