A Pile of News for You – January 2023

A Pile of News: January 2023

A briefing on news and information from the pile driving contractors,

associated manufacturers, construction suppliers and affiliated engineers

who comprise PDCA.

By Matt Bisbee, PDCA

Originally sent Jan. 3, 2022

A Top of the Pile Happy New Year, and welcome to 2023! First, some final notes on 2022:

December brought 2022’s last PileDriver magazine – Issue #6; don’t miss this themed publication which examines driven pile foundations mitigating natural disasters.
PDCA welcomes new Associate Members in Q4: Scott Equipment Company, THI Pipe & Piling.
Not a Member? JOIN PDCA TODAY and begin the new year supporting driven pile advocacy for the entire industry. Thank you to existing members who have already paid 2023 dues.

From the Association & Chapters

Mark your calendars!

Jan. 4–May 5: The PDCA Project of the Year Awards Program is open for entries. All you need to do is fill out the submission form, draft a project narrative and compile some great photos. Send us your submission package as an electronic file share no later than May 5, and you’re in!
Jan. (TBA): Value Driven Webinar Series, 2–3 PM EST. Hear an educational program that takes a deep dive into Cold Weather Pile Driving. Members attend for FREE, non-members for $50.
Jan. 18: Texas Chapter Elections, General Meeting at Russell Marine in Channelview, TX; members will elect Secretary, Treasurer to serve the Chapter. All 2023 events on the link.
Jan. 20: South Carolina Chapter Oyster Roast is a can’t miss, annual event open to the industry thanks to valued sponsors. Festivities take place at Palmetto Pile Driving in Charleston.
Feb. 7–9, 2023: PDCA 24th Annual Conference, San Diego Mission Bay Resort. Secure your room now because discounted rates to stay at the Resort end Jan. 10.
March 14–18: CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2023, Las Vegas – PDCA is once again a Supporting Organization for The Largest Construction Show in North America.

News and PHOTOS from the PDCA Blog:

As noted above, PDCA is now accepting your entries for the 2023 Project of the Year Awards. As inspiration to participate in the premier recognition program for driven pile projects, check out the trophy case on display at the Baltimore office of Kokosing Industrial!
Several PDCA Members in New England attended the annual Holiday Social hosted by the regional, Foundation & Marine Contractors Association. The event included a charity drive for Boston-area shelters and food banks; PDCA contributed $250 to the cause. EVENT PHOTOS
South Carolina Chapter promotes a technical education event at The Citadel in 2023.
They need to hire a publicist! Tallying-up the ’22 media exposure for South Shore Pile Driving.

Industry News:

In Alabama – Stakeholders in years-long discussions about a replacement bridge for the current I-10 structure connecting Mobile, AL, to points eastward gained a significant ally when ALDOT went on record in December to state that the $2.7B project is ‘financially viable.’

Congratulations, Rick Sadler, you are this month’s winner!

Send an email to marian@piledrivers.org before the end of the month to claim your prize!

News from PDCA Companies

Acquisitions & Expansions:

Atlas Tube parent company completes acquisition of EXLTUBE from SPS Companies, Inc., availing it to new manufacturing and warehousing space in the Kansas City region.
Equipment Corporation of America (ECA) is underway with an expansion at corporate HQ in Pittsburgh. The larger space will accommodate a new, inside shop for techs to work on larger models in the ECA portfolio.
Junttan, through a new partnership, has begun offering piling equipment with the factory option of built-in groundworks machine controls.
Haley & Aldrich expands its California footprint through purchase of Cal Engineering & Geology, a regional expert in geotechnical water infrastructure.
Universal Engineering Sciences welcomes Dan Brown and Associates into its growing family of companies. The high-profile, Tennessee firm brings more ‘depth,’ according to an UES statement.
GEOKON becomes 100% employee-owned. President Chuck Chamley says the move for the Lebanon, NH, instrumentation specialist ‘resists this trend’ of venture capitalist consolidation.
ASAP Group closes on a new Giken Silent Piler. We like to promote members doing business together, especially when they credit PDCA events for connecting them! Join PDCA today.

Governmental relations:

Clark Construction recently completed a new University of Washington behavioral health facility in Seattle and arranged a tour for Gov. Inslee who visited the health infrastructure project.
GZA GeoEnvironmental developed the Infrastructure Funds Resource Center, a guide to public funding, project scoping, cost estimating and grant writing related to two 2022 Federal initiatives: the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act.
Eustis Engineering makes the roster for a $1.8B container facility at the Louisiana International Terminal, as announced by Gov. Edwards in December. It is expected to generate 17K new jobs.
Southern Earth Sciences, Inc., sponsored, and team members attended, the briefing by Mayor Stimpson in Mobile, AL, during the Partners for Environmental Progress Mayor’s Luncheon.

Giving back:

Mason Construction was a primary sponsor for OATH, Inc.’s Denim and Diamonds Gala, a fundraiser in South Texas supporting veterans battling lingering afflictions from combat.
Orion Marine Group staff joined a community effort to lay wreaths at the graves of Veterans at the Houston National Cemetery in December, part of the Wreaths Across America program.
PRECO-MSE has committed to be a sustaining sponsor for the Mont Blanc Competition Club, a youth snow skiing, racing and training organization in Quebec.
JD Fields contributed to a record $5M bundle from Sky High for Kids in Houston to donate to critical pediatric research and comfort programs for area families battling childhood cancer.
ESP Associates, Inc., was among those helping the Dorchester County Habitat for Humanity build its first new home in Summerville, SC, in seven years.
TRC Companies demonstrated Holiday generosity; the Cincinnati team gave to a local toy drive.
Universal Engineering Sciences maintains a sizable staff throughout Florida. Since Hurricane Ian ravaged the state in 2022, the firm has raised $25K to assist impacted employees.

Recognitions:

American Pile and Foundation, LLC, scored over 95%, named a Platinum Safety Award winner.
McCarthy awarded $600K grant from Texas Workforce Commission; craft professionals at the company will have access to new training courses on jobsites in Q1, 2023.
Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers was part of a partnership of design-builders awarded for work on the completed New York State DOT, Interstate Access Improvement Project.

People on the Move

Transitions:

Cameron Toups promoted to senior project manager at Russell Marine in Channelview, TX.
Jordan Adams elevated to President of SJ Hamill Construction, in 2022; it was a strong finish to his first year leading the Charleston, SC, contractor, capped-off with procuring an upgraded fleet of trucks.
Jose Gonzalez retires after 43 years at Bull Moose Tube in Chicago Heights. Company staff celebrated his well-earned exit and recognized him with a plaque, cake and a fond farewell.
Barrett Rahn becomes Director of Sales and Marketing North America at CZM USA Foundation Equipment, where he most recently was Factory Sales Manager.
Chris Ellison has joined the Florida office of Equipment Corporation of America while Kevin Sharp has begun a new role at ECA Canada.
Alexandre Guy elevates from parts sales rep to the planer team at Gilbert Products; in his new role, he will coordinate with customers on machine upgrades.
Stephen Scott and Tom Ponnwitz onboard with the outside sales team at GMS Piling Products.
Herald Wattenberg transitions to Meever to start the new year as strategic director for the steel supplier. A longtime friend to PDCA, he spent the past 17 years in piling machinery.
Darin Werts takes his nearly 30 years’ experience at MKT Manufacturing to an exciting new role outside of the driven pile industry, we wish him the best. The St. Louis equipment manufacturer taps VP of Engineering Nick Whisler to assume Darin’s former oversight role.
Amy Blomeke, Nikki Landry, Christina Colman, Alex Ong, Stephen Williams, Michael Platz, and Catherine Sobchuk are among the newest faces at the various offices of GeoEngineers, Inc.
Alexandra West Jeffries, PE, Corey Roche, PE, SE, Tyler Bradshaw, PE, and Sean Sjostedt, PE, are all promoted from senior engineers to principals at Alaskan offices of PND Engineers, Inc.
Philip Erbland, PE, and Aaron Goldberg PE, D.GE, earn promotion to technical principals at S&ME, Inc. Also, Glenn Raybon retired after 42 years as a Charlotte-based tech at the firm; coworkers celebrated him for leaving a legacy of ‘leadership, humor and wisdom.’
Carolyn Wright reaches 30 years at Universal Engineering Sciences in Gainesville, FL.

Recognitions:

Sean Blakemore, a regional safety manager at McCarthy Building Companies, was named General Safety Professional of the Year by TEXO The Construction Association.
Joe Gelardi of American Equipment & Fabrication spent his first holiday season as an in-law; congratulations to his only daughter Chelsea who tied the knot last fall.
Anja Frazier of BAUER Equipment America named one of the Top Women In Equipment Finance by Monitor Magazine.
Monica Snyder is a Rising Star as named by Pittsburgh’s Get Involved! The Koppers associate earned recognition for contributions to two area service organizations.
Kilian Wallner, an apprentice at Liebherr, finished 9th among 100 young competitors from 37 countries at the WorldSkills 2022 competition. Next up, the master craftsman exam!
Megan Huberty of American Engineering Testing elected to ACI young professionals leadership.
Scott Childers, PE, civil engineering division manager at ESP Associates, Inc., was elected Region 13 Director for the South Carolina School Board Association.
Gwen Sanders, PE, president at Eustis Engineering, earns a spot on the New Orleans 500 which features the area’s most influential, involved and inspiring business leaders.
Ernest Hanna of GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc., served as panelist in the Bisnow Innovation in Construction and Development presentation at Piazza Alta in Philadelphia.
Claire Sorensen was a summer intern at RACE Coastal Engineering in Connecticut; today, she is a graduate of the first class to earn a B.S. in Coastal Engineering at UNC-Wilmington.
Theresa Carli Pontieri, an associate at Florida’s Jimerson Birr law firm, which provides legal education and construction law perspectives to PDCA, has won a seat on the Palm Coast City Council.

On the Job

Blue Iron Foundations and Shoring uses Hammer & Steel equipment to drive PZC 26 – 60' steel sheets from Meever for a new intake and pump station in Northeast Florida.

Farrell Brothers Marine Construction shares another case where a driven pile foundation has maintained its integrity through coastal storms. Check out the Jacksonville Beach dock/bulkhead.

Foundation Constructors, Inc., shares a vibrant view from the air of ongoing construction at the Mokelumne Bridge on Interstate 5 in Sacramento County, CA. Crews install 48" and 24" pipe piles using a land-based LBC.

H.B. Fleming, Inc. crews drive 41K linear feet of steel piling for a new waterfront, residential community in Revere, MA. The job includes a permanent sheet pile bulkhead and two cofferdams.

Hal Jones Contractor refurbishes moorings at the Jacksonville, FL, shipyards to accommodate a docking home for the historical Navy destroyer, the USS Orleck. The ship is a new museum in the city.

J. Fletcher Creamer & Son, Inc., is underway with construction of a new wastewater treatment plant in Plainsboro, NJ. The $56M upgrade is expected online in late 2024. We love to see PDCA members get strategic media coverage, look at the backhoe in the photo on NJ.com from the Dec. ’21 groundbreaking.

Kokosing is part of a JV retained to build a $3.5B plant in Fayette County, OH; automaker Honda commissioned the project to build a facility that will manufacture batteries for electric vehicles.

Media Hits

The Cape Gazette of coastal Delaware publishes an article and photos showing the Sun Pile Foundations crew and machinery on a residential job in Rehoboth Beach. A PVE Equipment hammer is spotted in the pics; the contractor installed 29 steel I-beams, 20 feet into the ground.

The Day newspaper serving southeastern Connecticut mentions Weeks Marine for building the $70M Pier 32 at the Naval Submarine Base near Groton. A host of Navy brass and U.S. Rep. Courtney attended to celebrate a ‘climate resilient’ modernization for the base waterfront.

Charleston Regional Business Journal spotlights Ken Henegar, the newest member of the design team at the Thomas & Hutton Civil Department in Mt. Pleasant, SC.

The Zweig Letter Podcast examines Colleen Martindale’s ‘non-traditional path into construction.’ She says it was several ‘happy accidents’ that led her to a thriving career at McCarthy. We want to know if Colleen’s phrasing pays homage to a song lyric from The Turnpike Troubadours?

The Taft Bulletin profiles notable alumni of the Connecticut school; in her feature, Lysandra Reed, PE, of Haley & Aldrich states that geotechs ‘are essentially the first step’ in building a major structure.

Notes from the Field

Possible necktie scandal, EXPOSED! – Word’s out, revered geotech and longtime PDCA technical contributor Billy Camp is a free agent. After 34 years at a South Carolina firm, he is pursuing new challenges. His LinkedIn announcement shared some old photos, prompting friends and admirers to offer glowing comments. A post from Duane Bents of Morris-Shea raised our eyebrows: he claims that years ago, he lost a paisley necktie identical to the one Billy was wearing in a circa 1991 picture. Is this a coincidence??? 😉 Wishing you the best, Billy – we hope you maintain connection with PDCA!

What’s in a name? – Perhaps ‘Drop it Like It’s Hops’ was inspired by an old drop hammer, or maybe rapper Snoop Dogg’s similarly-titled, hit single; only Brad Roberts knows. He and Boston brewmasters at GZA GeoEnvironmental create an annual, exclusive, uniquely-named beer for limited client distribution. The 2022 version is a carbon neutral beverage with 7% ABV in 16 oz. cans. Please drink responsibly!

Will the real green monster please stand up? – Baseball fans, check out the social media post from International Construction Equipment showing pics from a Boston jobsite outside Fenway Park. You will notice the green, ICE 44 vibro installing H-pile against a backdrop of the street-side view of the famous Green Monster. Great photo, ICE!

An observation that likely has no real relevance to your workday – four different PDCA member representatives share the same name, phonetically speaking that is. John Peirce is the founder/owner of Pennsylvania-based Peirce Engineering and his son John Peirce III is the VP. In Virginia, John Pierce coordinates manufacturing at Atlantic Metrocast and in New York, John Pierce is a manager at Contractor Member C.D. Perry, Inc. Anybody else?

What’s new on the web? – Your online presence builds this monthly summary of PDCA news and info, so we really like to visit your web and social sites. At least two Contractor Members have recently unveiled sharp-looking, redesigned websites – American Pile and Foundation and Weeks Marine.

Shout it from the rooftops if you install driven piles, and don’t make a liar out of this classic meme, from Island Piling. We need your voices loud and proud to advocate pile driving. If you aren’t a current member, JOIN PDCA today and support the only organization that coalesces industry voices and exclusively promotes the driven pile. Thanks for reading ‘A Pile of News,’ and Happy New Year!

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