A Pile of News: January 2026

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. 5, 2026

Top of the pile:

Happy New Year! Thank you for supporting the largest (and continually growing) organization with the sole purpose of advancing the driven pile industry. Please help us welcome the newest PDCA members that joined this effort in Q4 2025:

• Contractors:Terry Marine in Riverhead, NY; Continental Heavy Civil Corp. in Miami, FL; JCF Bridge & Concrete, Inc. in Driftwood, TX.
• Associates: HC Trucking in Houston, TX; Athanor Steel in Houston, TX; KazStroy Technik in Kazakhstan; Jet Filter System in Casey, IL; Standard Concrete Products, Inc. in Columbus, GA; r3Steel & Co., in Evergreen, CO; Bay Tank & Boiler Works (BT Metals) in Eureka, CA.
• Engineering Affiliates:G&S Engineering, LLC in Mandeville, LA.
• Affiliated Services:Bulk Exchange in San Rafael, CA; Viking Equipment Finance in McKinney, TX.
• Retired:Perry Brumm of Milwaukee, WI.
• Government Employees:Nathan Maxwell of Alabama DOT.
• Academic Employees:Anne Lemnitzer of University of California-Irvine; Fei Wang of Mississippi State University; Hai Lin of Louisiana State University.
• Students:Charles Ledford of Mississippi State University; Timothy Boylan of Florida Tech; Andrew Capellini of Palm Beach State College in Florida.

Part of your membership involves remittance of an annual dues payment. To those who have paid your 2026 member dues, thank you. If you have not renewed for the new year, you will receive email notice this month asking for your continued support of PDCA. Please contact us at 904-215-4771 if you have questions or need assistance.

It's back! While slightly adjusted to compensate for rising costs in construction, the 2026 PDCA Project of the Year Awards program launches today. Previous entrants will notice cost breaks in most categories have changed. Each year, PDCA recognizes the best in driven pile construction by awarding Land, Marine, Earth Retention, Associate/Engineering Affiliate and International projects. Entries must be sent to PDCA in an electronic file by April 10. Rules and entry form here.

From the Association & Chapters

Mark your calendars:

• Jan. 5: PDCA Project of the Year Awards is open for submissions.Submit your entry with completed form, project narrative and photos by April 10.
• Jan. 23: South Carolina Chapter Oyster Roast, Charleston, 69 PM. The family-friendly industry event returns to Palmetto Pile Driving, with networking, refreshments, freshly steamed oysters all by a huge bonfire.
• Jan. 29: Pacific Coast Chapter Annual Luncheon, Stockton, CA. Chapter members and friends, plan to attend this informational and networking event at Brookside Country Club.
• Feb 19: Buckeye State Blitz regional reception, Broadview Heights, OH. Attend this FREE happy hour at Wild Eagle Steak & Saloon to relax with industry peers and learn more about PDCA. Members and non-members are welcome.
• Feb. 26: Northeast Chapter Professional Development Course, Howell, NJ. Attendees earn up to six PDH at this annual educational event in the conference room of host George Harms Construction. FREE to chapter members.
• March 5: South Carolina Chapter Driven Pile Technical Seminar, Charleston.
• March 1112: Gulf Coast Chapter 2026 Engineers Conference, Baton Rouge.

From the PDCA Blog:

• Location, location, locationRegistration is open for aspiring exhibitors at the 2026 PDCA Annual Conference in Orlando in July. Secure a good spot today!
• New England Foundation industry celebrates the holidays, donates to Boston food banks. PDCA supports F&MCA annual initiatives.
• It's 2026  Here is this year's PDCA leadership team that you elected last fall.
• Thatcher, Adler win top positions in 2026 Texas Chapter leadership; Kresta selected to fill vacancy. Get a recap on chapter's election and happy hour event.
• Newest chapter finishes 2026 with a South Florida Networking Night event. The Florida Chapterfocused on member growth during its first year.
• Project of the Year looks different in 2026. Since 2019, construction and labor costs have risen. PDCA adjusted price breaks for project categories in the annual industry competition. Entry for members is still FREE!
• Meet the 10 students awarded scholarships from the Pacific Coast Chapter.Learn more about some of the industry up-and-comers out west.

WINNER: Congratulations, Eustis Engineering L.L.C., you are this month's winner!
Send an email to marian@piledrivers.org before the end of January to claim your prize!

News from PDCA Companies

Acquisitions & expansions:

• ICOP, Inc. is a new design-build foundations contractor, but the people inside are well known to PDCA. In December, ASAP Group in South Florida and GeoStructures in Northern VA, already sister-companies, combined to form one company, serving the U.S. eastern seaboard.
• Gerdau realigns its business model to stay competitive and serve the evolving marketplace.ENR visited the company's Clarksville, GA, steel mill to learn about its structural steel production for solar, data center and warehousing markets.
• Pile Dynamics, Inc.streamlined tech support and troubleshooting for its programs. Users now get professional assistance with one point of contact.

Recognitions:

• Mason Construction is celebrated for its commitment to building a strong workforce in Southeast Texas as a Local Employer of Excellence and a runner-up for Small Employer of the Year by Workforce Solutions Southeast Texas.
• MEB is in the Civic 50 Hampton Roads Class of 2025. Coastal Virginia Business magazine profiles companies serving and socially impacting the region.
• Sealevel Construction is lauded for excellence by ABC for a Louisiana project.
• The Walsh Groupnamed Contractor of the Year by Illinois Tollway.
• Aggregate Technologies performed hydrodemolition to remove concrete for an award-winning bridge project. Ronnie and Belin Wills tell the story on air.
• Dewberry collects hardware from ACEC-New York on five winning projects.
• Geo-Technology Associates, Inc. (GTA) wrapped up 40 years in operation. Its social media highlights 16 staff who have more than 20 years at the firm.
• Peirce Engineering was part of the winning team in an ENR MidAtlantic Best Project award. The Philadelphia firm consulted on installation of a sheet pile wall adjacent to a combi-wall at Indian River Inlet in Delaware for USACE.
• Tectonic Engineering also earned Engineering Excellence accolades from ACEC New York; the firm was awarded for five projects.

Giving back:

• Baker GCI in Baton Rouge collected winter coats for area children in need. Also, it pledged support of the carpentry program at a Louisiana high school.
• Beaty Constructionhosted students at a pile driving job site for Work IN Roads, an Indiana non-profit partner that promotes construction careers.
• CIANBROsponsored the Teddy Bear Toss, where fans of University of Maine hockey throw stuffed animals onto the ice for donation to local family services.
• McCarthy Building Cos. contributed to the Georgia 2025 Rivers Alive initiative. The Savannah team spent a December Saturday cleaning a local creek.
• Poseidon Dredge & Marine Inc. staff participated in a coastal clean-up with the Lagoon Keepers in Palm Beach County, FL.
• Trinity Productsamassed a variety of gift items to distribute to families in need through social service agencies in St. Louis, Chicago and Bucks County, PA.
• AET offices in the upper midwest collected 800 lbs. of food and essentials and cash donations for social services throughout the region.
• EMC Engineering Servicesmade a $35K donation to the Emanuel Medical Center in east-central Georgia through a rural hospital tax credit initiative.
• Haley & Aldrich staff participated in Wilmot Warrior Weekend in New York, a fundraising run/walk that raised money for Wilmot Cancer Institute.

People on the Move

Transitions:

• Mike Cuerretires after 48 years at Keller; he contributed to more than 150 projects. Meantime, Patience Aningo onboards as a new field engineer.
• Robert Wood, EIT, elevates to VP for the McCarthy Building Companies marine business unit based in Houston.
• Travis Ridky and Nick Rosswog, both from the Sargent mid-Atlantic regional office, earned promotions to operations manager.
• Greg Wisniewski rises to VP-operations at Ohio-based The Great Lakes Construction Co., succeeding Jim Fox, who retired in December.
• Tom McIntosh is a new superintendent at Weeks Marine in Connecticut.
• Jack Eckman retired after 50 years at Equipment Corporation of America; his colleagues celebrated him with a special sendoffand a dinner in Philadelphia.
• Robert Moss, P.E., moves to senior principal at ECS Group of Companies. Lincoln Swineford, P.E., fills his former role as Richmond branch manager. Also, Laura Hill, P.E., was promoted to principal in the firm's Charlotte office.
• Srini Krishnaswamy, MS, BS, joins ESP Associates in Tampa, FL.
• Andrew Blaisdell rises to Maine district manager at GZA GeoEnvironmental.
• Kristinn Bjarnason, P.E., earned promotion to senior engineer at PND Engineers in Seattle, upon passing his P.E. exam in Washington State.
• Bennett Dulaney, P.E., promoted to AVP in the Huntsville, AL, offices of S&ME.

Recognitions:

• Bob Bowen and family invested $10M in the West Lafayette and Indianapolis campuses of Purdue University, earning them the namesake for the new Bowen School of Construction. Also, Mark Cvetkovich, P.E., at Bowen Engineering Constructionstarred in a podcast originating from a Purdue student group.
• Koby Greene, P.E., operations manager at D.A. Collins, won election to the Construction Industry Council of Westchester & Hudson Valley in New York. Also, general foreperson Frank S. reaches a milestone 40 years on the job.
• Dominique Knight and Nate Capistran from MEBreceive coveted awards from separate, professional construction organizations in Virginia.
• Andrea Bolletino and Jeremy Davidson joined manufacturing operations at JD Fields & Co. in 2025; the Houston Business Journal profiles them.
• Hugh Lacy of Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers in New York is the winner of the 2026 Schnabel Award from the Geo-Institute.
• Ryan Allin, P.E., set a new PR in the Boston Half last fall. After the race, The Pile Dynanics, Inc. VP carb-loaded with friends from GZA GeoEnvironmental.
• Jason Holland, PG, from Schnabel Engineeringjoins the New Hanover County Planning Board Committee in North Carolina.
• Peter Nelson, a senior engineer, and Mehdi Zarghamee, a senior principal, reach 50 years at SGH in Waltham, MA. Also, Emily O'Keefe and Elizabeth Rodenkirchvolunteered at Habitat for Humanity Chicago.

In sympathy:

• Pete Haug (19282025), former president/CEO of Manson Construction Co., succumbed to health complications last November. The grandson of Manson's founder is said to be the longest-ever employee when he retired at age 90.
• Charlie Gibson was a VP and Northern California area manager at Manson. He lost a battle with cancer in October. Known as a "legend in pile driving" by industry peers, he leaves a large construction footprint on the Bay Area.
• Ralph L. Wadsworth, founder of the Utah-based, heavy civil giant bearing his name, peacefully passed away on Dec. 25, surrounded by loved ones. Read the touching, public statement that Ralph L. Wadsworth Construction Co. issued.
• Sylvain Gilbertis remembered as a visionary entrepreneur in Quebec who was influential in construction equipment; he founded Gilbert Products. Frank and Audrey Gilbert are poised to continue their father's mission, values and vision.
• William "Bubba" Knight (19542025) started his impactful civil engineering career at the Florida DOT, then became a private sector engineer and worked for PDCA members Professional Service Industries and Fugro Loadtest.
• Ron Salley (19392025) is a former president of Shannon & Wilson who lost his battle with cancer last fall. A company statement remembers the Illinois native, Air Force Veteran and consequential leader of the Seattle-based firm.

On the Job

Beaty Constructionis a key builder of 'the most extensive interconnected trail system in the Midwest'. In one leg, crews used a hydraulic hammer from Jinnings Equipment to drive 12x74 HP from Nucor Skyline at 45 degrees during an overnight shift.

Beaver Excavating Company crews drove 1,820 timber piles for ground improvementat the Tinkers Creek portion of a public road initiative in Ohio.

Clark Foundations, through a JV, began work on a new rail yard in Washington, DC, which will support Amtrak's cutting-edge Airo trains. Crews will install sheet piling from JD Fields & Co. with an HPSI vibro from GeoQuip. Completion is expected in 2030.

Kokosingfinished the I-71 southbound flyover ramp, the latest piece of the Downtown Ramp Up in Columbus, OH. The builder has installed piling from JD Fields & Co. and Nucor Skyline using company-owned hammers by Pileco and ICE.

MEB will continue work on the NAVFAC project at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard; its latest contract award is for the Dry Dock 3 Modernization.

Tecnac S.A. installed PSC piling for a repeat agribusiness client in Ecuador. Crews drove sixty-six 18x18 piles up to 72 feet long using a company-owned Pileco D46.

Dawson Construction Plant supplied a CRH 2500 hydraulic impact hammer to crews driving steel sheets for a new retaining wall along a river in Hull, United Kingdom.

The Loren Group manufactured the tapered steel piles that Forgen crews are installing with a company-owned Liebherr H15 hammer for a confidential Gulf Coast-region project. See time-lapse video of the first 60-foot Tapertube go down.

ESP Associates is on the project team building Freedom Hillnear Charlotte. It is a first-of-its-kind, mortgage-free home development for veterans and first responders.

Notes from the Field

Probably not the Electric Slide  Rwandan locals engaged by "dancing every morning with our colleagues..." according to Bechtel project engineer Sam Belknap. He says it broke culture barriers with his 15 employees on site, helping the natives build a new bridge to connect them with schools, healthcare and markets. It's the company's eighth philanthropic bridge build through Bridges to Prosperity.

Channeling W.B Yeats - Many PDCA members sent out holiday wishes via social media. One standout came from PND Engineers, Inc., which weaved together a free-form poem that celebrates 2025. Fly-fishing and PDCA get name-dropped in the unique narrative; the firm considers its Project of the Year Award among the 'big fish' that it 'caught' last year.

There's an award for this one, too! Another holiday post also that caught our attention; Ralph L. Wadsworth Construction shared a video on LinkedIn which features 28 employees reading a passage from 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. It's worthy of a Grammy Award for Best Audiobook, Narration & Storytelling Recording.

What's in a name? A winner in the Veit annual Big Buck Hunt is Hunter Schmidt. How apropos. But this story takes an unlikely turn when photos reveal the trophies of all the winners, and Hunter's "prize" doesn't look like the others. See for yourself!Minnesotans get creative during a long cold winter.

You made it! What you've read is just a hint of the great work that PDCA members do both in the industry and through extracurricular involvement. This author is continually inspired to write about the news you provide to this members-only publication. Keep sending tips and posting to your socials; we want to cover you in 2026!

Please keep your PDCA membership current to be eligible for coverage. It's the time of year that we humbly ask for your renewal, so we can continue to offer the educational programs, industry resources and professional networking to supplement your understanding of the deep foundations construction marketplace. And once you secure 2026 membership, consider entering the 2026 Project of the Year Awards!