A Pile of News - April 2025

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A Pile of News: April 2025

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 April 1, 2025

Top of the Pile

NO FOOLIN', THEY'RE DUE FRIDAY: Your land, marine, earth retention, associate/engineering affiliate submission(s) for the 2025 Project of the Year Awards program.

 

Welcome to the newest members of PDCA who joined in the first quarter of 2025!

  • Contractors: Bay Area Pile Driving in Tampa, FL; Callan Marine in Galveston, TX; Osborne Contractors, LLC from New Orleans, LA; R.W. Harris, Inc. A Goettle Company in Clearwater, FL; Taplin Enterprises in Kalamazoo, MI
  • Associates: Heavy Iron near Columbia, SC; Gonzo Logistics near Houston, TX; BAR Pole & Piling Co. near Meridian, MS; Imperial Crane Services near Chicago; OmniDuct near Los Angeles; The Hose Company in Charlotte, NC; Mitchell Crane from Bryan, TX; United Rentals Trench Safety in Beaumont, TX; CMI Limited in Atlanta, GA; Big Steel near Birmingham, AL
  • Engineering Affiliates: Aimone Martin Associates, LLC near Albuquerque, NM; Detecht, LLC in Castle Rock, CO; Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH) from Oakland, CA
  • Government Employee: Silas Nichols from the U.S. DOT, Federal Highway Administration
  • Students: Larry Buchheit from Auburn University; Melvin McElwee, Sr. from Troy University
  • Retired: Marty Goff; Mark Speaker

 

More Annual Conference coverage and photos are in the latest issue of PileDriver magazine. Read Issue 2 2025. The hard copy is on its way this month!

New PDCA Members

From the Association & Chapters

Mark your calendars:

 

From the piledrivers.org blog:

  • Golf, learn and shoot  PDCA chapter events in April offer a variety of activities and engagement opportunities to the pile driving industry.
  • New Florida Chapter circulates an invitation to pile driving industry stakeholders in the Sunshine State to join the organization.
  • Seminar/Workshop on Dynamic Testing concludes its first of two events this year. DFDTA is a collaboration between Pile Dynamics, Inc. and PDCA that is offered each spring in Orlando, and in the fall in Cleveland.
  • Northeast Chapter held the 2025 Professional Development Course where attendees heard a comprehensive case study on a bridge project for NJDOTGeorge Harms Construction hosted and sponsored the seminar.
a silentpiler. Making a turn in the sheet line, driving in 3 doubles at the Providence VA

Congratulations, Rick Sadler, you are this month's winner! Send an email to marian@piledrivers.org before the end of April to claim your prize!

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News from PDCA Companies

Acquisitions & expansions:

  • DFI Piling is under construction on its 9th North American location. The newest facility coming to Williston, ND, will serve the North Central U.S.
  • Dark Horse Metals announced that its new facility in Florence, TX, called The Forge, is now operational, complete with a new 3D profiler. The steel distributor offers tighter tolerances, streamlined processing and custom solutions.
  • MRCE moves into the Boston market. The New York-based firm founded in 1910 already has burgeoning practices in Washington, DC, and Philadelphia. Principal Sitotaw Fantaye, P.E., was tapped to lead the new Boston practice.

 

Giving back:

  • GROUP Contractors partnered with Baton Rouge General Physicians to offer employees and spouses heart health screenings; 95% of staff participated.
  • Mason Construction is an ambassador to next-gen builders in Beaumont, TX, construction. It starred in a local TV news segmentcalled, Make Macy Do It, that highlights building careers. Next time, make Macy drive piles!
  • Anchor QEA stepped-up for the 7th consecutive year to support Seattle public education. The engineering firm sponsored the 5K, Running of the Beavers.

Recognitions:

 

Governmental relations:

  • Baker GCI has been building foundations at the Plaquemines LNG site in Louisiana for three years. Last month, Gov. Landry and U.S. Secretaries Burgum (Interior) and Walker (Energy) visited the energy production facility. Baker safety manager David Seal stood in a photo with the governor.
  • Kiewit works with Mayor GuajardoGov. Abbott and lawmakers in Corpus Christi to build the first city-owned seawater desalination facility in the U.S.
  • Nucor team lead from its Decatur, AL, plant Jeff Denard visited Capitol Hill where he was a guest of the First Lady for the March 4th Joint Session Presidential Address. There, President Trump welcomed him by name during the speech.

Anniversaries:

  • George Harms Construction Co. had planned to gather for a celebration of its remarkable 60-year anniversary back in 2020, however, prohibitions from the COVID pandemic that year resulted in a cancellation. Fast-forward to 2025, the team at Harms, considered internally as its "greatest asset," celebrated in February for its success as a New Jersey GC. However, this time it was for 65 years in business! Congrats to the longtime PDCA member on this milestone.
George Harms Construction Co. "greatest assets"
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People on the Move

Transitions:

  • Jim McNally was described as "wicked smart"as the Manson Construction BOD named him new pres./CEO. The former EVP/COO succeeds John Holmes, who retired in March after a 48-year career with major changes at the company. The celebration also honored outgoing senior estimator Bill Shorey.
  • Lina Martin, P.E., MNSc, elevates to VP of engineering at ORION. Two of her colleagues also earn promotions; Heath Crittenden, P.E., MBA, becomes engineering director of operations and principal engineer, and Gary Schneider, P.E., is now senior engineering consultant.
  • Jesse Ottesen retires after 40 years in deep foundations, the last 28 at Weeks Marine. He said choosing a standout job is "like picking a favorite child." He and his wife plan visit U.S. national parks, but he'll keep some professional affiliations. Thanks, Jesse, for your industry commitment and contributions.
  • Marcos Clo retires from CZM-US Foundation Equipmentin a LinkedIn video. Also at CZM, Thiago Pellegrini becomes the new U.S. sales director.
  • Paul Jaquillard rises to VP at Meever USA after nine years as BDM.
  • Lino Monge elevated from shop manager to sales at PILECO in Conroe, TX.
  • Rich Northfield, a tubular product sales veteran, joins Houston-based THI Pipe & Piling as the newest sales and marketing specialist in Annapolis, MD.
  • Joel Webster, P.E., is the new branch manager at the North Carolina offices of GRL Engineers. The firm has hired new staff engineers  Shahriar Abdullah, Eric Wooten in Texas and Venkat Kishan Gangadhari in Cleveland.
  • Isabella Kennedy elevates to assistant project manager at the Boston offices of GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc., where she has been staff scientist since 2022.
  • Jacob Wiginton, PE, joins Lloyd Engineering in Houston as project manager.
  • Justin Schwebler is a new senior scientist at Terracon in Charleston, SC.
  • Marty Goff retired as senior geologist in Washington, DC, at USACE, where he spent 34 years. An active member of the PDCA Education Committee, he opted to assume a retired membership to stay involved.

 

Recognitions:

 

In sympathy:

  • Larry P. Rayburn (19382025): Following an impactful career in deep foundation design and construction with Richard Goettle, Inc., the late Mr. Rayburn simultaneously lent his expertise in his craft, and his support, to PDCA and other organizations working to advance the industry. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, children and grandchildren. His memorial fund supports the University of Cincinnati Civil Engineering Scholarship Fund in his name.
  • Charles Norman Crisson (19652025): A lifelong resident of Bermuda, Mr. Crisson passed away in late January, days before his 60th birthday. The owner of Crisson Construction supported PDCA as a foundation and marine construction professional. He is survived by his wife, Valerie, and two children.
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On the Job

ASAP Group is driving 184 pairs of coated AZ 12-770 steel sheet pilesfrom JD Fields & Co. for the Medley RNG facility near Miami. At Cocoa Beach, their crew uses an HPSI Model 300from GeoQuip, Inc. to install sheets for the new Westin Beach Resort, soon to be the most luxurious hotel in Brevard County.

 

Cape Romain Contractors is building a new water control structureon a foundation of 24 timber piles, designed by Thomas & Hutton. It requires construction of a temporary coffer cell consisting of PZ-27 sheetpile, soldier piles and a cell ring. Pile driving work for the Cainhoy, SC, job involves an MKT V-20 and an APE 50. Terracon is the geotech of record.

 

MEB is building the new Tabb facility for the Hampton Roads Sanitary District in Tabb, VA. PM Brandon Jones says crews used their PILECO D-9 hammer, freshly serviced by GeoQuip, Inc., to drive 247, 12-inch PSC piles from Atlantic MetrocastInfrastructure Consulting & Engineering performed PDA testing. Terracon is GOR for the new installation, expected online in spring 2026.

 

Morris-Shea Bridge Co. is installing foundations for a terminal addition and parking garage at Jacksonville International Airport in Florida. Hammer & Steel supplied a press attachment that crews used to place steel sheets.

 

Reagan Marine anticipates it will be using an ICE, Inc. vibro to drive timber piling for the reconstruction of the Elm Street Pier in Newport, RI, a structure on which they performed emergency repair work last year.

 

Richard E. Pierson Construction is reconfiguring the intersection of Annapolis Rd. and Baltimore Washington Parkway near Jessup, MD. A crew installed piling from Triad Metals with an ICE, Inc., I-30 hammer. The MDOT job is expected in late 2027.

 

Sealevel Construction completes a multi-faceted construction job for the FAA near Leeville, LA. Among the components was the installation of a temporary cofferdam, fortification of sheet piling and pile caps and driving 98 timber piles.

 

Industry news:

  • Atlas Tube CEO Barry Zekelmanappeared on CNBC in March to offer his perspectives as owner of a U.S. steel manufacturer, on the ongoing North American dialogue concerning new tariffs among the countries.
  • Earth, Inc. owner Mike Sydlik shares an ENR story about a request by the City of Chicago to contractors, to discount signed construction contractsby 3%.
  • S&ME distributes this report from OSHA, listing the federal agency's Top 10 Most Frequently Cited Standards for FY 2024.
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Notes from the Field

Culture Club  It's likely that most of our workplaces did not observe the Lunar New Year. However, if it's on your agenda for next year, one PDCA member sets an example: Hawaiian Dredging Construction Companyheld a Lion Dance Blessing in February and sent humanity best wishes for prosperity, health and good fortune.

 

Come Fly With Me  There's no shame for a foundation pro to admire their work for years after it's done. And underground elements are rarely seen, anyway. But Jason Jones at CMI Limited was departing San Francisco airport and shared his pride in seeing company product installed 20 years ago, within eyeshot of the runway.

 

Minnesota Nice  We would be stunned if American Engineering Testing, Inc. (AET) in St. Paul, MN, didn't provide a wide variety of what were likely amazing, midwestern-baked pies for the staff on March 14. Engineering firm...Pi Day, and all.

 

It was flat-out scary, baby  After all the emotion, intrigue and uncertainty of 2025 March Madness, and we end up with an all-1-seed Final Four? But, a NEW national champ is imminent. By the way, Jill Kennedy at REV Drillis hosting an industry pool with a top prize of $2K. We're excited to learn who wins!

 

This publication recognizes PDCA members for the work you do, the goodwill you provide and the contributions of your staff. It's simple when we learn of your company news, you get a shout-out here. But you must be a member to appear! JOIN PDCA.

 

One member turned tables on PDCA and gave us a shout-out in an article he published for an international organization. Eric Lincoln at American Pole & Timber shared his reasons for being involved in industry associations, and promoted the work of PDCA in his narrative. Thanks, Eric!

 

Thanks for reading, we will be back with the next installment on May 1st.

 

CONEXPO CON / AGG - Taking Construction to the Next Level

Posted in A Pile of News PDCA Monthly e-newsletter.

A Pile of News - March 2025

 
Atlas Tube - Extra-Large ERW Pipe Piles

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A Pile of News: March 2025

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 March. 3, 2025

Top of the Pile

  • The PDCA train rolled down to San Antone...who was on it? The 2025 Annual Conference concluded Feb. 6 at the Marriott Hill Country Resort. Images in the following links show who was there, what happened and what you missed. Photo credits to perennial PDCA photographer Mark Skalny (below).
Photographer walking the hall of a recent PDCA event.
  • Ace in the Hole  It all started on Feb. 4 when 72 golfers from the conference set out to enjoy 18 holes of golf. Many were met by challenges on the unforgiving course. Scenes from the annual PDCA golf tourney.
  • Unwound  That night, conference-goers indulged in brisket, pulled pork and other Texas-styled chow. The western-themed Opening Reception welcomed folks with a bebida, a howdy, y'all, and country music classics from a local DJ.
  • Cowboys Like Us may have been channeled after hearing the conference keynote speaker during the Opening Ceremony on Feb. 5. Retired Navy Seal LT Jason Redman told his incredible story about overcoming existential challenges he faced during wartime combat. A meet & greet & book signing followed.
  • Write This Down Following an inspiring keynote speech, several more general and elective sessions offered attendees education and professional development courses from experts in a variety of disciplines.
  • Easy Come, Easy Go  The full-capacity Exhibit Hall featured dozens of longtime PDCA exhibitors, and some first-timers. Attendees met with equipment and material suppliers, engineering and instrumentation experts, participating contractors and more. Breaks, a lunch and a reception all happened here.
  • Honky Tonk Time Machine  the conference theme was History and Heritage are Foundational. A panel of industry veterans addressed the past, present and future of piling. An impressive timeline chronicling pile driving over centuries was on display near Registration. The PDCA Education & Technical Committees shaped the content and presentations. Read more.
  • The Cowboy Rides Away  on Feb. 6, the Conference wrapped with an awards brunch. Winners of the 2024 Project of the Year were presented trophies. PDCA also awarded its standout volunteer contributors. It was farewell until we do it again 2026. (Thanks San Antonio resident George Strait for lending song titles.)

From the Association & Chapters

Mark your calendars:

 

From the piledrivers.org blog:

  • Networking in Norfolk Part Deux was the second such networking event for Coastal Virginia. Thanks to a host of sponsors, PDCA members and industry friends enjoyed the FREE event designed to build the organization in the region. See who was SPOTTED.
  • Connecting the Lowcountry  In its first meeting of 2025, SC Chapter members met in Charleston to celebrate the success of January's Oyster Roast, hear a technical program from Junttan and break bread in quarterly tradition.
Stealth Pipe and Steel's LinkedIn post wins!

Congratulations, Marco Lessard, you are this month's winner! Send an email to marian@piledrivers.org before the end of February to claim your prize!

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News from PDCA Companies

Acquisitions & expansions:

  • Cajun Industries, LLC received a unique Facebook shout-out from Louisiana Gov. Landry, acknowledging the company's expansion in the Port of Iberia, where the contractor is opening a 65-acre yard for module assembly.
  • NSI Contracting in New Hampshire is changing hands. Now-retired owner Andre Bissonnette announced the sale of the company to a longtime partner.
  • Pile Dynamics, Inc. further expanded its corporate office facilities in Solon, OH. It opened a third building, measuring 9,000 square feet, in late 2024.
  • Thomas & Hutton opens a new office in Statesboro, GA, furthering the Savannah-based engineering firm's reach into the Peach State.

 

Giving back:

Recognitions:

  • Bowen brought its project managers to Indianapolis HQ for annual company training; former Indiana governor and current president at Purdue University Mitch Daniels addressed the gathering with a message about leadership.
  • GROUP Contractors is among the PDCA members to earn designation as Top Performer in the construction industry. Cajun Industries, Mason Construction, Aggregate Technologies also made the list ranking the Gulf Coast region.
  • Mason Construction won 2024 Business of the Year from the Greater Port Arthur Chamber of Commerce.
  • Morris-Shea Bridge Company was honored with the highest safety award given to a constructor; the company shouts-out HSE director Shane Moore.
  • Locke Solutions won Best in Precast for its work, in collaboration with McCarthy, on the Port of Beaumont, an already widely awarded project.

Anniversaries:

  • JD Fields & Coreaches 40 years as a leading steel piling supplier. Throughout four decades, it has diversified its product line, expanded services and delivered product for highly recognized infrastructure and building projects. From its home office in Houston, the steel supplier credits its people-first culture for its success.
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People on the Move

Transitions:

  • Isaac Thorpe is appointed to the project management/estimating team at C.J. Mahan Construction. Also new to the Grove City, OH, company are Ashwith Gurram and Rylea Sowell, both in quality control.
  • Morgan Oyler named senior project engineer at MEB. The Chesapeake, VA-based professional started with the company in 2021 after an internship.
  • Tim Curvers is named new director of sales at Bull Moose Tube.
  • William Johnson gets promoted from service manager to education and training specialist at CZM-US Foundation Equipment in Ellabell, GA.
  • Tom (TC) Heller is in his final month at Liebherr, leading up to his April 1 retirement, following 18 years with the equipment manufacturer as VP of sales.
  • Tracey Turner, P.E., elevates to director Geotechnical, Testing & Inspections at ESP Associates, Inc. in Charleston, SC.
  • Russell Nipper reaches 41 years at Southern Earth Sciences in Mobile! The firm's Tampa office names Eric Roberson, Santino Cook as new CMTs.

 

Recognitions:

  • Derek Duhon from Baker GCI in Baton Rouge touts the consistency of driven piles in his remarks to ENR, which published an article featuring the senior project manager as a subject matter expert on pre-construction engineering.
  • Peter Cianchette, VP at CIANBRO, was seated as a member of the board during its first 2025 meeting for the Maine State Chamber of Commerce.
  • Martin D. Downs Jr., P.E., president at J. Fletcher Creamer & Son was part of a small group of adventurers to reach the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa. He credits co-climbers, proclaiming that it truly takes a team to reach the top.
  • Fred Paup, chairman of the board at Manson Construction, appears in a published interview with MarineLink to discuss company success and growth.
  • Miguel Arguelles, VP at McCarthy Building Companies, appears in Construction Superintendent magazine, where he makes the case for year-round internships, a role that started his career with the contractor.
  • Jesse Meldrum from Ralph L. Wadsworth Construction in Salt Lake City has been named Construction Safety Professional of the Year by AGC.
  • Mike Terrell of Scott Bridge Company chairs the scholarship committee for the Alabama Road Builders. He hosted winners of the 2025 award at his Opelika, AL, office. The Engineering Dept. Chair from Auburn University also attended.
  • Clayton Signor, president of Texas Pile, announced the birth of his second son, Nico, born Jan. 21. Mom, Eleni, and brother Marco are excited to have the newborn home with the family in Austin.
  • Allie Brady, Chris Sandburg and Lisa Reineccius, all from VEIT, are finalists for Top Women in Construction in Minnesota. John Hass, who is lean operations director, earns SRI industry award for leadership and safety.
  • Erica Parker, business development director at JD Fields & Co. and PDCA Texas Chapter treasurer, married Paul Parker in December 2024.
  • Roland Duran from Lodge Lumber Co. brought home the trophy and a ring after winning the People's Choice Award in a Houston chili cook-off.
  • Leon Topalian, CEO at Nucor, appeared on CNBC to highlight a substantial increase in company safety practices.
  • Daniel Larson, P.E., CEO of American Engineering Testing, Inc. in Minnesota, has won election as national chairman of ACEC.
  • Katherine Dilawari, P.E., and Jesse Siegel, P.E., both from Haley & Aldrichcontribute to the geotechnical education of graduate level students at Harvard.
  • Dr. Aaron Budge, an academic leader at Minnesota State University, shouts-out PDCA and a who's who of PDCA technical members, in a LinkedIn post saluting a mentor to many in the industry, the late Joe Caliendo.
Photo of TC Heller (left) at his las PDCA Conference and photo of the Signor Family (right) with baby Nico

In sympathy:

  • Ian Hofmann, P.E., was a "kind, talented and remarkable man," according to his colleagues at CRW Engineering in Alaska. He was among the 10 lives tragically lost during the Feb. 6 Bering Air crash over Norton Sound. The electrical engineer was returning home after working on a public project.
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On the Job

CIANBRO crews have been building a new seawall at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. See the "after" photos the contractor shared upon job completion.

Jordan Pile Driving is retained to drive tapered test piles made by The Loren Group; it starts March 26, kicking off a a comprehensive study on the Gadsden, AL, made, piling material spearheaded by sales engineer Jerry Hart. The Alabama DOT is among partners in the program scheduled to take place in Mobile on donated land.

Orion secures $143.5M in marine contracts for Q1 2025. Projects span the country from the Gulf to the Pacific Northwest. More details on the news release.

Power Engineering Construction reports it completed the USACE San Francisco Wharf Repair project, which involved installation of PSC piling through precision pile driving techniques, as well as construction of a timber pile fender system.

Russell Marine LLC has a crew driving steel piling from JD Fields & Co. with a hammer from GeoQuip, Inc. for a combi-wall at Berth 214 at the Port in Tampa.

SJ Hamill Construction sent a crew from Charleston, SC, to Jacksonville, FL, to install steel pipe from Fields with a company-owned ICE 33 hammer, at a fuel terminal.

Dawson Construction Plant is accrediting technicians who own, operate or deal their equipment. Interested parties obtain credentials through online and in-person training.

Schnabel Engineering is a key partner to NCDOT in the ongoing infrastructure rebuild in western North Carolina in the wake of Hurricane Helene. The firm reports completing geotechnical work to assist in building a new bridge over the Pigeon River.

Industry news:

Notes from the Field

The BMOC  Recalling his teammates and their success in early 1990s, ASCE concrete canoe competitions at Catholic University of America, GeoStructures, Inc. CEO Larry Moore takes to social media to promote the present day program at his alma mater.

Unsinkable  Was a goal for builders of the SS United States. After its 1951 completion as the largest ocean liner built in the U.S, it crossed the Atlantic at record speed. Last month, it left Philly and passed under the Delaware Memorial Bridge, where Richard Pierson Construction crews watched it sail for the last time. It's set to be sunk to become the world's largest artificial reef, off Mobile, AL. Preservationists asked the White House to save it, but haven't heard back as of this writing.

Fantastic Voyage  Coastal Virginia is a rich hub of driven pile activity. One project that involves numerous industry stakeholders is the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel Expansion. Dewberry is among the engineering firms helping transform the roadway between Hampton and Norfolk, over/under Chesapeake Bay from four to eight lanes. Visual info manager Dave Huh shares a driving tour of the evolving infrastructure.

Not your Grandpa's Route 66  As Illinois DOT strives for 110 mph high-speed rail between Chicago and St. Louis, an MKT Manufacturing V5 side clamp hammer was spotted at work on a track-line modification under a central Illinois bridge. It'll be a welcome option to the notorious Illinois highways.

It's March 3rd and you're one month away from a big deadline. The submission period for the 2025 PDCA Project of the Year Awards program CLOSES APRIL 4TH. Please send in your entries in an electronic file by close of business that day. If you need an e-file or have any questions, contact PDCA at matt@piledrivers.org.

We will sign-off with an important round of thanks, to you, our readers. But also to those who have already submitted their projects for awards consideration. To those who have renewed their PDCA dues for 2025. To those who attended and/or sponsored the Annual Conference. To those who attended and/or sponsored Networking in Norfolk - Part Deux. And to those who have embraced all the recent and upcoming Chapter activity. If you haven't yet joined and are interested, enrollment in the new Florida Chapter is now available. Click here. Until we meet again in April, have a great month.

CONEXPO CON / AGG - Taking Construction to the Next Level
 

Posted in A Pile of News PDCA Monthly e-newsletter.

A Pile of News - February 2025

A Pile of News: February 2025

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 Feb. 3, 2025

Top of the Pile

  • FloGrown  Pile industry pros from Florida won approval from the PDCA Board to affiliate as the new Florida Chapter of PDCA. Leading the group is chapter president Lina Garcia Martin, VP Dean Cacio, secretary Samantha See and treasurer John Hayes. Details and membership info coming soon!
  • Shine your boots and crease your Wranglers! The PDCA 2025 Annual Conference starts tomorrow with a Western-themed opening reception at 6PM at the JW Marriott Hill Country Resort in San Antonio. It has a Texas-sized lineup of presenters and an Exhibit Hall at capacity. We can't wait to see you this week!
  • "Just dropped" is modern slang for "hot off the presses"  Read the latest digital edition of PileDriver magazine, Issue 1 2025, here.

Florida contractors Garcia-Martin (Orion), Cacio (R.W. Harris), at announcement of new PDCA Chapter

From the Association & Chapters

Mark your calendars:

 

From the piledrivers.org blog:

  • 'Shuckin' and jivin'  Charleston is an attraction by itself, but the annual S.C. Chapter Oyster Roast brings the pile drivers in droves. Who was SPOTTED?
  • A peaceful transfer of power  During the PDCA organizational meeting of the Board of Directors, past president Brian Heck passed the gavel to new president Buck Darling. Meeting coverage here. And there was an impromptu presentation from Harold Baur to the new president that you don't want to miss.
  • Board & Brews brought the Florida pile driving industry together with PDCA leaders for a networking reception in Clearwater. Scenes from the FREE event.
PDCADriven Winner for February 2025

Congratulations, American Piledriving Equipment, Inc., you are this month's winner! Send an email to marian@piledrivers.org before the end of February to claim your prize!

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News from PDCA Companies

Acquisitions & expansions:

 

Giving back:

Recognitions:

  • Scott Bridge Company is celebrated in a video collaboration from a construction media firm and a boot-maker, which teamed up to salute the Opelika, AL contractor's work in the the Southeast under president Ike Scott.
  • Locke Solutions is #13 on the 2024 Aggie 100 list highlighting the fastest-growing companies led by former Texas A&M students. Also, the Houston PSC maker debuted on the 2024 Inc. 5000 list, often an entrepreneurial benchmark.
  • GZA GeoEnvironmental is a featured customer story for its water monitoring/analysis vendor, from which the Boston-based engineering firm designed and implemented a fully automated, multi-level turbidity monitoring system. Staff scientist Isabella Kennedy leads turbidity monitoring for clients like pile drivers, who mitigate regulations on sensitive marine ecosystems.
  • Lloyd Engineering applauds staff who participated in recent running events, including the Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Half Marathon.

Governmental relations:

  • Apex Steel Pipe & Piling has a business relationship with Don McGlaughlin, who also works in steel. The former Uvalde mayor won a seat in the Texas State House. Apex proprietor Scott Irwin visited his associate and friend in Austin.
  • Nucor Skyline hosted State Rep. Ritter for a tour of its Belpre, OH, plant where the legislator watched as a roll of flat steel was formed into sheet piling.

Anniversaries:

  • Ralph L. Wadsworth Construction of Draper, UT, celebrates 50 years in heavy construction. During a half-century reshaping the built environment, the contractor has fingerprints on numerous high-profile projects. Among them, the bobsled luge track for the 2002 Winter Olympics, UDOT's "Bridge Farm" on I-80, significant work at Yelllowstone National Park and deep foundations at the SLC Airport (which won repeated PDCA Project of the Year Awards). Congratulations!

Baker GCI built a new Baton Rouge office which withstood a rare southern snowstorm in January

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People on the Move

Transitions:

  • Jeff Van Meter, P.E., Marc Service, Brian Shalk, P.E., Scott Williams, project leaders at Power Engineering Constructionelevate into company ownership.
  • Travis H. is new to the Mid-Atlantic team at Sargent. The 23-year construction industry veteran takes on a role in growth and strategy for the region.
  • Angie Simien is promoted to safety manager at Veit; Carson Clark from the Minnesota company's foundations team moves up to estimator 1.
  • Sei Oiyama named manager of the new Giken America office in Hoboken, NJ.
  • Steven Mathers has retired as EVP at Interpipe, Inc. Canada. He joined the company as GM in 2007, bringing 22 years of experience in the metals industry.
  • Andrew Appleton embraces a commitment to "excellence, innovation and collaboration," tenets at John Lawrie Tubulars USA. The 12-year company veteran is the newly appointed president for the Houston-based supplier.
  • Luke Price elevates to president at Mammoth Carbon Products, LLC, where he has been a leader in sales since 2021.
  • Michael Law, P.E., PhD, BC.GE and Andrew Pontecorvo, P.E., promoted to associate principal at Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers in New York.
  • Jim Campbell, P.E.reached his 30th year at PND Engineers and retired in January. The past president worked in Colorado, Washington and Alaska. Also, Obediah Dawson, P.E., has been promoted to senior engineer.
  • Lloyd Brown joins the New Orleans office of Southern Earth Sciences, and Dontray Miller and Christian Brewer are new hires in the Mobile, AL, office.

 

Recognitions:

CPS Houston - Fab, Coat & Deliver - One Call!

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On the Job

Callan Marine gets a cameo on a Beaumont, TX TV news report about the reopening of the City of Beaumont Riverfront Park. The Galveston contractor rebuilt the Hurricane Harvey-damaged space and used ICE, Inc. equipment to drive steel pipe and sheets.

PRECO-MSE mitigates Canadian winter conditions as it installs a retaining wall and foundation with steel piling for a new condo unit in suburban Quebec.

R.E. Burns & Sons Co. began work on a bridge replacement in west-central North Carolina. WHKY Radio News reports the contractor won a $12M DOT contract to replace the bridge on U.S. 21 near Harmony, which should complete by fall.

Russell Marine announces its railroad division completed its first changeout for 2025. It installed 24 piles, five interior caps and three abutments near Reeves, LA.

Thatcher Foundations installed sheet piling from Gerdau for what will soon become the new Ryan Field, home to Northwestern University football. The Chicago contractor performed the work for a JV that includes The Walsh Group.

Walsh, meantime, broke ground for a new 57K sf facility at Tampa's MacDill Air Force Base with the USAF and USACE; the initiative will support special ops command.

JD Fields & Company, Inc. supplied steel sheet and pipe piling for a unique combi-wall installed using Liebherr equipment, for shoreline protection just west of Montreal.

H&H is retained by the Delaware DOT for rehabilitation design of Wilmington Drawbridges.

Industry news:

  • Steel shakeup  January brought near-daily developments in the global steel market when the past presidential administration blocked a massive merger.
  • Atlas Tube exec Barry Zekelman was on Mornings with Maria at Fox News to discuss the halted steel merger and current U.S. policy talk on tariffs.
  • GeoEngineers, Inc. VP Chris Nordfors publicizes his study that seeks to quantify predicted growth for an engineering firm to maintain competitiveness.

Notes from the Field

"Zenith city of the unsalted seas" is a nickname for Duluth, MN, where Wren Works is finishing a new, high-profile seawall, which has gained attention during a PDCA job site visit, coverage from several local news outlets and treatment from a celebrated regional photographer. All eyes are on the Zenith City!

Near the salted sea - Jacksonville, FL is a metro region that's home to several PDCA members and the PDCA offices. Massman Construction from Kansas City celebrates the 40th anniversary of Jacksonville's Dames Point Bridge, the first cable-stayed bridge it built, and has likely carried hundreds of PDCA member staff for decades. It was founded on more than 300 tons of HP and numerous 24-inch-square concrete piles.

Ballers  Another SMU athlete is partnered with JD Fields in an NIL deal. Mustang basketball forward Matt Cross has five double-doubles on the season so far. The pile manufacturer previously sponsored football star Rashee Rice, who is on the roster (IR list) for his second NFL Super Bowl in just three seasons at the Kansas City Chiefs.

A new spectator sport? The National Equipment League, a show in its 2nd season on YouTube, features construction equipment operators competing against one another. One contestants is Brenna Moore from The Walsh GroupTune in to see if she is crowned the champion!

All the cool kids are doing it - Thank you for your support of the driven pile industry. Watch for April's A Pile of News and PileDriver magazine, when we feature the list of new members who joined this quarter. Remember: academics, government employees and students, join PDCA at no cost. Consider membership for 2025!

Shout-outs available here! Share your PDCA member company news with us if you would like to see your name in this publication. And PileDriver magazine encourages you to submit project stories, technical papers and news releases for publication. Contact PDCA today to find out more!

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Posted in A Pile of News PDCA Monthly e-newsletter.

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