Turkeys in southeastern Louisiana may consider relocating during this Thanksgiving week since shooters from the regional driven pile industry have been practicing their marksmanship. Members and friends of the PDCA Gulf Coast Chapter gathered on Friday, Nov. 22nd for the annual clay shoot event, held this year at Covey Rise Lodge in Husser, LA.

The competitive event awarded the teams that finished in the top three spots based on their cumulative scores. Best Shooter and Worst Shooter were also recognized with prizes from PDCA.  

In addition to the successful shooting competition, the Chapter members held an election for the 2025 Chapter officers. Those tapped to lead the organization next year are:

And as with any PDCA Chapter event, sponsors play a big role in making it possible. The PDCA Gulf Coast Chapter proudly thanks the several sponsors which contributed to the annual Sporting Clays event.

Gold Sponsors:

Premier Geotech and Testing also sponsored the event breakfast while H&E prepared jambalaya and red beans and rice on site for the shooters' lunch. Shooting station sponsors were; Gulf Coast Prestress, International Construction Equipment, Boh Bros. Construction, Sealevel, JD Field & Co., and DeSoto Treated Materials.

As they do on an annual basis, members of the PDCA Gulf Coast Chapter trekked to the resort-style destination, The Golden Nugget Biloxi Hotel and Casino in Biloxi, MS, for a Chapter dinner and business meeting, that may also involve some unofficial, extracurricular activity for some. With nearly 50 in attendance, the contractors, associates, engineers, and friends assembled for the August 29th event enjoyed a networking reception followed by a dinner, business meeting, and two presentations.

Among the speakers for the evening were: Frank Peters, PDCA Executive Director, who discussed a busy fall season ahead for the organization. He detailed several upcoming conferences and other engagement opportunities that are available to the pile driving industry in coming months. He also stressed the importance of member engagement in the new member account management system called The PDCA Connection. Later, a technical presentation from David Tomley with Gulf Coast Prestress Partners educated attendees about some of the developments available in the concrete piling marketplace.

The PDCA Gulf Coast Chapter thanks to sponsors of the third quarter meeting in Biloxi, Gulf Coast Prestress Partners and JD Fields. A final meeting for 2024 is scheduled in November when the Chapter will elect a leadership team for the new year.