The 2008 NUCA Washington Summit in Review
NUCA to Present at ASCE 2008 International Pipelines Conference
NCUCA Presents First Ditchdigger
of the Year Award
APW Announces Study on Economic Impacts of Water & Wastewater Construction
Dan East Wins Republican Nomination for Congress in New Mexico's 3rd District
New Mexico Governor Proclaims September “Damage Prevention Month”
UCAC Presents 2008 Person of the Year Award
UCAW’s Mock Bid Event Draws National Attention
Obituary: PUCA General Counsel Allan Lyons Fluke Esq. (1939-2008)
New Members
The 2008 NUCA Washington Summit in Review
The crisp morning air surrounding the mass of National Utility Contractor Association (NUCA) members was thick with excitement. Armed with facts, figures and an intimate knowledge of utility contracting, the band charged the Hill — Capitol Hill. The day’s schedule was full of appointments with senators and congressmen. The topics: infrastructure investment; employer verifi cation requirements; Clean Water Act permitting; and OSHA’s proposed Confined Spaces in Construction standard, among others.
The nearly 140 attendees at NUCA’s annual Washington Summit had been thoroughly briefed the day before by NUCA Vice President of Government Relations Eben Wyman, NUCA CEO Bill Hillman and the rest of the NUCA staff. That calmed the nerves of a few fi rst-time participants and reminded everyone that our elected officials in Washington work for us. And, when it comes to the trials and tribulations faced by the utility contracting industry — the contractors, who are on the jobsite day in and day out, are the experts.
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NUCA to Present at ASCE 2008 International Pipelines Conference
NUCA has announced that the association will hold a panel discussion at the American Society of Civil Engineers’ International Pipelines Conference 2008 — Pipeline Asset Management: Maximizing Performance of Our Pipeline Infrastructure — July 22-27, at the Omni Hotel, CNN Center, in Atlanta.
“For several years now, NUCA has made it a priority to reach out to the engineering community in the hope of improving working relationships between engineers and utility contractors,” said NUCA CEO Bill Hillman. “We consider this opportunity to have a frank discussion of the issues in a public forum a major milestone in that effort.”
NUCA’s presentation — which will take place on Friday, July 25 from 9:00 to 10:30 am — will focus on the challenges engineers and utility contractors face when working together on pipeline projects.
According to the presentation proposal abstract, these challenges involve: “The assumption of higher risk and lower profitability caused by poor communication, unnecessary changes and repairs, wasted labor and materials, a poorly conceived or constructed project and, in some cases, a costly lawsuit.”
The panel, consisting of experienced contractors and engineers, will discuss some of the most commonly heard complaints and frustrations from both perspectives, as well as common frustrations that utility contractors and engineers share with respect to project owners. Once all the issues are out in the open, the panel and the audience will share approaches and experiences they have used to create more effective relationships and results. Lastly, the group will try to agree on one or two areas of concern to be jointly addressed by NUCA and ASCE during the next year.
For more information, contact NUCA CEO Bill Hillman at (703) 358-9300.
NCUCA Presents First Ditchdigger
of the Year Award
During its Spring Conference in Charleston, South Carolina on April 20, 2008, the North Carolina Utility Contractors Association (NCUCA) awarded its first-ever Ditchdigger of the Year Award (a silver shovel) to Bradford Barringer of B.R.S. Inc., Richfield, N.C. Presenting the award were Justus Everett of A.B.E.
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| Bradford Barringer expresses his thanks for having been
selected as NCUCA’s fi rst Ditchdigger of the Year. |
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Utilities and Lonnie Chandler, retired safety director with B.R.S. Inc. To highlight Barringer’s contributions in the areas of advocacy and regulatory affairs, Everett likened him to Spartan King Leonidas, who courageously led the defense of Greece against the Persians at Thermopylae in 480 B.C. Chandler followed with an impressive list of awards and accolades bestowed upon the award recipient and his company.
The other award of note presented during the conference — the NCUCA 2008 Safety Award for Companies with Greater than 100,000 Man-Hours — went to Foremost Pipe Construction Co. Inc., Gaston, S.C. George Aun accepted the award. Patterson-Wilder Construction Co., a multi-state gas pipeline construction company, was presented with an Honorable Mention in the same category.
For more information on NCUCA, contact chapter Executive Director Jim Lowry at (919) 845-7733.
APW Announces Study on Economic Impacts of Water & Wastewater Construction
The Americans for Pure Water
(APW), a public relations campaign
managed by the Clean Water
Council (CWC), which NUCA
chairs, has announced that it
will undertake a study that will
quantify the economic benefits
of constructing and maintaining
America’s water and wastewater
infrastructure. Since the information
currently available is limited
in scope and does not accurately
reflect changes in the cost of labor
and materials, improved productivity
or technological advancements,
the results of the new APW
study will be used to update and
educate the general public, industry
and policymakers on the national,
state and local levels.
The study, which began the first
week of April, will be completed
in five stages over 15 weeks.
Taking a case study approach, research
experts from PA Consulting
will work with NUCA to select and
collect detailed data from 10 recently
completed water and wastewater
construction projects from diverse
communities across the country
(five different states with two projects
per state). A variety of factors
will be used to select these representative
jobs, including type of area
(urban, suburban or rural), project
size (in dollars), type of construction
(new vs. replacement, open cut
vs. trenchless and pipeline vs. treatment
plant) and factors that affect
labor and supply costs. PA will then
conduct a detailed analysis of the
economic impact of each job, especially
at the local level. The report
on the study’s findings will be finalized
in July.
On behalf of the CWC and APW,
NUCA expects to donate approximately
$44,880 in staff and volunteer
time to the project. In addition,
the APW campaign will need
to spend approximately $115,000
for the required consulting fees,
as well as design, production, distribution
and publicity expenses.
Companies and organizations that
contribute $5,000 or more to the
APW campaign in 2008 will be acknowledged
as sponsors in the final
economic impact report. For details,
contact Bill Hillman, Linda Holtz or
Eben Wyman at the NUCA office
(703) 358-9300.
Dan East Wins Republican Nomination for Congress in New Mexico's 3rd District
The National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA) is pleased to announce that Daniel K. East — NUCA Senior Vice President and Rio Rancho utility contractor (Cone Construction) — has won the Republican nomination for Congress in northern New Mexico’s 3rd District.
Having handily defeated Santa Fe lawyer Marco Gonzales with 54 percent of the primary vote, East will face off with Democrat Ben Ray Lujan, a member of the state Public Regulation Commission, in the November general election. The seat is currently held by Democrat Tom Udall, who is running for the U.S. Senate.
Disillusioned with the current elected officials, East decided to run — as an outsider and small businessman — “to bring positive change to New Mexico.”
Since announcing his candidacy in February, he has shown considerable political muscle — easily making it onto the primary ballot by winning 32.1 percent of the delegates during the March 15 New Mexico GOP’s Pre-Primary Nominating Convention and now winning the primary.
“We worked hard to get out and talk about the issues in New Mexico’s 3rd District and around the nation, especially the importance of bringing business leadership into the halls of Congress,” said East. “I thank everyone who has supported me — a political newcomer who has defied the odds — and ask that they continue their support so that we can take this to the finish line in November.”
The NUCA PAC Committee, which has already contributed $5,000 to East’s campaign, has pledged another $5,000, and NUCA staff will be actively working to solicit contributions from national construction organizations. Anyone wishing to assist East in competing with his better-funded Democratic opponent is encouraged to send a check payable to Dan East for Congress to 1380 Rio Rancho Blvd. SE #296, Rio Rancho, NM 87124. Please visit the Web site at www.daneast4congress.com to make a donation online. (NOTE: The FEC limits individual donations to $2,300 per person for each of the primary and general elections. Corporate donations cannot be accepted.)
New Mexico Governor Proclaims September “Damage Prevention Month”
On April 22, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson signed a proclamation designating September 2008 as “Damage Prevention Month.” The document recognizes the
efforts of the New Mexico Regional Common Ground Alliance (NMRCGA), of which NUCA of New Mexico is a founding member, to protect and prevent damage to
underground facilities throughout the state. The month of September was chosen to coincide with the Third Annual NMRCGA Expo and Conference, an event
dedicated to all aspects of excavation throughout the state. The event will be held at the Albuquerque Convention Center, Sept. 24-26 in Albuquerque, N.M.
Last year, the governor signed a bill (HB908) making it mandatory for all underground facility owners, as defined by New Mexico law, to belong to a One Call
system. Facility owners had until April 15 to comply with the new law.
UCAC Presents 2008 Person of the Year Award
The Utility Contractors
Association of Connecticut
held its Annual Meeting Dinner
Dance on May 2 at the
Wethersfi eld Country Club
in Wethersfi eld, Conn. During
the event, which attracted
some 125 members and guests,
Bill Garrity of Garrity Asphalt
Reclaiming Inc. (Bloomfi eld,
Conn.) was honored as the 2008 UCAC Person of the Year for
“his dedicated and distinguished service to UCAC and steadfast
support for its scholarship program.”
UCAW’s Mock Bid Event Draws National Attention
On March 18 and 20, the Utility Contractors Association of Washington (UCAW) held its second Annual Mock Bid. A collaboration of UCAW and American Public Works Association (APWA), the event provides designers and public employees with the opportunity to experience the challenges contractors face during a bidding process.
This year’s Mock Bid was held in the offices of Gary Merlino Construction, SCI Infrastructure, Dennis R. Craig Construction Co., Marshbank Construction Co. and Frank Coluccio Construction Co. Each contractor worked with a team of four or five designers and APWA members. The teams competed against each other by bidding on a road project from the City of Everett, which was originally bid and constructed in 2003.
The simulation mirrored a real bidding process in every imaginable way — from the methods and tasks routinely utilized by the contractors to develop their pricing to the paperwork that must be completed to make the bid legal. To make a difficult process even more so, UCAW Executive Director Mike Myette purposely gave the teams incorrect information, late arriving quotes, addition and subtraction errors in the quotes, fuel surcharges from suppliers, scope differences from subcontractors and quotes that were viable for only a limited time period after the bid opening.
While challenging, the Mock Bid Event has proved to be extremely beneficial, especially in terms of improving communications between project providers and contractors. Katherine Claeys of the Seattle Department of Transportation had this to say: “These are great opportunities to create a better partnership between ‘owner’ and ‘contractor’ — and the public benefits since we’re both stewards of spending tax dollars. This can also reduce costly claims by cooperating and understanding legitimate problems with the contract that need to be addressed early.”
The Mock Bid program has been so successful in Washington State that it has generated interest in other states. Oregon, Indiana and Iowa have all expressed interest in beginning similar events using UCAW as their model.
To learn more about the Mock Bid Event, contact Mike Myette at mike@ucaw.org or call (206) 510-0499. More information about the UCAW can be found online at www.ucaw.org.
Obituary: PUCA General Counsel Allan Lyons Fluke Esq. (1939-2008)
Senior counsel with Thorp Reed & Armstrong LLP, where he practiced construction and labor law, Allan Lyons Fluke, Esq., 68, passed away on April 18. General Counsel for the Pennsylvania Utility Contractors Association (PUCA) since 1996 and Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Western Pennsylvania since 1981, Fluke was chosen 2005 Associate of the Year by both contractor associations; it was the first time a lawyer received the dual honor.
In addition to handling legal suits and arbitrations for both union and non-union clients, Fluke testified regarding the proposed rewrite of the Pennsylvania Procurement Code and the 2007 Pennsylvania Underground Utility (One Call) Act. He was a regular contributor on construction topics to both the national and local Newsline of the Associated Builders and Contractors, PUCA News and the Pittsburgh Business Times.
He lectured and taught extensively on various construction law topics throughout his 25 years of practicing law. His education included a bachelor’s degree from Dickinson College and a J.D. from Duquesne University School of Law.
New Members
APAC-Southeast Inc.
Mike Herold
6767 N. Wickham Rd.
Melbourne, FL 32940
Email: meherold@apac.com
Web: www.apac.com
B J Enterprises
Mike Sappah
6581 Slater Pines Dr.
Ft. Myers, FL 33917
Work: (239) 731-2333
Fax: (239) 731-5205
Email: bjenter2333@earthlink.net
Brooks Bros. Utility Contractors
Keefe Brooks
1532 E. Indianola Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85014
Work: (480) 343-3895
Fax: (602) 266-9507
Email: keefe@bbuc.net
Dave Foote Environmental Construction Inc.
Dave Foote
6091 Greenbriar Farms Rd.
Ft. Myers, FL 33905
Work: (239) 369-6146
Fax: (239) 369-7516
Email: dfeci@embarqmail.com
Great Plains Underground Construction Inc.
Craig Hagge
1408 W. Main St.
Creighton, NE 68729
Work: (402) 358-5300
Fax: (402) 358-5330
Email: eshagge@gpcom.net
Mersino Dewatering Inc.
Marco Mersino
1495 Airway Cir.
New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168
Work: (386) 426-2411
Fax: (386) 426-2111
Email: marco@mersino.com
Web: www.mersino.com
Nutter Corp.
Lisa Schmidt
7211 N.E. 43rd Ave.
Vancouver, WA 98661
Work: (360) 759-2233
Fax: (360) 576-8484
Email: lisas@nuttercorp.com
Web: www.nuttercorp.com
Pacific Excavation Inc.
Michael B. Carlsen
P.O. Box 884
Springfield, OR 97477
Work: (541) 791-1911
Fax: (541) 791-4161
Email: brad@pacificexc.com
Web: www.pacificexc.com
Thomas Pastore P.C.
Thomas Pastore
P.O. Box 44947
302 N. Alabama
Indinapolis, IN 46244-0947
Work: (317) 638-3333
Fax: (317) 687-9707
Email: tpastore@pastoregooden.com
Western Summit Constructors
Dan Coder
5470 Valley Hwy.
Denver, CO 80216
Work: (303) 298-9500
Fax: (303) 298-9501
Email: dcoder@westernsummit.com
Web: www.westernsummit.com
Wubben Bros. Inc. dba
Columbia Asphalt Maintena
Mark Wubben
11218-A N.E. 66th St.
Vancouver, WA 98662
Work: (360 )260-7100
Fax: (360) 260-7200
Email: mark@wubben.com
AGL Construction Lasers & Machine Control
Damien Horn
2202 Redmond Rd.
Jacksonville, AR 72076
Work: (501) 982-4433
Fax: (501) 982-0880
Email: damien.horn@agl.lasers.com
BID2WIN Software Inc.
Megan Call
1 New Hampshire Ave.
Ste. 209
Portsmouth, NH 03801
Work: (603) 570-2500
Fax: (603) 430-7503
Email: mcall@bid2win.com
Web: www.bid2win.com
Dynapac USA Inc.
Pete AItenberger
P.O. Box 615
Schertz, TX 78154
Work: (210) 474-5770
Fax: (210) 474-5750
Email: peter.altenberger@dynapac.com
Web: www.dynapac.com
Excavation Safety Co.
Joe Turner
1837 Wright St.
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
Work: (707) 523-4052
Fax: (707) 523-3808
Email: jmtengr2@aol.com
HARCO Fittings
Michael Harrington
108 Oakwood Pl.
P.O. Box 10335
Lynchburg, VA 24503
Work: (434) 845-7094
Fax: (434) 845-8562
Email: sales@harcofi ttings.com
Web: www.harcofittings.com
HD Supply Waterworks Inc.
Wally Satterfield
901 Crafters Ln.
Pineville, NC 28134
Work: (704) 596-4080
Fax: (704) 598-6006
Email: wally.satterfield@hdsupply.com
Web: www.hdsupply.com
Highway Technologies
Kristin Hudak
2699 N. Airport Rd.
Ft. Myers, FL 33907
Work: (239) 334-3919
Fax: (239) 896-0400
Email: kristin.hudak@hwy-tech.com
Web: www.hwy-tech.com
Wells Fargo Equipment Finance
Bill Taylor
636 Citrus Wood Ln.
Valrico, FL 33594
Work: (813) 655-6732
Fax: (813) 655-6538
Email: william.taylor@cit.com
Web: www.cit.com
Mirdif Security & Safety Consultants
Mohamed H.
El-Oupy Zabeel Rd.
Alkarama Dubai, UAE 6067
Work: (009) 714-335-2123
Fax: (009) 714-335-2097
Email: hamed@mirdifsecurity.com
Web: www.mirdifsecurity.com
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