(L) Blakeslee Arpaia Chapman wins TWO awards, pictured are Sr. Eng. Jim Dempsey and wife Deb; (R) PND Engineers wins Engineering Affiliate/Associate, VP Rian Johnson pictured
Each August, the Pile Driving Contractors Association announces the winners of the annual PDCA Project of the Year Awards Program, exclusively in Issue #4 of PileDriver magazine. On Friday, August 1st, the digital edition of PileDriver magazine was delivered to industry inboxes through the A Pile of News e-newsletter, and readers got the first look at the companies and projects that are being honored for the best in pile driving for 2025.
Here, we will give you the Cliff's Notes of this year's PDCA Project of the Year Awards Program in the way of a list. The winning projects and the PDCA member company that performed its pile driving installation and/or design portion are:
And the Winners are...
Land Under $1M:Swire Temporary Business Center by ASAP Group LLC
Land $1M - $5M: Union Pacific Railroad Santa Barbara Hub Bridge Replacement by Ralph L. Wadsworth Construction Company
Land Over $5M:LNG Canada Project Lode Line Trestle Construction by Pacific Pile & Marine
Marine Under $5M:Montville Bulkhead Replacement Project by Blakeslee Arpaia Chapman Inc.
Marine Over $5M:Port of Beaumont Main Street Terminal 1 by McCarthy Building Companies
Earth Retention Under $5M:Vestal Environmental Sheet Pile Project by Blakeslee Arpaia Chapman Inc.
Associate/Engineering Affiliate:Oliktok STP Dock by PND Engineers, Inc.
Congratulations to the 2025 winners of the PDCA Project of the Year Awards! A ceremony honoring them will take place during the 2026 PDCA Annual Conference at the Four Seasons Resort Orlando, scheduled for July 7-9, 2026. Read more about each of the projects listed above in PileDriver magazine - Issue #4, 2025.
Sharon Rowe (L) of Power Engineering Construction accepts project award for Marine: Less than $5M during ceremony at 2025 Annual Conference
The entry period for the 2025 PDCA Project of the Year Awards Program closes in less than one-month. If you completed the pile driving portion of a noteworthy project before December 31, 2024 that you believe is worthy of entry in this PDCA, members-only competition, the time is now to prepare your submission. The deadline to submit is April 4, 2025; there is no cost for PDCA members to participate.
You will need to complete the entry form that is available when you click the button at the bottom of the page. Also, you are required to draft a project narrative explaining why the driven pile installation for your project is worthy of the premier award available through PDCA. Your narrative should be written in suitable format for possible publication in full, in PileDriver magazine. Finally, you need to provide a minimum of 4-6, high resolution photos of your project construction. All components should be provided to PDCA in an electronic file. If you need an e-file, PDCA will provide one to you upon your written request to matt@piledrivers.org.
The PDCA Project of the Year Awards program has become highly competitive in several categories in recent years. Winning entries from each category will be revealed in the August issue of PileDriver magazine; representatives of the winning projects will be recognized during an awards ceremony at the next PDCA Annual Conference in 2026.
More information on this popular program that PDCA has held for more than two decades is below; and to enter, please begin by clicking the button at the bottom of this page.
Enter your unique project(s) in the categories of LAND, MARINE, EARTH RETENTION, ASSOCIATE/ENGINEERING AFFILIATE, OR INTERNATIONAL
Participation is FREE, and exclusive to PDCA members; non-members may enroll before April 4th to become eligible for the 2025 competition
Pres. Buck Darling calls the Awards Ceremony to Order; the brunch event closed the 2025 Annual Conference
The 2025 PDCA Annual Conference concluded with an awards ceremony in which winners of 2024 Project of the Year Awards and Association Awards were recognized before attendees of a brunch event. President Buck Darling, Vice President Chris Normand, and Executive Director Frank Peters emceed the ceremony which included a pictorial video of Project of the Year Awards winners, special recognitions of individuals for notable service to PDCA, and prizes for those who played extraordinarily well during the golf tournament that started the 2025 conference.
See the following winners of the various awards that PDCA presented to close the 2025 Annual Conference:
2024 Project of the Year Awards Winners
GZA GeoEnvironmental
Winner: Associate/Engineering Affiliate
for Back Cove West Storage Conduit
Orion Marine Construction
Winner: Earth Retention: More Than $5M
for Port Everglades Southport Turning Notch Expansion
Foundation Constructors, Inc.
Winner: Land: $1M To $5M
for Burlingame TopGolf USA
Cajun Industries, LLC
Winner: Land: More Than $5M
for Venture Global - Plaquemines LNG - Early Works Piling
Power Engineering Construction
Winner: Marine: Less Than $5M
for Berkeley Marina Timber Pile Replacement
Sealevel Construction
Winner: Marine: More Than $5M
for Inland LNG Pipeline Platforms
East Coast Marine Construction & Design
Winner: Earth Retention: Less Than $5M
for Hawaiian Inn Resort Restoration
East Coast Marine Construction & Design (PR Dept.)
For full coverage of the 2024 PDCA Project of the Year Awards program, including detailed articles about each project and plenty of photos from the various jobsites, please seePileDriver magazine Issue #4-2024.
2024 Association Awards Winners
Past President Brian Heck was recognized for an unprecedented three consecutive years service to PDCA as President. In addition to a special plaque commemorating his significant commitment to the organization, Executive Director Frank Peters presented him with not one, but two bottles of Blantons. However, one was empty. (You should have been there!) It was a special ceremony in which Brian was applauded by attendees in the near-capacity auditorium.
More Association Awards...
Scott Webster: Six years service as Treasurer of PDCA Board
and Presidential Award for Distinguished Service
Kevin Gourgues: Three years service as Past President of PDCA Board
and Contractor Distinguished Service Award
Matt Scerbak: John T. Parker Industry Ambassador Award
Tim Dutton: Associate Member of the Year
Dermot Fallon: Lifetime Achievement Award
Mohamad Hussein: Committee Chair of the Year
Mike Venezia: Dr. Frank Rausche Professional Engineers Service Award
2025 Annual Conference Golf Tournament Awards
Erica Parker represents the golf team that finished in 1st place
Rudy Szymczak, Michael Muniz were on 2nd place team
Colby Blackman, Jeremy Davidson, Mickey Thatcher helped bring a 3rd place finish
When the results from February 4th golf tournament were tabulated, the teams finished in the following order:
1st Place: Strider Noone, Erica Parker, Dean Abbondanza, Walter Van Zuthem
2nd Place: Mark Hunter, Michael Muniz, Andres Rodriguez, Rudy Szymczak
3rd Place: Brandon Bicknell, Mickey Thatcher, Colby Blackman, Jeremy Davidson
The tournament also brought individual competitions; winners in the different categories follow:
Mens Closest to the Pin #3: Walter Van Zuthem
Men's Closest to the Pin #16: Jimbo McKnight
Men's Longest Drive #9: Dean Cacio
Women's Longest Drive #18: Tina Peters
Congratulations to all PDCA Golf Tournament winners and thank you for participating in this exciting competition.
