On Wednesday, June 18, 2025, members and guests of the PDCA Texas Chapter engaged in an outing that included an informational visit and tour at a large equipment supplier in Baytown, TX, followed by a Happy Hour event in nearby Mont Belvieu. 

Bottom Line Equipment hosted nearly 55 contractors, manufacturers, suppliers and other civil construction professionals at their large Baytown, TX facility where they rent and sell heavy construction equipment and specialty attachments. Company leadership was on hand, as well as local staff who took questions and participated in tours of the expansive grounds.

PDCA Texas Chapter President Condon Verble (pictured) opened the program, thanking the attending Chapter members and encouraging the non-members to consider joining. Pres. Verble also thanked the event sponsors which included MKT Manufacturing, Inc., Vacuworx and Peryn Heavy Haul. Finally, he invited all attendees to spread the word to interns and students in higher education to apply for the PDCA Texas Chapter Scholarship; application materials are due by August 1st.

Providing the welcome message from major sponsor and host Bottom Line Equipment was Scott Phillips, the Region 2 Market Leader. He thanked company founder and owner Kurt Degueyter for opening up the Baytown facility for the event, and introduced his leadership team who attended from some of the company's 11 other offices. Scott impressed upon the attendees that Bottom Line Equipment only offers 'quality, name-brand, and hard-to-find specialty equipment' and proudly serves all of Texas and Louisiana; they also serve outside of the region on a case-by-case basis.

Attendees were then released to network within the shop, enjoy the unique appetizers from Refined Cajun & BBQ Caterers, and tour the grounds. Gerardo Acosta Rios provided the walking tour and took questions about various aspects of the company. Fun fact we learned: Bottom Line Equipment brands in the colors red and black, and the rock throughout parking lot and equipment grounds is also red and black! This event was coordinated by Bottom Line's Territory Account Representative Samara Granger and PDCA Texas Chapter Administrator Shiri Foster.

When the visit to Bottom Line Equipment concluded, all attendees were invited to a Happy Hour, sponsored by Paco Equipment, in nearby Mont Belviue. There, several people gathered for additional refreshments and networking at The Barn - Whiskey Bar. Thanks to all those who attended either or both PDCA Texas Chapter events, see who was SPOTTED in the photos below:

Verble credited several sponsors for their support of Chapter's growth, including those who helped underwrite the April Lunch & Learn. Those included OTTO Fabricators, CPS Houston, McCarthy, JD Fields & Co., Aggregate Technologies, and Russell Marine. 

He also thanked the Texas Chapter leadership team, which includes VP Mickey Thatcher, Secretary Jene Adler, Treasurer Erica Parker, Planning Committee Director Matthew Knight, Chapter Administrator Shiri Foster, and Scholarship Committee Director John Burns.

Later in the program, Burns would detail the new Chapter Scholarship Program.

Following registration and networking, Lunch & Learn attendees dined together on a catered lunch from Eagle Point Golf Club which has the meeting room that served as the event venue. As lunch was finishing, the two segment, educational program began.

The first presenter was Kyle Yarborough from CPS Houston who informed attendees about expanding options that are available to pile drivers such as mobile splicing, advanced coatings, customized services, and more. He was joined by colleagues from the Houston-based company to provide a thorough presentation of their competencies.

Next, Brandon Phetteplace, PE from GRL Engineers, Inc. in Houston presented an overview of static load testing, complete with photographic imagery and charted data. His content served as a good reminder to some of the industry veterans in the room, but also generated audience questions stemming from a practice that embraces evolving technologies.

Click the button below to be redirected to the Texas Chapter Scholarship Award webpage which list rules and parameters for this program.