Sharp words from angry executive

Sarasota area construction executive Lem Sharp, three years into retirement, feels pretty prickly lately.

The source of Sharp's ire: Accusations from two fronts that impugn the integrity of the firm he spent nearly 40 years working at and running, W.G. Mills. Acquired by Providence, R.I.-based construction giant Gilbane in 2010, the firm was once one of the leading builders on the Gulf Coast. Projects W.G. Mills built include the FCCI Insurance Group headquarters complex in Lakewood Ranch and multiple high schools from Naples to Tampa. The firm had $275 million in revenues in 2009.

The first situation that got Sharp fired up was allegations that Mills, prior to Gilbane's acquisition, was potentially involved in a bid-tampering case with the Manatee County School District. An attorney for the district raised the allegations, over a 2009 contract for a $13 million elementary school renovation project, in a March 18 report.