A Pile of News - July 2024 (2024)

• Contractors Power Engineering Construction Co., Alameda, CA; The Walsh Group, Chicago, IL
• Associates Foster Stone International, Houston, TX; Lally Pipe & Tube, Taylor Mill, KY; Stealth Pipe and Steel, Montreal, Quebec; West Coast Spiral Pipe, Rialto, CA
• Engineering Affiliate VMS/Allnamics USA, Montgomery, TX
• Government employees Chris Nickel, P.E. and Kylie Beadle, P.E., both from Louisiana DOTD

• Feb. 4 - 6, 2025 the PDCA Annual Conference at the J.W. Marriott Hill Country Resort in San Antonio, TX. It offers industry learning, a trade show, golf tourney, awards and more.
• Nov. 10 - 14, 2025 Contractors Foundation Institute: Driven Pile Academy in Port Bienville, MS. It features hands-on training and field tests for pile drivers.

Aug. 8: PDCA Value Driven Webinar Series (virtual), 23 PM EDT. Hear an important presentation about Employee Mental Health & Suicide Prevention.

Aug. 8: South Carolina Chapter Dinner, Charleston, SC

Aug. 9: Northeast Chapter Sporting Clays Fundraiser, Coplay, PA

Aug. 22 The Twin Cities Social, Minneapolis-St. Paul, SAVE THE DATE

Sept. 10 - 11: DICEP Conference, Chicago, IL

Sept. 24: Texas Chapter Golf Tournament, Houston, TX

Ongoing: PDCA Committees meet virtually visit Events Calendar for dates/times

Mason Construction, LLCrepeats aswinner of the Torch Award, a high honor that recognizes a southeast Texas business exemplifying ethical practices and outstanding service.

Orionwins inSafety ExcellenceandHal Jones Contractorparent company Vecellio & Grogan is honored forDBE Utilizationfrom theFlorida Transportation Builders Association.

Scott Bridge Companyishonored for safety practicesin Georgia.

The Great Lakes Construction Co.has wontwo high-profile awards in 2024. The Cleveland area heavy contractor received hardware for the relocation of SR-62 from OCA/O-DOT, while ACEC recognizes its work at Aqua Ohio's historic Ashtubula water treatment plant as "engineering excellence."

Geosyntec Consultantsreceivedtwo prestigious awards from the National Safety Council; one for Operational Excellence Achievement, and one for Million Work Hours.

Giving back:

Bechtelopened theCraft Professional Recruitment Centerin Brownsville, TX.

Bowenstaff in Morristown, IN, led a volunteer effortto renovate the rural community's ball field. Area suppliers "pitched" in too, and the results exceeded expectations.Play ball!

Dissen & Juhn Co.supports advocacy striving for healthy waterwayson Maryland's Eastern Shore. The Stevensville contractor sponsors the State of the Rivers series fromShoreRivers.

MEBbroughtmore than 80 employees to participate in Clean the Bay Day, a Chesapeake Bay Foundation program.

Richard Goettle, Inc.isa 2024 benefactor of theSpirit of Construction Foundation, an organization that works to contribute to the collective wellbeing of the Cincinnati region.

R.E.Pierson Constructiondonated a truckload of goodsto a New Jersey animal shelter.

Acquisitions & expansions:
Sealevel Construction Inc.adds to its equipment portfolio; now offers foundation installation through use of a Giken Silent Piler.

Bull Moose Tubeopened their newest manufacturing facility in 2023 in Sinton, TX. Last month, the "cutting-edge" factorydebuted onManufacturing Marvels, a Fox Business Network program.

CPS Houston,which offers pile coating,has earned QP3 Shop Painting accreditation.

PVE Equipment USAmoves its Gulf Coast Division office into a new, permanent home at 8718 Freedom Drive in Baytown, TX, near Houston.

Government relations:
Nucor Skylinereceived a visit to its home office in Charlotte, NC, fromU.S. Sen. Budd. Elsewhere, state-based lobby teams representing the steel supplier visited several state capitals to meet with legislators.

Tectonic Engineeringis retained for Phase II of the I-91/691, Route 15 interchange improvements in Meriden, CT.Gov. Lamont,U.S. Rep. Hayesand other officials participated ina groundbreaking event with the engineersand stakeholders.

Anniversaries:
Cianbro,founded in Pittsfield, ME, in 1949, is a large American construction company, rich in history. Early on, it secured a subcontract on a Cold War-era military base project. In 1969, it assembled the largest crane in the Western Hemisphere. A decade later, its robust Mid-Atlantic operations grew out of a Virginia bridge job. It introduced the full-body construction harness in 1987. Many moremilestones are on the Cianbro timeline... and PDCA extends you a happy 75th!

Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI)is a valued industry partner to PDCA and a great member.The organization celebrates 70 years in existence this year. PSC piles are among the foundation building materials that prove the old saying: "A driven pile...is a tested pile..."

Malik Tromblee was promoted to safety specialist at D.A. Collins Companies in Wilton, NY.

Justin Ballard joins MEB as director of business development and client solutions; also, Adrienne Iachetta elevates to project manager at the Chesapeake, VA-based contractor.

Krista Miller has been promoted to director of communications at Orion.

Sharon Rowe moves up to preconstruction and engineering specialist and Robert Truszkowski becomes a project manager at Alameda-based Power Engineering Construction Co.

Mary Marek recalls starting at Aggregate Technologies 20 years ago. Self-described as "blunt," she'd tell the bossman "how it is." Now, the bossman and team miss her in retirement.

Tyler Weisinger is new in outside sales at Dark Horse Metals; he's a Jiu-Jitsu black belt!

Melanie Schmitt appointed VP, Finance at American Engineering Testing, Inc. in Minnesota.

Fernanda Moraes joins GRL Engineers, Inc. in its California office; Anvir Ahmed onboards with the Pennsylvania office; and Syed Hussan is newly named to the Illinois office.

Annika Goozen, EIT, joins the Anchorage, AK, office of PND Engineers, Inc., where she interned prior to earning her master's degree in civil engineering.

David DeBerardino, P.E., named transportation director of construction, engineering and inspection (CEI) group at S&ME in Raleigh, NC.

Susheel Kolwalkar, Ph.D. rejoins Terracon as manager of regional services. We dare you to challenge him in ping pong! #IYKYK

Recognitions:
Joey Fontenot, Parker Berry, Milton Graugnard and student interns from Cajun Industries were featured at the 41st Annual LSU Construction Student Association Banquet.

Peter "Andi" Vigue, chairman and CEO at Cianbro, joins the JA Maine Business Hall of Fame. Elsewhere, Justin Bright in Suffolk, VA, obtained CCO-dedicated pile driver certification.

Bridget Costello, a senior P.E. at J. Fletcher Creamer & Son, took advantage of the company's tuition reimbursem*nt program to earn an MBA from Rutgers University.

Randy Dietel has spent a career serving interests beyond his Texas City company, Piling, Inc. The PDCA past president is recognized in his community through service on the school board, rotary and other groups. He was named finalist for 2024 Citizen of the Year in his home county.

John Bush snags a loyalty bonus after 30 years at Atlas Tube; he works in Kansas City.

Randall Frost from Canal Barge Co. earns 40 Under 40 Award from Inland Marine Expo.

David Jasinski from ESC Steel LLC appears on the cover of South American magazine GEO-5.

Andrea Rocha of GeoEngineers won Member of the Year in a Seattle marketing organization.

Tony Canale, P.E., BC.GE, from Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers in New York, earns distinction from the Academy of Geo-Professional Engineers as a board certified.

Allen Cadden, P.E., BC.GE from Schnabel Engineering submitted the winning Industry Competition Poster at IFCEE 2024; his work addressed "geotechnical data conversion."

Taylor Johnson from Soil Consultants, Inc. in Charleston is among the representatives of PDCA member engineering affiliates to be named a South Carolina Future Leader from the American Council of Engineering Companies of South Carolina. Also earning the distinction: Lauren Retivo from Schnabel Eningeering, Zack Simpson from GeoEngineers Inc. and Katie McCoy from Thomas & Hutton.

Tammie Barry celebrates 35 years at Southern Earth Sciences, Panama City office.

And let's congratulate some proud PDCA parents!
Dr. Peyton Galbreath, OTD, daughter of Pile Dynamics, Inc. marketer Diane Fischer, has passed her occupational therapy board examinations, earning her entry into the profession.

Joanna Hueber celebrates a new marriage to Rob, after their June wedding in Cape Cod, MA; the event gives father-of-the-bride Brad Roberts from GZA GeoEnvironmental "in-law" status.

Sending sympathies:
Ryan "Heath" Forbes (19802024): Heath was a career geotechnical engineer at S&ME, Inc. in Charleston, SC, and leaves his mark on some significant U.S. projects, including the widened I-95 in South Carolina, the Indian River Inlet cable-stayed bridge in Delaware and the Portsmouth Bypass in Ohio. He also worked on a port development at the Panama Canal. In his spare time, Heath and his wife Jill owned a local axe-throwing lounge. Heath is survived by Jill and their three children.